Thursday, January 13, 2011

Convenience Foods: Granola Bars

This is one of the simplest, still tasty granola bar recipes. Ultimately you need 5-5.5 cups worth of ingredients with about 40-50% of the ingredients as rice krispies.

Ingredients (basic recipe):
2-3 cups rice Krispies (more Krispies means a less dense bar)
1 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup raisons or peanuts or other nuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey or corn syrap
1/2 cup peanut (or other nut) butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)


Method:
1. line or grease a 11 x 7 inch pan (I like to use silicone baking sheets)
2. mix krispies, oats, raisons/nuts, and chocolate chips in a big bowl
3. heat syrap/honey & sugar in a sauce pan until just boiling
4. remove pot from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla till mixed
5. pour over dry ingredients and mix quickly.
6. as soon as mixed scrape into the pan and flatten (I use a piece of waxed paper on the bottom of an equal sized pan to help get an even surface)
7. let cool then cut into bars (makes about 16)


 *I like to add a mixture of nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts), ground nuts (peacan meal), and ground flax seed, along with a mixture of oat, rye, and spelt flakes for a protein rich, healthier bar.

Chocolate coating:
I like to add a coating of vanilla or nut flavoured chocolate

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla chips
oil
1 tsp nut butter (optional)

Method:
1. put chips in a bowl
2. boil water in a pot that the bowl can sit on top of.
3. put bowl on top of the pot with boiling water and stir until the chips melt
4. add a few drops of oil and mix (repeat until you have the consistency you want)
5. dip the tops of bars in the chocolate/spread the chocolate on top.
6. let cool (white chocolate does better cooled in a freezer for a few minutes).

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