Another Recipe

Folks on the Ultra Mailing list were asking for this, and then I couldn't find the recipe for the life of me. Now I've found it, and in an attempt to not lose it again, I'll post it here, forever saved by technology.

These are by far one of my favorite trail foods. Depending on the day and depending on the run, these may be consumed for breakfast, at mile 25 or at the end of the day. The beauty of the recipe is its flexibility. If you don't like the way its laid out, change it! The possibility of OGS combos are endless. (That last sentence may not make sense to you now, but it will as you read through the recipe.)

Still fighting that cold. It's taken my voice in the midst of the battle, but I'm still confident I will triumph. Although, in spite of that confidence, I am admittedly weary of the weather: I have the next 5 days out in the field training a new batch of crew leaders, and the highs are supposed to be low 50's, overnight lows in the high teens to low 20's. Hoping 2 sleeping bags will cut it.

Here's the recipe:

Awesome Chewy Trail Bars

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup chunky natural peanut butter or any other nut butter (I’ve used cashew, almond, etc.)
• 2 2/3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup flour (I am not supposed to eat wheat, so I tend to use brown rice flour, or spelt, buckwheat, etc. Use whatever kind of flour you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup ground flax seed (optional)
• 2 cups other good stuff (OGS)
• OGS I love to use include any combination of: chia seeds, protein powder, pecans, cocoa powder, dark choc. chips, chopped up date pieces, figs, shredded coconut, dried cranberries, raisins…you’re getting the idea.

One of my favorite OGS combos:

• ½  cup chopped dates
• ¼  cup cacao nibs
• ¼ cup finely shredded coconut
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 2-4 scoops chocolate Amazing Meal powder

HOW TO MAKE THEM:

 Mix syrup and peanut butter until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. If mixture seems too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If it is too sticky, add oats 1 teaspoon at a time. Mixture should be slightly sticky, but still easily spread in a pan with greased fingers.

Press into a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 centimeter) pan lightly greased. Bake at 350F/180C until barely browned. Do not overbake! They really only take about 15 minutes to brown, depending on your oven. Score them after you take them out of the oven, to make cutting them easier.

When completely cool, complete the cut where you’ve scored the bars and remove from pan with a greased spatula.

There is really an endless number of awesome combinations you can create with this recipe, its really just a guideline. The other thing that’s nice about it is that, sometimes I’ll end up cutting large ‘meal bar’ sizes, other times it’s a bunch of mini-bar sizes.

If you wrap them well, they freeze well also. If you do freeze them, I suggest wrapping them in saran wrap, and then storing in a well-sealed container or Ziploc-type bag.