Granola Bars & Bird Seed Bread

Last summer I bought a small food scale that was on clearance. I didn't use it much at all at school, but I broke it out the other day to work on brownies and sort of fell in love with it. It is a simple, analogue dial readout with a medium sized boat-shaped bowl, that can hold a surprisingly large amount. My mom and I have also used it for weighing fruit for preserves. If you can find one for a modest price, or a used one, I would suggest it. I have stuck with weights for these, which may be inconvenient without one.

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Nut Chocolate Granola Bars

Toast at 350 F for 15 minutes:

8 oz thick oats
3 oz sunflower seeds
4 oz walnuts
4 oz almonds
4 oz cashews
3 oz pecans (optional)
4 oz millet
2 oz sesame seeds
1/2 c (or 2 oz) wheat germ

While the above are toasting, in a medium sauce pan on low to medium heat, melt and blend:

3/4 c honey
1/4 c molasses
1 c creamy peanut butter
8 oz bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate (at least 65% cacao)
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs cinnamon

Separately, measure out and put into a large mixing bowl:

4 oz flax seed
4 oz sweetened flake coconut

Mix the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and blend until even, then mix in the dry ingredients (you can allow them to cool, first). After the dry ingredients are blended, stir in honey-peanut butter mixture and mix until even; be sure to check the bottom for remainder. Turn out onto lightly greased 9x13 pan (I use the same pan as In toasted them in, so the butter glides right on) and press to the pan with wax paper. Bake at 300 F for 25 minutes, allow to cool entirely and cut into squares. They'll last a while (no ingredients to spoil), but I've wrapped them up to avoid drying out further. Undermixing makes some parts too dry to stick together, but the wet ingredients and coconut generally make a solid batch.

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I started with the same base and made some with dried fruit.

Fruit Granola Bars

Toast at 350 F for 15 minutes:

8 oz thick oats
3 oz sunflower seeds
4 oz walnuts
4 oz millet
2 oz sesame seeds
1/2 c (or 2 oz) wheat germ

While the above are toasting, in a medium sauce pan on low to medium heat, melt and blend:

3/4 c honey
1/4 c molasses
1 c creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs cinnamon

Weigh out and mix:

6 oz dried cranberries
4 oz dried apricots (cut into small pieces)
4 oz shredded, sweetened coconut
2 oz dried papaya

The specific choice of fruit is up to you, these ingredients will likely change over time.

Put dried fruit into mixing bowl, then add toasted ingredients and blend until even. Add in the honey-peanut butter mixture and mix until even. Turn out onto lightly greased 9x13 pan, pressing even with wax paper, and bake at 300 F for 25 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.

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Bird Seed Bread

2 c white flour
2 c wheat flour
1 c oats
1/3 c sunflower seeds
1/3 c millet
1/3 c wheat bran
1/3 c flax seed
1/4 c sesame seeds
2-3 Tbs dried yeast

Blend together in a large mixing bowl. Then add:

1/8-1/4 c molasses
1/3 c honey
4 Tbsp butter (room temperature)
2 tsp salt

(The honey and molasses I sort of just drip over and estimate to help with an even consistency, so those measurements are flexible.) Mix the above together and add enough water to make a wet dough (1 & 1/2 to 2 & 1/2 cups).

Allow dough to rest at least 45 minutes in the bowl. Turn out on floured counter and knead with whole wheat flour until smooth. Return to bowl and allow to rest for another hour.

Punch down, roll out, and shape. I favor four small rounds, but can be made into fewer or more loaves. Optionally dress the loaves with a mixture of 1 Tbs each of oats, bran, and sesame before proofing; proof for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake for about 25-35 minutes until crust is firm and crisp, sounding hollow when tapped.

Enjoy!