Life is so unpredictable. In February, I had decided to take a break from orders after Holi. So when Simran posted about the collaboration between OMBC and Mills & Browns , I agreed to create new recipies using Mills & Brows products and posting them in my Blog. Little did anyone of us know that there would be a pandemic aka Corona Virus. Situation started worsening around beginning of March. Things were getting worse in Europe. I was really concerned about my son who is studying in Munich. After Holi, with my heart in Munich I started preparing for this collaboration. I had planned to bake the dish after lunch. In the morning as I was going through news, I came across Angela Merkel's statement that 70% of Germany could be infected with the virus. The brave front that I had been putting up all these days just crumbled. I was a nervous wreck. There was nothing that I could do. Cannot call my son back as he is at that juncture in his course that he cannot take leave unless the University decides so. Secondly, the fear of catching the virus is even more in the flight. Spoke to him in the afternoon. He was so chilled out, completely in control. He told me he was aware of that news for two days but didn't share it with me as he didn't want me to be disturbed. At that moment I felt he is a grown up man now and has become my parent. After speaking to him , I felt much better and picked up my baking tools, to dish out this fabulous looking decadent cookie bars topped with couverture chocolate, homemade salted caramel and roasted chopped nuts. Before I share the recipe ,I want to say a silent prayer for all the kids who are studying abroad . May they stay safe.
I had opted for Cookie mix from Mills & Browns. Its ingredients read as follows: Raw Banana Flour, Millet Flour, Tapioca Flour,Rice Flour, Jowar flour, Whey Protein Isolate 80%, Xanthum gum, gluten free baking powder and Raw unrefined sugar. I have added some Oats powder to it and prepared cookie bars. These bars were then topped with couverture 55% dark chocolate and homemade salted caramel sauce. Sugar used for caramel sauce is also raw unrefined.
Ingredients Cookie Mix 100 gms Oats power 20 gms Butter 80 gms Topping Salted Caramel sauce 1/2 cup Chocochips 90 gms Mix of nuts 50 gms Salted Caramel Sauce Raw unrefined sugar 1/2 cup Honey 1/2 tsp Water 2 tbsp Heavy Cream 1/4 cup Butter 1 1/2 tbsp Salt 1/2 tsp
Method
For Salted Caramel
Take sugar, water and honey in a heavy bottom, deep pan.
Swirl, don't stir the sugar, till it dissolves completely and starts bubbling.
Keep a watch on it.
It should turn darkish brown.
Now remove from heat.
Add butter and cream.
Be careful as the mixture will boil furiously.
Return the pan to the gas , mix well and cook for a couple of minutes on low heat.
Add salt and keep it aside.
For the cookie bars.
Grease a 6" square tin.
Line it with parchment paper, with paper hanging on two sides.
Grease the parchment paper also
Let the butter come to room temperature.
Crush it with your fingers.
Add it to cookie mix and oats.
Use your fingers to mix it into the flour.
Press the flour evenly into the prepared tin.
Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
Keep an eye after 15 minutes as each oven is different.
It should turn light brown.
Take it out if the oven.
Sprinkle chocochips or finely chopped chocolate all over.
Keep the tin in the hot oven for a minute, so that chocolate softens slightly.
Now pour warm caramel sauce all over.
Sprinkle chopped nuts.
Press lightly with your fingers.
Let it cool completely.
Cover with a foil and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Carefully remove it from the baking tin with the help of the hanging parchment paper.
Using a serrated knife cut into 12 to 16 pieces.
Keep it in an airtight box in the fridge.