Pinole Energy Bars

Pinole is a traditional Mexican flour made from roasted ground corn, which is often sold combined with things like chia seeds, cinnamon and cocoa. It's easy enough to source online in Europe. Pinole can be mixed with water or milk for porridge, added to smoothies or - in this case - used in baking. It's a nutritious complex carb, so great for running fuel. These need an oven and a food processor, but will last 4-5 days in an airtight container so can be baked ahead of a short trip. This is adapted from a recipe found in the book Born To Run 2, which in turn borrowed it from trail runner called Andrew Olson.

Ingredients: 2tsp chia seeds, 300g pinole, 100g dates, 2-3 tbsp honey/maple syrup, 150ml water

Method: Preheat over to 180°C. Process all the ingredients until they form a thick paste. Spread this paste out into a rectangular shape in a greaseproof-paper-lined small baking tray so the mixture is about 1-1.5cm thick, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from over and flip onto a wire rack to cool, then cut into 10-12 bars.

Notes: These are a good thing to eat if you're hungry before a run, and are also great the minute you return for immediate calories while you plan your next food. They're good spread with a little peanut butter, too.