Granola Bars

Being a California girl living in New England I’ve become accustomed to the dueling nature of my social media feed during February and March. While west coasters are posting pictures of beach trips and picnics in short sleeve shirts I’m staring out my window watching people jog through our snow covered streets fully decked out with hats, masks, and gloves, not an inch of skin to be seen. It can sometimes feel like the rest of the world has moved on from winter while we’re stuck with several more weeks of bone chilling cold.

I do love winter but when it tends to drag on, it is easy to get discouraged. You can’t let the first 40 degree day trick you into thinking that warmer weather is on the way and spring is just around the corner. Because it is not. Those random “warm” days are there to ensnare the weak and fool you into underdressing. I need to guard my heart from the longing for spring and envy of walks that didn’t require 30 minutes of bundling before you can get out the door. So my way of making it through the winter is bake like we’re still in thanksgiving and Christmas mode. Why should November and December get all the good treats? Snacks are an excellent way to brighten even the most cloudy of weeks.

My snack of choice lately has been the humble granola bar. They satisfy my sweet tooth and silence that nagging voice in my head telling me to go see if there is anything else interesting to find in the kitchen.

These granola bars are so great! They are slightly chewy and perfectly crispy on the edges, loaded with nuts and seeds and topped with chocolate. the step of grinding a portion of the oats is key as it acts as a binder that holds the bars together. You can throw in what ever nuts or seeds you have on hand or mix in some dried fruit. Next time I make these I’m going to nix the coconut and add dried cherries.

Yield: 16

Author: Laura Gable

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Granola Bars

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 brown sugar
• 1/3 cup neutral flavored oil
• 3/4 teaspoon flake sea salt
• 2 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 pecans, chopped
• 1/2 raw pepitas
• 1/2 raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 ounces dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Place the oven rack in the middle and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Prep the pan by lining a 9x13 baking dish with two pieces of foil laying  perpendicular to each other with the extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan then grease the foil
2. Whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, and salt. In a spice grinder or food processor, grind 1/2 cup of the oats so that it is finely ground then place it in the bow with the wet ingredients along with the rest of the oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut. Stir together till evenly coated. 
3. Transfer the oat mixture to the pan and press  into the pan with a greased spatula and bake for 40-45, until golden on the edges. 
4. Let the bars cool for 10 minutes then cut them, still in the pan, into 16 bars. Sprinkle the chocolate over bars, the warm bars will melt the chocolate then you can spread it out with a spatula. Let the bars cool for another hour then lift them out of the pan with the foil sling and recut them along the same cuts. They will keep for a week in an airtight container on the counter or you can place them in the freezer for up to three weeks. 

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