Recipe: Peanut Butter Almond Oatmeal Bars
INGREDIENTS
1 stick [115 grams] unsalted butter
1 cup of peanut butter – smooth or chunky
1 cup of brown or golden cane sugar
1 whole egg lightly beaten
4 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
3.5 cups of rolled oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup of ground almonds
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of unsweetened melted chocolate for coating [optional]
TOOLSOven, Baking Sheet, Parchment Paper, Measuring Cups, Measuring Spoons, Small Bowls, Mixing Bowl, Wooden Spoon, Mixer [optional], Cooling Racks, Knife or Pizza Cutter
BAKING TEMPERATURE AND TIME350°F [177°C] for 15-16 minutes
DIRECTIONSPre-heat the oven to
350°F [177°C]. Mix unsalted butter, peanut butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Leave the unsalted butter in a room temperature for about ½ hour to soften before mixing – it will be much easier to make it fluffy. Add egg, water and pure vanilla extract. No worries if you see curdled butter; just continue to add further ingredients. In the separate bowl mix all dry ingredients together – porridge oats, ground porridge oats, ground almonds, baking soda and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the pasty butter mixture. Mix well and if required add one more or two tablespoons of water. Note that once all the ingredients are mixed, this mixture will be hard to mix, therefore don’t be shy and ask someone with strong hand to help you or do it in the mixer. Layer the baking sheet with parchment paper and spread mixture onto the baking sheet to fill from corner to corner – this recipe fills one baking sheet. With knife or pizza cutter cut into shape of rectangular bars or squares. Bake it for
15-16 minutes at 350°F [177°C]. Take out from the oven, run with the knife or pizza cutter through cut lines again and let it cool for 2-3 minutes in the baking sheet, and then transfer to cooling racks for further cooling.
BAKING NOTES1] To make these bars even more delicious, substitute rolled oats with the Rogers Porridge Oats - a combination of oat flakes, oat bran, wheat bran and flaxseed excellent for adding to baked goods.
2] If you don’t have access to the above porridge oats, you can make the mixture yourself. To make 3.5 cups of porridge oats mix 2.5 cups of rolled oats or oat flakes, ½ cup wheat bran, ¼ cup of oat bran, and ¼ roasted flax seeds. Note you can adjust the above proportions, but ensure that the end result is 3.5 cups.
3] Use chunky peanut butter if you can. You can always use 2/3 of smooth peanut butter and 1/3 cup of crushed peanuts.
4] All purpose flour can be substituted with Robin Hood Nutri Flour Blend. This all purpose flour is a blend of unbleached flour and wheat bran. It tastes like white flour and has the same amount of fiber as whole wheat flour.
5] These bars taste even better when coated with the unsweetened melted chocolate.
6] Do not be afraid to try different shapes other than squares and bars. You can also scoop with spoon and make round cookies.
7] Note that when you add eggs to the sugar and unsalted butter mixture sometimes curdles form. To avoid this you can do two things. Sometimes it helps to leave eggs in the room temperature. Secondly, if you cannot get rid off them, just keep adding dry ingredients and they will eventually disappear.
8] For those who like to eat less sugar or bake with less sugar, this recipe is definitely good for experimenting different proportions. Every time you make it try ¾ cup of brown sugar, then 2/3 cup of brown sugar and may be there will be no difference if you only use ½ cup of sugar.
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INGREDIENTS
