Everyone has her own favorite combination of GORP (“good old raisins and peanuts”).
And we all have tendencies toward sweet or salty munchies — or a combination.
I love salami, Ak-Mak crackers and extra-aged Gouda — all good keepers over several days.
I’ve seen a lot of pita bread on the trail, which makes perfect sense. It’s flat, yet soft, so it won’t crumble. And you can stuff all sorts of things into it, from peanut butter to tuna-in-a-pouch, for a mess-free nosh.
The following recipes are from my trail treats collection.
Bill’s great GORP
1box of Quaker Oats brand granola
M&Ms
Unsalted (or lightly salted) peanuts
Raisins
Mix the ingredients in a bowl and then store it in resealable plastic bags.
Keeps for weeks and weeks.
This is somewhat free-wheeling. So go ahead and play around with the combinations of nuts and dried fruits to suit your own taste.
Not your classic Rice Krispies treats
4cups granola (see note below)
112-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2cups chopped dry-roasted peanuts
5tablespoons butter
11 pound bag miniature marshmallows
Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, then line it with over-sized sheets of waxed paper (buttering the pan first helps anchor the paper in place when you add the batter). Let the waxed paper drape over the sides of the pan by at least 5 inches all around; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the granola with the chocolate chips and peanuts.
In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the butter with the marshmallows. Heat over medium heat, stirring as the butter melts and the marshmallows soften. Continue stirring until the mixture is combined and completely soft and creamy.
Remove from heat and stir into the granola mixture. Once the melted marshmallow mixture is thoroughly combined with the granola mixture, scrape and press it into the pan. Fold the excess paper over the top, which makes it easy to press and compact the mixture so it fills the pan. Let the mixture cool, then top with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until well-chilled and firm. May be stored in refrigerator or at room temperature. Cut into desired-sized bars and store in plastic bags.
Note on granola: I start with a basic granola with almonds and honey. But suit your own tastes.
Makes 39 bars.
Fruit and nut bars
1/3cup all-purpose flour
1/8teaspoon baking soda
1/8teaspoon baking powder
1/4teaspoon salt
1/3cup light brown sugar
1 1/2cups toasted nuts, coarsely chopped (I use a mixture of hazelnuts, almonds and pecans)
1/2cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit, such as cranberries, blueberries or chopped apples)
1 1/2cups dates, pitted and quartered
1cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1large egg
1/2teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan by lining the bottom and sides with heavy duty aluminum foil, then butter and flour the inside bottom of the pan; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Stir in the nuts and dried fruit and stir and toss the ingredients well to thoroughly coat the fruit and nuts with the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla until light in color. Stir the egg mixture into the fruit and nut mixture and mix until the batter is evenly moistened. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, pressing into all the corners and evening it out on top.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. After it has cooled, gently lift the contents from the pan using the foil sides. Cut into desired size pieces.
Makes 16 squares.
Adapted from JoyofBaking.com
These are a quick and simple spin-off from the classic Rice Krispies treats.
Instead of cereal, I used granola, which gives this bar a lasting quality that is both chewy from the granola and crunchy from the nuts.
The texture of this bar ranges from slightly crunchy to very crunchy depending on how long you cook them.
Crunchy granola bars
4cups granola (see note below)
1/2cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2cup diced dried apricots
1/2cup dried cherries (or other small dried fruit, such as cranberries, blueberries or raspberries)
1/2cup shredded coconut
1teaspoon cinnamon
3tablespoons butter
1/4cup light brown sugar
2/3cup honey
1teaspoon vanilla
Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the granola with the sunflower seeds, apricots, cherries, and cinnamon; set aside.
In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the butter with the brown sugar and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and gently simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the burner and pour it over the granola mixture, stirring to thoroughly combine the granola mixture with the syrup. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, then lightly press it into the pan using your fingers that have been moistened with tap water so they won’t stick to the granola mixture.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until light golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. This will produce a granola bar that is crisp-yet-chewy. For a crisper bar, simply bake the bars a few more minutes.
Remove from oven and let the pan cool for about 30 minutes before cutting. The granola bars will be soft while warm, but will crisp up as they cool. Be sure to cut while still warm to avoid crumbling the bars. After cutting into desired pieces, let cool completely before removing from pan.
Note on granola: You can buy granola in the bulk food section of most grocery stores. For this recipe, choose one that contains nuts.
Makes 39 bars.
Contact Jan Roberts-Dominguez at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.
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