Football Healthy Snacks Part 2!!!

Here’s part 2 of the football healthy snacks as I made Tesco’s Flapjack cookies and Energy Bites from BBC Good Food.

The energy bites was really simple to make, slightly messy but quick to do! 🙂

Ingredients:

• 100g Pecans
• 75g Raisins
• 1 x tablespoon of flaxseeds – i didn’t have this so I used mixed seeds
• 1 x tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 1 – 3 x tablespoon of honey
• 50g Desiccated coconut (to finish)
• 3 x tablespoon of peanut butter

Method:

11) Put the pecans into the food processor, blitz to crumbs, then add the everything else (not the desiccated coconut) and pulse to combine. If the mixture seems too dry, add some more honey or peanut butter to make the mixture more moist.

2) Shape the mixture into golf sized balls and roll them into the desiccated coconut to coat. Put in fridge to firm for 30 minutes. They will last for 3 – 4 days.

I also made flapjack cookies using Tesco’s recipe. Although, I was not really impressed with the outcome and I wouldn’t make this again! I thought the biscuits were quite thin and tasted quite sweet. The recipe was on the back of the Demerara sugar packaging.

Here’s the ingredients:

• 175g Butter
• 175g Demerara sugar
• 100g Golden syrup
• 75g wholemeal plain flour
• Half teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 250g Oats
• 1 x teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• 100g Raisins
• 100g Dried cranberries
• 1 stem ginger finely chopped
• 1 x egg beaten
• 2 x tablespoon of boiling water
• Preheat oven to GM4 (180c) and line 2 x trays with parchment paper

Method:

1) Heat the butter, sugar and syrup until melted.

2) Add all the other dry ingredients. Then add the egg and water – mix thoroughly . Leave until cool to handle.

3) Dampen your hands and shape into flattened balls. Allow space to to spread and they do spread by quite a fair bit. I used a small ice cream scoop for the balls.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Leave to harden and then transfer to a wire rack.

I am glad everybody at work enjoyed the healthy snacks, but I prefer to bake lovely and fattening cakes and desserts! 🙂

Football Healthy Snacks Part 1!!!

My internet connection was down for 2 weeks so I was unable to blog any posts! Unfortunately at my work place, wordpress is banned!!! Very annoying!

So, going back to week commencing 9th September, I was asked by one of my work colleague to bake something healthy for the company’s football charity event! All the stuff that I normally bake is quite unhealthy and indulging so I thought ‘healthy’ bakes would be a challenge!!! 🙂

I decided to make a variety of healthy snacks – Cranberry & Pecan Oaties, Flapjack cookies, Honey & Peanut Booster bars and Energy Bites! I think at times, I might be abit too ambitious with my baking!!!

From the feedback, the honey and peanut booster bars and cranberry & pecan oaties were a hit so I was pleased! 🙂 I actually nearly burnt down my kitchen making the cranberry & pecan oaties as the baking parchment caught on fire in the oven! Luckily, my hubby was around to put it out and I still had some mixture left!!! 🙂

Here’s the recipe for the Honey & Peanut Booster Bars from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall:

Ingredients:

• 125g Unsalted butter
• 150g soft brown sugar
• 125g crunchy peanut butter
• 75g honey and a little more to finish
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 200g porriage oats
• 150g dried fruits ie apricots, raisins, cranberries, blueberries
• 150g mixed seeds ie pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, linseed
• Preheat the oven GM3 (160c). Grease and line a 20cm square tin

Method: Make 16 pieces

1) Put the butter, sugar, peanut butter, honey, grated zests into a deep saucepan over a low heat.

2) Leave until melted, stirring from time to time.

3) Stir in the oats, fried fruits and 3/4 of the seeds into the mixture until combined. Spread the mixture into the tin and smooth the top.

4) Scatter the remaining seeds and drizzle the top with some honey.

5) Bake for 30 minutes and leave to cool and cut into squares.

Here’s the recipe for Cranberry & Pecan Oaties:

Ingredients:

• 175g Plain Flour, plus extra for dusting
• Half teaspoon of baking powder
• 85g Porriage Oats
• 175g Golder caster sugar
• 1 x teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 140g Butter, chopped
• 70g dried cranberries or blueberries
• 50g Pecans, roughly broken
• 1 x egg beaten
• Preheat oven to GM4 (160c) and line 2 trays with baking parchment paper

Method: Makes 12 – 16 cookies

1) Tip the flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and mix well with your hands. Rub in the butter. Stir the cranberries and pecans, add the egg and mix well with a wooden spoon until it all comes together in a big ball.

2) Lightly flour the work surface, then roll the dough into a fat sausage about 6cm across. Wrap in cling film, then chill in the fridge until solid.

3) Unwrap the cookie log, thickly slice into discs and arrange on baking sheets. Make sure you leave space around each one as they do spread. I used a small ice cream scoop to place them.

4) Bake them for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden. Leave on the trays to harden and then cool completely on a wire rack.

So, this is part 1, part 2 to follow! 🙂