Dark chocolate and hazelnut granola bars

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Line a 20 cm square tin with a parchment sling. Toast the oats and hazelnuts on a sheet pan for 8 minutes, stirring once.
2. Transfer to a large bowl and add the cocoa nibs and cocoa powder. Keep the oven on. Reserve 30 g chocolate for the top and stir the remaining 60 g through the dry mixture.
3. Combine the honey, brown sugar, butter and salt in a small heavy saucepan. Melt gently, then boil steadily, stirring, until a sugar thermometer reads 110°C, about 2 to 4 minutes. Without a thermometer, cook until the bubbles are thick and glossy and a spatula drawn across the base leaves a path for about 1 second.
4. Pour the hot binder over the oat mixture and stir for 45 seconds until evenly coated. Some chocolate will melt into the binder. Scrape into the tin immediately.
5. Cover with parchment and press as hard as possible with the flat base of a measuring cup for one full minute, particularly at the corners and edges.
6. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the edges feel firm and show light browning beneath the cocoa colour. Scatter the reserved chocolate over the hot slab and press it gently into the surface.
7. Cool in the tin for 75 minutes, then lift out and cool another 15 minutes. Cut into 12 bars with a sharp serrated knife only when the chocolate is firm.

Notes

• Allergens: hazelnuts and dairy. Dark chocolate may contain milk or soy. Oats may have gluten cross-contact, so use labelled gluten-free oats when needed.
• This is intentionally an indulgent granola bar, but the 90 g chocolate is divided across 12 bars rather than forming a candy-style coating.
• The 110°C binder, hard one-minute press and complete cooling are essential. Bars crumble when the binder is undercooked, the mixture is pressed loosely, the nuts are too coarse or the slab is cut warm.
• Store airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 7 days. Freeze separated by parchment for up to 2 months and thaw in the closed container.
• Wrap individually and pack in a rigid box. They can travel without an ice pack for the day below 24°C. In warmer weather use an insulated bag because the chocolate softens.

Sources consulted

• King Arthur Baking: Chewy Granola Bars
• King Arthur Baking: No-Bake Chocolate and Date Energy Bars
• Food Standards Agency: Allergen Guidance

From Christoph Mayer

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