We couldn’t be more pleased for our Sweet Potato Chronicles friends, Ceri and Laura, who just published their first cookbook, How to Feed a Family. It’s a gorgeous book, filled with easy and delicious recipes your whole family will love. To celebrate its release, we’re featuring recipes from each section of the book. Next up: Snack!

In an effort to up my snack game, I concocted this recipe using the leftover ingredients from an ill-fated detox. (That would be the detox I quit after four days, by which stage everyone was becoming sick of how cranky I am without coffee.) Once the chopping is done, these bars are super-quick to make. Feel free to use what you’ve got in your pantry: raisins, walnuts, dried blueberries. ~Ceri Marsh

Kitchen sink granola bars

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Makes: 24 bars

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup  (125 ml) packed brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup  (125 ml) old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) oat flour (if you don’t have it, just throw 1/3 cup [80 ml] old-fashioned oats in the food processor for a few minutes)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) flax meal
• 1/2 cup  (125 ml) dried apricots, chopped quite fine
• 1/2 cup  (125 ml) dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) pecans, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) brown rice syrup (you could substitute corn syrup but I like the first option better)

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 11- x 7-inch (28 x 18 cm) cake pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift out the granola bars later.

Mix together the sugar, oats, oat flour, flax meal, apricots, cranberries and pecans. Make sure the fruits and nuts are evenly distributed.

In a large bowl, mix together the vegetable oil and both syrups.

Pour the dry ingredients on top of the wet and stir to combine thoroughly. Dump this granola mixture into the prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan at the end, you want the mixture to just begin to brown. Let the pan cool for about 10 minutes before lifting out the parchment. Rest the parchment on the counter and let mixture cool completely. Cut into 1 1/2- x 3-inch (4 x 7.5 cm) bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

For more amazing recipes from Sweet Potato Chronicles, visit our special Cityline.ca section. And of course head on over to their site for tons of amazing recipes and ideas!

Photo credit Maya Visnyei 

http://www.mayavisnyei.com/