Sadie's Apricot Granola Bars

Sadie's Apricot Granola Bars

I love oats and making this British version of granola bars was quite fun, easy and they are delicious.  They are great alone, with yogurt or soaked in warm milk.  I have made several versions of this granola bar with dried fruit.  All organic fruit of course, either store bought or dried in the oven at home.  I prefer the Snoqualmie Falls Oats, which is one of my favorites.  A friend of mine got me hooked on this oat over 10 years ago and it is definitely my favorite.  If you cannot find it at your local store, you can use your favorite oats. 

I used small bread pans that I found at Sur La Table which are measured 3 inches by 2 inches and they work excellent for making individual granola bars, rather than baking it in a baking pan and then slicing it.

Enjoy this simple and tasty recipe!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
1/4 cup (packed) *golden brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup (this is the British version; which is delicious) or you can use honey instead
2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned)
1/4 cup of dried chopped fruit of your choice (apricots, mango, blueberries, raspberries, etc)
Pinch of salt

* A type of syrup popular in Great Britain; available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and British import shops.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. 
Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats, dried fruit and salt; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to pan 9X9, or if you have the 3X2 bread pans, (use 12 small pans) and spread out in even layer.

Bake until top is golden (edges will be darker), about 25 minutes in a 9X9 pan and 16 minutes in 3X2 pans. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut (mixture will still be soft) if you baked it in a 9X9 pan. Cool completely in pan before serving.