Salty-Sweet Granola "Clusters"

Tastespotting didn't like the "composition" of this photo :(

Yes, I had originally set out to make granola bars. Some tasty, easily portable, better-than-the-store-bought snack bars (by the way I just mistakenly typed "bras" which is definitely not the same, ha ha). Well, things didn't go exactly to plan, though, to be fair, I don't think it was the recipes fault (although many others who tried the recipe complained of the same thing). You see, I was supposed to wait until the baked bars were completely cooled before cutting them. I assumed, like the others who had this little mishap I'm sure, that cooled for 45 minutes to slightly warmed was equivalent to "completely cooled." -Sigh- And so I am sure this was my mistake, and had I waited longer these would have cut without shattering.
Well anyways, despite my "issues," this granola was soooo good! I LOVED the honey/peanut butter binding mixture. These bars were also pretty salty which complemented the naturally sweet dried fruit extremely well.
I highly recommend making these bars, only, unlike me, be sure to wait until they are COMPLETELY cooled. I would wait a couple of hours at least; it's better to be safe than sorry.

As you can see, they are somewhat bar shaped, but there was a lot of crumbling.

Salty-Sweet Granola Bars... or "Clusters"

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup whole cashews
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup dried currants

Before and after roasting!

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line both a baking sheet and an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Combine the oats, coconut, seeds, and nuts and spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. 
3. In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, salt, honey and peanut butter over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then reduce the heat to low until the nuts/seeds are done toasting.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the toasted nuts/seeds/coconut, the dried fruit, and the honey/peanut butter mixture with a wooden spoon.
5. Spread the mixture into the square baking dish. With a piece of wax paper, press down on the granola to create a smooth, even surface.
6. Bake the granola for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool COMPLETELY. Cut with a very sharp knife and store in an airtight container.

 Makes 16 bars at 195 calories each.