Sophie's Granola Bars

 
 

Here's an awesome granola bar recipe. I love having them for a little treat and I don't feel so bad when I have one. This recipe is really easy, fast and delicious for taking to work ,school, and anywhere on the go . So give it a try you will be so amazed about how good they are. No natural flavors or high fructose corn syrup.               

Sophie's Granola Bars

Makes about 30 bars

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup shredded organic unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup packed organic brown sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

1. Preheat the oven to 325 f and grease a baking sheet with sides.

2. Combine the oats, flour, coconut, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla, and honey.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir to combine.

5. Spread the granola mixture on a baking sheet and shape it into a 9x 13-inch rectangle that's about 1 inch thick. I put the granola mixture in cupcake liners and filled them about one inch thick and they worked fine.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden and dry to the touch.

7. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then cut into 3 x 1-inch bars using a serrated knife. These bars will remain fresh for several weeks if wrapped well.

Note: If the mixture is a little dry add some more coconut oil. Make sure that you warm the coconut oil and make it into a liquid.

Corn Syrup Free Caramel Popcorn

It's kinda funny but even though I was born and raised in a town known for it's caramel popcorn and spent my early years on the beach by the boardwalk filled with the smells of Thrasher's fries with vinegar and Fisher's caramel popcorn, I really didn't start loving caramel popcorn until I spent 2 months working in a maternity clinic in the Philippines. Homesick and needing a change from our normal duties another intern and I set out to make caramel popcorn with her family's recipe. I kept that recipe when I came home but was always looking for an alternative to the corn syrup used in the recipe.
I finally found one and after some tweaking have been pretty happy with the results. The smells of boiling caramel and stirring it into the popcorn always remind me of the many memories that I made in Davao City.

This recipe makes approx. 8 gallons of popcorn. (about 4 c. unpopped popcorn)
Pop popcorn before starting.

8c. organic evaporated sugar cane or brown sugar
3c. butter
2c. heavy whipping cream

Combine and cook over medium heat until melted. Boil for about 1 minute.
Take off heat and add:
2tsp vanilla extract
2tsp salt
1 heaping tsp of baking soda
Mix and pour over popped popcorn. Stir until all pop corn is coated.
 Spread popcorn in pan and cook in oven on low until lightly browned and crunchy.