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. 

Macaroon Slice...

I'm pretty much unable to resist a challenge, so when a friend asked me to 'health-ify' these Macaroon Slices, I set to work straight away! I'm firmly of the opinion that there are very few commercially produced treats that can't be made healthier at home... Feel free to make some suggestions and I'll get to work! 

This recipe requires a little patience since it is made up of 3 layers.... they're all really simple though so you can't go wrong! 

For the base:

• 120g ground almonds
• 50g dessicated coconut
• 1 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk
• 50g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line an 8" square baking tin with greaseproof paper. 

Add all the ingredients together and mix well until you have a firm dough. 

Press the dough into base of lined tin. 

Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. 

For the raspberry jam filling:

• 150g frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Add the raspberries and lemon juice to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer over a low heat for approx 5 minutes to allow the jam to thicken. 

Spread an even layer of jam over the cooled base.

For the macaroon topping:

• 3 eggs
• 4 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 150g dessicated coconut
• 100g butter, melted

Whisk the eggs & honey together until pale and trebled in volume. 

Fold in the butter, coconut & cinnamon. Stir until just combined. 

Spread over the jam filling. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm and golden. 

Set aside to cool before cutting into squares.