:: Muesli Magic ::

Megann’s Healthy Muesli Bars

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: Megann's Healthy Muesli Bars - perfect to make on a rainy day ::

I have fond memories of Uncle Tobies muesli bars in my school lunch box as a child. They were either pierced with delicious dark chocolate chips or topped with dehydrated yoghurt. I distinctly remember eagerly peeling back the paper covered foil wrapper, rummaging through the sticky muesli snack & eating the choc chips/yoghurt top - leaving the bar behind! Oh how times have changed! Now, it is the health benefits of the actual Muesli bar that makes me go weak at the knees, knowing all the goodness that is going into my body.

These bars are a Megann’s Kitchen creation of my favourite things in muesli. This health snack could easily be a breakfast bar for people on the run or an afternoon snack to cure the 3:30pm munchies. I add seeds for extra goodness & energy, which I find delicious. The rice bubbles give a smooth & crunchy texture that just makes this health snack delightful.

binding ingredients

150g good quality butter

50g brown sugar

3 Tbs golden syrup

2 Tbs honey
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

base dry ingredients

50g desiccated coconut

180g rolled oats

50g rice bubbles

2 Tbs wholemeal self raising flour (optional)

1 tsp cinnamon

flavouring dry ingredients

80g dried apricots, chopped

50g dried pears, chopped

30g dried cranberries (craisins)

30g sultanas

25g pumpkin seeds/pepitas (optional)

25g sunflower seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a lamington tin with parchment paper. Place the binding ingredients - the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup & honey - in a small saucepan & melt whilst stirring until just foaming. Once melted, set aside & assemble the dry ingredients – the desiccated coconut, rolled oats, rice bubbles, dried apricots, dried pears, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds/pepitas, sunflower seeds, flour & cinnamon - into a large bowl. Add the binding ingredients to the dry ingredients & mix through. Tip into the prepared tin & press with the back of a spoon or spatula. I then use a smooth glass on its side & roll over the top, pressing down firmly & smoothing the mixture. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven & smooth over with the glass again. Allow to cool for 30 minutes then cut with a sharp knife into your desired bar sizes. Place into the refrigerator & chill.

:: section your baked muesli into bars, then drizzle with chocolate ::

Kitchen Notes

:: Change it up! You can add any kind of dried fruit, nuts, berries or seeds that you like. Keep the base dry ingredients & swap out the flavourings.

:: Another option, for a muesli bar more like the one from my childhood, is sprinkle some dark chocolate chips on the top of the mixture once you have tipped it into your prepared tin & squished it with a back of the spoon. Continue to roll over the top of the mixture with a smooth glass until firm & continue with the cooking process. Parents be warned – they will be eaten first!

:: If you like a harder, crunchier muesli bar – simply extend the cooking time in the oven for another 5 minutes.
:: I once made these with broken/smashed Arnotts Marie Biscuits (a plain, sweet cookie) in lieu of rice bubbles. I have also added leftover water or ritz/savoy crackers. This added a biscuity crunch & is oh so tasty!

:: For a gluten free option, simply leave out the flour. It acts as an additional binder, however it isn’t essential.

:: In order to stop your muesli bar crumbling all over the floor at the first bite, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge with parchment paper in between each layer. Fresh & tasty! This is a tip from my sister’s web site, We Love Pancakes on Sunday.

:: a great snack with a glass of milk ::

Style & Serve

:: After finding out the fat content & nutritional benefits of white chocolate vs meltable dried yoghurt were not that dissimilar, I have been using white chocolate. I sometimes melt 65g of Nestle White Plaistowe Chocolate or Lindt 70% dark cocoa chocolate over the top. Place the melted chocolate into a zip lock bag, cut a tiny hole off the corner & drizzle over the cut muesli bar in the tin then place it into the fridge to harden. Re-cut through the lines before portioning. This adds a creamy smoothness to the bar. Delicious!

Quick Kitchen

:: Store portions in zip lock bags & freeze for a quick snack or breakfast on the run.

:: biting into the healthy snack - Megann's Muesli Bars ::

Calorie Kitchen

:: Counting Calories? I don’t, but many do. I have the personal view that many foods have health benefits & great nutritional value that go beyond the calorie content – so I put it into perspective. Take the 50g of seeds & 170g of oats in this recipe, together they add up to 924 calories but there is no question that they benefit your body from anti-cancer properties to being a natural anti-inflammatory. Amazing, huh? I love the miraculous health properties of food!

Entire Recipe: approximately 3378 calories without the white chocolate drizzle

approximately 3712 calories with the white chocolate drizzle

Divided into 16 large bars: approximately 211 calories per bar without the white chocolate drizzle

approximately 232 calories per bar with the white chocolate drizzle

If you have a calorie count to make in a particular day, portion the recipe appropriately. You know what they say, everything, even health foods, in moderation.

:: these muesli bars are jam packed full of goodness ::

Health Benefits of Pepitas/Pumpkin Seeds & Sunflower Seeds

:: The health benefits of seeds continue to amaze me! I love the fact that so much is packed into such a tiny portion. Just some of the benefits of pumpkin seeds include: the promotion of good prostate health, anti-inflammatory benefits, the promotion of lowering cholesterol, a good source of protein, high in omega 3, packed in anti-oxidants & also high in iron.

:: Like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds are also a powerhouse food. They have many benefits in small amounts & should be added to anything & everything possible! Just some of the benefits include: assists in lowering cholesterol, a good source of protein, high in anti-oxidants, help reduce blood sugar levels by reducing breakdown of glycogen in the liver, high in B vitamins & folic acid (great for fetal development!)… now, how can you afford to not add this to your muesli bar!!!

Source

:: Need a good slice tin? I use Bakers Secret Lamington Pan that is 30cm x 19cm. You can easily source this from your favourite kitchen supply store, supermarket or online at Kitchenware Direct.

:: Pumpkin Seed info came from various web sites, including the Pumpkin Seed site.

:: Sunflower Seed info came from Nutrition & You. 

:: a healthy snack with loads of health benefits ::

These are one of my Megann's Kitchen favourites...

Enjoy!

:: The Biting Crunch ::

Megann’s Oven Baked Crunchy Chips

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: the best ever recipe for my oven baked crunchy chips/fries ::

Studying at Uni, I was a typical poor student surviving on whatever I could afford, which wasn’t much. There was one vegetable that I made sure that I always had in my cupboard for energy, strength & stamina & it was the humble potato. If I couldn’t afford cheese to put on top I had butter, if I was out of butter the potato was a winner just on its own. More recently, potatoes were one of the few things that I could stomach through terrible bouts of morning (all day) sickness. Yes, the mighty potato & I have been through some memorable times together.

I know this is a kitchen basic, but oven baked hand cut chips are one of my all time favourites. I endeavoured for years to find the perfect recipe - experimenting with various flours, high temp, low temp, parboiling, steaming, even polenta for a biting crunch. However, it was when I applied my own principles of making crunchy roast potatoes that I finally had success. It is simple, really! I peel & cut my potatoes into batons & use the leftover pieces to make a mash to coat the chips. Season, drizzle with olive oil, into a very hot oven & that, my friends, is the making of a perfectly healthy home-style chip that the entire family will love.

:: season the potato batons with sea salt & cracked pepper ::

desired quantity of large potatoes

- peeled & cut into chip-like batons (saving the clean off cuts)

sea salt

pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Cut your desired quantity of peeled potatoes into large chip batons, placing into a bowl. Insert the potato off cuts into boiling water for approximately 10 minutes, or until very soft. Drain into a sieve, then pass through that sieve into the bowl of chips with a kitchen spoon or spatula. Season with sea salt & pepper & toss to create a fine, fluffy coating for the potatoes. Once adequately coated, drizzle with olive oil & toss again. Place onto prepared baking tray & bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until golden, turning once at the 30 minute mark.

:: drain cooked potato using a sieve ::

:: promptly push through the cooked & softened potato with a spatula ::

:: add flavour properties such as chives ::

:: toss to coat the potato batons - then drizzle with olive oil ::

:: place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper & into a hot oven ::

Kitchen Notes

:: I like to add another flavour dimension with finely chopped chives when coating the chips with the sieved potato.

:: Another great way to flavour your chips & add some extra crunch is when turning them at the 30 minute mark, finely grate some parmesan cheese over the top of them. This makes a crunchy, cheesy, dry coating. Divine!

:: When making a medley of vegetables chips, I use the same method & also coat carrot chips & sweet potato chips with the sieved potato. Just be careful of the different cooking times as carrots sometimes take longer & sweet potatoes are shorter.

:: serve in an individual bowl ::

Quick Kitchen

:: Short of time? I make this recipe as potato bravas by cutting them into cubes, which shortens the cooking time by a third.

:: serve with tomato ketchup & light sour cream - a great combination ::

Style & Serve

:: I love to serve my potato chips in an individual bowl lined with baking paper with tomato ketchup & an old individual favourite, light sour cream.

:: golden brown chips, fresh out of the oven ::

:: I found my Thrill ::

Blueberry & Almond Tart

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: beautiful blueberry & almond tart with fresh berries & creme fraiche ::

Whenever I am homesick I seem to crave recipes made with blueberries. You see, I grew up with an amazing blueberry patch on our family farm & it was like a sanctuary for me. Whenever I wanted, I would roam aimlessly through the rows upon rows of blueberries. I would lie under the branches, looking up at the sky & let my imagination take over. I would even play there with friends, having blueberry fights – squishing the berries to feel them ooze between our fingers before pelting the mess at an unsuspecting victim. Yes, these were incredibly wholesome blueberry memories of my childhood filled with pure joy.

I have now made this tart many times. The frangipane cream can be a vehicle for any fruit of the season – but in season or not, a blueberry filling is my ultimate favourite.

to start

1 quantity of sweet shortcrust pastry

basic frangipane cream (GF)

125g good quality unsalted butter, softened

150g castor sugar

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste or seeds of 1 vanilla bean

2 large eggs

200g almond meal

fruit

250g blueberries (2 punnets)

:: gently smooth over the top & sprinkle with blueberries ::

:: bake until evenly golden brown & cooked through ::

Preheat oven to180°C (350°F). Line a 24 cm loose-bottomed tart pan with pastry following the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry instructions, then bake blind at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Remove pastry weights & parchment paper then bake for another 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove.

While the pastry is blind baking, place butter, sugar & vanilla in an electric mixer (I use my ever trusty KitchenAid) & beat until butter mixture is light & creamy. Add eggs one at a time & make sure they are fully incorporated before you add the next. Finish by adding the almond meal & mix through.

Sprinkle half of the blueberries on the pastry base. Spoon the thick Frangipane Cream evenly over the top of the berries, smoothing out the top when finished. Scatter the remainder of the blueberries over the top of the almond mixture, pushing slightly into the batter.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until it has turned a golden brown on top. Cool in tin for at least 30 minutes before serving

:: serve on a breadboard for a rustic & homestyle feel ::

:: this recipe can be made with any sweet fruit - this is a cherry tart ::

Kitchen Notes

:: The Frangipane cream is quite thick, so be mindful of placing it where you want it, then smooth over the top.

:: A way to test if the almond Frangipane Mixture is cooked through is to simply press on the top when it looks golden. If it feels firm and springs back, then it is ready. If your finger leaves an indentation & breaks the surface, pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes & check again.

:: All is not lost if not cooked through. I accidently did this once & quickly placed it back in the oven for another 10 minutes & it was beautiful! The pastry was a little crunchier than normal, but still a kitchen win in my eyes.

:: No blueberries? Try raspberries, cherries, blackberries, figs brushed with honey, fresh sliced peaches, halved apricots, poached pears… just use your imagination!

:: The Frangipane Cream is a Gluten Free mixture, so omit the pastry for a Gluten Free option.

:: finely diced/cubed fruit with micro herbs & edible garden flowers ::

Style & Serve

:: Dust with icing sugar & a dollop of double or triple thickened cream.

:: To impress, I love finely diced strawberries & baby herbs scattered on the side. If using crème fraîche, I also add a fine drizzle of honey to counteract the sourness of the dairy.

:: elegant accents  with a drizzle of honey ::

Quick Kitchen

:: Have no time to make your own pastry? Never fear. You can either prepare it the day before & let it chill in the fridge overnight then continue with the baking process or

:: Use a good quality pastry base, such as Carème Vanilla Bean Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (see selected outlets) or frozen Pampas Shortcrust Pastry (never, ever use low fat options in pastry – it turns out hard & tasteless).

Enjoy!

:: Friendly Friands ::

Friands of Love

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: valentine's day raspberry friands ::

It was February in 2009 that I first made these Friands inspired by Donna Hay’s Classics Cookbook 2. It was the time of the devastating bushfires in Victoria & one of them threatened my hometown of Myrtleford in the Alpine Shire. Many of my friends & loved ones were on high alert. All of them were fighting – fighting the fire in the Country Fire Authority (CFA), fighting for their homes & fighting for the town that I know & love. I felt so helpless being so far away. What could I do? I decided to hold a bake sale to raise money for the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal who had a bushfire appeal. I took a selection of baked treats to both my work and my husband’s & due to the generosity of the contributors we made almost $500!

I just love Friands – because of their name, they make me think of my friends & the people that I love in life. I have continued to make these gorgeous treats time & time again just adoring the simplicity of them. They can come in the guise of blueberry as well, one of my favourites, but this time I made red raspberry ones for my friend & Valentine. Mick – I heart you... in friands!

125g butter

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 cup almond meal
1 ½ cups icing sugar sifted
¾ cup plain flour sifted
½ tsp baking powder
5 egg whites of large eggs
1 punnet of fresh berries

Preheat your oven 180°C (350°F).  Pre-prepare by greasing & flouring a friand or muffin tin (this time I chose a heart shaped silicone mould). Place the butter & vanilla over low heat, melting it & allowing it to bubble until it starts to go just golden in colour. Set aside to cool slightly.
Place almond meal, icing sugar, flour & baking powder in a bowl & stir to combine. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in the egg whites, and stir until just combined. Add the melted butter mixture & fold again until just mixed in. Spoon approx 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each prepared mould, then place chosen berries on top by gently pushing them in until they are just poking up from the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden & springy on top but still moist in the centre. Leave to cool for 10 minutes & turn out onto a wire rack.

:: makes approximately 10 gorgeous friands.

:: beating egg whites to a soft peak ::

:: folding through the eggwhites into the mixture ::

To Serve

:: Simply dust with icing sugar. For an extra indulgence, I sometimes like to warm them & add a dollop of double cream. Ooooohhhh!!!

:: my little kitchen helper ::

:: cleaing up the dishes ::

Kitchen Notes
::  As mentioned, you can choose any berry that you like! I have used blueberries, strawberries & raspberries all successfully. You could also try blackberries or peaches. 
:: I also like to make mini friends for my toddler – he loves to help make them as well! 
:: Whenever you have leftover eggwhites, friends are a great solution. Eggwhites can keep up to two weeks in the fridge if in a sealed container. 
:: Friands freeze very well. These make for a great lunchbox snack as they thaw just in time for morning tea as well as holding their shape. 
:: Replace the flour with a gluten free substitute to make friands for coeliac friends.

:: strawberry friands cooling in a mini muffin tin ::

Friand

:: The friand pastry, which has become popular in Australia & New Zealand appears to have been based on the French financier; however, Australian & New Zealand friands typically have additional flavourings such as fruit, coconut, chocolate, and nuts. Australian & New Zealand friands are also typically baked in oval shapes.

:: making mini strawberry friands ::

:: A financier is a small French cake, often mistaken for a pastry. The financier is a light, moist teacake, similar to sponge cake, and usually contains almond flour, crushed or ground almonds, or almond flavoring. The basis of the cake itself is beurre noisette (brown butter), egg whites, powdered sugar and flour. Financiers are often baked in shaped moulds. The name "financier" is said to derive from the traditional rectangular mould, which resembles a bar of gold. Another theory says that the cake became popular in the financial district of Paris surrounding La Bourse du Commerce (the former name of the Paris stock exchange).

:: flavourful raspberry friands ::

Financiers are often served topped with whipped cream, berries, or other fruit, and served accompanied by ice cream or other frozen confections. Financier pans are traditionally rectangular; however, other shapes are not uncommon.

Source

:: The origins for the “friand” is sourced from Wikipedia.

I would also love to see your Megann's Kitchen Creations/photos of recipes that you have made on Megann’s Kitchen Facebook!