Roasted White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

‘Roasted white chocolate has all the flavours of white chocolate but it’s caramelised to make something that tastes almost like dulce de leche.’

Hands-on time 30min, plus cooling and chilling. Cooking time about 2hr. Makes 16

FOR THE GANACHE

• 370g white chocolate (min 30% cocoa butter), roughly chopped

• 150ml double cream

• 1 ½tsp flaked sea salt

FOR THE BARS

• 120g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease

• 125g plain flour

• 160g rolled oats

• ½tsp flaked sea salt

• 3tbsp golden syrup or runny honey

• 150g light brown soft sugar

• 3tbsp milk powder

• ¾tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 145g raisins, soaked in boiled water for 10min and drained

1 Preheat oven to 120°C (100°C fan) mark ½. Scatter white chocolate in a single layer in a 23 x 33 x 5cm baking tin. Bake for 60-90min, stirring vigorously every 15min, until melted and a rich, golden colour. The chocolate may look coarse and grainy; just make sure you stir it until smooth and melted every time before returning to the oven. Once it’s ready, scrape into a heatproof bowl and set aside.

2 Increase oven temperature to 180°C (160°C) mark 4. For the bars, clean the tin, and then grease and line with baking parchment, making sure the parchment hangs over the sides. Mix the flour, oats and salt in a large, heatproof bowl.

3 Heat the butter, syrup/honey, sugar and milk powder in a medium pan over low-medium heat, until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in bicarbonate of soda and 1tbsp water, then mix this and the raisins into the oat mixture. Press into the lined tin in an even layer.

4 Bake for 25-30min, until golden and just a little darker around the edges. Cool in tin for 15min.

5 To finish the ganache, pour cream into the roasted chocolate bowl, then place bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth and combined. Pour over the base and spread to an even layer. Chill until set, about 1hr, sprinkling over the salt just before the ganache is set.

6 Remove from the tin, slice into bars and serve.

PER BAR 371cals, 5g protein, 19g fat (12g saturates), 44g carbs (31g total sugars), 1g fibre

TO STORE Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.