Being Easter and having a child now, I remembered as a kid we used to make chocolate cornflake nests that had mini eggs in them. I loved them. I’ve made a more adult version of them, which are nutrient packed and aren’t just a great snack for a breast feeding Mum, they are very much loved from my husband, so much so I didn’t actually get to eat that many of them! Amaranth is a staple grain in central and south America. I’ve used the puffed Amaranth here. You can pop them yourself, but I prefer to buy them already puffed, it makes life easier and this a very quick snack to prepare. Amaranth is a great source of plant protein, also minerals such as calcium, magnesium, fibre, phosphor and iron, so it’s a real super grain. Mixed with chocolate, almond butter and dried apricots these bars are a pure joy to eat and very nourishing at the same time. Kids will love them too.
Makes about 15 squares.
Ingredients
100 g good quality dark chocolate at least 70 %
50 g almond butter
60 g puffed amaranth
150 g dried apricots
2 drops of bitter almond, optional
good pinch of salt
Method
Place a small saucepan of water on the hob and bring to the boil. Roughly chop the chocolate, and place in a heatproof bowl along with the almond butter. Place the bowl over the simmering water and turn the heat off. Stir occasionally until all the chocolate has melted. In the meantime chop the apricots into small pieces and mix together with the amaranth. Pour over the chocolate, add the salt and bitter almond if using and mix together well. Pour into a greaseproof lined dish and allow to cool and harden in the fridge. Once hard, cut into small squares. These will keep in the fridge for at least a week, but I doubt they will last that long!
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