granola bars

i always have granola bars thrown in my bag for any hunger emergencies. i started this habit when i was pregnant, but now this staple culinary gift is in my purse all the time. a little healthy life saver which gets me though those long morning, rush hour, subway rides when my energy drops. i know its easy to buy granola bars but honestly they are easy to make as well, you can control all the ingredients, and you can store them for 3 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. i love this granola recipe as it contains, an ol' time favorite, rice krispie. i chose to use brown-rice which is easy to find anywhere these days.



INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (4 1/2 oz)
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup mild honey
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups crisp rice cereal (preferably brown-rice)
1 cup roasted salted cashews (1/4 lb), coarsely chopped
2 large egg whites



PREPARATION
preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
lightly oil a 9-inch square (i used round) baking pan, then line bottom and sides with parchment and lightly oil parchment.
toast almonds in a 4-sided sheet pan until pale golden, 6 to 9 minutes. stir in sesame seeds and bake until seeds are golden, 3 to 4 minutes more. transfer to a plate and cool completely.
reduce oven to 325°F.
gently heat honey, brown sugar, and oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth.
stir together rice cereal, cashews, and almond-sesame mixture in a large bowl.
beat egg whites with a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl with a fork until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
stir honey mixture into cereal mixture, then stir in whites.
spread mixture in baking pan, pressing gently, and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. cool completely, then turn out onto a cutting board and cut into bars.



*serves 10
*recipe adopted from gourmet magazine
*גרנולה בר