Date and Nut Energy Bars – Saseka Tented Camp

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Saseka Tented Camp’s pastry chef, Megan Barclay, and is the furthest thing from shop-bought energy bars that you’ll ever see. It’s packed with feel-good kilojoules that will keep you going all day long and is a top hit among our guests at the Thornybush Collection. Here’s how it’s done.

Saseka Camp’s Date and Nut Energy Bars

• 175g Butter
• 275g Jungle Oats / rolled oats
• 100g Roasted pistachio nuts / hazelnuts
• 2tsp Ground cinnamon
• 200g Treacle or Muscovado sugar
• 75g Golden syrup
• 125g Chopped pitted dates
• *125g Cranberries – optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease a baking tray.
2. Combine the nuts, oats and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
4. Chop the dates and cranberries and add them to the dry ingredients.
5. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until it’s incorporated.
6. Spread the mixture onto your baking tray.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
8. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes then cut it into bars or squares.

Royal Icing Drizzle

• 1 Large egg white
• 1tsp Lemon juice
• 5 cups Icing sugar

Method

1. Combine the egg white and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar, while stirring.
3. Add more icing sugar if needed.
4. Drizzle the icing over the energy bars once they have cooled completely.

Although no self-respecting dietician will tell you this is food for slimmers, these bars do have a few health benefits lurking beneath their biscuity veneer. Jungle oats are practically a South African icon and are also a breakfast of champions. Oats pack a powerful well-balanced nutritional punch. They’re full of fibre, protein, and 13 different vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in antioxidants, especially avenanthramides which occur in very few other food sources. Avenanthramides help the body to produce nitric oxide which in turn helps dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure levels. Along with these important elements, oats are rich in beta-glucan which is a type of fibre that can reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin response. They also make you feel satisfied quicker and help to increase the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract. Of course, the sugar content in these energy bars falls foul of modern fears surrounding sugar, but you only live once. So, get in touch to book your South African safari with Thornybush and live a little!