To say that traffic annoys me would be an understatement. I have been relishing my week off, and the fact that I haven’t had to spend up to 3 hours a day in my car.
My car is not my happy place. It’s a 16 year old Toyota Corolla that likes to act its age. It’s quite talkative, and tends toward moody days, especially in the cold. Couple that with a moody Anna desperately trying to get home before the sun goes down, and sometimes, well, the result is not so pretty (i.e. the school bus incident).
The whole situation is often exacerbated by hunger. In our house, I have an alter ego, dubbed “Hanna” as she’s the hungry version of me. She’s mean, grumpy, and doesn’t care who she needs to tear through to get a snack.
So now, I keep a secret stash of granola bars in the car. Because I do not need Hanna riding with me during my commute. These bars are soft, and become delightfully chewy after a winter night in the glove compartment. The warming flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon, studded with bright dried cranberries and chocolate chips are an added bonus. Happy snacking!
One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8” pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. In a medium bowl, mix together vanilla, pumpkin, milk, egg, and molasses. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Mix the two together until well combined, but take care not to overmix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scrape the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bars are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (except for chocolate smears). Let cool completely in the pan, then invert or cut into bars. I preferred these colder, as it gave them a chewier texture, but they can be stored at room temperature, or in the fridge. (Or in your car!)
Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
About The Bao
2 Comments
I LOVE these oatmeal bars. =) And I keep a stash at my desk! Not in my car though – but that’s not a bad idea!
It only works in the winter, though. Wouldn’t want a chocolate pumpkin explosion waiting for me in the summer! Although that does sound delicious.