Breakfast Bars

I have made these breakfast bars a few times now and they are DELICIOUS. Everyone says so. They are super easy and will last a week if you are lucky. My bet is they will be long eaten by Friday. But they are great to make on a Sunday afternoon, nibble on the crumbs while they are cooling and then you have a fast and easy homemade breakfast option on those mornings when you have hit the snooze button 2 or three times already (who me?)

Now, the best part of this recipe is that you can make substitutions to suit your own nut/seed love. I replace the cranberries with dates. Instead of unsalted peanuts, I like to add salted for a bit more sweet/salty effect. I usually add an additional cup of nuts. I use whatever seeds and nuts I have in the cupboard. Spices can be added too. I have used ground ginger.

Here is the recipe:

Breakfast Bars
by Nigella Lawson

1 14-fl-oz can condensed milk
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
1 cup natural unsalted peanuts

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and oil a 9- x 13-inch baking pan or just use a disposable aluminum foil one.

2. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.

3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.

4. Spread the mixture into the oiled or foil pan and press down with a spatula or, better still, your hands (wearing those disposable latex CSI gloves to stop you from sticking) to make the surface even.

5. Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down, to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.

Makes 16

Excerpted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson. Copyright (c) 2007 Nigella Lawson. Published in the U.S. by Hyperion. All Rights Reserved. Available wherever books are sold.