The kids are back in school, which can bestow a sense of routine in a household — except when it doesn’t, as when school activities kick into high gear.
Healthy snacks become a lifeline, whether for an out-the-door breakfast, tucked into a lunch bag or to appease an appetite until dinner.
Granola bars began appearing on grocery shelves in the mid-1970s, often as thin slabs of oats, honey and earnestness. What began as hippie fodder gradually morphed into bourgeois decadence, with bars including chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, corn syrup and marshmallows.
There still are good bars out there, but why not make your own? It’s easy, thriftier and the bars can be customized for everyone in the house. (Individually wrapped in foil, granola bars last a week.)
Customization comes to the fore in the choice of dried fruit. You can use any combo that adds up to 11/2 cups. Our base recipe, from Ina Garten, calls for dried apricots, dates and dried cranberries. But we played with pineapple and papaya, raisins and mango.
Granola bars
2cups old-fashioned (not quick-cooking) oats
1cup sliced almonds
1cup shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
1/2cup toasted wheat germ
1/2cup chopped pitted dates
1/2cup chopped dried apricots
1/2cup dried cranberries
1tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2cup honey or other sweetener, such as brown rice syrup
1/4cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4teaspoon salt
1teaspoon instant coffee powder or espresso powder, optional
11/2teaspoons vanilla
Note: Use any combination of dried fruits you desire, totaling 1½ cups.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch (or 9-by-9-inch) pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, cutting paper to fit so it extends beyond the pan a few inches on two sides. (Two sides of the pan will remain unlined.) Spray surface with cooking spray (or coat with a thin layer of butter).
Toss the oatmeal, almonds, coconut and wheat germ on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in dried fruit.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, salt and, if using, the coffee powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Pour over the oats and fruit mixture and stir together slowly and thoroughly, taking time to make sure all surfaces are coated.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and press evenly and firmly (mixture will be quite warm).
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from oven and, using a spatula, press down firmly across the surface of the bars. Let cool completely, at least 2 to 3 hours. Using the paper overhang, lift the bars from the pan and, with a sharp heavy knife, cut in half, then each half again into 6 long bars.
Wrap individually in foil. Granola bars will keep at room temperature for a week.
Makes 12 servings.
Adapted from “Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics,” by Ina Garten.
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