Tartine All Day: Granola Bark

I had been auditioning granola bars for my daughter, Archer, when I finally decided to make something in between a snack and a cereal: Granola Bark. It’s a granola that forms a thin bar, and then is easily broken into smaller pieces. Granola has a surprising amount of fat and much more sugar than expected for a healthful snack or breakfast. So I’ve cut back, opting for the lower-glycemic sweeteners like maple syrup and coconut sugar. I personally use olive oil, but other healthful fats, like coconut oil, would do just as well, and of course, butter is a delicious option. The egg white and plumped flax seeds help bind the granola and make it extra crispy, doing the job that additional sweetener often does. The recipe works without the egg white, but the bark is slightly more crisp if it’s included.I enjoy Granola Bark over yogurt with fruit for breakfast, and I include it in Archer’s lunchbox as a snack bar. GRANOLA BARK:| INGREDIENTS |1½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon3 cups Rolled Oats, not quick-cooking1¼ cups Almonds, chopped1¼ cups Shredded Coconut, unsweetened½ cup Flax or Chia Seeds, whole or ground¼ cup Sesame Seeds½ cup Almond or Hazelnut Flour½ cup Maple Syrup or Honey, or ¼ cup of each½ cup Coconut Sugar¼ cup Water1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract½ teaspoon Sea Salt⅓ cup Olive or Vegetable Oil1 Large Egg White, whisked until frothy| ASSEMBLY |1 | Combine the cinnamon, oats, almonds, coconut, flax or chia seeds, sesame seeds and almond flour or hazelnut flour in a large bowl.2 | Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 13 x 18 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.3 | Combine the maple syrup or honey (or a mix of both), coconut sugar, water, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from the heat and let cool to warm room temperature.4 | Add the olive oil and egg white to the cooled syrup mixture and whisk to incorporate. Pour over the oats mixture and mix well.5 | Spread the mixture evenly across the prepared baking sheet. Using another same-size baking sheet or the bottom of a pot, press the mixture down firmly to compact it before baking. 6 | Bake for 45 minutes or longer, until dark golden brown, rotating the sheet after about 15 minutes to promote even browning. While the granola bakes, open the oven door a couple of times to release steam. 7 | Set the baking sheet on a cooling rack until the surface of the granola is crisp. Leave the oven on. If the surface is still tacky to the touch once it has cooled, return the pan to the oven and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes. Don’t let the bark get too dark, or it’ll taste bitter.8 | Once cool, break the bark into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.*Makes about 16 servings.Reprinted with permission from Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook by Elisabeth Prueitt, copyright (c) 2017. Published by Lorena Jones Books/Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.  Photography credit: Paige Green (c) 2017