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These granola bars are delicious, with just the right amount of chewiness and crunchiness, and they make a great gift! They call for brown rice syrup, which I didn't have.. I made mine with honey, which was delicious but they might not hold together as well as they would with the rice syrup. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. rolled oats (gluten free, if you prefer)
1 1/4 c. rice crisp cereal
1/4 c. pepita seeds (pumpkin seeds, shelled)
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
1/4 c. roasted almond butter or peanut butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a 9 inch square cake pan with two pieces of parchment paper (one going each way).
2. Spread the pecans in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 1012 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice crisp cereal, pepita seeds, cranberries, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the cooled toasted pecans.
4. In a small saucepan, stir together the brown rice syrup and almond butter until well combined. Cook over medium to high heat until the mixture softens and bubbles slightly, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
5. Pour the almond butter mixture over the oat mixture, using a spatula to scrape every last bit out of the pan. Stir well until all of the oats and cereal are coated in the wet mixture.
(The resulting mixture will be very thick and difficult to stir.)
6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it out into an even layer. Lightly wet your hands and press down on the mixture to even it out. Use a pastry roller to compact the mixture firmly and evenly. This helps the bars hold together better. Press down on the edges with your fingers to even out the mixture.
7. Place the pan in the freezer, uncovered, and chill for 10 minutes or until firm.
8. Lift the oat square out of the pan, using the parchment paper as handles, and place it on a cutting board. With a pizza roller (or a serrated knife), slice the square into 6 rows and then slice them in half to make 12 bars total.
9. Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap or foil and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
(From the Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon.)
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