The most important meal of the day, or so I was always told. I love our weekend breakfasts - pancakes, eggs, croissants, porridge, the full English (not all on the same day I hasten to add).
But admittedly, our workday mornings are of the fairly mundane cereal, fruit and toast variety. Unless of course a certain 3 year old decides he is going to have a lie in, thereby necessitating a picnic breakfast in the car on the school run and a lot of stray cheerio collection afterwards.
I view ungluing them from his car seat as punishment for not managing to be together enough in the mornings to get everyone dressed fed and out of the house on time. If I were a true domestic goddess I would of course have a stock of Nigella's Breakfast Bars on hand ready to dispense to tardy children.
It's one of those recipes I've been meaning to make forever, only to find I am missing a vital ingredient. But in my new spirit of organisation, I wrote it all down on a shopping list, bought it and made them. Yummmm!
You want the recipe don't you?
Breakfast Bars
- 1x395g can condensed milk
- 250g rolled oats
- 75g shredded coconut
- 100g dried cranberries
- 125g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
- 125g natural unsalted peanuts
- Preheat the oven to 130C and oil a 23x33x4cm baking tray
- Warm the condensed milk
- Mix together all the other ingredients then mix in the warmed condensed milk with a spatula
- Spread the mixture into the tin and press down with the spatula
- Bake for one hour then remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes
- Cut into bars and allow to cool completely.
I skipped the peanuts, as the boys aren't keen on them. But I'd imagine you can go to town tweaking the dry ingredients to suit yourself.
With an entire tin of condensed milk, I wouldn't imagine they are the healthiest option for every single day, But I have to admit to being quite partial to one with a coffee when I get home from my mummy taxi service shift. And the odd late night one. But then, I could eat breakfast three times a day quite happily. Especially if Jen was responsible for setting the menu.
This would suit my lot too. Thanks for the recipe, I'm trying to cut down on my book expenditure so need all the help I can get! As pretend Canadians we do pancakes, bacon/sausages and maple syrup on a Sunday.
Posted by: lina | 13 January 2008 at 00:50
they look good - and definitely sound like they would be helpful in the morning school rush. I'll be giving them a try although will have to restrain myself from grabbing the spoon and eating the entire tin of condensed milk as soon as it is opened! I remember my mum used to buy it as a treat when we were little and give us condensed milk sandwiches.
Posted by: julie | 13 January 2008 at 08:39
They look really good. They would be great rocket fuel for wintery walks. Thanks for posting the recipe - I'll have to try them. I haven't had condensed milk for years - might be treading on dangerous ground ;-)
Lesley x
Posted by: Lesley | 13 January 2008 at 08:45
Mmmmmmm, you and Jen between you have made me rather peckish! Those oaty bars look fabulous - might have to give those a go.
Take care :-) x
Posted by: Kitty | 13 January 2008 at 09:21
yum
Posted by: driftwood | 13 January 2008 at 09:36
Anything made with condensed milk is a winner in my eyes. I remember, like Julie, having condensed milk sandwiches as a child, and a quickly dipped finger in the tin to boot!
Posted by: Dragonfly | 13 January 2008 at 10:15
Oh nooooo. Have been trying to avoid making these for ages and now they are stalking me! Where's my shopping list?!
Posted by: Anna | 13 January 2008 at 10:41
Oh - I should find out what condened milk is and then might give it a try. They look yummie.
Posted by: seemownay | 13 January 2008 at 12:27
Thanks for the recipe! I'm going to try these soon! Lucy x
Posted by: Lucy Locket-Pocket | 13 January 2008 at 13:15
Condensed milk is YUM.
I love the way you made your homemade bar jump right off the book!
Posted by: Juanita | 13 January 2008 at 13:17
Oh no, it looks like I might have to make these as I have nearly all the ingredients, bar the peanuts which I won't be adding. They look yummy in your pictures.
Posted by: Catherine | 13 January 2008 at 13:35
Delicious aren't they! I made them last week and they kept us going nicely.
Hope you've settled in you new "home", I wonder sometimes if I made the right choice with blogger, time will tell!
Happy new year!
Julia xx
Posted by: julia | 13 January 2008 at 15:04
yes... very very tempting.
Although... I would have to buy a different set of children who'd actually eat something like that.
My children have no style in food.
Posted by: monica | 13 January 2008 at 17:50
oh yum! breakfast has to be my favourite meal of the day...especially long weekend ones with lots of courses + papers + radio + pyjamas. thanks for the recipe. is this nigella express? i think it's the only book i don't have of hers...is it worth me getting one for my collection? i'm a dorset muesli girl on weekdays : ) can't go without breakfast! x
Posted by: kelly | 13 January 2008 at 18:25
look delish...thanks for the recipe! Don't you just love Nigella, she's always eating, sneakily, really fatty foods in the middle of the night?
Posted by: Zoe | 13 January 2008 at 20:15
oh god I've made batch after batch of these since I got this book - they're sooo more-ish. The other thing from her book that I make for my lunch on a far too regular basis is the 'quesedilla', although in my house it's just cheese and ham in the middle...To be honest, I'm not sure it's even a real recipe, but since I never thought of it myself I'll let her off :)
Posted by: Joanne | 13 January 2008 at 22:09
My children insisted on poached eggs every morning. I'm glad that phase of my life has passed!
Posted by: Alice C | 13 January 2008 at 22:57
OHHHH! I have to make these! My kids will hate them probably...but, I will love them!
Thanks! Love your blog!
Posted by: Lola | 14 January 2008 at 01:06
Yummy! I would love these and depending on the dry stuff, my kids would probably love them too!
Posted by: Louise | 14 January 2008 at 03:28
I just HAVE to make those! Thank you for taking the time to type out the recipe and also for the lovely comment left on my blog.
You take the most fantastic photographs!
Posted by: alison | 14 January 2008 at 07:58
Ooooh! I'm def. gonna make those. Oh! and the placemats I featured on my blog were from John Lewis, in the sale section.
Posted by: Hay | 14 January 2008 at 10:01
We made them with the low fat condensed milk, and skipped the nuts - they were great for me on work days and I figured even though not the healthiest thing ever, definitely a better option than a danish from the coffee place ...
We do car picnics and pushchair picnics at least a couple of times each week. And quite honestly I'd rather deal with cheerios (she only gets them dry if we're in the car - mean mummy, that's me) than a toddler I've woken up too soon!
Posted by: dottycookie | 14 January 2008 at 14:09
What a great recipe and I love that you can add your own twist to it. I'm very guilty about not eating breakfast, a habit which I need to address. This weekend I bought a bag of granola so I can start a healthier eating pattern--I guess opening and actually using the granola would be a good first step. So off I go right now to do so; thank you for posting about this.
Posted by: June | 14 January 2008 at 16:12
those look really yummy. our breakfasts are usually of the straightforward cereal variety, though I do have a thing for porridge at the moment. In the christmas holidays I made breakfast muffins one morning, they involved butternut squash(Jamie Oliver), and I thought they were nice, but the kids just licked the frosting off of the top. we can but try.
Posted by: hannah | 14 January 2008 at 21:38
Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day--even if it is just juice, cereal, and toast...And I'm so, so happy you liked the yarn!
Posted by: kristina | 14 January 2008 at 22:04
Oh I love breakfast but am shamefully bad at making myself eat it which is a bit bonkers really! Had seen these in the book but am now inspired to make them especially as I'm confined to house now till the baby arrives after she tried "The Great Escape" otherwise known in these parts as pre-term labour over the weekend! All ok now and of course, if a bit of Nigella cooking can't perk me up then I'd have to say life is an arse xx Lovely pics too as always x
Posted by: Victoria | 15 January 2008 at 00:43
I was thinking the same, when I saw condensed milk ! We made a banoffee pie last year with condensed milk, so sickly ! I bet they would go down a treat with the kids. I'm a porridge girl myself, although sugar puffs, and crunchy nuts are superb too !
Posted by: weirdbunny | 16 January 2008 at 00:58
I was worried that you might post up the recipe at the end of the post.
I'm going to have to try them now and I hope we don't get addicted to them too!
Posted by: Simmy | 16 January 2008 at 18:11