Oct 12

Oct 12 Crunchy Apricot Muesli Bars

Oh hey there, long time no talk everyone. I have a pretty delicious recipe for you today – Crunchy Apricot Muesli Bars. I can’t believe it’s nearly been a month since I last posted anything. Hold the phone where did the last month go? Life has been busy in our household these past few weeks. We finally are all back on our feet after a very long and drawn out winter. The kids had been sick most of winter and to top the season off they got RSV in early September. I am so thankful for the warmer weather (not the hay fever though) and wellness returning back to the house. Freelance work has been so busy through winter and the latter part of the year is looking even busier with the party season now approaching and lots of celebratory recipes needing to be photographed. Thankfully we just had a wonderful two week break recently with hubby having holidays at the end of September. The extra pair of hands has been a god send allowing me to run-away for a few hours every couple of days to get a pedicure, run errands and shop in peace.

We went away camping for 4 nights over the long weekend in October to the Sunshine Coast with the kids in our caravan. It was our first time camping with Little Miss and let’s just say it was an experience and a half. We had been camping with J.D a fair bit since he was about 18 months old and he was used to it however this was Little Miss’s first time. The first 24 hours were difficult to say the least. It took her at least a day to stop crying every time she was inside the caravan and it seemed sleep was optional both night and day during this time. I may have said I wanted to go home at some point during the first day and a half. She slowly warmed up to the experience by the end of the second day and enjoyed crawling around outside, experiencing the beach for the first time and generally having a bit of freedom to roam. Sleeping improved some during the day but night times were still a bit hit and miss. {Read waking 2-3 times a night – leaving me with my eyes falling out of my head} J.D had an absolute blast for the time we were away camping. He experienced the surf for the first time and loved it, paddled in the pool in the caravan park and rode his scooter with the other kids near our campsite. I thought he might have been scared of the waves at the beach but he jumped into it like a duck to water. He had no fear in the shallow waters of the beach as the waves rolled in washing over him and sometimes knocking him off his feet. This would end in giggles of joy and the urge for more. I shook my head. I couldn’t get over it. Me as a 3 year old at the beach resulted in me a crying mess because I was so scared of the crashing waves. I have no idea what age I got over this {yes I’m not scared anymore ;-P ) but I’m glad I didn’t pass on the fear.

So would I go camping with an 11 month old and a 3 year old again … well I’ll tell you when Little Miss starts sleeping through the night again? Ha

I found a quiet hour last Saturday afternoon while the kids napped to actually just potter in the kitchen and work on a recipe. It was refreshing to say the least to have a play in the kitchen without pressures of completing a job on time, looking at the clock, looking at the sun to make sure I’m not missing out on optimal light, blah blah blah. Let’s just say it was good to be back in the kitchen again without other pressures pressing in around me. I was in the middle of making my Banana & Peanut Butter Bars for hubby and I remember a few Mum’s commenting they would love to make something like this for school snacks. Unfortunately it contains nuts which is generally a no no in most school settings. So I thought it was high time to come up with a nut free muesli bar recipe for you all.

I wanted to re-create an old favourite that I remember as a child. Do you remember the good old crunchy apricot muesli bars? You know the kind that was super crunchy (not the chewy kind) dotted with bits of tart dried apricot. It wasn’t often that I was allowed to one of these but I was so excited when we were allowed one of these as a treat. I would choose these one over a chewy choc chip muesli bar any day of the week. The recipe contains minimal ingredients and hopefully you should have most in your cupboard. These bars a super crunchy with a delicious hit of apricots with every bite and best of all they are made with real ingredients and not filled with nasties. I made a big batch up and froze them for snacks throughout the week for J.D and myself. You can pop one frozen in your kid’s lunch box in the morning and it should be right to go by morning tea time. Plus the cost of making a batch of these Crunchy Apricot Muesli Bars would be oh so much cheaper than buying the boxed variety that seem to be shrinking in size every year. Set aside a half an hour and whip up a batch this week. Don’t forget to tell me what your think. Happy baking everyone.

Crunchy Apricot Muesli Bar

Prep Time:

15 min

Cook Time:

10-12 min

Makes:

10-12 bars

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Ingredients:

2 cups (200g) rolled oats
1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut
1 cup (150g) dried apricots, roughly chopped
1/3 cup (55g) wholemeal plain flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
1/2 cup (125ml) coconut oil
1/2 cup (125ml) rice malt syrup (or honey), warmed until runny
1 (70g) egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius (fan bake) and line a large cookie tray with baking paper.
In a large bowl add the rolled oats, desiccated coconut, chopped apricots, plain flour cinnamon and salt. Mix lightly with a wooden spoon to combine ingredients.
In a microwavable bowl add the rice malt syrup and coconut oil. Heat for 30-40 seconds in the microwave to melt the coconut oil and warm up the rice malt syrup. Add the warmed syrup and oil mix to the dry ingredients.
Add in the lightly beaten egg and vanilla essence and mix to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
Spread the mixture onto the lined cookie tray and shape with the back of the wooden spoon into a rectangular shape and about 1 cm in thickness. Using a large knife score the mixture into bar shapes before placing into the oven.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Remove the tray from the oven and re-cut the score marks before letting the bars cool slightly. Once cool to touch move the bars to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Place bars into a air tight container and either consume within a week or freeze immediately.

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