Ground Balls and Granola

My husband had his year end softball tournament today. He plays in a league called Capital Alumnae Network (CAN). CAN is a sports league in the DC area that has teams organized by colleges with the players comprised of alumnae from those schools. He plays for his Alma Mater, Auburn. They had a day filled with several games and I wanted to make a healthy snack for the team to enjoy between games. I thought granola bars were the perfect treat and knew they would keep well in the extreme heat for an extended period of time. Everyone enjoyed them and I thought they were super easy to make and aesthetically pleasing as well. Check out one of the action shots I captured of Forrest today.

Homemade Granola Bars
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients nocoupons

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes,

stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Toast the wheat germ in a dry skillet over a medium flame. Transfer the oatmeal mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the toasted wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the apricots and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Using a spatula sprayed with cooking spray and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into bars.

Serve at room temperature.