Groovy Granola Bars!! (recipe)

A friend gave me this recipe that she found on the 'net for granola bars. I made them today and they are awesome! Ava likes them, I like them, Jody likes them. :) They are delicious! I have a feeling I'll be making them often (especially now that I have a bunch of buckwheat and rice flour in my fridge.) ;)

Granola Bars sans Allergies

*Egg Substitute:

1 Rounded Tbsp of Flax Seed Meal (or grind flax seeds in food proc.)

scant 1/3 c Boiling Water

Dry Ingredients:

2 ½ C. Rolled Oats

¼ C. Flax Seeds

¼ C. Buckwheat Flour

¼ C. Rice Flour (white or brown)

½ C. Oat Flour (can grind rolled oats in food processor if you can not find in stores)

2 T. Wheat Germ

1 t. Ground Cinnamon

¼ t. Ground Nutmeg (optional)

¼ t. Ground Ginger (optional)

¼ t. Ground Cloves (optional)

¼ t. Salt

Wet Ingredients:

¼ C. + 2 T. honey

½ C. Agave nectar (you can use white refined sugar in the same amount)

½ C. Canola, vegetable or light olive oil

2 T. Blackstrap molasses

1 T. Vanilla

*1 egg (or use egg substitute at the beginning of the recipe)

Optional: May add ¾ C. of dried fruit and/or ¼ - ½ C. nuts if not allergic.
(I used ½ C. of dried cranberries and ½ C. of chopped almonds.)

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 350F/175C.

- Thoroughly grease either 3 bread pans or one 9"x13" large cake pan (I use glass, you may need to adjust temperature up a little if you use metal).

- Prepare Egg Substitute: Boil water. Place flaxseed meal in pyrex measuring cup, and add boiling water until the mixture measures 1/3 c. Whip with fork or small whisk and set aside. (Can sub one egg if not allergic.)

- In a *large* bowl (this stuff can be messy), mix together the dry ingredients.

- Add wet ingredients and egg substitute (or egg). Mix thoroughly with wooden spoon, fork or hands.

- Divide into three bread pans or place in one large cake pan, and press the bar mixture as flat as possible with rubber spatula or oiled hands.

- Bake 25 minutes for bread pans or 35 minutes for large cake pan (should start to look lightly browned on edges). Cool for 5-10 minutes and cut into 12-14 bars before they are totally cooled to room temperature.