Friday Foods – Hazelnut Currant Energy Bars
Milk chocolate, currants, and hazelnuts make these energy bars from A Fork in the Trail a yummy mid-hike treat.
Hazelnut Currant Energy Bars
Makes 10 servings
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups high-energy cereal or cereal made of strong flakes, crushed
1/2 cup dried currants
1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
At Home
Heat the honey and brown sugar in a large pot and let simmer for 1 minute. (Boiling too long will make the bars brittle). Remove the pan from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir until the peanut butter is well incorporated. Add the crushed cereal, currants, hazelnuts, and milk chocolate chips and combine well.
Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil. Scoop the mixture into the pan and pack down evenly. Freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer the pan contents to a cutting board. Allow to return to room temperature and then cut into 10 bars. Wrap the bars in waxed paper and store in zip-top freezer bags. These bars will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips
When you purchase hazelnuts that have been removed from the shell, their skins are often still intact. To remove the skins, place the nuts in a metal colander or sieve and roll them around with your hands. The friction will remove the skins.