“Out the Door” Trail Bars
This is my own version of a sweet and salty trail bar. The goal was a treat that my husband and sons could grab as they headed out the door, be it school, work or for fun. I would make up a big batch and wrap each bar in plastic wrap and set them in a bowl right by the front entry. They loved their chewy goodness. When first developing the recipe, I spread a thick layer of chocolate mixture on top. My guys thought it was too much, so the amount of chocolate/butterscotch layer was decreased and converted to a drizzle. If you are not in a chocolate mood, they are also wonderful plain. You can also cool the mixture a bit before pressing them in the pan. When cooled, you may add M&M’s or your favorite flavor of chips to the mix and leave them unfrosted. That is the fun of making a trail bar. They adapt to your imagination and taste. As long as you add approximately 10 cups of dry ingredients to the bowl you can be creative with the out come.
“Out the Door” Trail Bars
4 cups Special K cereal
3 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal
2 cups broken pretzels
1 cup peanuts
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Line a large jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan combine:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Stir mixture frequently. Bring to a boil long enough to melt sugars. Pour over dry ingredients and toss together, coating well. Dump mixture into lined jellyroll pan. Use a second piece of parchment paper or greased hands to press mixture into the pan, until it is evenly spread out.
Melt:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
Melt in top of double boiler until smooth. Pour into a ziplock bag. Cut tip of corner off of the bag to use to drizzle melted chips over the the top of the bars. Cool and cut into 48 narrow bars. Each bar has approximately 190 calories.
Sunny Diversions 