River Cottage

Energy bars have never been so delicious as these peanut butter biscuits from River Cottage Every Day

Hugh: "These jam-packed near relatives of the flapjack are my antidote to the devil's work - those big-brand 'energy' bars that fester among the chocolate on every motorway service-station counter masquerading as a late breakfast."

Makes 16

• 125g unsalted butter
• 150g soft brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
• 125g no-sugar-added crunchy peanut butter
• 75g honey, plus a little more to finish
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 200g porridge oats (not jumbo)
• 150g dried fruit (such as raisins, sultanas and chopped apricots, prunes or dates) OR 150g mixed dried fruit and seeds (such as pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, linseed and sesame)

How to make honey and peanut butter booster bars

1. Grease and line a baking tin, about 20cm square. Put the butter, sugar, peanut butter, honey and grated citrus zests in a deep saucepan over a very low heat. Leave until melted, stirring from time to time.

2. Stir the oats, dried fruit and three-quarters of the seeds into the melted butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture out evenly in the baking tin, smoothing the top as you go.

3. Scatter the remaining seeds over the surface and trickle with a little more honey. Place in an oven preheated to 160°C/Gas Mark 3 and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden in the centre and golden brown at the edges.

4. Leave to cool completely in the tin (be patient - it cuts much better when cold), then turn out and cut into squares with a sharp knife. These bars will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight tin.

Variation: Banana booster bars: Replace the peanut butter with 1 medium ripe banana (about 175g), mashed. Stir it in after all the other ingredients have been combined.