Tuesday 20 March 2012

FFF Rice bubble muesli slice

After some recent baking I had rice bubbles and condensed milk to use up.  I decided to make muesli bars.  Finding the right recipe took quite some searching.  So many muesli bar recipes ask for muesli as an ingredient.  Crazy, huh!  I just wanted a recipe where I could mix in muesli components.  Finally I had decided to make my own muesli for the bars and then I found that Canadian Living had a recipe I could adapt.

I haven't had lots of success with muesli bars.  So many have fallen apart on me lately and turned into muesli.  It still tastes good but it is not quite so easy to transport to work for a mid morning snack.  These bars held together well but the texture was quite crunchy.  I prefer my bars more chewy.  But when you fill a slice with your favourite things it can't help but taste good.

I took a tub of them over to visit my sister Fran and her husband John who are back in Melbourne.  I know they are the sort of thing they love.  They weren't as good as the Bill Granger muesli slice that Fran made when I visited them in Orange last year.  Unfortunately when I tried that recipe it fell to pieces so I will have to work on that one.

Finally late at night I took this photo.  It is not at all the way that I stored the slice.  I just have seen this style of photo around the blogosphere and was curious to try it.  Once I had finished photographing it, I cut the muesli slice into smaller squares and put them all into an airtight container.  They lasted over a week and were an excellent snack to take to work.

I am sending these muesli bars to Gillbla of Pigling Bland who is hosting this month's Frugal Food Fridays, the event coordinated by Helen of Fuss Free Flavours.  Muesli bars are the perfect way for using up all sorts of bits and pieces around the kitchen.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: SOS Facon (vegetarian bacon)
This time two years ago: MLLA Soba salad and orange tempeh
This time four years ago: Pie with filo roses

Rice bubble berry muesli slice
Adapted from Canadian Living
Makes 24 bars or 48 small squares

1 1/2 cups (375ml) rolled oats
1 1/2 cups (375ml) rice bubbles (aka rice krispies)
1 cup (250ml) dried berries
1/2 cup (125ml) dessicated coconut
1/2 cup (125ml) hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (60ml) sesame seeds
1/4 cup (60ml) linseeds (aka flax seeds)
2/3 cup (160ml) condensed milk
1/3 cup (80ml) rice bran oil (or other neutral oil)

Place dry ingredients into a large bowl.  Mix condensed milk and oil in a smaller bowl and pour into dry ingredients.  Mix well and press into a greased and lined lamington tin (13 x 9 inch). 

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until golden brown.  The recipe suggested 20 minutes.  I left mine in for 25 minutes because they hadn't browned enough but next time I would stick with 20 minutes.  Cool in tin on a rack and then cut into bars or squares.

On the stereo:
Made in Scotland Film Themes (freebie cd from The Scotsman newspaper)

13 comments:

  1. I really like the look of these. I too prefer softer over crunchier muesli bars (which is why the muesli-based ones are often not quite right!) but the flavourings and add ins here are much better than anything you could buy. Too often I am lazy with muesli bars and just buy some for 'emergencies' (ha!) but making my own on a weekly basis is on my goal list. These might just help...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kari - I understand. I have been buying muesli bars for when I don't have this sort of snack and it is great motivation to make my own as I prefer my own add-ins.

      Delete
  2. Dried berries? That sounds fancy! Is there a berry mix you buy? Or, wait, maybe you just mean cranberries/cherries? Either way, this looks lovely! Maybe a nut butter would help them stick? Your beloved almond butter, perhaps? :D Teehee, I'm a sucker for squeezing nut butters into everything...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hannah - Woolworths has a berry mix that Sylvia loves so we tend to buy it often - not quite sure what berries but I like the colours. I agree that nut butters make everything better but try and avoid using them all the time as they are expensive (esp given the peanut butter is out in our house)

      Delete
  3. Sounds lovely - the kind of thing I ought to try because then I can leave the nuts out of it and add my favourite dried fruits - I struggle to buy commercial museli bars. I like your experimental photo, but I like all the others too - they remind me of my kitchen where everything jostles for space on the work surface and I struggle to take photos. Lots of bloggers seem to live in vast palaces or photography studios!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks C - finding commercial muesli bars without nuts must be hard - we are lucky that for sylvia we only need to avoid peanuts - and am reassured to hear I am not the only one to be always cooking cheek to jowl with the rest of the kitchen paraphernalia.

      Delete
  4. I love them! Thanks for taking part in Frugal Food Friday!

    I put a board on my bed to take most of my photos as the bedroom has the best light!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Helen - fortunately our kitchen has quite good light - though sylvia's room does also and has a bit more room but I usually take photos where I am as I am often short of time. I like the idea of a photo board though

      Delete
  5. Ooo condensed milk!! I have never tried that in a granola bar. I'm not a big granola bar fan because I find them too sweet and I don't like dried fruit but I'm definitely intrigued by these!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ashley - I had thought the condensed milk would make it more chewy but it didn't - though I still liked the flavour - home made muesli bars are great because you put in whatever you love - I usually put in a mix of dried fruit where it says raisins as I am not so keen on them

      Delete
  6. These look so good! But I really want to steal your cute dinosaur...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Cakelaw - the dinosaur was a birthday present for sylvia from her cousins - it is very cute and squidgy

      Delete
  7. Sounds like a nice combination of ingredients--and I do love Canadian Living recipes! Glad they stuck together (and what a lovely photo with that parchment paper!) ;-)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for dropping by. I love hearing from you. Please share your thoughts and questions. Annoyingly the spammers are bombarding me so I have turned on the pesky captcha code (refresh to find an easy one if you don't like the first one)