FROM MY PANTRY by Sharyn Thompson

Sharyn’s Pantry is a family owned and operated business celebrating 39 years. Located at: 812 Pitt St. Unit 6, Cornwall ON – 613-936-1998

PRINT COPIES of The Seeker can be picked up at this location.

In this crazy world we are now living in, let me give you a bit of happiness for you to bake. Whether your kids or yourselves will be back in school or sitting at the dining room table with your laptop, my granola bars will be there for you to munch on for a healthy snack. Each recipe will make 30 bars. Both recipes are delicious and filled with great flavour. Once baked and cooled overnight, cut them into bars and wrap each bar in a bit of plastic wrap. Then you can just pop them into some Tupperware or freezer bags and freeze for future snacks. These are far more affordable than store bought bars. Get your kids or grandkids to measure, mix, pat and bake. Make some happy memories with your family! Enjoy!

HONEY ALMOND GRANOLA BARS

 INGREDIENTS:(All ingredients used in this recipe are found in my store Sharyn’s Pantry. EVERY PRODUCT in the store has been bagged by our staff since April. Nothing is left in bulk now. Everything is safe for you to shop and then bake or eat from my store.)

NOTE: IF NUTS ARE NOT ALLOWED, JUST SUBSTITUTE WITH MORE FRUIT OR SUNFLOWER SEEDS. YOU DECIDE.

IN ONE BOWL:

4 cups of organic quick cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup raw wheat germ

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1 cup sliced natural skin on almonds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (shelled)

1-1/2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon

1/2 tsp. fine salt

IN 2ND BOWL:

5 tbsp. melted butter, allow to cool to room temperature

1 cup of dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup liquid unpasteurized local honey

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla 

2 extra large eggs, well beaten

METHOD:

-I used our new cookie sheet with sides (also called a sheet pan) size 13″ x 18″. Line this with a long length of parchment paper. Spray this with no-stick cooking spray. You want to have extra to hang over the ends so you can gently lift the panful of cooled baked granola from the pan onto your cutting board. One pan will hold all of the recipe.

-Set your oven to 350 degrees F. Regular bake feature. I used the second rack from the bottom in my oven.

-Measure and mix together all of the 1st bowl ingredients. Mix well to combine the salt and cinnamon into the oat mixture.

-Measure and mix together first the melted butter and brown sugar in the 2nd bowl of ingredients. Now to this add the honey, vanilla and lastly the beaten eggs.

-Stir the liquid ingredients into the 1st bowl ingredients. Mix well. Clean hands do very well here.

-Now dump all of this mixture onto the prepared parchment lined sheet pan. Press firmly to even out the mixture.

-Bake this for 25 minutes or until the granola is golden and firm but not hard to the touch.

-Cool the granola in the pan on a cooling rack overnight. Then lift using the ends of the parchment to remove from the baking pan. Now you can cut this into bars. I did 10 rows and cut each row into 3. Making 30 bars. Delicious!

VARIATION: You can use apricots, dried apples, dried pineapple, mango, raisins, dried pears etc. instead of almonds and cranberries.

CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS

INGREDIENTS:

IN ONE BOWL:

3 cups of organic quick cooking rolled oats

2 cups of raw sunflower seeds (shelled)

2 cups of our pure teeny tiny chocolate chips

IN 2ND BOWL:

1-300 ml. can of Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

1/2 cup of butter melted

METHOD:

-Same as the above recipe. Use a sheet pan 13″ x18″. Cover this with a sheet of parchment paper hanging over the ends of the pan. Spray the parchment with no-stick cooking spray.

-Set your oven to 325 degrees F. Regular bake feature.

-Mix together the oats, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips.

-Mix in the second bowl the can of condensed milk with the melted butter.

-Stir this into the oat mixture. Mix well. 

-Dump this onto the parchment lined baking pan. Press mixture firmly to even out the granola.

-Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and firm but not hard to the touch.

-Cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack overnight. Then lifting with the parchment ends, place on your cutting board and cut into bars. I cut 10 rows and cut each row into 3, making 30 bars. These are delicious and your kids will just love them as well as all the grown-ups. ENJOY!!!