Banana Nut Bars

Now that my parents are over fifty they’ve suddenly decided to become diet Nazis. This means that when I bake I get shouted at for ‘tempting them with naughty things’. That’s appreciation for you, eh? Anyway, this month’s Sainsbury’s magazine has a section about Paleo eating, the back to nature diet. Basically- eat like a caveman. Sounds like bollocks to me but it had this nut bar recipe that sounded nice and I wouldn’t get screamed at for making, so here we are.

Ingredients (Makes 10 bars)

25g roughly chopped hazelnuts

25g roughly chopped pecans

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

3 large eggs

100g ground almonds

40g desiccated coconut

40g raisins 25g dried cranberries

Pinch of salt

I did a little bit of improvising with my nut bars. Mainly because I didn’t have certain ingredients and couldn’t be arsed to go to the shop. I replaced the hazelnuts and pecans with walnuts and macadamia nuts. As far as I’m concerned this is the kind of recipe that you make out of what you like anyway so go nuts, literally.

Preheat the oven to 180⁰C/Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm-square baking tin with non-stick baking parchment.

Roughly chop your nuts of choice.

Tip the chopped nuts onto a small baking tray and roast for about 5 minutes in the preheating oven. When they’re done leave them to cool.

Combine all the other dry ingredients and add a small pinch of salt.

This recipe requires 2 ripe bananas. Sadly, I’m currently in a house of fruit bingers and someone ate one of my ripe bananas I’d set aside with a VERY clear note not to eat so I had to use a tough green one.

That is the genuine note I left. Not that I’m bitter or anything, but how annoying is that.

ANYWAY, mash the bananas with a fork and add to the mixture. Whisk the eggs lightly with the fork and add them too, then toss in the roasted nuts. Mix all the ingredients using a wooden spoon.

Pour into the lined tin and smooth flat. Bake for 25 minutes until firm and golden. Cool on a wire rack then cut into 10.

Each piece is 187 calories (don’t ask me if that’s good or not because I don’t have a clue) and makes a pretty tasty breakfast bar. Personally I think they would be improved with a little drizzle of melted chocolate, but I’m pretty sure I’d be thrown out of Casa De Diet for that one.