Over the weekend (instead of Nancy's wonderful sounding Carrot Cake
Cookies I will make another day) I made granola bars for the first
time. I used the recipe below (with my adds in parenths) and although
the mix was absolutely delicious, there seemed no way for the "bars"
to be. I ended up with the mixture somewhat sticking together, though
having to be scraped out of the dish, and ending up with spoon-feed
crumbles. Overall recipe ease and finished flavor was outstanding,
something I would like to make many times.

Please, any ideas on what I could do differently so that this crumble
does come out of the dish in one slab that can be cut into bars that
hold together? I've thought of parchment lining the dish so as to
pull the mix out, but that idea does not give me assurance I'll be
able to have a bar result either.

Granola Bars Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005 Good Eats, Power
Trip

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1.5 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1.5 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1.75 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6.5 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries
or blueberries (Yes, but 8 oz. all, along with dried raspberries &
cranberries.)

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the
oven to 350 degrees F. (Butter-Pam 7x11” Pyrex)

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-
sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and
salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the
brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the
heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid
mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out
into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the
mixture in the dish (cover with wax paper & press all in) and place in
the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to
cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container
for up to a week.

PickyJaz > wrote in news:62ad002f-17a1-4f37-8590-
:

> Over the weekend (instead of Nancy's wonderful sounding Carrot Cake
> Cookies I will make another day) I made granola bars for the first
> time. I used the recipe below (with my adds in parenths) and although
> the mix was absolutely delicious, there seemed no way for the "bars"
> to be. I ended up with the mixture somewhat sticking together, though
> having to be scraped out of the dish, and ending up with spoon-feed
> crumbles. Overall recipe ease and finished flavor was outstanding,
> something I would like to make many times.
>
> Please, any ideas on what I could do differently so that this crumble
> does come out of the dish in one slab that can be cut into bars that
> hold together? I've thought of parchment lining the dish so as to
> pull the mix out, but that idea does not give me assurance I'll be
> able to have a bar result either.
>
> Granola Bars Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005 Good Eats, Power
> Trip
>
> 8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
> 1.5 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
> 3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
> 1.5 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
> 6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
> 1.75 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
> 1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
> 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
> 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
> 6.5 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries
> or blueberries (Yes, but 8 oz. all, along with dried raspberries &
> cranberries.)
>
> Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the
> oven to 350 degrees F. (Butter-Pam 7x11” Pyrex)
>
> Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-
> sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring
> occasionally.
>
> In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and
> salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the
> brown sugar has completely dissolved.
>
> Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the
> heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid
> mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out
> into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the
> mixture in the dish (cover with wax paper & press all in) and place in
> the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to
> cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container
> for up to a week.
>
line your baking dish with greased foil or some such to prevent sticking.
Let the pan sit in the fridge overnight before cutting...

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

On Jul 22, 4:52*pm, hahabogus > wrote:
> line your baking dish with greased foil or some such to prevent sticking.
> Let the pan sit in the fridge overnight *before cutting...
Ahah! Thank you so much, Alan. The quick advice of an overnight
chill for the recipe's melted and baked butter/sugar content sounds
like a solution!
I will be trying that this next weekend....Picks

PickyJaz > wrote in
:

> On Jul 22, 4:52*pm, hahabogus > wrote:
>> line your baking dish with greased foil or some such to prevent
>> sticking. Let the pan sit in the fridge overnight *before cutting...
> Ahah! Thank you so much, Alan. The quick advice of an overnight
> chill for the recipe's melted and baked butter/sugar content sounds
> like a solution!
> I will be trying that this next weekend....Picks
>

Another recipe that requires overnight in the fridge...

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

**Rice Crispie Chocolate Caramel Bars **

bars/squares, tested

1- 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled
14 oz. pkg. caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1-3/4 cups crisp rice cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and powdered sugar in large bowl and mix well.
Cut in 1/2 cup chilled butter until particles are fine and butter is well
distributed.

Press into a 13x9' pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until
light golden brown. *MORE LIKE 15-20 MINUTES*
In heavy skillet, melt caramels, milk, and 1/4 cup butter over low heat,
stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Spread over baked crust.

In another saucepan, melt chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter, stirring
until smooth. Stir in cereal. Drop this mixture by spoonfuls over caramel
and carefully spread to cover. Cool completely, then cut into squares. 48
bars

Note...this needs to sit over night for the crust and caramels to set
properly.. Don't even think to cut these until they've
reallychilled/set...too gooey.


** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.84 **



--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

PickyJaz wrote:
> Over the weekend (instead of Nancy's wonderful sounding Carrot Cake
> Cookies I will make another day) I made granola bars for the first
> time. I used the recipe below (with my adds in parenths) and although
> the mix was absolutely delicious, there seemed no way for the "bars"
> to be. I ended up with the mixture somewhat sticking together, though
> having to be scraped out of the dish, and ending up with spoon-feed
> crumbles. Overall recipe ease and finished flavor was outstanding,
> something I would like to make many times.
>
> Please, any ideas on what I could do differently so that this crumble
> does come out of the dish in one slab that can be cut into bars that
> hold together?
>
> Granola Bars Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005 Good Eats, Power
> Trip
>
> 8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
> 1.5 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
> 3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
> 1.5 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
> 6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
> 1.75 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
> 1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
> 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
> 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
> 6.5 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries
> or blueberries (Yes, but 8 oz. all, along with dried raspberries &
> cranberries.)

I sounds as though it's missing an egg or some other binding ingredient.
Honey and butter is evidently not enough to hold it together.

gloria p