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| Caramel Bar |
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Tsampa, long known as the Power Bar of the Himalayas, is a mixture of roasted barley and rancid yak butter. Sherpas, nomads and, wanderers alike carry a small pouch containing these two ingredients, which they squeeze into bite-size balls, and pop into their mouths throughout the day. Judging by their legendary trekking prowess, this combo works. With rancid yak butter chronically unavailable in North America and given the generally unappealing sound of most things rancid, this recipe takes the liberty of changing the formula to better suit our tastes and simply called it the Caramel Bar. Substituting more common, yet similar ingredients, a high calorie North American rendition of the classic Tsampa Ball is created. This is a base containing similar Tsampa ingredients, with a few more yummy things thrown in to make the bar more palatable for North Americans, in addition to giving you the kick you need to get up the hill and stay warm on a winter night. Base: 1 1/2 cups barley flakes - chopped in food processor till they resemble quick oats"(use quick oats if you can't find barley flakes) 1 cup flour 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup soft butter Mix and press into greased 8"x 8" pan. Sprinkle 1 cup of coarsely chopped pecans on top of base Caramel Sauce: Combine in saucepan: 3/4 cup butter 3/4 cup brown sugar Bring to a boil, stir constantly for 1 minute. Pour caramel sauce over base and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until caramel sauce is bubbling all over the base. Sprinkle one cup of chocolate chips over bars when done. Return to oven for 5 minutes to melt chips. Cool and cut. Back |