Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Sorry I've been away so long, it has been a hectic week. I have been baking and cooking, just recipes I already have posted here. Today I am making Brown Sugar Fudge as I type, and a few days ago I made some lemon squares for a pot luck at work. I spent yesterday making some cookies, that did not turn out. I don't know if it was the weather (it poured all day yesterday) but nothing I did yesterday worked. Well, these granola bars sort of turned out, but still I don't think they are as they ought to be. I stole this recipe from The Tiny Skillet, she had a few ways that they could be changed up a bit, but I am just going to post the recipe as I made it.

Chewy Granola Bars.

2 cups oatmeal

3/4 cup fine coconut.

3/4 cup sunflower seeds,

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 cup rice krispies

2/3 cup brown sugar

4 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 oz dried cranberries

1 oz golden raisins.

Toast almonds and sunflower seeds. In a large bowl, mix together almonds, seeds, coconut, cereal and oatmeal. In saucepan over medium heat, stir together brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Mix wet into dry, add cranberries and raisins. Mix well to combine. Press into a wax paper lined 9 X 9 pan, put more waxed paper on top and press until well packed. Cool in pan until hardened and able to be cut. 

I had substituted coconut for wheat germ in the original recipe, and 1 oz of raisins because i only had 3 oz of cranberries. I have them wrapped because they were quite crumbly even after sitting for almost 12 hours. After wrapping, I left them in the fridge over night and they seem to be better this morning. 

I think I am going to leave them in the refrigerator for storage. I found them a little sweet, but otherwise delicious. The last time I made granola bars, they were as hard as rocks, I prefer the softer ones so I had never made them again. 

The mixture came together very well, the brown sugar was supposed to be packed, but i didn't bother. The recipe stated it was very sweet, and so I decided to cut the sweetness a bit by not packing in the sugar.

After yesterday's rain, it is a beautiful sunny day today. I am hoping to get out this afternoon to the park or something, to enjoy the sun! I have a couple new recipes up my sleeve, and the ingredients to make them, now I just have to find the time. Last summer I only made 2 posts in 2 months, so I am hoping that this summer won't be the same. 

Hope everyone is having a good week!!