I’ve always been a fan of granola bars, they’re a satisfying and ‘good’ choice at a coffee shop. But I’ve never made them before now. This is the first recipe I’ve tried from a new cookbook, Deliciously Ella. There’s been a lot of publicity about Ella Woodward in the UK, this book is based on the plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free diet she adopted after illness. These granola bars are based on dates and remind me of the date slice my mother baked when I was a child: so, an instant hit. Note: Ella cooks using cups, ie her own standard coffee mug, but she does include the weight equivalent. I didn’t weigh anything, instead I used my favourite ‘Pride and Prejudice’ mug [above]. Also, you need a blender [below].

Makes about 20 bars
20 medjool dates [350g]
1 mug sunflower seeds [175g]
1 mug pumpkin seeds [175g]
1 mug flaxseeds [200g]
1 mug raisins [200g]
2 mugs oats [240g]
3 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. Pit the dates, place in a saucepan with 2 mugs [600ml] boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes, until they are really soft.

While the dates cook, place the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, raisins and oats into a large mixing bowl. Once the dates have cooked and are soft, put the dates and liquid into a blender. Add the chia seeds and cinnamon to the dates. Blend until smooth. Add the date mix to the oat mix, and stir thoroughly until everything is coated and sticky [below]. Grease a large 40x28cm baking tray with coconut oil. Pour in the granola and press it down firmly so it is tightly packed and smooth on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a sharp knife, score the lines for the bars [above]. Place in the oven for a further 10-20 minutes, until the top turns golden brown. Cut into bars while hot, and allow to cool on a baking rack. Store in an airtight box. 5 to remember
el dátil – date
una barra de granola – a granola bar
las semillas de chia – the chia seeds
deshueasdo/a – pitted [stones removed from dates or olives]
el aceite de coco – the coconut oil

This recipe is from Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward [UK: Yellow Kite/Hodder & Stoughton]