Food / 12 August, 2018 / My Baba

Delicious Veggie Puffed Choc Rice Bars

Makes 16

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus chilling

Cooking time: 10 minutes

• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 125g/4 ½ oz/scant 1 cup soft, pitted dried dates, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or clear honey
• juice of ½ orange
• 300g/10½ oz/1 1/3 cups no-added sugar smooth peanut butter
• 50g/1 ¾oz/heaped/1/3 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp hemp seeds
• 50g/1 ¾ oz/1 ¾ cups wholegrain, sugar-free puffed rice
• 125g/4 ½ oz plain/semisweet chocolate, broken into squares
• 50g/1 ¾ oz white chocolate, broken into square

1. Line a 28 x 20cm/11 ¾ x 8in baking pan with cling film/ plastic wrap and leave to one side. Put the coconut oil, dates, maple syrup, orange juice and peanut butter in a small saucepan and warm over a medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the dates break down – mash them with the back of a fork to help.

2. Meanwhile, put the hazelnuts, seeds and puffed rice in a bowl and mix together until combined.

3. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the bowl and turn gently until everything is mixed together. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, spread it out into an even layer using the back of a spoon (it helps if you dampen the spoon). Set aside.

4. Melt the plain/semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base does not touch the water. Spoon the melted chocolate over the peanut butter mixture, spreading it out in an even layer.

5. Melt the white chocolate, taking care not to overheat it. Dollop blobs of the melted white chocolate over the plain/semisweet chocolate, then use a skewer to swirl the chocolate and make a patterned top. Chill for 1 hour or so until firm, then serve cut into squares. Store, covered with cling film/plastic wrap, in the refrigerator – it will happily keep for 2 weeks, if it lasts that long.

Extracted from: Vegetarian Food for Healthy Kids © Nicola Graimes published by Nourish Books, London Paperback £12.99, commissioned photography by Tony Briscoe