Thursday 13 November 2014

Angela Liddon's Glo Bars

This morning I gave Sylvia the choice of pink iced cupcakes and glo bars.  She chose glo bars.  I was most pleased at my success with the healthier treat.  Then she says, but don't make them again because I don't like them that much.  As if I wont be making them again!

For those who haven't had the luck to come across Angela Liddon's Oh She Glows vegan blog, you might not be aware of this signature recipe of hers that has been reproduced in her cookbook that came out this year.  I love her blog and have loving making a few of her recipes.  This one was no exception.

E commented that it was one of the better healthy bars I have made.  And to prove it we just kept nibbling away at them.  They were so good.  As well as being full of good seeds and oats, no refined sugar, and easy to make gluten free and vegan.

Now a note about the photos of these bars.  Muesli bars are among the most boring looking food.  They are meant to be healthy rather than pretty.  I really liked Angela's styliing the bars with fabric (and had also seen Mihl do it too recently with baking paper under the fabric).  I also had a look at FoodGawker for ideas.

Then I ripped up an old dress of Sylvia's that she had worn out, literally.  When she got home and saw what I had one she gave me one of her scary disapproving frowns.

Yet for all Sylvia's displeasure at me ripping up her old dress for the blog (even though it was already quite ripped), she and her friends seemed to enjoy the novelty wrapping.  So this morning I asked what she liked about the bars.  The wrapping?  The choc chips?  The rice bubbles (which we used for puffed rice)?  Nope!  It was the oats.  Kids are so unpredictable.

I am sending these bars to Ros at the More Than Occasional Baker for Alphabakes, a blog event she runs with Caroline of Caroline Makes, challenging us to bake focusing on a different letter each month.  This month the letter is H and so I have H for hemp seeds.

Previous recipes using Rice Bubbles on Green Gourmet Giraffe:

Classic Glo Bars
Slightly adapted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook via Chatelaine
makes 12 bars (or more smaller squares)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1⁄4 cups puffed rice*
1⁄4 cup hemp seeds
1⁄4 cup sunflower seeds
1⁄4 cup dessicated coconut
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1⁄2 cup, plus 1 tbsp, rice malt syrup*
1⁄4 cup nut butter (I used half cashew butter and tahini)
1⁄2 cup chocolate chips*

Line a slice tin or a 23 inch/9 inch square tin with baking paper.  Mix oats, puffed rice, seeds, coconut, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  Heat rice malt syrup and nut butter on stove top or in microwave until warm and gooey.  Mix into dry ingredients - you will need a lot of elbow grease to this as it is hard work.  Mix in choc chips (make sure mixture is cool enough that they don't melt).  Press firmly into prepared tin, using damp hands.  Chill in freezer for 10 minutes or in fridge for about an hour.  Cut into bars.  Keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks or you can freezer them.

*Recipe notes: To make the recipe gluten free, make sure the oats and puffed rice are gluten free.  To make the recipe vegan, make sure the choc chips are vegan.  If you are not in Australia, I am not sure how easy it is to find rice malt syrup.  I always use it instead of brown rice syrup which is hard to find here.

UPDATE December 2016: I made these with tahini for the nut butter, sunflower seeds instead of the hemp seeds, shredded coconut rather than desiccated coconut, and added 3 tbsp cocoa.  They were really good.  I have also made them without choc chips and drizzled chocolate over the top.

On the Stereo:
Hal David and Burt Bacharach: the Songbook Collection: Various Artists.

38 comments:

  1. Wow I'm impressed that your Sylvia chose the bars over the cupcakes!! I've made these too and loved them but my Sylvia still want try anything with "bits"...

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    1. Thanks Kate - my Sylvia can be a bit fussy with bits so I did wonder how she would go with them but I think the the rice bubbles really dominate in a good way. Hopefully your Sylvia might come around - maybe try ripping up her old dresses to wrap them - ha ha

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  2. I saw that cookbook in a bookshop recently and had to restrain myself from buying yet ANOTHER cookbook. (I'll probably go back for it very soon though :-))

    I love the pretty fabric wraps. It must have been a pretty dress - and well-loved if it was torn up. At least you can re-use these little bits of fabric long after Sylvia would have grown out of the dress.

    I love a bit of Burt Bacharach while I'm cooking. It's my creepy little secret...don't tell!

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    1. Thanks Linda - I feel a bit the same about the cookbook - trying hard not to buy new ones but it is so beautiful and I love Angela's recipes. The dress was very well loved and lasted for years. Sylvia and I love a bit of Burt Bacharach. (I must prefer it to her nursery rhyme cds)

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  3. These look delicious and packed with tasty things. I wouldn't mind eating these for breakfast too

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    1. Thanks Katie - they are great breakfast food - would be good as breakfast on the go

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  4. The oat bars that I've recently made have been hit and miss, so I will keep these in mind. Your right kids are unpredictable,

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    1. Thanks Shaheen - sorry to hear you haven't had much luck with oat bars - we can cope with kids being unpredictable but oat bars should not be unpredictable!!!!

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  5. Your pictures are gorgeous - I love the wrapping and you have captured the bars beautifully. I also love the bars! I am actually yet to make this recipe, despite it being on my 'to make' list for ages. I really should get to it now you've shared your enjoyment of these.

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    1. Thanks Kari - I am sure you would love the recipe. E was saying last night that I should make a big box of the bars - which is high commendation from him.

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  6. aw love how kids minds work - E's very much in the ''I love it/I don't like it' stage and will use both descriptions for the same thing in a heartbeat. You must have heard our conversation only this morning and maybe making some flapjack bars after E asked for a 9 bar. I chuckled when you said they're not the prettiest blog recipe in the world. I feel the same which is why my post for these bars is still in my drafts folder. http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-chewy-granola-bars-without-corn-syrup thanks for the prompt, perhaps tomorrow and it'll be funny to compare the photos from our first time with the pics from now! (ps. we can't get rice syrup so I either use honey or if being really good dates.

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    1. Thanks Nic - it is so fascinating to see kids trying to work out what they do and don't like. Those bars look similar to these ones and yummy and easy. I think the nut butter and rice syrup (or honey) combo seems to work so well in holding the bars together (looked at some of the other ones I had posted and this seems the magic that makes them work). Look forward to seeing your bars

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  7. I agree, these were one of the best bars I have made, too. Just be careful for copyright because the publisher asked me to take down the recipe (even though, yes, Chateleine posted it too).

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    1. I have her few recipes on my blog with her publisher's permission - they gave me an OK to re-publish them for her cookbook giveaway.

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    2. Thanks Janet and Rika. I confess I started my blog with such low expectations of anyone reading that I have bad habits of not asking for permission. However I do always use my own words and try to check that the recipe is online.

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  8. Hi Johanna:)
    I've never been much of a bar person. I don't know what it is but I just can't warm up to them at all. I do wish I could though:) It's fabulous that Sylvia chose the healthier of the two for whatever reason, lol...

    I'll save this recipe just in case though. I've changed my mind about nut loaves thanks to you so who knows, perhaps Glo Bars are in my future!!!

    Thanks for sharing, Johanna...

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    1. Thanks Louise - it is probably not a bad thing to not be into bars - they can be really healthy and they can also be full of hidden sugars! But yes I would prefer Sylvia ate these bars than cupcakes, esp the cupcakes are in the freezer for emergencies and I prefer to eat fresh food if available.

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  9. I will be honest up front - I am not much of a granola-bar-type-a-girl, but these are actually tempting me. I have put them on my to-cook list (yes yes I have to admit I have never made a granola bar) PS: can still not leave a comment from my wordpress account. Greetings, afracooking

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    1. Thanks Afra - I think these are one of the best granola style bars I have made so if you want to try getting into them then I highly recommend these ones

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  10. That’s so awesome that Sylvia chose these healthy looking bars over cupcakes! Perhaps you made them more delicious in person! I like the cute fabric idea!

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    1. Thanks Rika - despite her denial, I have a feeling the fabric presentation helped. But I was pleased she seemed to really like them

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  11. I've been wanting to try this recipe but always forget to buy rice krispies and they're the one ingredient I'm missing. Your pretty fabric wrapping makes them look especially lovely.
    I love hearing your anecdotes about Sylvia - she is certainly a character!

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    1. Thanks Emma - we don't have rice bubbles in our house often - and when we do I tend to forget about them - I would love to make these bars often so I use up the rice bubbles I have. And it is also a good use for the nut butters I can make in my blender too.

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  12. Your daughter knows what you want:)
    I really like your styling. We don't have many dresses to rip up but I have some linen that would work great.

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    1. Thanks Mihl - I usually give away old dresses so other people get to use them but this one just seemed too ripped and I had put it aside.

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  13. Sylvia's comment is so funny and so what kids say! These sound very delicious and very healthy..... perfect breakfast food...... I could happily munch a stash of these!

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    1. Thanks Kate - I loved these and felt healthier eating them but they were still very dangerously moreish :-)

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  14. That's such a great way to present these bars. They look gorgeous. Good on Sylvia for choosing these over cupcakes. They look full of goodness and crunch xx

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    1. Thanks Charlie - I was quite pleased with my presentation (though foodgawker not impressed - hurrumph) It does make food more tempting if it is pretty - which is not usually my strong point!

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  15. It's so funny - I know these are her signature recipes, and I have made SO MANY of her recipes over the years, but never these. I really should try. I keep buying lara bars, it would be nice to make something like this instead.

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    1. Thanks Kimmy - Angela does have amazing recipes - I buy bars like energy bars and wonder why I don't make more bars at home. Am sure you would love these

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  16. I'm going to give these a try, I've been looking for some more healthy snack ideas. Billy loves fruit and nuts so they'll be good for him to take to work too I reckon!

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    1. Thanks Caeli - hope you love them - I was giving them to E to take to work as well as to sylvia for her lunch and we were all sad when they were finished.

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  17. Hehe go Sylvia! That is so cute how she chose these over iced cupcakes! :o

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    1. Thanks Lorraine - I think I was half hoping for more glo bars for me but I was pleased to have a healthy recipe she loves

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  18. I think the bars look so pretty dressed in Sylvia's old dress - it was worth the sacrifice.

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  19. I'm impressed with Sylvia's choice of treats. I love how you've presented your bars - so pretty. These sound delicious and healthy too! Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.

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  20. Wow they really do take on a whole new look with the torn fabric! Shame about the dress tho haha ;-)

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