Big Sur High Power Bars

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or other healthy oil)
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (or nut of your choice)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (or nut of your choice)
• 2/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (or or and nutritional yeast flakes)
• 1 1/2 cups crisped brown crispy rice cereal (not the puffed rice-or use rice crispies)
• 1 cup chopped dried cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/3 cup sesame seed
• 1 cup brown rice syrup (or use agave syrup, or maple syrup or try honey, using a little less)
• 1/4 cup unrefined unbleached cane sugar (turbinado sugar, or brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions

1. 1

   Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan with the oil. If you like thicker bars, use a 8x8 inch baking pan.

2. 2

   On a rimmed baking sheet toast the oats, nuts, and coconut for about 7-9 minutes, or until coconut is golden brown. Stir twice during the baking to make sure everything bakes evenly.

3. 3

   Place the baking sheet ingredients into a large mixing bowl and add the oat bran, cranberries, ginger ground flax seeds, and brown rice cereal.

4. 4

   Using a small skillet, heat the sesame seeds over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly so the seeds do not burn — remove from heat when they become golden in color.

5. 5

   In a small saucepan stir together the remaining ingredients over a medium heat until they start to bubble and boil and thicken slightly(syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt).

6. 6

   Pour the hot liquid in with the dry ingredients and mix until they are fully coated in the syrup.

7. 7

   With buttered hands, pat the mixture into place in the pan.Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and press again. Cool to room temperature before slicing. It may be easier to tip them out of the pan first, before cutting.

8. 8

   Wrap individually in parchment paper (or waxed paper).