Recipe Tuesday :: Homemade Chocolate Drizzled Granola Bars

I think I had all of you with that title until granola bars, but seriously I am so excited to write this post because these were the MOST delicious things ever!  As many of you know I am obsessed with the UK lifestyle blog Cider with Rosie and it was her post that inspired me to make these.  Part of what I love is her gorgeous photos and the other part is that it's all so British.  At first I thought I needed to convert the recipe from the metric measurements and then I saw that she had modified it from a King Arthur recipe!  So I went there and then used her ingredients to do some modifications of my own.  So here is an unusual thing for Recipe Tuesday...an actual recipe!

Carrie's Chocolate Drizzled Granola Bars

(Modified from King Arthur Flour's recipe and inspired by Cider with Rosie's recipe)

1 2/3 cups Quick 1-Minute Oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup Quick Oats whizzed in a food processor until finely ground to "flour"
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup macadamia nuts (I chopped mine up a bit)
1 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup melted butter
5-6 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1 Tbsp water
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (or whatever suits your taste)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.  Mix together dry ingredients through coconut flakes in a large bowl.

- In a pan melt the butter and then mix in the peanut butter, honey, corn syrup and water until combined.

- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until moistened all the way through.  Mixture might be a little crumbly but should stick together.  Pour the granola into the prepared pan and spread evenly, patting it down gently.

- Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are golden brown around the edges.  Loosen the bars around the edge of the pan with a knife and let cool for 5 minutes.  While the bars are still warm, cut them in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 - Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl by zapping them on high for about 20 seconds and then stirring until just melted.  Drizzle/shmear the chocolate over the bars and enjoy!

If you don't like any of the ingredients, change it up!  Maybe you're not into macadamia nuts?  Try peanuts, pecans or walnuts!  Not jazzed about Craisins?  Any other dried fruit will do!  Try a tropical blend with dried mangos or papaya!  The recipe is highly customizable so go crazy!!  I'd recommend keeping the chocolate though ;).