Recipes & Inspirations

Puffed spelt bar with mandarin marmalade

A natural and mindful snack

Introduction to the recipe

Making your own energy bars at home allows you to carefully control the quality of ingredients, avoiding refined sugars and industrial preservatives. This recipe, by Chef Dalicandro, enhances the winter freshness of mandarin and the crispness of spelt, offering a balanced snack full of Mediterranean flavours. Drying is the secret to a perfect texture: not a simple cooking process, but a gentle removal of water that concentrates the flavours and ensures a long shelf life.

Which dehydrator should I use to make these bars?

To make these bars, all you need is a compact domestic food dehydrator such as Biosec Domus B5, featuring 5 trays, the Dryset Pro electronic system and horizontal airflow. The airflow circulates evenly across the various shelves, a feature that is particularly useful when drying moist, compact mixtures such as those made from spelt and jam.

If you want to make several bars at the same time or work with larger quantities, Biosec Domus B10 It features 10 baskets and has an approximate capacity of 4–6 kg, whilst retaining the same Dryset Pro system and programme and temperature settings.

For this recipe, it is also a good idea to line the baskets with DrySilk, the non-stick sheet compatible with Biosec, suitable for soft, damp or sticky substances that might stick directly to the basket.

Ingredients

• 70g puffed spelt
• 30g Cocoa Gruè
• 200g Tangerine jam
• 80g Chopped almonds

Procedure

1. Preparation and pre-drying of ingredients

To achieve a professional result, it is essential to manage the residual moisture of the dry ingredients. Place the puffed spelt and almonds on the Biosec racks, keeping them separate. Start the dryer overnight at 60°C. This preliminary step serves to remove the ambient moisture absorbed by the cereals and dried fruits, making them exceptionally crispy before they are even combined with the binder. If the mandarin marmalade has too large pieces of peel, whisk it lightly to obtain a silky consistency that will act as the perfect binder. Coarsely chop the almonds, depending on the desired texture.

2. Creation of the compound

In a large bowl, combine the pre-dried spelt, cocoa gruè, almonds and mandarin marmalade. Stir carefully so that the marmalade envelops each individual spelt grain. The distribution must be capillary: it is the jam that, as it dries, will create the solid structure of the bar.

3. Forming and placing in basket

Use suitable moulds, preferably micro-perforated to facilitate the passage of air, or spread the mixture on baskets lined with non-stick sheets Dry Silk. It is essential to compact the mass well to eliminate internal air pockets. Maintain a maximum thickness of 1.5 cm: this measure is ideal to allow the horizontal airflow to penetrate to the centre in optimal time.

4. Drying cycle

Place the baskets in the Biosec tunnel. If you want to preserve the organoleptic properties and enzymes of the fruit as much as possible, set programme T5 (60°C). If you need to speed up the process, you can use programme P4 (68°C). The estimated time is at least 18 hours. The bar is ready when it feels firm and non-sticky to the touch. If the core is still elastic, extend the drying time without fear: the Biosec system is designed to be safe and efficient even over long periods.

5. Cutting and preservation

Once extracted, allow the bars to cool before cutting by hand, if individual moulds have not been used. To keep the fragrance intact over time, store the product in airtight or vacuum-packed glass containers in a cool, dark place.

Advice for professionals and enthusiasts

If you would like to learn more about the scientific basis and creative variations on this topic, we invite you to read the’article integral by Chef Dalicandro: Bars: techniques and tips for preparing them with the dryer. You will find valuable tips on handling natural binders and customising cereal mixes.

Have you already tried drying your bars with Biosec? Share your results and your favourite flavour combinations with our community of natural preservation enthusiasts. Conscious cooking starts with respect for the raw material.

A tasty, nutritious and 100% homemade bar.

Recipe by Chef Dalicandro