Baking for the Kids - Snack Bars

It's been a long break since I last posted. I was feeling in need of a rest and so stepped back from everything I was able to for a bit of R&R. I still find my mind is buzzing with creative ideas for cakes and cookies, so I am sure it won't be too long before I'm bringing all those ideas to fruition...but in the meantime, I am trying to focus on the family and have been thinking up nice treats for the kids.

For those of you with children, you will know the insatiable appetite they have for snacks. I had been trying to buy good healthy brands and stay well clear of 'junk', but brands such as Organix (very tasty and no added rubbish) cost a fortune and my boys could happily go through a box or two in a single day if I let them get away with it!So I have been searching for a home made 'bar' to keep them satisfied without breaking the bank. I've tried a few things, but today's creation was a resounding success - M exclaimed it to be "scrumdidillyumptious" and P countered that with "it's yummy"...and much debate then ensued between the pair as to whether scrumdidillyumptious is better than yummy...

 

I used Nigella's Breakfast Bars recipe as a starting point, but adapted it to our tastes.

Ingredients:

1                   tin of light evaporated milk (405g)
300g            rolled oats
100g            desiccated coconut
50g              dried cranberries
100g            raisins
50g              dried mixed berries
handful        mixed seeds (poppy, sesame,
                     sunflower)

This is an incredibly simple recipe to follow. I simply mixed all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, heated the evaporated milk in a suacepan and then poured it into the bowl. Once everything was mixed, I popped it into a well greased baking tin, squidged it all down flat and then baked it for an hour on 140 celcius - simples!!!

One word of advice, cut it up before it has had a chance to completely cool...I had to rush out to do the school run so it was cold by the time I got back and it was quite hard work!

Extremely easy to make and extremely delicious...this is a real winner. The only downside is that I've got a bit of a taste for them myself, so I'm not sure how many the kids will actually get to see ;o)