Charles and Sarah tend to run out the door before they can get something to eat for breakfast. They don't mind granola and granola bars, so I had been buying them. The cost of those little granola bars was beginning to mount, especially when to feel satified you have to eat 2 or 3 of them. So I began to look for some granola bars to make at home. I came across a few of them, some you bake; some you don't and I began to experiment. They all have oats and peanut butter which is fine. Some other ones had different kinds of cereal and nuts and such. Here's what I have come up with, combining a few recipes together.
Granola Bars
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted ( butter works best)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup sunflower kernels
3 Tbsp. toasted wheat germ
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
The following ingredients are optional:
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in the flour, oats, rice cereal, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and sesame seeds. Fold in any or all of the optional ingredients.
Press into a 9x13 pan that has been oiled or sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes. Check at 15 and don't over bake. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars while still kind of warm. When cooled, remove from pan and store in a tin or plastic container.
(Originally, there was no flour in the recipe but I was watching the create channel and one of the chefs put flour in her cereal bars. It helps to keep the bars together-acts as a binder.)
I took some to the hospital when Bridget was born last week for Tim and Mel to munch on. I think Mel ate most of them, so I was making some more the other night when they were here, and forgot the rice cereal. I told Tim that I had. He said "What other stuff do you hide in the granola bars?" Therefore, the hidden stuff.
MMMM... Granola Bars.... I would make them but then I wouldn't be coming to your house to eat them. Wouldn't want that, would we?
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