Crunchy Seed Nut Bars Recipes

Steps:

• Cover cutting board with sheet of parchment or waxed paper; spray with cooking spray.
• Bring water and sugar to boil in large saucepan on high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook 10 min. or until mixture turns dark amber color. (Do not stir.) Use moistened pastry brush to brush down any sugar crystals from inside of pan.
• Remove saucepan from heat. Immediately add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour immediately onto prepared cutting board. Spread into 10x8-inch rectangle, then use rolling pin to roll into even thickness. Cut into 24 bars; cool completely.

Steps:

• Be still my beating heart! Or perhaps this is not the best thing to say here, given the likelihood of this lusciously over-the-top piece of chocolate excess inducing just such an outcome. I wouldn't want to make this very often, so impossible is it to walk away from with any conviction. I fear it is the kitchen equivalent to crack cocaine.
• Still, as the French say "Everything in moderation, even moderation." This is gloriously intemperate, riotously vulgar. I love it.
• The key is the blaring balance between sweet and salty: it's like several klaxons going off in your head as you eat. And it's strange that while I would normally eschew an all-milk chocolate offering, I prefer it here to the bittersweet-and-milk mixed version. Not that either is bad, and since the jury is matched on this, I feel it only right to alert you to either option. For what it's worth, I like the darker version in the round pan and cut into panforte-type skinny wedges, and my preferred milk chocolate version set in a rectangular pan and cut into chunky, squat slabs (rather as I feel and look like after eating too many of them).
• Line your springform pan with aluminum foil or use a foil pan.
• Break up or chop the chocolate into pieces, and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the butter and syrup, put on a low heat, and melt gently together.
• Tip the peanuts into a bowl, and crush the honeycomb candy with your hands, letting the golden-glinting rubble fall into the nuts.
• Take the melted chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the peanuts and crushed honeycomb candy, then tip straight into the springform pan or foil pan. Smooth the top of the mixture as much as you can, pressing down with a silicon spatula or vinyl-disposable-gloved hand. Put into the refrigerator for about 4 hours, and once set, cut into slices as desired.
• Make Ahead Note: The bars can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer slices to airtight container, layered with parchment paper, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for 3 to 4 days.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Gently heat the sugar, golden syrup and butter in a pan until the sugar and butter have both melted. Stir the oats, raisins, walnuts, seeds and cranberries into the pan until coated in the butter.
• Spoon half the oaty mix into a traybake tin (23 x 23cm or thereabouts). Scatter the apricots over the top, then top with the remaining oat mix. Pack the mix down well and smooth with the back of a metal spoon. Bake for 35 mins or until dark golden. Leave to cool completely before cutting into 16 bars with a sharp knife.