I like to snack. A lot. Seriously. This can mean big trouble for me because, for the time being, I work from home. So, what/who is to stop me from strolling into the kitchen every time I start getting a little bit bored staring at my computer screen? No boss within thousands of miles counting how many times I get up. No co-workers commenting on my horrid snacking habits. Oh, and having Trader Joe’s and their amazing snack foods a 5-minute walk away from my apartment doesn’t help either.
Today I decided I wanted to try making my own snacks and I found a recipe for granola bars. Peanut butter granola bars. Another thing you may not know about me is that I will eat pretty much anything if you tell me peanut butter is involved. I am a big, big peanut butter fan. Peanut butter, coupled with the fact that I’ve never heard of anyone making their own granola bars, convinced me I absolutely needed to make this. Time for a work break! Shhh, don’t tell.
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need. And um, yeah, it is clear that they pretty much all came from Trader Joe’s, my home away from home. If I could move into that store I would. I’d probably sleep in the wine section. Or maybe next to the pre-cut apples.
The granola bar recipe I used called for peanut butter (1/2 C), oats (1/2 C), almonds (1/2 C), and dried cranberries (1/2 C). But after I made them, I realized the possibilities are endless. Chocolate chips? M&M’s? Butterscotch chips? I can think of a million ways to make granola bars a less healthy snack. Oh, and I will be experimenting in the future.
First, you want to mix the oats, cranberries, and almonds in a bowl. Then, over low heat, mix the vegetable oil (3 T), peanut butter (1/2 C), brown sugar (1/2 C), cinnamon (1/2 t), salt (1/4 t), and water (1 t) until the sugar has melted.Then stir in the egg white until well blended. And pour into the oat mixture.
The recipe says to bake them for 30 minutes at 300 degrees, but I kept them in the oven for 35 minutes and might even have gone a little longer to make them a bit crunchier. Mine were definitely soft. But soo soo good. Make sure they’re entirely cooled before you cut them. Ahem, I did not.
[Sues]
