Fudge Granola Bars

I recently became the lucky owner of The Best of Better Baking.com Book by Marcy Goldman (thanks to Amazon!). The book features 175 recipes, all fail-safe and each one delicious. I came across the recipe for Fudge Granola Bars and immediately was mesmerized by the long list of wonderful ingredients, only imagining what a delicious granola bar would be born. I couldn’t have been more right, I’ve made granola bars before but these are really something special! The only ingredient I was missing was sesame seeds but nonetheless these bars are so more-ish and filling but best of all they are full of fudgy chocolate goodness!

Fudge Granola Bars

Makes 12-16 bars

Ingredients
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup of firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups granola
5 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup chopped dates or dried cranberries
⅓ cup chocolate-covered raisins
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
⅔ cup whole pecans
2 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 350oF/180oC. Line the bottom of a 7 by 11-inch brownie pan or a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir the butter, honey, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Stir in the granola, chopped chocolate, coconut, dates/cranberries, raisins, cinnamon, salt, cocoa, flour, sesame seeds, and pecans until blended. Pat the mixture into the prepared pan. Place the pan on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake on the lower shelf of the oven for 20-24 minutes, or until the top seems set, the edges seem dry, and the centre is just a bit jiggly. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then freeze or refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into squares. Drizzle with melted chocolate and let the chocolate set (or refrigerate to set the chocolate).