Saturday 21 September 2013

Choc Peanut Butter Oat Bars

As we are currently baking and peanut butter obsessed, Maddy and I were craving a peanut butter type of thing that we could snack on over the holidays. We also LOVE chocolate and dried fruit, so they were both a must! And also, considering we have porridge every school morning, this was just the perfect snack to make! 

The great thing is, peanut butter is a terrific substitute for pure butter and it is much healthier too! If you are not a fan of peanut butter, almond butter, apple butter or even coconut butter would work too. 


We added a crazy amount of choc chips so I would recommend using a little less than suggested as there is chocolate garnish on the top of the bars too but if you really love chocolate like we do, go ahead and use even more than we suggested if you want! The add ins we used are our favourites but feel free to add whatever you want such as white choc bit, nuts, peanut butter bits, seeds, or any other dried fruit you like!

We felt the amount of sugar added was perfect and it worked well with the amount of chocolate added, so feel free to add more if you are dodging the chocolate, or if you are wanting to edge off the sugar a drizzle of honey would create a healthier, but still yummy sweetness. After all, peanut butter and honey work so well together!!! Make sure you taste the dough before putting it in the oven so you can play around the sweetness if necessary. 

If you are like to snack, these are perfect because you won't feel guilty, and they would even compliment any meal -breakfast, lunch or dinner- quite nicely. They are soft and moist and the fact that they are so easy with very little amounts of ingredients just top off how great they are!


Choc Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Ingredients 

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 choc chips 
1/2 cup sultanas 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a 15x15cm baking dish with baking paper.
2. Beat the brown sugar and peanut butter with an electric mixer for approximately 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Then, mix in the vanilla. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowel if necessary. 
3.  On medium speed, add flour, baking soda, oats and salt. Don't worry that the dough is thick and clumpy as it will come together! Gradually add the milk in one go until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips and sultanas- you will probably need to use your hands!
4. Once dough is combined, press it into the baking dish using a hard object such as a spatula to create a evenly leveled surface. Back for 20-25 minutes or until the bars and lightly golden and set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.*

*If you want you can melt some chocolate and drizzle over the top! 








So you have learnt another thing about us: we LOVE peanut butter and CHOCOLATE!

Keep cooking, Twins in the kitchen :)


No comments:

Post a Comment