Whitewater Granola Bars

You might recall that I helped my SIL with some catering a couple of weeks ago. One of the things she made for the concession she and her crew ran at the curling rink that weekend was this granola bar recipe, which comes from the Whitewater Cooks cookbook. Whitewater is the ski resort near Nelson, BC which is the city I go to every so often with my dad to shop and have lunch at, so this is a local book and it's in all the local stores. Almost everyone in my family has a copy - except me; I can borrow it whenever I feel the need. And these granola bars are absolutely fantastic! They are sweet and filling and perfect for hiking, picnics, bagged lunches - you name it!

Whitewater Granola Bars

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
6 cups oats
1 cup coconut, toasted
1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1 cup sesame seeds, toasted
2 cups chocolate chips (or 1 cup raisins and 1 cup chocolate chips)

In a skillet, toast coconut, and seeds and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add corn syrup and t hen mix in remaining ingredients. Press into a greased 12x18" (half sheet) cookie sheet. Bake @ 350F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and cut while still warm.

The note at the bottom of the recipe states that you can substitute toasted almonds and 1 tsp almond extract for the sunflower seeds and vanilla if you want to switch it up a little.

Enjoy!