deb's granola bars

Oh, my.

Have I told you how much I love Deb from Smitten Kitchen?  She is my inspiration, both in photography and in the culinary world.  She was (mostly) the inspiration for this blog. 

And she has some amazing granola bars.

Not my energy bars....sweeter and much more like what you'd get at the grocery store.
But, please, don't let deter you. 
I always love to find those recipes that duplicate what you taste out in the "real world" (i.e. not your kitchen) but are way healthier, easier, and cheaper.
These are exactly that.

Thanks, Deb :)

Deb's Granola Bars
Definitely adapted from Deb, but with my own touches

Makes about 12ish.

1 2/3 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts, any combo (I use pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, cranberries, and cherries)
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350*.
Line an 8 x 8" pan with parchment paper or foil. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a cooking spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, maple and corn syrups, and water.

Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly.

Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. If you need help, get your hands a little wet and press down with your fingers.

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges and golden and bubbly on top.  They will still be mushy in the middle.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack.
Once cool, a serrated knife to cut into bars. This works really well when they have been cooling for about an hour, but are still warm.

Enjoy!!

Alternatives: Dried apricots, cashews, sunflower seeds, coconut, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried apples or even chocolate chips.