Recipe: Granola Chewy Bars with Variations (no bake)

GRANOLA CHEWY BARS

"These granola bars are dense and thick. Redolent with honey and maple, they're perfect served plain or dipped in chocolate. Use store bought or homemade granola and real maple syrup."

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 cups granola cereal
Vegetable oil for greasing pan
Confectioners' sugar for coating

Oil a 9 x 13 inch Pyrex baking pan and set it aside.

Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup in a heavy medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.

Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan. Raise the heat to medium high and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 250 degrees F (firm ball).

Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and granola all at once. Stir until the cereal is thoroughly incorporated. Spread the hot mixture into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan. Set it aside on a cooling rack until the bottom of the pan feels cool.

Use a sharp knife to cut the cooled granola mixture into bars while it is still in the pan. Lift each bar out with a spatula and wrap them individually in wax paper. If the granola bars are too sticky to handle, you may coat them with confectioners' sugar before wrapping.

Store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

VARIATIONS:

CRANBERRY CASHEW GRANOLA BARS
Reduce the amount of granola to 5 cups. Add 1 cup whole dried cranberries and 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted cashews with the cereal.

GOLDEN ALMOND COCONUT GRANOLA BARS
Reduce the amount of granola to 5 cups. Add 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips, 1/2 cup golden raisins, and 1/2 cup slivered almonds with the cereal.

HOT PUMPKIN SEED GRANOLA BARS
Reduce the amount of granola to 5 cups. Add 2 cups shelled, toasted pumpkin seeds and 1 tablespoon ground ancho chili powder with the granola.

RAISIN NUT GRANOLA BARS
Reduce the amount of granola to 5 cups. Add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup salted peanuts with the cereal.

TROPICAL GRANOLA BARS
Reduce the amount of granola to 5 cups. Add 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips and 1 cup coarsely chopped dried papaya with the cereal.

Makes about 16 bars
Source: The Ultimate Candy Book: More Than 700 Quick and Easy, Soft and Chewy, Hard and Crunchy Sweets and Treats by Bruce Weinstein