Buckwheat, Cherry & chocolate granola bars

Last week I was walking around an outdoor market in London and I found myself craving a sweet treat, so when I stumbled upon a stand selling dried fruit snacks I went for the ‘chocolate & cherry tart’ mix: as soon as the sweetness of the cherries and the bitterness from the chocolate reached my tongue, I was suddenly reminded of how wonderfully these two flavours taste when combined.

After a little daydreaming and mental recipe planning, I decided to revisit this pairing and transform it into a healthy treat. Granola bars are one of my favourite  breakfast options on weekdays: they are easy to pack up, can be made in advance and are fairly nutritious.

These are made with three different types of cereals, seeds and a healthy dose of coconut oil and honey. They make a perfect breakfast on-the-go: just grab one on your way out and it will fill you up until lunch! And what about you? what’s you favourite breakfast on-the-go?

Recipe

(makes 10 bars)

Ingredients

• 1 cup buckwheat groats
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup popped amaranth
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecan nuts
• 3/4 cup dried cherries
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate (minimum 70%)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C (340F). Grease the bottom and the sides of a 22 cm (8 inches) square tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate (smaller) bowl whisk together the coconut oil, honey and vanilla.
4. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until perfectly combined.
5. Spread the mixture in the prepared tin. Cut a square of baking paper (about the size of the tin), place it in between your hands and the granola mixture (this way you won’t get your hands sticky) now you can press the granola down until flattened (don’t hesitate this need to be tightly packed).
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
7. Let it cool down for 20 minutes. Then invert the tin onto a chopping board or a wire rack and place the big granola square in the freezer for 10 minutes. Slice into bars or squares using a knife, it’s easier to slice if the smooth side (i.e. bottom) is facing up.
8. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler.
9. Dip the rougher side of each granola bar into the melted chocolate. Drizzle more chocolate over the top if you wish to.
10. Let the chocolate dry in the fridge for 10 minutes or in the freezer for 5.

Enjoy!