*fruity, nutty granola bars*

inspired by emeril and fueled by the need for some hearty backpacking food for a 15-mile trip last weekend, i tossed together these bars for the trail. they pack very well into bear canisters or lunch boxes, be you braving the wilds of yosemite or those of the urban schoolyard. feel free to make substitutions or removals or additions...this is a resilient recipe that can stand changes so long as you keep the amounts of butters and sweeteners about the same.

ingredients
4 T unsalted butter
¼ C honey
3 C rolled oats
½ C almonds, roughly chopped
½ C pecans, roughly chopped
¼ C hulled pumpkin seeds
¼ C unsalted sunflower seeds
½ t cinnamon
¼ t cardamom
¼ t salt
1 C chopped dried apricots
¼ C chopped crystallized ginger
¼ C light brown sugar
½ C agave nectar
1/6 C peanut butter*
1/6 C almond butter*
1/6 C tahini*
(* the point, essentially, is to get ½ cup of these, mixed together, so whatever ratio you want to use to get to that point is truly fine)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly butter a 9 x 13” baking dish and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring.

3. In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined well.

4. On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer. Bake, stirring every five minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)

5. Cool the granola in the pan on top of the stove and stir in the apricots and ginger. When the granola is completely cooled, place in a large bowl.

6. Combine the brown sugar, agave nectar, nut butters and tahini in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

7. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is at a boil. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the granola, stirring to coat well. Cool slightly and press into the prepared baking dish and let cool completely and harden.

8. Cut the mixture into bars and serve at room temperature.

The bars may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, in the frige for many more and the freezer for many, many more!