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Posts Tagged ‘breakfast bars’

Homemade Granola Bars

Posted in About me, Parenting, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Hokmemade Granola Bars Dressed in my “Gram-glam,” which consists of fitted sweatpants with pockets, a soft t-shirt worn under a flannel shirt, and sheepskin boots, I grab a homemade granola bar in one hand while carrying my granddaughter in the other. Life is grab-and-go for me these days, but with a little planning I can still eat wholesome and tasty foods.

Homemade Granola Bars
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

INGREDIENTS
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

2. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

4. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

YIELD: 12 to 16 bars

LINNELL’S NOTES
1. Ingredients in this recipe can be easily substituted. For example, I substituted ground flax seed for the wheat germ and figs for the dates, because that is what I had on hand.

2. Despite packing the granola into the pan, these bars tend to fall apart. I recommend cutting them into smaller squares. Save any crumbs to sprinkle on yogurt.

3. I like how the edges are crunchy, so next time I will bake the whole pan a little bit longer.

4. I imagine if you didn’t press the granola into a pan and baked it as is, it would make a fabulous granola cereal.

Enjoy!

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Maple-Pecan Streusel Bars

Posted in About me, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Maple-Pecan Streusel Bars The aroma of maple, cinnamon, and toasted pecans fills my kitchen, while my breakfast bakes in the oven. What? Cookies for breakfast? You betcha! With a streusel topping, reminiscent of favorite coffee cakes, these buttery bars are the perfect bites of sweetness to accompany that first hot cup of coffee or tea in the morning. But, don’t stop there. Imagine biting into one of these crunchy and nutty treats while sipping that last calming hot drink of the day.

Maple-Pecan Streusel Bars
The Art of the Cookie by Shelly Kaldunski

INGREDIENTS
Bars:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1½ cups pecans, finely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for coating
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons maple extract

Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
4 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Bars:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the long sides.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and pecans.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the 1 cup butter, the brown sugar, and the confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beating on low speed, add the flour mixture and maple extract and continue to beat just until incorporated. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.

4. Transfer 3 cups of the dough to the prepared pan. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the dough evenly into the pan, lifting the parchment occasionally to make sure that it doesn’t stick. The dough should be firmly packed, without holes or cracks. Remove top paper. Cover evenly with the remaining dough, sprinkling it over the top and squeezing some of the dough to form large clumps.

5. Bake until lightly golden, 16-18 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Run a metal spatula around the edges of the pan. Drizzle with the glaze and let set for at least 10 minutes. Using a chef’s knife, cut into 18 bars.

6. Store the bars in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes 18 bars

Vanilla Glaze:
1. Sift the sugar into a bowl. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until completely smooth, about 1 minute.

2. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature or warm slightly before using.

Makes about 1/2 cup

LINNELL’S NOTES
1. I baked it almost 6 minutes longer, to get that light golden brown color.

2. For ease of serving and a prettier presentation, I cut the bars into 1½-inch-by-1½-inch squares and served them in shallow cupcake papers. I got about 30 bars this way.

Enjoy!

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