The OH is one of those skinny people: an ectomorph. You know, one of those people who can eat and eat and eat and not put on a single ounce. He’s tired of being so thin so he’s making a concentrated effort to eat more high calorie nutritious foods in a bid to gain weight. He picked up 2 kg of mixed nuts since nuts are high in calories, but he’s getting a bit tired of eating them on their own.
So I thought I’d try being creative for him.
I’ve been eyeing up the chocolate dipped Eat Natural bars at the supermarket as an idea for his packed work lunch, but I never buy any as I think they are a little silly expensive for what they are. However, tucked into the reduced bargain section of the supermarket I found a small packet of four Eat Natural snack size bars of mixed nuts with crisped rice, peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts for just 99 pence. When I saw the 2 kg of mixed nuts the OH bought I was inspired!
I scaled up the quantities on the Eat Natural bars ingredients list, replacing glucose syrup with dark muscovado sugar, and thought that adding a bit of dark chocolate would help make the nuts go down easier. Dark chocolate makes everything better, doesn’t it?
I wasn’t wrong. This experiment was wholly successful! One of the bars fell apart a bit as I was dipping it into the chocolate, but that didn’t matter – I still drizzled it with melted chocolate and served it up in a little dish as chocolate nut clusters. My initial recipe involved using whole nuts, but coarsely chopping them would be better and will provide more surface area for the honey/sugar mixture to stick everything together.
Since this recipe contains both honey and chocolate I am entering it into Choclette’s We Should Cocoa challenge for this month, which tasks us to get creative with those ingredients.
This is also a good time to highlight the plight of the bees. The honey bee is not known to occur naturally in Shetland, although there are several species of bumblebee, including one which only occurs in Shetland, the small heath bumblebee (Bombus jonellus vogti). Bee numbers have been steadily declining throughout the UK and Shetland over the last few years. This is thought to be due to changing agricultural practices including the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. The Soil Association has started a Keep Britain Buzzing campaign which includes sending out free organic phacelia seeds in a bid to get more people growing flowers and they are campaigning for a ban on neonicotinoid pesticide use. You can find out more on their website here. What can we do? Shop organic, support their campaign and plant flowers!
These chocolate honey nut bars are packed full of energy and protein; perfect snacks for my little hill walking adventurers, for the OH and and for me as a high protein post-workout snack.
- 210 grams whole unsalted mixed nuts, coarsely chopped
- 30 grams crisped rice cereal
- 45 grams runny honey
- 15 grams dark muscovado sugar
- 100 grams dark chocolate (at least 80% cocoa solids)
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 7 bars
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Rebecca says
What delicious and nutritious looking bars! I have a similar problem with my husband, he can’t gain no matter what he eats. If only I could have a touch of that problem myself! He will love these bars.
Choclette says
Wonderful stuff Elizabeth. You’ve created a very professional and attractive looking snack bar which is heaps better than anything you can pick up in a super market and as you say probably a lot cheaper. CT polishes off most of what I bake and doesn’t appear to be any the worse for it – sadly for me I pile on the pounds really quickly. Thanks for entering these into We Should Cocoa.
Glad you did a bit of a plug for the bees too. Did you hear about the “save the bees march” on Friday – I think it was well attended. I hadn’t realised Shetland had it’s very own bee, I do hope it thrives.
Elizabeth says
Aw, thank you for your very lovely comment, I’m chuffed! 🙂 Did you hear the news today that the EU is banning neonictinoid pesticides! Such fantastic news!
Kate - Turquoise Lemons says
These look amazingly scrumptious Elizabeth!
Elizabeth says
Thanks Kate! They were far too good, to be honest!
Carole Butler says
Woah! They look amazing – and so much tastier than their Eat Natural alternative. You’ve inspired me to have a go, I hate the glucose syrup in the commercial ones
Elizabeth says
Yay! let me know how you get on 🙂
Laura Loves Cakes says
This is a really creative idea and the finished result looks so professional! I agree that Eat Natural bars are a little on the expensive side but these are a great alternative and probably taste nicer! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Thank you! 🙂
Johanna GGG says
I have a partner who doesn’t put on weight but I am the one who loves food – something is just not right in that equation! I love the sound of these bars – anything with nuts is usually my sort of food and I am sure I would love them more than the shop bought bars
Elizabeth says
I hear you! I think these are better than the shop-bought ones, but then I’m biased 🙂
belleau kitchen says
I know it’s wrong but I think I hate your OH!!!!… so not fair!… I could feast on these and be very very fat, but very happy… they are so beautiful. x
Elizabeth says
Folk wonder how, with all the baking that goes on in our home, we’re not massive! Sometimes I wonder if people think I’m not feeding him enough! Thanks for your lovely comment 🙂
Stuart Vettese says
These look delicious – love different ideas for nut mixes!
Elizabeth says
Thanks 🙂 They are! I can vouch for them as post-workout snacks too yummy yummy!
Hannah says
They look amazing, such an inspired way of jazzing up nut mix!
Elizabeth says
Thank you 🙂 They are certainly a tastier way to eat a nut mix!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
These look great, but I think I will be avoiding the like the plague on my fast days.
Elizabeth says
They’re certainly not for the low calorie conscious! 🙂