Cereal Bars

These are a couple of our favourite cereal bars, my little ones just love these. We usually double the recipe and freeze some for later. They are easily adapted to dairy free, just use your normal dairy free margarine, for gluten free just make sure the oats are the gluten free ones or just use buckwheat flakes, I personally like using half oats and half buckwheat for these recipes.

                                                           Raisin and Oat Bar

                                                    200g oats / buckwheat flakes
                                                    60g to 80g dried fruit /seeds
                                                    110g  butter/margarine
                                                    60g brown sugar
                                                    10g golden syrup (optional but makes a more chewy bar)

Mix the oats / buckwheat with whatever dried fruit and seeds you are using.
Melt the butter and sugar in a pan, let it come to a boil and while stirring continually, let the mixture gently bubble for about 6 minutes. Then mix into oat mixture. Tip into a lined tray and press down well and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at gas 5.
When cooked, gently cut into pieces, it will be a bit crumbly at this stage but leave to cool in the tin and it should have set nicely by then.

                                                        Apricot and Coconut Bar

                                                    180g oats / buckwheat flakes
                                                    40g dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
                                                    40g desiccated coconut
                                                    120g  butter/margarine
                                                    10g golden syrup
                                                    60g brown sugar

Mix the oats / buckwheat with the diced apricot and coconut.
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup if using in a pan, let it come to a boil and while stirring continually, let the mixture gently bubble for about 6 minutes. Then mix into oat mixture. Tip into a lined tray and press down well and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at gas 5.
When cooked, gently cut into pieces.