No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
yield: 10 bars
adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}

1 cup crispy rice cereal

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn’t small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.} Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars.

** I put a few dried Apricots into the food processor until they were  pretty small. Then mixed them with my dry ingredients   I doubled the recipe and was almost a cup short of oatmeal, so I just put that much more rice crispies.  It worked fine.  I also used more chocolate chips than called for in the recipe.  I just sprinkled them on until it looked like I wanted. **

I think I might try dried cherries next time. :o)