Chewy Granola Bars - oats

Method

• If you don't have oat flour, use 1/3 cup quick oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender.
• For the dried fruit and nuts, try 1/2 cup each dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, and coconut.
• Walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries or apples, or even chocolate chips would all be delicious as well.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
• Stir together first 8 ingredients, up to the fruit and nuts.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, syrup or honey, and water.
• Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
• Spread in the prepared pan, shaking the pan to evenly cover the bottom and patting down gently.
• Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're golden brown around the edges.
• Remove them from the oven, loosen the edges, and cool for 5 minutes.
• Use a knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars while they're still warm in the pan.
• Carefully remove warm bars from the pan, and cool on a rack.
• Alternatively, remove from the pan before cutting into bars; it helps to cut in half first, then loosen the bottom of each half with a turner/spatula before turning out onto a sheet of parchment to cut into bars.
• Wrap bars individually to store; or place in a single layer on a plate, and cover with plastic; or store in layers with parchment in between.
• In humid weather, it's best to store bars in the refrigerator.
• They also freeze well.