coconutty granola bars

Yes, I admit it. I adore coconut. It's sweet and flaky, and just so ... tropical. Love it.

And I fell in love with these granola bars in part because of it. But I also love that granola bars test better when they're homemade, not to mention they're better for you and cheaper. What's not to love?!

Make these when you want to work with your hands - it's the best way to mix all the ingredients together. Enjoy!

Coconutty Granola Bars

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (depending on how sweet you like them)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates*
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots*
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries*

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
2. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300.
4. Place the oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least two to three hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

*Use whatever dried fruit you have on hand.

Need more snack ideas? Try these:

• Brown bag popcorn
• Roasted tomato and corn salsa with charred poblano peppers 

dark chocolate-cranberry cookies

A recent trip to South Florida to visit my grandfather on his 90th birthday (go, Gramps!) - and advice from my ever-practical mom to "just bake him something" as a gift - had me cooking up a storm after work the night before we left. I found a cute gift basket and stuffed it with a loaf of homemade banana bread and my sister-in-law's favorite white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies. And these dark chocolate-cranberry cookies.

I'll just go ahead and say it: these are good, old-fashioned cookies and, as such, they are made with admirable amounts of butter and refined sugar. So, relax and enjoy in moderation. And if it still bugs you, I hope you can find solace in the dark chocolate and cranberries. Just remember that a happy human sometimes requires foods that simply taste good, regardless of the ingredients. Enjoy.

Dark Chocolate-Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the dark chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.