PB & J Power Bars from Whole Food Energy by Elise Museles {book review}

January has come and gone along with most people’s New Year’s resolutions. Making better choices when it comes to food is not something that should only be thought of in January, but all year long. I am a baking blog and I think sugar has it’s place in our lives. However, I also agree that with sugar and/or added sugar in a lot of processed foods is a bit excessive and it’s wise to start paying attention to what is in our food.

I was sent Whole Food Energy to read and review and to be honest I wasn’t 100% sure what I was getting myself into! It was a pleasant surprise just looking at the content page. Divided into 3 parts the book covers everything from what supplies you should keep on hand to drinks, breakfast, snacks, and energy packed treats like these PB & J Power Bars.

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I was curious to how these power bars would turn out. The author states that her son has asked for these over and over again and I have to say they have been a hit with my daughters as well!

Full of oats, dates, peanut butter, dried cherries, and almonds it really does taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No lie! The best part is knowing they are full of whole natural food that’s great for everyone! I like that they are chewy too, but the almonds give it a bit of crunch!

PB & J Chewy Power Bars

50g rolled oats
200g Medjool dates, pitted
60g unsweetened peanut butter
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of salt
100g dried cherries
75g almonds, roughly chopped

Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper with the sides hanging out. In a food processor pulse the rolled oats until still a bit chunky, but chopped up. It shouldn't be a powder. Add the dates, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt and pulse/process until it starts to come together and clump up. Add the cherries and pulse several times to incorporate them into the mixture. Take out the blade and add the chopped almonds and use your hands, clean please, to mix everything together. 
Place in the prepared loaf tin and using the hang over paper, fold it on and top and press the mixture down to flatten, try to make it as even as possible. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour before cutting into bars. Easy peasy.

Elise Museles is the author of the popular blog Kale & Chocolate has given us a book packed full of recipes that will keep you energised through out the day! If you haven’t heard of her check out her website/blog and this book! I have learned a lot just from reading through it and I can’t wait to try more of the recipes, especially the smoothie ones!

note: Whole Food Energy: 200 all-natural recipes to prepare, refuel, and recover by Elise Museles (from Kale & Chocolate) was sent to me to review by the UK publishers; Apple Press - Available online, from the publishers, and from all good booksellers now! No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own and it was known that I sometimes adapt recipes to share with my readers to give them a feel for the book.

Chocolate Covered Cranberry Flapjacks {not pancakes, but chewy granola bars}

If I were asked how to describe a flapjack I would say it was a chewy granola bar. However if a flapjack is baked for a bit longer it ceases to be flapjack any more it becomes a granola bar.

Granola Bars are usually baked longer and are crunchy, but where I come from we have chewy granola bars. Which are flapjacks.

When I was a young girl in America I loved a chewy chocolate chip granola bar. It was probably more like a chocolate candy bar, but you know. We didn't call them flapjacks because in America “flapjacks” are a slang term or sort of nickname for pancakes.

However I no longer think of flapjacks as pancakes. It’s one of the few words that I have adopted since living in the UK.

There are very few words I have adopted; I still say sidewalk, garbage, zucchini and pants. That last one does get me in trouble occasionally. My girls are at the age where things like “pants” or “knickers” are funny. So, I have started to get giggles when I tell them to get dressed and pick out a pair of pants.

No idea why some words have changed and some haven’t I say “chips” for both crisps and French fries to which my husband understands in context. If I say “We’re having fish and chips for dinner” he knows I mean French fries and if I say I want chips and dip he knows I mean crisps. Sometimes he does clarify just to be sure.

No matter if these are called flapjacks or chewy granola bars they are still chewy and they are still good. So, you should make them and eat them.

Chocolate Covered Cranberry Flapjacks

250g butter

200g golden caster sugar

50g demerara sugar
175g golden syrup

500g jumbo oats

200g of chocolate covered dried cranberries

Heat the oven to 180C/350F and line and grease a 20 or 23 cm (8 or 9 inch) square pan or whatever size you have.

Heat the butter, both sugars, and golden syrup in a medium saucepan until the butter is melted don’t let it boil too much if the butter is almost melted take off the heat and stir it until the butter is completely melted.

Add the jumbo oats and stir to coat.

Fold in the chocolate covered cranberries.
Pour into the prepared pan and press down. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes remember if you bake them too long they are granola bars, not flapjacks.

Remember they set as they cool so even if they are looking a bit soft it’s okay. Score before they cool completely.

If you like this post you may like these:

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Snack Squares

Salted Caramel Flapjacks

Cherry Oatmeal Bars 

notes: I made these with dark, milk, and white chocolate covered dried cranberries I found at a TK Max if you don’t have chocolate covered cranberries substitute with chocolate chips and dried cranberries in any combination of weight you want to add up to about 200g combined. I looked for a flapjack recipe online and in my library of cookbooks this recipe is a mix of what I found. I didn't use just one recipe.