Bake the Book
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[Photograph: Steve Legato]

These customizable, chewy, and satisfying granola bars are just the thing to wind down from holiday overindulging. Mix in whatever fruit or sweet morsels you'd like for a snack, or quick breakfast.

Reprinted with permission from Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share by Lucy Baker. Copyright © 2012. Published by Running Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

About This Recipe

Yield: makes 24 bars
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedures

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, pecans, raisins, and dried apricots. In a separate small bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

  3. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and honey. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and the vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated.

  4. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until combined. Stir in the oat mixture with a wooden spoon.

  5. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is golden and the edges are lightly brown, about 25 minutes. The bars will be very soft straight from the oven, but will firm up as they cool. Cool them completely on a wire rack, then cut into bars. They will keep for up to 10 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.