DIY Fruity Granola Bars

Yahoo Food
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Fruity Granola Bars
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 35 minutes
Makes 12 bars

These satisfying bars are packed with good things to keep you going until lunchtime, and the butter and sugar have been kept to a minimum with no loss of texture or flavor.

The recipe can be easily changed to include your favorite dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. Quick-cooking rolled oats are the best choice for these bars because they stick together nicely.

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, plus extra for greasing
1/2 packed cup light brown sugar
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soft dried apricots
2 tbsp fruit juice (apple works well), or use water
1 cup mixed dried berries and cherries (or use raisins or other dried fruit)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Mix the oats, coconut, seeds, and nuts on a large baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring half way through, until they smell toasty and are pale golden here and there. Meanwhile, grease a 9-inch square baking pan, then line it with parchment paper. Put the butter, sugar, salt, and honey in a large saucepan and melt them gently together to make a syrup. Chop the dried apricots, or snip them with scissors.

Pour the toasted oats, seeds, and nuts into the pan, then add the fruit juice or water and the dried fruit. Stir well with a spatula until everything is evenly coated in the syrup. Press the granola into the baking pan and smooth it flat with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden all over, then let cool completely in the pan. Lift the baked slab of granola from the pan using the paper to help, then cut into bars using a large sharp knife. Re-wrap in clean parchment paper and keep in the pan or an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Excerpted from What to Bake & How to Bake It by Jane Hornby (Phaidon, 2014). 

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