SRC: Granola Bars

I am a huge fan of granola; it’s so easy to make and a great snack.  It’s one of those things that travels well and can be tossed in a baggie, put in your purse and pulled out the moment hunger strikes.  It’s easily customizable, and there are so many different options for add-ins.  I’ve made granola a couple times now, and I honestly can’t get enough of it!  Since I’ve had success with granola, I’ve been itching to make homemade granola bars but I just haven’t found the time to get around to it…until now.

For this month’s secret recipe club I was given Sally’s blog, Bewitching Kitchen.  Sally is a biochemist who is originally from Brazil.  She has traveled to and lived in Paris and California, but now calls Manhattan home.  She is a biochemist by day and cook and baker by night.  She is married and has 3 fur babies, all terriers, so she definitely has a full plate!  I enjoyed reading through her blog, getting “to know” her a little better and looking at all the wonderful recipes she’s made.  Bewitching Kitchen is home to many delicious recipes, some with Brazilian influence and some without but all delicious.  From looking at her recipe index it seems to me that her specialty and love is bread.  Sally has a plethora of bread recipes, and they all sound  mouthwateringly amazing.

After scouring through all of her recipes I went back and forth between some of her many bread recipes, flourless chocolate cake, triple chocolate brownies, and these granola bars.  What a wide array of options, right?  HA!  After much debating, I finally decided on the granola bars since I had been wanting to make some for quite a while.  I’m so happy with my final choice, they were delicious and turned out exactly how I imagined.

The process of making homemade granola bars is incredibly simple.  Like homemade granola, it is so easy to customize to suite you taste.  Simply toast the oats, along with any nuts, and grains.  Toss in a binding mixture, pat out and bake.  It really is as simple as that.  I know these probably aren’t the healthiest of granola bars, but I wanted something with chocolate so I drizzled them with both white and dark chocolate.  These were slightly crisp around the edges, with the centers being perfectly chewy.  They were sweet, tart with a caramel undertone.  They were a hit with my husband, 3 year old son and everyone else that’s tried them.  They will leave you wanting more, I promise!

Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 Cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 Cup sliced almonds
1/4 Cup chopped pecans
1/2 Cup flax seeds
1 Cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 Cup brown sugar
2/3 Cup honey
1/4 Tsp cinnamon
1 Cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 Tbsp dark chocolate
1 1/2 Tbsp white chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a 8×12 pan with parchment paper, spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine oats, almonds, pecans, flax seeds, and coconut and stir to combine.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet.  Place in preheated oven and toast for 10 minutes, tossing periodically to prevent burning.  Remove from oven and transfer back to bowl.  Reduce oven temperature to 300.

Meanwhile, combine butter, brown sugar, honey and cinnamon in a medium sauce pan and place over low-medium heat.  Once ingredients are melted, bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 1 minute. 

Carefully pour the brown sugar mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine.  Add the dried cranberries and stir once more.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  Using a sturdy spatula, spread the mixture evenly in the pan then press firmly to pack the mixture together.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, about 2-3 hours. 

Melt the dark and white chocolate, in separate bowls, and drizzle over the bars.  Allow chocolate to set, then cut the bars.  Store in an airtight container.

Recipe source: adapted from Ina Garten, via Bewitching Kitchen and Life and Kitchen