Soft baked cardamom dark chocolate bumper bars
Made on a cold rainy day and devoured by the children, these sweeter than sweet bars could almost be considered healthy with the addition of oats and cardamom….almost…
Ingredients:
For the Bars:
225g butter, softened
200g granulated sugar
200g brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
180g rolled oats
150g dark chocolate chunks
2 tsp ground cardamom
100g chopped nuts (optional)
For the White Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
200g white chocolate, chopped
120ml cream
Instructions:
For the Bars:
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease a 23x33 cm baking tin.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until just combined.
Stir in the rolled oats, chocolate chunks, annd cardamom. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish, pressing it down lightly with the back of a spoon or your hands.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the bumper bars to cool completely before glazing.
For the White Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat.
Pour the hot cream over the chopped white chocolate. Let it sit for a minute to melt the chocolate, then stir until smooth and glossy.
Once the bars are completely cooled, pour the white chocolate ganache over the top, spreading it evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Allow the ganache to set at room temperature or refrigerate for faster setting.
Once the ganache is set, cut the bars into squares or rectangles.
YUM!
