Recipe: Granola bites

I found this recipe from Mrs. Butterworth's in the coupon circular last weekend and immediately cut it out.

I've been wanting to make my own granola bars for a while. But I've also been looking for activities to keep my three-year-old busy in that 90 minutes or so before her big sister gets home from school. I thought making an after school snack for her idol might just do the trick. And this looked easy enough.

These turn out very chewy and sweet bars (or bites, if you want to cut them smaller), When I make them again, I might add some nuts or sunflower seeds to cut down a bit on the sweetness.

With just five ingredients, it really doesn't get much easier than this. My preschooler helped to pour the oatmeal onto the baking sheet; mix up the sugar, syrup and oil slurry before it went on the stove; and pour in the chocolate chips.

1/4 cup chocolate chips (I had an open bag with about half a cup so I just poured it all in minus the ones my three-year-old gobbled up)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay oats on a baking sheet and toast for 10 to 15 minutes. Add syrup, sugar and oil to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

In a boil, mix heated syrup mixture and oats until well combined. You'll hear the oats crackle when they hit the mixture, which was pretty exciting for my preschooler. But be careful! It's hot.

Let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before adding the chocolate chips to the mixture. I let it cool for 15 minutes, but my chips still completely melted, spreading chocolate goodness throughout the bars (which is just fine in my book). Spread it out evenly in an 8x8 pan and place it in the refrigerator to cool for 20 to 25 minutes.

Once it's cool, cut into squares.