Recipe Detail Page

1. For the chocolate ganache, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Place cream in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Pour hot cream over chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk gently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and glossy. Cover with plastic wrap. Let cool for 2 to 3 hours until stiff but still pliable. Once cool, place ganache in a bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip ganache until doubled in size and lighter in colour. Place back in a bowl until ready to use.

2. For the granola bars preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter two 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, overhanging edges on 2 sides.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together rolled oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt.

4. In a medium pot, combine honey, coconut oil and brown sugar. Bring mixture just to a boil, whisking to combine. Remove from heat. Stir hot honey mixture into oat mixture in bowl. Mix until no dry spots remain. Evenly divide the mixture between prepared pans. Spread into an even layer and press mixture firmly into the base of pans (the bottom of a measuring cup or silicone spatula works well here). Sprinkle with flaked salt.

5. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Transfer granola to a cutting board.

6. Using a serrated knife, cut each piece of granola in half widthwise. Reserve 2 halves for roof pieces. Using a serrated knife, cut front and back pieces of the house, using template. Reserve leftover small triangle pieces from the front and back of the house.

7. Decorate the front panel of the house. Attach pretzel windows and wafer doors to the flat side of the front panel with chocolate ganache. Cut pretzel rods to fit around the door and windows. Use chocolate ganache to attach. A serrated knife helps make clean cuts on pretzel rods. Place in fridge to set, 15 minutes. Decorate the back panel as well, if desired.

8. To assemble, place half of the chocolate ganache in a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (1 cm) round piping tip. Refill piping bag with ganache as needed.

9. To build the house, place the back wall panel flat on a cutting board. Take 1 small triangle piece of granola and pipe a thick line of ganache along the longest perpendicular edge. Attach triangle so it is flush with the bottom left-hand side of the base of the back of the house. Repeat this step with other triangle, placing it flush with the bottom right-hand side. Repeat this process with the front panel of the house, affixing triangles to the undecorated side of the panel. Place pieces in the fridge to set, 15 minutes.

10. For side walls, stand front and back pieces of house upright on a serving board. Build side walls using pretzel rods. Place front and back pieces close enough together so pretzel rods will connect both sides of the house and create a sidewall on either side, using chocolate ganache to attach.

11. To assemble the roof, pipe ganache along angles of both peaked wall panels. Attach 1 roof panel so it meets the peaked wall and pretzel rod sidewall. Repeat with other roof panel. Adjust so each side is even. Pipe ganache at peak of the roof where both roof panels meet. Place in fridge to fully set ganache, about 15 minutes.

12. To assemble the chimney, attach 2 vanilla wafers together using chocolate ganache. Let set in the fridge, 10 minutes. Cut bottom on an angle that fits roof. Coat sides in chocolate ganache. Attach chocolate pebbles. Let set in the fridge, 10 minutes. Attach chimney using chocolate ganache and let set in the fridge, 15 minutes.

13. To finish the house, add additional details using dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and sweet and salty snacks on the front, top and sides of the house, using chocolate ganache to attach. When ready to serve, scatter sweet and salty popcorn and chocolate pebbles or other snacks around the house. Serve on the same day as construction.