What do you get someone who has recently given birth? A dear friend of mine has just become a new mum and I wanted to get her a supportive gift that would be of some small help in the first chaotic, sleep deprived weeks. Apart from getting the baby clothes, I know her to be a big fan of baked goods so I decided to make her something she could indulge in guilt-free. That's when I started researching ingredients beneficial to nursing mothers...turns out oats and flaxseeds are just a few of the magic ingredients to help the flow and give much needed energy for those intense few days. Adding extras like dried fruit that I know she loves, along with some cheeky choc chips allowed me to customise these Boob Bars to boombastic levels.

I have read that brewers yeast is quite effective in this department however I wanted to test out these babies without the yeast interrupting the flavour. Feel free to add and experiment with different dried fruits and seeds.

Bring on the milk!

Recipe makes 12 bars

Ingredients:

·      210g rolled oats (you can purchase gluten free if preferred)

·      80g whole unblanched almonds

·      30g pumpkin seeds

·      70g butter

·      35g light brown soft sugar

·      80ml honey

·      2 teaspoons of ground flax seeds

·      1 tablespoon of almond butter (ensures mixture sticks together, including this is optional)

·      60g desiccated coconut

·      40g raisins

·      40g cranberries

·      1 teaspoon vanilla essence

·      ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

·      80 g mini choc chips plus 2 additional tablespoons

 

Method:

1. Heat oven to 170 degrees C. Line the bottom of a  deep 11 inch rectangular pan with parchment paper. Then lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray.

2. Combine the oats and whole almonds and transfer to a baking sheet, then bake for 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl and add the desiccated coconut.

3. While the oats are toasting, take a small pan and add the butter, honey, brown sugar, flaxseeds, vanilla extract, cinnamon and almond butter and cook gently over a medium heat. Make sure to stir often and heat until butter melts and the sugar completely dissolves in the mixture.

4. Pour the liquid mixture over the toasted oats, almonds and desiccated coconut and add the cranberries raisins and pumpkin seeds. Mix well. Let cool for about 5 minutes then add the mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine.

5. Transfer the oat mixture to your pre-prepared pan. Using a spatula firmly press the mixture into the pan until the mixture becomes a level, compact layer. This step helps ensure the bars hold together well once cooled.

6. Scatter the two additional tablespoons of mini chocolate chips over the granola bars and use the same rubber spatula to gently press them into the granola so they stick. Transfer the entire pan to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours.

7. After the granola has chilled completely, gently lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper as handles and cut it into 12 bars.