Homemade snack bars

The kids and I are doing a lot of running around this summer. So I’m on the lookout for inexpensive, unprocessed, snacks to take with us in the car or camping that don’t require much refrigeration.

Here are a couple of recipes for snack bars that fit the bill from More Backcountry Cooking: Moveable Feasts by the Experts from the folks at Backpacker magazine.

Fruit Bars
Use your imagination in pairing fruit and nuts. Two duos that work well are apricots and almonds or dates and walnuts.

Chop in a food processor:

• 1 cup dried fruit
• 1 1/2 cups nuts

Mix fruit and nuts with:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons oil

Add:

• 4 Tbsp. juice or water

to form thick batter. Mix well. Press into a 8×8-inch square greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until firm. Cool. Cut into 12 bars and package in convenient numbers. Store in a refrigerator or freezer.

Golden Bricks of the North

Combine:

• 4 1/2 rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cut peanuts or almonds
• 1 cup margarine
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. corn syrup

Divide dough and place into two 9×9-inch, well greased cake pans (Or comparably sized cookie sheets with raised edges), pressing dough into a compact layer. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cut into squares. Let cool before removing them from pan.

Daniel Bars

Combine:

• 2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mix well. Press into an 8×8-inch microwaveable an. Microwave on high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture starts to turn brown. It should be soft to the touch when you take it out of the microwave. Cool, cut into squares, and wrap in plastic.

Chocolate-Fruit Bars

Combine and boil for 1 minute:

• 1 1/2 cups honey
• 2 oz. white chocolate
• 1/4 cup butter

Remove from heat and add:

• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

Stir into chocolate mixture:

• 1 cup nuts or sunflower seeds
• 1 cup diced dried fruit
• 2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 5 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ or shredded coconut

Pour dough on to a cookie sheet and flatten into one large rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cool, then cut into bars.

Posted on June 5, 2006 in Recipes

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