Snickers Bars...

Guess what I made!!!!

Who likes Snickers Bars?

Snickers Nutritional Info

That's a lot of sugar!

I'm constantly getting requests to make healthier versions of various products, and today it's the turn of the Snickers bar...

These bars contain lots of natural ingredients... Though before anyone says it, let me point out two things about my recipe..

1. Peanuts are a legume, not a nut. If you're following a strict Paleo protocol you may want to substitute the PB with almond butter and the peanuts with chopped almonds... though if you're that into Paleo, you already know that right? 
2. I've used 81% cocoa solid dark chocolate. Yep it's processed. Yep it contains some sugar. But hey, I'm pretty confident none (or very few) of you eat THAT clean that this is going to be a deal breaker... . Remember, the higher the cocoa solids in chocolate, the lower the sugar content. 

So.. back to the bars... They taste just like the real thing, and that's coming from a friend who considers a Snickers bar to be an energy bar... (in fairness to him, he never said a 'healthy' energy bar)!

For the nougat base: 

• 50g 81% dark chocolate, melted
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp Irish honey
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (crunchy) 
• 1 sachet Gelatin  (12g) 
• 100ml hot water (just slightly cooler than boiling point)

Start by lining an 8" square cake tin with greaseproof paper. 

Spread the melted chocolate over the base of the lined tin & leave aside to harden.

Put 100ml of very hot water in a bowl with 2 tbsp peanut butter & sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top. (the gelatin needs to be added to the liquid & not the other way around or you'll end up with a solid lump). Set aside to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the egg whites and honey to a heatproof bowl set above gently simmering water. Whisk constantly (unless you want scrambled eggs) until they form stiff peaks. 

Pour in the gelatin mixture gradually, stirring well between each addition. 

Spread the mixture on top of the chocolate base which should now be set. 

Leave aside to firm up while you get started on the caramel centre. 

For the caramel: 

• 1 can full fat coconut milk 
• 1 tsp Irish honey
• 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add the coconut milk & honey to a saucepan & bring to the boil. 

Once boiled, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes until thick & golden in colour. Stir regularly to prevent burning.

Once thickened & cooled stir in the peanut butter & vanilla until combined.

Spread over the nougat base.

You can now cover the bars with a layer of chocolate before cutting into 12 bars. I chose to pour chocolate over the top so they were totally coated like the original. 

If you're in a hurry & don't like making a mess.... maybe just layer the top with chocolate! 

Either way, you'll need... 

For the topping: 

• 125g dark chocolate (81% cocoa solid), melted

They'll taste amazing whether you drizzle the chocolate over the top, or dip the bars. 

Allow the chocolate to set & enjoy. 

Christmas fruit & nut...

Christmas fruit and nut eh? Describes me perfectly!! I adore Christmas... the build up, the music, the movies, socialising with friends, the atmosphere & the smell of Christmas...

You know the smell of Christmas right? My house smells like that right now...

The only part of Christmas that's tough going is the food.. I admit I look at certain Christmas foods and think... "just one won't hurt".. BUT then I think about what's in the mince pie and how damaging it could potentially be to my health, and wonder is it worth it.... Thankfully, I recognise it's not..

If you're following me on Facebook, then you'll have seen my post about how unhealthy store bought fruit and nut mixes can be. You need to read the ingredient list, and make sure you know exactly what you're buying. Dried fruits are often preserved using sulphur dioxide, sugar & vegetable oil with nuts being salted & roasted in palm oil...It'd be a terrible pity to stall your progress just because you didn't realise what you're eating...

So... in keeping with this week's theme of healthy snacks, I've come up with a Christmassy themed fruit & nut mix with no added sugar or oils.. snacks like these will help keep you on track & prevent you feeling like you're missing out on anything...

• 100g nuts (I used almonds & walnuts) 
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• dried cranberries (make your own.. I'll tell you how below)
• 30g raw flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 150d. 

Meanwhile whisk egg white and vanilla until foamy. Toss nuts in the egg mixture. 

Using a draining spoon, drain the excess egg white from the nuts. 

Add spices to a freezer bag and add the nuts. Shake until coated. 

Place on baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until crispy and golden.

Allow to cool, add dried cranberries, coconut flakes and any seeds you like...

Dried cranberries

Ok so we're not buying dried cranberries in the shop anymore. They're full of nasty ingredients, and it turns out that they don't taste as good as the ones you can make at home.. 

• 100g fresh cranberries... (see isn't that a natural ingredient list?) 
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Start by boiling the cranberries in water for 10 minutes, until they have all popped open. 

Remove from the heat & drain the water using a colander. Pat dry with some kitchen paper to remove the excess moisture. 

Spread cranberries on a baking tray, and place in the oven for 30 mins at 150d. 

Toss occasionally to ensure they're drying out evenly.