Granola bites

Makes about 4 dozen bites

2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ or oat bran
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chopped nuts. Possibilities include:

• Peanuts
• Slivered almonds
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Cashews

8 oz block jaggery (aka panela) or 2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp olive oil or butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt (unless you're using salted nuts and seeds)
1 cup mixed dried fruit and/or chocolate chips. Choose from:

• Raisins
• Currants
• Dried cranberries
• Dried apples
• Snipped prunes
• Snipped dates
• Snipped dried apricots
• Snipped figs
• Dried mango
• Crystallized ginger
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F if you want toasted grains.
2. Meanwhile, grease your mini-muffin tin with olive oil or butter. (I don't recommend liners. Too sticky.)
3. Mix the grains, seeds and nuts in an ovenproof dish and heat in the oven, stirring frequently to frequent burning.
4. Mix the jaggery, honey, oil, vanilla, and salt in a large pot and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
5. Mix all the ingredients together; you can do this right in the pot to minimize cleanup.
6. Place about 2 tbsps of the granola mixture in each muffin cup.
7. Use the back of a spoon, the bottom of a shot glass or a pestle wrapped in greased wax paper to press the granola to the bottom of each cup.
8. After 10 minutes of cooling, remove the bites from the tin with a twisting motion and store in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper. Alternately, cut up pieces of saran wrap, place a bite in the center of each piece, gather up the corners and twist together to wrap each bite individually.

This recipe can also be used for bars. Press into a 9" x 13" greased baking dish, cool, and cut into bars. They keep for a week, and don't require refrigeration. These are our standby snacks for trips to the pool, and contain no refined sugar unless it's in the fruit or you go with the brown sugar option.