Snack Time

Before our hiking trip, I decided to try my hand at yet another recipe from the Green Market Baking Book
(my pie crust recipe came from this book, as well). I’ve been wanting to make my own granola bars for a long time and thought that a hiking trip would be a perfect time to have them! The fruits you use in this recipe are very flexible; the original recipe called for raisins, which I don’t particularly like, but I think you could use any mildly sweet dried fruit.

Granola Bars

adapted from the Green Market Baking Book

makes 8 large or 12 small bars

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup white grape juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup sprouted grain cereal (I used Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Cereal, Original flavor)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used a mixture of walnuts, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus additional for sprinkling
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/3 cup honey

In a small bowl, mix together the golden raisins, dates, juice, and vanilla. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow the fruit to soften.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8x8in baking dish, or a larger dish if you want thinner, crispier bars. In a large, cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cereal and nuts, sauteeing for about 5 minutes.

Add the cinnamon and salt and cook for an additional minute. The cereal and nuts should be lightly browned and smelling delicious at this point. Pour these ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs and honey and add to the fruit mixture. Stir together and then pour into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix these together until the fruit and nuts are somewhat evenly distributed.

Spread the ingredients in the prepared baking dish, pressing down to pack it in tightly. Bake for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool and cut to the size you want. Wrap the individual bars in parchment paper so they will be easy to grab and go. These can be stored in a plastic container for up to a week.

These bars make a great hiking snack and are also perfect for a breakfast on the go!

~C