homemade granola bars.

Soy lethicin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate, hydrogenated modified palm oil, sorbitol...BHT. Just a few of the ingredients in the Quaker granola bar I was eating just the other day. While my general opinion is "if you can't read it...you probably shouldn't eat it", it's almost impossible to avoid some of the additives and preservatives they put in food products these days. While it's very important to be aware of what you're eating and putting into your body, I believe it's all in moderation. There's no sense in worrying about the miniscule amounts of sorbitol in your granola bar...I'm pretty sure no one ever died from eating a Peanut Butter Dipps bar.

My moto...do what you can. Avoiding pre-packaged foods as much as possible is a good place to start. When you make things from scratch, you can control what goes into the food you're eating. Case in point...these delicious homemade granola bars! Quick, easy and...legible! This recipe is really just a mere suggestion. There's so many things you can do with this recipe...so many variations and flavours. Mixing in cocconut, pistashios, raisins, maple syrup...trying out different cereals...adding in butterscotch chips...peanut butter...anything goes! (within reason off course).


Homemade Granola Bars

- (1/2) cup of whole nuts - almonds, peanuts, walnuts, etc.
- (1/2) cups of chocolate chips or dried fruit, coarsely chopped (cranberries, cherries...)
- (1) cup of oatmeal of high fibre cereal (like Kashi GoLean)
- (1) cup of puffed rice cereal
- (1) tbsp butter
- (1/4) cup of brown sugar
- (1/3) cup of honey
- (1) tbsp vanilla extract
- (2) tbsp of wheat bran (optional)
- (1) pinch of salt


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8x8-inch pan with oil, butter or non-stick cooking spray.

Arrange the nuts on a sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes or until fragrant. Allow them to cool and then give them a rough chop.

Combine the chopped nuts, chocolate or fruit, and cereals in a heat-proof bowl. Use your fingers to separate the fruit if it clumps together. Note that adding the chocolate chips at this point will cause them to melt completely and give your bars an overall chocolatey consistency. If you'd prefer to have the chips mantain their structure, you can try to add them right before baking, after the sugar mixture has been added and had a chance to slightly cool. They may still melt slightly throughout the bars.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Combine butter, brown sugar, and honey in a medium sauce pan and stir to moisten the brown sugar. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil, swirling the pan once or twice to make sure all the ingredients combine.

As soon as the sugar mixture comes to a full boil and the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat. This should take about 5 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in the vanilla, wheat bran (if you're adding it), and salt. Be careful because the sugar will bubble up. Immediately pour sugar syrup over the cereal mixture and use a heat-proof spatula to stir everything together. Make sure the nuts, chocolate or fruits, and cereals are evenly coated. Pour the cereal mixture into the pan and use the spatula or wet fingers to press the mixture into the pan as firmly as possible.

Bake 20 minutes for chewier bars or up to 30 minutes for crispier bars. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Cut into approximately 8 to 10 bars, depending on the size your prefer, with a sharp knife.

 
I wrapped up all the bars individually in plastic wrap so they're good to go for a quick snack. The bars will keep for several weeks in an airtight container, or you can also freeze them and take them out as you need them.

Enjoy!

Lindsay

magic bars.

 

Wow. I honestly don't know where my head is these days. I have been attempting to bake over the last few weeks in an effort to give some homemade treats to some special people in my life. I know...it's very Italian of me :). Right now, those special people include our two doormen here at Chateauneuf...Tony and Larry. While I previously thought there job was semi-ridiculous, I have really come to appreciate these two over the past year living in our apartment. Besides their obvious role of keeping us all safe from random stragglers, they sign for me when a package comes and I'm not home, they seem to have a sixth sense and grab the door when I'm balancing 8 bags of groceries, and as of late, Larry's been hooking me up with a free copy of the National Post.

But about my head. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I like to cook...not always bake. With cooking, if I've forgotten an ingredient or two...no big deal, I'll substitute. With baking, substituting doesn't fly. It's so meticulous, and one slip up and all of a sudden you've got pancakes instead of Yorkshire Pudding. I know...not really baking, but case in point. 

So my first slip up was buying baking soda instead of corn starch when attempting to make shortbread cookies. I guess it serves me right for trying to cheap out and buy no name brand...all the boxes look the same! On my next trip to the grocery store, I decided while I was there that I wanted to make Magic Bars. Apparently I didn't know the recipe too well, because I got home and realized I needed graham crumbs. Failed attempt number one. A few days later I picked up my graham crumbs, so ready, set, go. Or so I thought until I realized that evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are not the same thing. Failed attempt number two. This time I was halfway through the recipe, so there was no turning back. The friendly Korean lady at our local "dépanneur" and I are quickly becoming close friends. While grabbing the condensed milk, I saw some packages of chopped nuts, an ingredient I had also forgot, but previously come to terms with. I arrived home with my walnuts and milk in hand...finally ready to conquer this recipe. I bring up the recipe on my laptop and...shit...it calls for pecans and not walnuts...walnuts it is!

Magic Bars

- (3/4) cup of butter, melted

- (2 1/4) cups of graham crumbs

- (1) 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

- (1 1/2) cups of semisweet chocolate chips

- (1 1/2) cups of sweetened coconut

- (1) cup of chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 13x9 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Combine graham crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts.

 Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire mixture.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and cut into bars or diamonds. I found the bottom layer to be a tad crumbly (although I'll admit I couldn't wait until they were completely cooled), but after putting the tray in the fridge for a while, they cut up perfectly. Store covered at room temperature or in the fridge and feel free to freeze.