Chocolate Marbled Energy Bars

These little bars were originally invented to provide high-energy snack food for footballers and other sports enthusiasts doing hard training. But for strictly armchair sports enthusiasts like me, they go down a treat with a mug of cocoa and Match of the Day.

Makes 16

This recipe is taken from The Delia Collection: Chocolate and Delia’s Vegetarian Collection

Chocolate Marbled Energy Bars

Ingredients
5 oz (150 g) dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
5 oz (150 g) luxury Belgian white chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 x 100 g pack pecan nuts
4 oz (110 g) ready-to-eat dried apricots
5 oz (150 g) organic porridge oats
1 oz (25 g) Rice Krispies
1 oz (25 g) Bran Flakes, lightly crushed
3 oz (75 g) raisins
1 teaspoon molasses syrup
5fl oz (150 ml) whole condensed milk
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
Equipment
You will also need a buttered Deliaonline Silverwood oblong tin 8 x 10 inches and 1½inches deep (20 x 26 cm, 4cm deep), with a liner.

Method

Begin by toasting the pecan nuts on a baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven for 7 minutes, using a timer, then chop them roughly. Next chop the apricots to the same size as the pecans, and then in a large bowl mix together the oats, Rice Krispies, Bran Flakes, apricots, pecans and raisins. Now, in a small saucepan, heat the molasses syrup and condensed milk until they're warm and thoroughly blended, then pour this mixture into the bowl. Mix it all well with a wooden spoon, then simply tip the mixture into the baking tin, press it down evenly all over and bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. After that leave it to get quite cold.

Meanwhile, melt the white and dark chocolate separately in heatproof bowls set over pans of barely simmering water, making sure the bowls don't touch the water. When the cereal mixture has cooled, loosen the edges with a palette knife and turn it out upside down on to a board. Now, using a tablespoon, put spoonfuls of the plain chocolate all over the top of the cereal cake, leaving space in between. Then do the same with the white chocolate, but this time fill up the gaps. Next take a small palette knife and, using a zigzag motion, swirl the two chocolates together to give a marbled effect. Then lift the board and gently tap it down on to the work surface to create a smooth finish. What you need to do now is chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 16 bars.

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