BARS - CRUNCHY GRANOLA BARS #1

Makes 36 bars

7 cups (21 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups whole almonds, pecans, or walnuts

¾ cup honey

¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces) light or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375F.  Line an 18 by 12-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Oil the foil lightly.  

Combine the oats, oil, and salt in a large bowl and mix until the oats are evenly coated.  Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and spread into an even layer.  Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until pale gold, about 30 minutes.  Remove the oats and lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Place the nuts in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped, about ten 1-second pulses.  Place ¾ cup of the nuts in a small bowl and process the remaining nuts until finely ground, 20 to 30 seconds.  Add the finely ground nuts to the bowl with the coarsely chopped nuts and set aside.  Combine the honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Stir in vanilla and cinnamon, if using, and set aside.

Combine the oats, nuts, and honey mixture in a large bowl and stir with a large rubber spatula until the oats are evenly coated with the honey mixture.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer.  Bake until golden, about 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool, in the baking sheet, on a wire rack for 10 minutes and cut into 2 by 3-inch bars with a chef’s knife.  Cool completely before wrapping and storing.

NOTE: add ½ cup sesame seeds, ½ cup unsweetened coconut … or 1 cup dried cranberries plump up … 

MY NOTE: (1) I use ½ cup honey.  (2) Roast the oats at 350F for 30 minutes or until golden.  (3) I baked the bars for 35-40 minutes only. 

From Baking Illustrated by The Editors of Cook’s Illustrated.