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Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Source of Recipe

From "Once Upon A Chef" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"These bars taste like a cross between a peanut butter granola bar and a Rice Krispies Treat. What's more, unlike most homemade bars, they hold together well without crumbling. The secret ingredient is puréed dates. You can't taste the dates, but they make a sticky, nutrient-rich binder for the oats, rice cereal, and other add-ins. These bars are perfect for breakfast on the run or packing in lunchboxes—in fact, my son tells me they have high trade value in the school cafeteria."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 ½ ounces pitted dates
â—¦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
â—¦ ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
â—¦ ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
â—¦ 2 cups crispy, rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
â—¦ ½ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
â—¦ ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
â—¦ ¼ cup flax meal, wheat germ, or wheat bran


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, a big enough piece so that it hangs over the edges, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the dates in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until finely minced and pastelike (you'll know it's ready when the mixture starts to come together into a ball).

In a large pot big enough to hold all of the ingredients, melt the butter over low heat. Add the puréed dates, brown sugar, honey, peanut butter, and salt; whisk until evenly combined. (You're not cooking the mixture—heating it just makes it easier to stir.) The mixture will look a little chunky; that's okay. Remove the pan from the heat and add the oats, rice cereal, peanuts, pecans, and flax meal. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the mixture until the wet ingredients evenly coat the dry ingredients.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and, using the bottom of a glass or dry measuring cup, press firmly into an even, compact layer. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Set the pan on a rack and let cool completely, a few hours.

Use the foil overhang to lift the uncut bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Using a large chef's knife, cut the block into 16 bars. Wrap the bars individually with foil or parchment paper for easy on-the-go snacking, or arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container. The bars will keep for several days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.

Makes 16 bars




• Note:
If using large Medjool dates, you'll need 7 to 8. For smaller varieties, you'll need at least double that, if not more. Since there are so many different varieties of dates, it's best to weigh them to be sure you have the right amount.