Mollie Katzen's Homemade Protein Bars

Note from Cheri: The recipe and text below was reprinted with permission from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café -- Over 350 Easy Recipes for Irrisitible Muffins, Glorious Omelets, Tasty Pancakes, Hommade Protein Bars, and Other Delights to Launch and Sustain Your Every Day (2002, Hyperion). Click here for interview with Mollie Katzen, one of the best selling cookbook authors of all time, as well as more book reviews and lots more recipes!

Making your own granola bars is much easier than you may think, and it's really fun. These homemade bars are very economical, and you get to select all the ingredients according to your own standards, needs, and taste. Try adding some or all of the protein boosters that follow the recipe. You may never make these the same way twice.

Recipe Notes:
For nondairy bars, replace the yogurt with unsweetened applesauce, canned pumpkin, or mashed banana (Or try the silken tofu option in the Protein Boosters box.) Add an extra pinch of salt if using pumpkin or silken tofu. The range of sugar allows you to make these bars sweeter or not, according to your taste.

Variations -- Protein Boosters
You can make the main recipe with any combination of the following adjustments:

• Replace the canola oil with 1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter (softened in a microwave).
• Replace the flour with quinoa, ground to a powder in a blender or an electric spice grinder.
• Replace the yogurt with mashed silken tofu (soft or firm). Add an extra pinch of salt.
• Add 2 to 3 tablespoons powdered egg whites.
• Add up to 1 cup chopped nuts and/or sunflower seeds.

nonstick cooking spray 1 cup soy protein powder 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup oat bran 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 to 2/3 cup (packed) brown sugar 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt 1/4 cup canola oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

YIELD: About 20 medium-sized bars PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes to bake 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F for a glass pan). Lightly spray a 9- by 13- inch baking pan and a baking tray with nonstick spray. 2. Mix together the protein powder, flour, oats, oat bran, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Crumble in the brown sugar, rubbing it with your fingers to break up any clumps. Stir in the chocolate chips. 3. Measure the yogurt, oil, and vanilla into a second bowl, stirring until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and mix patiently until thoroughly blended. (You may have to use your hands--it will be a thick batter, verging on a dough.) 4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, patting it evenly into place with your hands. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and cut into bars of any size or shape. Place the bars on the prepared baking tray and bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges. (For extra-crunchy bars, turn off the oven and leave them in there for up to 45 minutes longer.) Remove the bars from the oven, and place them on a rack to cool. 5. Eat the bars within a few hours, or seal them in a heavy zip-style plastic bag and store in the freezer. For maximum crispness, "refresh" them in a toaster oven after defrosting.