Nigella's Breakfast Bars

I discovered these delicious treats when I was recently reviewing Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson and I like them so much (and have made them a few times now) that I thought they deserved to be shared with you! They are so simple to make and although they are perhaps not the healthiest (due to the can of deliciously sticky sweet condensed milk!) they will disappear in a hurry. Perfect for a breakfast on the run or with a cup of tea or coffee for a mid morning snack, these bars are a crunchy, sweet little treat which Nigella herself says she is addicted to..... and to be honest I don't blame her!

Makes 16

1 x 397g can condensed milk*

250g rolled oats (not instant)

75g shredded coconut

100g dried cranberries**

125g mixed seeds (I use pumpkin, sunflower and flax)

125g natural unsalted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 250F/ 130C/ GM ½, and oil a 23 x 33 x 4cm baking tin.

Put the condensed milk in a small pan then gently heat.

In a large bowl mix together all of the other ingredients then add the warmed condensed milk and stir well until everything is evenly mixed together and coated in the condensed milk. Put the mixture into the oiled tin and press down using either a large spatula or the back of a spoon (or as Nigella suggests, you could use your hands wearing disposable vinyl gloves to prevent you ending up with a sticky mess all over them!) to make sure the surface is even. Bake for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into 16 chunky pieces. Let cool completely and see how long they last!

*The version of Nigella Express that I have is the British version but the tins of Condensed milk that I buy in Canada are 300ml and although they might be a little bigger than the UK sized can they work just fine.

**The last time I made these I didn't have enough cranberries so I used half cranberries and have raisins and they were delicious! So good in fact that from now on I will be using half and half! Use what you like but don't worry if you are short and need to substitute.