Extra Energy Fodder
Get yourself geared up to make a batch of any of the following before you have to get stuck into revising or serious exam schedules. Then you’ll have something highly comforting and packed with a great energy boost for when your spirits are flagging or you simply haven’t got time to stop for a proper meal (like breakfast when you’ve overslept from all that study … or whatever!). None of them takes long to make and they are all far cheaper than buying equivalent bars in the supermarket or health food shop.
Peanut Honey Bites
These biscuits make a nutritious snack when serious study is at hand. Look out for packets of broken biscuits or own-brands, they’re really inexpensive and ideal for this recipe.
Makes 12 • Preparation time 10 minutes • Cooking time 0 minutes
½ x 250 g tub butter or hard margarine
3 tbsp thick honey
2/3 x 300 g packet of plain biscuits, roughly crushed
1 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)
3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 Melt the butter or margarine with the honey and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat.
2 Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
3 Press into a greased 18 cm square baking tin or similar sized container and chill until set. Cut into squares and store in an airtight tin.
Chewy Fruit and Coconut Bars
These bars are great energy boosters during cramming sessions. You can substitute any other dried fruit – such as dates, prunes or raisins – for the apricots if you prefer.
Makes 15 • Preparation time 10 minutes • Cooking time 0 minutes
175 g/1 small can evaporated milk
4 tsp thick honey
3 tbsp apple or orange juice
¼ x 250 g tub butter or margarine
¼ mug light brown (preferably) sugar
2 large handfuls of sultanas
1 mug ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped or snipped with scissors
½ mug desiccated coconut
2 mugs rolled oats
1 Heat the evaporated milk with the honey, juice, butter or margarine and sugar until just melted. Remove from the heat.
2 Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Press into a greased 28 x 18 cm baking tin or similar sized container.
3 Wrap in clingfilm or put in a clean plastic carrier bag and chill overnight to set and allow the flavours to develop before cutting into bars.
4 Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Cinnamon French Toast
This has to be comfort food at its best! To turn this old favourite into a really nutritious snack, you could cut an apple into wedges or a banana into chunks to eat with the toast.
Serves 2 • Preparation time 4 minutes • Cooking time 3 minutes
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
4 thick slices of bread, crusts removed
Large knob of butter or margarine
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp caster sugar, heaped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Beat the egg and milk together. Dip the bread in to coat it completely, allowing it to soak in well.
2 Heat the butter or margarine and oil in a large frying pan. Fry the slices for about 1½ minutes over a high heat until a deep golden brown, turning once.
3 Drain on kitchen paper.
4 Mix the sugar and cinnamon on a flat plate or put in a plastic bag. Dip the bread into the mixture until coated on both sides or drop into the bag hold the top together and shake it firmly. Serve straight away cut into triangles.
No-bake Crunch Bars
Chocolate is comfort food at its best. If you buy a good quality one with high cocoa solids, it’s actually good for you (in small portions) as it is high in antioxidants and stimulates endorphins in your brain to make you feel good.
Makes 12 • Preparation time 10 minutes • Cooking time 0 minutes
2⁄3 x 250 g tub butter or margarine
¼ mug light brown (preferably) sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
3 tbsp cocoa powder
½ mug raisins
3 mugs oat crunch-type cereal
200 g bar plain chocolate
1 Oil and line the base of an 18 x 28 cm baking tin, orsimilar sized container, with baking parchment, greaseproof paper or the inside wrapper from a cereal packet.
2 Melt the butter or margarine, sugar and syrup and cocoa in a large saucepan. Remove from the heat. Stir in the raisins and cereal until well blended. Press into the tin.
3 Melt the chocolate in a pan over hot water and spread over the top, right into the corners.
4 Chill until set, cut into fingers and store in an airtight tin.
Mum’s Flapjacks
Easy and delicious – and, of course, oats are good for you. When you want a real taste of home, you can’t beat a good flapjack. Plus they transport well so you can take one with you for a mid-morning snack.
Makes 8 • Preparation time 3 minutes • Cooking time 12 minutes
1/3 x 250 g tub butter or margarine
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
1½ mugs porridge oats
1/3 mug plain flour
1 Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5/fan oven 170ºC and grease an 18 cm square baking tin.
2 Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan.
3 Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
4 Cook in the oven for about 12 minutes until golden.
5 Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then mark into portions. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin.
6 Store in an airtight container.
Banana Sultana Flapjacks
This recipe was hailed by a medical student friend of mine and her flat mates as the food they lived on most! It’s cheap, nutritious and delicious when you’re studying – or when you’re just chilling.
Makes 16 • Preparation time 8 minutes • Cooking time 30 minutes
1/3 x 250 g tub butter or margarine, softened
½ mug light brown (preferably) sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup or honey
1 large, ripe banana, mashed
2 handfuls of sultanas or raisins
2½ mugs porridge oats
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4/fan oven 160ºC.
2 Put the butter or margarine, sugar and syrup or honey in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy.
3 Stir in the remaining ingredients and press into a greased 18 x 28 cm baking tin.
4 Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
5 Leave to cool for 10 minutes then mark into fingers with the back of a knife. Leave until completely cold before cutting up. Store in an airtight tin.