Go nuts for the new creation from Bakehouse in the Barn

As our regular customers will know, last summer we launched a partnership with the wonderful Bakehouse in the Barn.

The very talented Sophie Smith (who many of you will recognise from Hunters) is the baker behind Bakehouse in the Barn and she’s been coming up with some amazing concoctions for us. The idea is that not only is it something you can buy from us ready-to-enjoy (Sophie works some magic!) but you can also take away the recipe to try it for yourself. Therefore we try not to make it too complicated – just utterly delicious!

So, bring on our latest baked treat…. drum roll please…. the Hunter Gatherer Granola Bar! (hope you appreciate the name!)

The Hunter Gatherer Bar is bursting with nuts, seeds and fruit to give a healthy energy boost in the dark winter months, and to curb sweet toothed cravings to help keep those New Year’s resolutions in check. We stock a range of ingredients for the bar from local Yorkshire producers and suppliers, including Yockenthwaite Farm and Quay Ingredients, both in Skipton, and Driffield-based Shepcote, so you can come stock up and then give it a try. It’s a great one to make with kids!

It’s another winning recipe from Sophie – so simple but so effective. The bars she makes to be sold in store are packed to the brim with a whopping 14 different types of nuts, seeds and fruit, but if you’re following the recipe you can adapt it to suit your own favourites. It’s a really satisfying sweet treat, but also includes lots of healthy ingredients - which is what you need at this time of year!

Hunter Gatherer Granola Bar

Ingredients:

300g oats

425g mixed nuts, seeds and fruit (this can include a variety to suit your own preferences, but ours includes: hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, flax, pumpkin seeds, poppy & sesame seeds, sour cherries, sultanas, raisins, dates, goji berries)

60g ground almonds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

100g soft brown sugar

190g honey*

190g butter*

Method:

·        Preheat the oven to 180°C.

·        Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin with parchment.

·        In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.

·        Melt the butter and warm the honey together in a pan over a medium heat.

·        Pour the honey and butter over the dry ingredients, mix well.

·        Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

·        Bake for 18 minutes, until the top of the granola bar is golden brown.

·        Leave to cool in the tin. Slice once cool.

*for a vegan version, substitute the honey for ½ agave or date syrup ½ golden syrup and the butter for vegan spread.

January food goals

January tends to do odd things to our eating (and drinking) habits.

There’s Ginuary and Veganuary to contend with. Dry January if you fancy it (it’s a bit at odds with Ginuary though).

Even if you don’t subscribe to any official awareness ‘months’ or ‘weeks’ likelihood is you may have made a New Year’s Resolution. There’s something about January which makes you feel like you should be making a dramatic change and looking at a fresh start. Given the over indulgences of the Christmas period those changes often seem to link to food and drink, as we know we can’t carry on in the manner to which we’ve become accustomed. Apparently chocolate and a mince pie for breakfast is not a balanced meal, and nor is it socially acceptable to wash it down with a Bucks Fizz outside of Christmas week. Bah humbug.

According to a poll a couple of years ago, a third of resolutions made were to lose weight and a third were to eat more healthily. But sometimes the mind is more willing than the body. It can be a shock to the system going from 2000 calories by mid-morning to 1200 all day, and from the most exercise you get being a leisurely walk to the fridge to trying to hit the gym five times a week.

We’ve already passed what was dubbed Quitter’s Day – 11^th January (the second Friday in January)– which does seem a very short length of time! Less than one in 10 actually count themselves as having achieved their New Year’s Resolution, which leaves more than nine out of 10 of us feeling a bit of a failure.

The key to making it a success? Well most experts seem to say making sure your goals are manageable and not too generic/huge, having an action plan and taking baby steps to begin with, making it fun (as much as you can) and being kind to yourself if you slip up. Apparently, it takes 66 days to break a habit – so any bad habits formed over Christmas are going to take well into March to reset.

So, maybe you’ve set yourself a resolution to eat better, to try new foods, to give vegan cooking more of a go – whatever it might be, we’re here to help. As well as lots of tasty treats (everything in moderation!) we also have tonnes of fantastic ideas for cooking, for zinging up a salad or some veg, for healthy snacking – as well as some amazing soft drink and zero alcohol ‘booze’ to give you choices to help you achieve your goals.

Whatever your January food goals, it’s National Croissant Day on 30^th. Sure that’s something we can all get on board with! Pass the jam will you?