Aunty Val's Crunchies (with a twist)
A true South African tea time favourite - These Crunchies are packed with wholesome oats, coconut and a delicious mix of seeds, giving every bite the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch. Baked until beautifully crisp and golden, they are wonderfully moreish and perfect for dunking into a cup of tea.
PREP: 30 MINS
COOK: 30Â MINS
YIELD: 24 bars
Ingredients
 The Crunchies Â
500 g Salted ButterÂ
2 cups Sugar Â
 1/2 cup Golden Syrup Â
2 tsp Almond or Vanilla Essence Â
2 tsp Bicarb Â
4 cups All Purpose FlourÂ
4 cups Oats Â
2 cups Desiccated Coconut Â
1/2 cup Sesame Seeds Â
1/2 cup Sunflower SeedsÂ
1 cup Mixed Nuts (Roughly Chopped)Â Â
Preparation Steps
01
Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm baking pan with baking paper. Set aside.
1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds Â
1 cup Mixed Nuts (Roughly Chopped)
1 tsp Salt
To a large pot, add your butter, sugar, and golden syrup. On medium heat, stirring constantly, melt ingredients making sure all the sugar has dissolved - about 10 minutes. Do not stop stirring, then bring to a boil for 2 min.  Â
02
Take off the heat and add your bicarb and vanilla essence. Give it a quick stir until combined. The mixture is going to rise and bubble so make sure your pot is high enough for it not to spill over. Set aside.
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04
To a large bowl, add your flour, oats, coconut, seeds, nuts and a teaspoon of salt. Give it a mix until combined and evenly spread. Pour your wet mixture into your dry ingredients and mix quickly until well combined and evenly coated. Work quickly to press your crunchie mixture into your baking pan and spread evenly.
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Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C. Remove your crunchies from the oven and while still in the pan, cut them into squares using a knife. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes at 160°C. Remove from the oven. If you would like an extra crispy crunchie, carefully separate the squares and place them on a baking tray. Leave them in the hot switched off oven for another 30 minutes to dry out and crisp up beautifully.
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