Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bars

Now these aren't the most healthy things one can make, but they certainly are one of the most delicious! These bars are so chewy; you have the nougat layer, followed by a salted caramel layer, and then covered in chocolate. If you ever wondered how to make mars bars, this is the closest thing to it that is homemade. I adapted this recipe from: Sweet Things by Annie Rigg, and it is heavenly!

This recipe does take a while to make, but if you have the patience it is worth it. I usually do this recipe over two days, and fridge it after the caramel stage to do the second half the next day.

These beauties keep well for about 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge, if they last that long! Great for giving away as presents too.

This recipe makes about 30 depending on how big or small you cut the bars. I cut mine fairly small so as to be eaten in two bites. That is the perfect amount for me... but if you want them bigger go ahead.

You will need a 20x30cm or 7x11in tin
Chocolate Nougat:
1 large egg white (about 40g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g/1 cup and a little bit of caster sugar
pinch of salt
25g/1.5 tbsp malted milk powder (I used Ovaltine)
100g/3.5 oz dark chocolate chopped (70%)
250g/¾ cup golden syrup

Caramel:
75g/¼ cup and a tbsp of caster sugar
75g/¼ cup and a tbsp of soft light brown sugar
50g/3 tbsp golden syrup
50g/3.5 tbsp of unsalted butter
100ml double cream
1/2 vanilla pod, split in half (or you can use 1 tbsp of vanilla bean paste, which is not extract)
a couple pinches of sea salt flakes

Chocolate to coat:
200g/7oz dark chocolate chopped (70%)
200g/7oz milk chocolate chopped (I used 40%)
chocolate sprinkles, optional

Line the base of your tin with non-stick baking parchment.
Put your egg white, vanilla extract, 1 tbsp of the caster sugar and the salt into the bowl of a free-standing mixer which the whisk attachment. You can do this with a hand mixer, it just might take a bit longer. Sift your malted milk powder into a bowl and set aside.

Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Put the remaining caster sugar and golden syrup in a medium sized saucepan and add 75ml water. Set the pan over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar, you can stir from time to time. Once the sugar is dissolved put a sugar thermometer into the pan and bring to the boil. Cook steadily until the syrup reaches 125°C/257ºF. Slide the pan off the heat and immediately start to whisk the egg white until you get stiff peaks. On a low to medium speed, start to pour the syrup on to the beaten egg white in a slow steady stream. Mixture will double in size. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whisk for 4-5 minutes until the nougat has turned a pale colour and it has cooled and thickened. Add the malted milk powder and the melted chocolate and whisk for a further few seconds. Use a rubber spatula and a palette knife to spread the mixture into the tin, working quickly. Leave until it is cold.

Nougat spread in the tin

Next stage is the caramel. Put both the sugars, the golden syrup, butter, cream, vanilla pod (or paste) and sea salt flakes into a saucepan and set over a low-medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugars and melt the butter. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil with your thermometer in the pan. Continue to cook until the caramel reaches 118°C/244ºF, then immediately slide the pan off the heat and remove the vanilla pod with tongs or a fork. Pour the caramel evenly over the nougat in an even layer. Leave to cool completely. 

Once it is cold, cover it in clingfilm and set aside. Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight if you don't want to continue with the next stage right away. It will be fine!

Next up, draw a 20x30cm rectangle on some baking parchment. Flip it over on to a baking tray. Melt the dark and milk chocolate together in the same way as above. Leave it to cool to room temperature. Re-melt the chocolate (we are tempering the chocolate here, in an easy way) until it becomes runny and glossy again. Using a spatula or palette knife spread a couple tbsp of the chocolate onto the baking parchment rectangle to cover it in an even layer. Turn the caramel nougat that is in the fridge out of tin and on to a new sheet of baking parchment, caramel side down. Peel the parchment off the nougat side and quickly flip it on to the chocolate rectangle. Pop it into the fridge for 5-10 minutes to harden. Then take a sharp knife (heat the blade in hot water between slices, and dry off the knife to make the cutting neater) and trim the edges of the caramel nougat. (Eat the edges!) Next cut into 20 fingers or rectangles however big you like. 

Arrange them on to a cooling rack over a baking tray. Do this in batches of 4-5 as it will be easier. Keep the chocolate warm as you work by placing it back on your bain marie every so often. Using a teaspoon, carefully spoon the chocolate over each bar to coat the top and sides evenly. Use a palette knife to then place on to clean baking parchment. You can then pipe some lines like I did on top of this and then scatter some of your chocolate sprinkles. This is optional, depends on how creative you feel! Repeat with the remaining bars and chocolate, returning the chocolate that has drizzled onto the baking tray to the bowl and re-melting between batches if necessary. Leave to set completely (about 2-3 hours) before serving. Then place in a container in the fridge to keep for longer! 

The finished product!

I know this is a long recipe but it is so delicious! If you have the patience and want to have some fun give it a try.

Frozen Bananas coated in Coconut Almond Butter and Granola

This recipe is a wonderful way to use up bananas if you feel you have too many. I would advise making these when the bananas are still a bit hard, as they are easier to roll if they aren't so soft.. Not only are they really simple to make, but they are a healthy treat to take with you on the go, or to have when you are craving something sweet. They are gluten free and vegan friendly which is an added bonus!

This recipe makes 6-8 small bites. You can cut the bananas to whatever size you would like, but I wanted something I could eat in a few bites. I also used coconut almond butter as I found a brand I really like (Pip&Nut), but you could use whatever flavoured nut butter you like!

You will need:
2 bananas
2-3 tbsp of coconut almond butter
A drizzle of maple syrup/honey/agave, or whatever you have to hand to add a bit of sweetness.
A handful of your favourite granola (gluten free friendly for those who are making it GF)
Some lollipop sticks (I didn't have any so I used toothpicks.. not very sturdy but they did the trick)

As you can see there are not many ingredients, so it really is very simple! Mix your nut butter in a bowl with a drizzle of your preferred sweetener, I used some agave syrup. Next place your granola into a flat dish, or plate, easy to roll the bananas around in.

Cut up your bananas to your desired eating size, place a lollipop stick or toothpick into the banana and then use a knife to spread the nut butter evenly over the bananas so they are coated. Next roll them in the granola, place on a plate spaced out and leave them in the freezer for about 2 hours until they are frozen. Once they are frozen you can place them all in a ziploc bag and leave in the freezer until you are ready to grab one to eat. Really easy to do, and in no time you have a healthy on the go snack or dessert!