[Mussakka]

Thanks to Ellie at the Kitchen Wench foodblog for this recipe. I've made some edits for the American kitchen. They're quick to throw together on Sunday afternoon and have for snacks at work during the week.

Pick-me-up Granola bars

Original recipe was metric. Conversions are my own. Makes approximately 30 small bars.

3 cups (320g) rolled oats
1/3 cup plain flour
1/2 cup (100mL) canola/vegetable oil
3/4 cup (200g) mild honey (or try half honey, half light corn syrup a less noticeable honey taste, or just all corn syrup if honey's too expensive)
1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed brown sugar
2-3 tbsp smooth peanut butter (if you’re allergic to peanuts, this can be replaced with any other nut butter, or even just omitted) I omit it.
1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened dried coconut
1-1/2 cups (150-200g) of assorted nuts and seeds (see below for suggestions)
1-1/2 cups (150-200g) assorted dried fruit (see below for suggestions)

** If you prefer a crunchy rather than a chewy muesli bar, toast the rolled oats and nuts beforehand. Nuts are best placed in an oven preheated to about 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes (jiggle the pan every few minutes so they don’t burn) and oats can be coated with a little cooking spray, tossed to ensure even coverage, and placed into a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes, or till lightly golden and fragrant.

1. Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C), line an 9x13 in (35×25cm) pan with parchment paper. I strongly encourage you not to skip using the paper.

2. Roughly chop the nuts and larger pieces of dried fruit into smaller pieces (about the same size as a sultana/golden raisin). Then place the chopped nuts into a bowl with the oats, seeds, coconut and flour and stir together with a wooden spoon till well combined.

3. Heat the honey in the microwave or on your stove top (in a pan, of course!!) till it is liquid, then add the sugar, peanut butter (if using) and oil. Whisk together till everything has melted.

4. Pour together the wet and dry mixture and stir together till evenly combined, then place into your lined pan. Distribute it evenly, then use the bottom of a metal measuring cup dipped in cold water or your hands (also wet from cold water) to pack the mixture down flat, making sure to get it into the corners.

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes if you prefer a softer, chewier bar, and up to 40-50 minutes if you prefer a crunchier one. About halfway through the baking process, use the measuring cup or a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to squish down/compact the baking mixture (not sure if it actually helps, but I did it anyway)

6. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool, then carefully remove from the pan to your chopping board and cut the bars apart (the mixture will fall apart if you remove it from the pan while hot!).

7. These can be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 weeks - and taste FAR superior to supermarket varieties! Just make sure you layer nonstick baking paper between the layers as they do have a tendency to stick. Note that because of the hydrophilic nature of the sugars in the mix, these will soften up as they sit, so don't despair if your initial batch seems crunchier than you fancy.

Since we use these for snacks, we wrap the bars individually or in twos, using either plastic wrap or wax paper. I want to get some of those small wax paper bags (like you often get egg rolls in) to use instead, but I haven't gotten them yet.

Use your imagination for flavor combinations. Here are some we've done and really liked:

Almond-Dried Cranberry
Date-Raisin-Walnut
Dried Cherry-Chocolate-Pecan
Dried Papaya-Mango-Pineapple
Pumpkin-Flax-Sunflower Seed
Dried Blueberry-Golden berry-Almond
Dried Banana-Peanut Butter (verrrry good)
Maple-Pecan-Dried Cranberry (just use 1/3 maple syrup to 2/3 honey or corn syrup)

I generally always add flax seed and pepitas, since they're both good for you and inexpensive. If you use dates, then I'd advise reducing or omitting the brown sugar in the recipe, since they're so sweet.