Chewy Granola Bars

I'm so happy to have discovered this recipe. A local restaurant called Toast (okay, it used to be local until I left Kentucky) makes a granola that's simply to die for. Chock-full of coconut, plump raisins and buttery-tasting oats. Then they sprinkle it with bananas, blueberries and milk. I love the stuff. It's so good, I'm willing to pass up the bread pudding pancakes for it. Okay, sometimes I get both. But I always get the granola.

But these granola bars are the answer for my time away from Kentucky. They capture the crisp-crunchy gumption of the granola I so sweetly love. And they are terribly easy to make. Once you've melted the butter, it's a one-bowl operation (use a big bowl). The only can't-cut-corner is lining the pan with parchment paper. These bars are very sticky when warm; the paper was instrumental in getting them from the pan and onto a cooling rack. And it's helpful for catching any crumbs that're dislodged in the cutting process. These crumbs provide instant granola, of course, but also could be ice cream or fruit crisp topping.

I cut the bars after about 15 minutes of cooling time. A little longer wouldn't hurt either. They're very pliable—and will remain so for over a week when left in an airtight container. I've found them an excellent mid-morning snack.

Chewy Granola Bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Thick, chewy granola bars
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons agave nectar (can substitute more syrup or corn syrup)
1 tablespoon water
1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oats, ground in a blender or food processor
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup flaked, sweetened coconut
1/3 cup peanut butter

Directions:
--Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 8x8 pan or two loaf pans with parchment.
--Melt butter in a small saucepan. Mix with vanilla, syrup, agave and water in the saucepan.
--Mix together oats, sugar, ground oats, salt and cinnamon until combined. Add raisins and coconut and stir.
--Add wet ingredients to dry and mix. Add peanut butter.
--Scoop mixture into pan (or divide evenly between two pans). Press with fingers or the back of a wooden spoon, making sure mixture is tightly squished together in the pan.
--Bake for 30-40 minutes if using 8x8 pan, 20-30 minutes for loaf pans, until top is brown. Don't worry if it looks very brown; the mixture will still be quite chewy and soft.
--Using parchment as handles, remove bars from pan and let cool, 20 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut into bars (I got 9 rectangles from each loaf pan).