Chocolate Chip Cereal Bars

I posted an earlier version of these bars here a few months ago that were very good but totally different in texture and taste. The basic recipe is the same, using oats, nuts and a natural sweetener but obviously there are a multitude of options when it comes to just those things. The former version was halfway between a crunchy and chewy bar like a rice crispy treat. These were much softer like a true cereal bar and my kids now prefer them over the others. Wrapped individually and kept in the refrigerator, they are such a winner when it comes to quick and delicious. My fourth grader took one in his lunch everyday until they were gone!

 Toasting the oats and the nuts brings out a delicious, buttery flavor that is a must when making these.

I used whatever random cereals I had on hand, plus finely shredded coconut, oat flour and flax | chia powder. This stuff acts like flour and binds it all together. Just pulse the cereal flakes in the food processor until they are coarsely ground.

The uncut brick is so pretty in this natural light. You can just lift the parchment paper right out of the baking dish and set it on a cooling rack until it's ready to cut.

This recipe makes 8 rectangular bars in an 8 x 8 square baking dish, or you can cut them in half for a smaller treat. I used rich, dark chocolate chips and they were incredible!

INGREDIENTS
1 1|4 c gluten free rolled oats
1|2 c diced walnuts or slivered almonds
1|4 c chopped cashews
1|4 c unsalted sunflower seeds
1|2 c maple syrup + 2 tablespoons raw honey
1|2 c chocolate rice crisp cereal
1|2 c heritage flakes
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1|4 teaspoon sea salt
a big pinch of good cinnamon
1|4 c oat flour
2 tablespoons finely shredded coconut
2 tablespoons flax | chia powder
1 c dried fruit , dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs

*A note on ingredients: modify this recipe as needed using what you have on hand or whatever you prefer if there is something you don't like. The same goes for the cereals. The important part is that you use 1 c of crunchy cereal and 1 cup of nuts. Just get the ratios right and really, this recipe is pretty flexible. The sweetener can be entirely honey or brown rice syrup, if that's what you have. It will change the consistency a little though, as those sweeteners will make a tackier bar instead of something soft.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350. Pour the oats and the nuts onto a sheet pan and lightly toast for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Remove and allow the pan to cool before mixing everything together. Drop the heat down to 300. Put the crunchy cereals into a food processor and pulse until it's crumbly and a little coarser than flour. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together, add the cereals, and stir in the oats and the nuts you toasted. Line a square baking dish with parchment paper. Press your mixture into the corners and flatten it on top. Bake for about 23 - 25 minutes until it's slightly brown on top and fragrant. You can let it cool in the baking dish, or you can gently lift the sides of the parchment out and set the entire thing on a wire cooling rack. It will cool much faster this way. Wait at least 20 minutes before you cut into them. Wrap individual bars in parchment and tie with string for a nice presentation or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for a firmer bar or at room temperature for something a little soft and crumbly.

ENJOY!!

Choco - Nut Granola Bars

These high protein granola bars are rich in fiber and antioxidants and fall low on the glycemic index. It's basically like making the Maple Almond Granola with a couple of minor adjustments. There is room for many optional embellishments of course. Dried fruit, your favorite nuts and seeds, cacoa nibs, chocolate chips and coconut all work well. Typically, I'm a kitchen sink kind of gal and I want to put some of everything inside, but I have a picky nine year old to contend with so I have to find a happy middle between us. That struggle is getting much easier the older he gets, and for the simple fact that I am consistently having him try new things. The secret behind that is to keep offering. His issue is texture, not taste. He stays acclimated to different things as long as I continue to put it in front of him. We have a two bite rule that satisfies both my need for him to be open to new things, and his need to exercise his personal preferences - all without leaving my ego wounded. Some people just don't like nuts. I get that. So I get crafty and start sneaking in almond meal and chia powder instead, waiting until he says he likes them so that I can reveal my delicious, deceptive success.

These bars are something between chewy and crispy. The top has a little crunch but the inside is kind of like a rice crispy treat. After they cool, you can cut them into whatever sizes you like. Bars and squares both have their place.

The most superior form and origin of chocolate is cacao which refers to the raw, unprocessed bean. You can find them lightly sweetened or slightly bitter. Raw cacao is certainly a SUPERFOOD which you hear me talk about all of the time. The antioxidants are extremely high in this form and the trace minerals are undeniably awesome. Antioxidants are those wonderful anti-aging compounds that preserve the integrity of cell tissues and destroy free radicals. Blood is the purifying fuel of the human body. Contrary to the general notion that it is a liquid, blood is actually a flowing tissue. Raw cacao also contains powerful flavanoids that greatly improve cardiovascular function and decrease the oxidation of LDL, which is the bad cholesterol. The kind that deposits fat into the bloodstream and eventually clogs the arteries of the heart with plaques. Processed, artificially sweetened commercial chocolate is not even the same animal. It contains little to no nutritional benefits and there is hardly any cacao left in it, making it mostly made of sugar which is inflammatory. I'll be honest, it's an acquired taste at first. You can start gradually by substituting dark chocolate for all of the milk in your pantry. Choose an organic one that is responsibly grown and harvested with a minimum of 55% cacao. The flavor is delicious, rich, and intense. It will set you on the course to eliminating processed sweeteners, I'm confident.

I cut a few into small squares for my kids' lunches and afternoon snacks. These are perfect for a day hike or an airplane snack, wrapped in a little parchment or brown paper and tied with string. They make an easy grab and go pick up. I just throw a couple in my purse when we are running errands or spending time in the car. Use plastic wrap if you're going to store them for a few days. This recipe makes eight large bars. Wait until they have cooled before you cut them. They keep at room temperature for a week or two, if they last that long.

                     

INGREDIENTS
1 1|4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup crisp brown rice cereal
3|4 cup dried fruit such as raisins, apricots, cherries or mango
1|2 cup slivered or chopped almonds
1|2 cup coarsely chopped cashews or walnuts
1|4 cup optional slot - cacao or chocolate, sunflower or sesame seeds, pecans or shredded coconut
1|2 cup sweetener such as brown rice syrup or honey or maple syrup
1|2 cup vanilla protein powder or green powder
1 tablespoon filtered water
1 tablespoon flax and|or chia powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1|4 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats, almonds and cashews on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until just barely toasted, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Turn the heat down to 300.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sweetener, water, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the toasted oats and nuts, the rice cereal and protein powder, and stir until everything is coated. Stir in the dried fruit and the optional ingredients.

Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal. Scrape the granola mixture into the center. Using a large spoon or your fingers, press everything down compact and spreading it to the edges and corners. Wetting the spoon or your fingers with warm water will help with the stickiness. Bake until the top is toasted, 23 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool completely. Pull up on the parchment to remove the block in one piece and cut into eight bars of equal size or into smaller squares. If you are going to eat them later, wrap with plastic. They will keep about a week or so.

ENJOY!