Really Good Fruit-Filled Granola Bars

Name: Really Good Fruit-Filled Granola Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 24 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups dried apricots, coarsely chopped; 1 1/4 cups dried apples, coarsely chopped; 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries, unsweetened preferred; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 1/2 cups water; 2 cups flour; 2 cups quick-cooking oats; 1 cup light-brown sugar, lightly packed; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 1/4 cups cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces; 3 ounces honey (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon); 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut; 1 cup toasted pecans or 1 cup almonds (or a combination of both); 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and salted

Submitted by Mirj2338

"I first found this recipe in the New York Daily News. It's important to not overprocess the dough because if you do, it will turn out really greasy. Use a light touch with the pulse button. You can also sub dried cherries for the cranberries."

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Ready In:: 1hr 20mins
Ingredients:: 15
Serves:: 24

ingredients

For the filling
1 ¹⁄₄ cups dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1 ¹⁄₄ cups dried apples, coarsely chopped
1 ¹⁄₄ cups dried cranberries, unsweetened preferred
¹⁄₂ cup granulated sugar
2 ¹⁄₂ cups water
For the dough
2 cups flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup light-brown sugar, lightly packed
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¹⁄₄ cups cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 ounces honey (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
1 ¹⁄₂ cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup toasted pecans or 1 cup almonds (or a combination of both)
¹⁄₂ cup sunflower seeds, roasted and salted

directions

In a saucepan, combine the first five ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, until the liquid is absorbed and the fruit is fully hydrated, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees and line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper.
For the dough:
Place the flour, oats, light-brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse briefly to combine.
Add the butter and honey and process until pieces of butter are no larger than a small pea, about a dozen 1-second pulses.
DO NOT OVERPROCESS!
I cannot stress this enough!
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Place the coconut, pecans and/or almonds and the sunflower seeds in the food processor bowl.
Process until the nuts are well broken up, about eight 1-second pulses.
Transfer to the large mixing bowl.
Using your fingers, gently mix the two batches of ingredients together until well combined.
When fully incorporated, the dough will look like lumpy wet sand.
Add about two thirds of the dough mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and gently pat down into an even layer.
Reserve the remaining portion (about 3 generous cups) in a cool place until needed.
Bake until medium golden brown, about 18 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and evenly spread the fruit compote over the top.
Sprinkle the remaining dough in an even layer over the fruit.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the topping is dark golden brown.
Underbaked bars will be damp and greasy.
Cool completely before cutting.
Jam filling variation:
You may substitute fruit jam for the fruit compote, but the bars will lose some chewiness.

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Reviews

Really good they where! I added 1 tsp salt to dry ingredients just so thing wouldnt get all too healthy...

rosslare
I made these yesterday for a picnic today, and the people who I gave these to already called asking for the recipe! Didnt have apricots so I used more dried apples. Very good!

anme7039

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Mirj2338

Givat Ze'ev, 0

Come and visit me on my blog:  <a href=http://www.miriyummy.wordpress.com>www.miriyummy.wordpress.com</a>   October 2011: It's been 10 years since I came into Zaar one day at the recommendation of someone on another website. If you ask my husband (or my coworkers), I haven't logged out since! <a href=http://www.TickerFactory.com/> <img src=http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/4;15;0/st/20011021/e/I Joined Zaar%21/dt/6/k/f656/event.png border=0 alt= /></a> So what's happened in the ten years since I became addicted to Zaar? Well, I've been happily married, happily divorced, and happily married once again. (Wanna see wedding pictures? Click <a href=http://community.webshots.com/user/mirjamdorn>here</a>.) <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=chuppah2.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/chuppah2.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> Originally from the Bronx, I've been living in Israel since 1983. I'm married to a brilliant man with the most yummy British accent (this is the part where he rolls his eyes and says, Yeah, yeah, yeah). Let's call him Sushiman, even though he hates that name. <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/52282>Chia</a> gave him that nickname when I was trying to create a dinner to show off my culinary talents. I posted here on Zaar with questions about the menu and since sushi was the main focus of the meal, he became Sushiman. That dinner was just the first of what I hope will become a lifetime of meals together. This is a picture of us taken in September 2005 in Kew Gardens in London. 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