Rose-Scented Power Bars

Makes 16, 2-inch bars. Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen. 

A note from Claire: “I first made these bars when I was pregnant with my daughter, as part of my ‘baby preparations’ — aka making and freezing large quantities of food. I brought a container of them with me to the hospital and they were honestly all I ate for three days until I gave birth. I found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen, but hers was more a choose-your-own-adventure, and I wanted a curated flavor, and so this distinctly feminine power bar was born.”

Our Mazeh Spice in combination with rose water gives these bars a delicious and memorable flavor. They’re addictive and you’ll want to make them again and again.

The small amount of corn syrup in the recipe is important; it helps “glue” the bars together. They still will be more crumbly than a commercial granola bar, but after they’ve baked and cooled, popping them into the fridge for 20 minutes them makes them less crumbly for cutting. 

1⅔ cups quick rolled oats
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup oat flour (or ⅓ cup oats, ground finely in a food processor or blender)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Mazeh Spice
1 cup dried fruit (dried cherries, raisins, or apricots)
1 cup nuts, chopped (pistachios or almonds)
½ cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
1 teaspoon rose water 
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons light corn syrup 
1 tablespoon water
⅓ cup almond butter 

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ baking pan with a piece of parchment paper trimmed (or folded) to 8-inches wide but long enough to overhang two sides of the pan. Grease the parchment paper and the two unlined sides of the pan.

Put the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl; stir to mix. Separately, whisk the rose water, melted butter, honey or maple syrup, corn syrup, and water until combined.

Add the liquid mixture and the almond butter to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened and crumbly.

Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Use your hands to spread it fairly evenly over the bottom of the pan, then press it firmly into an even layer.

Bake until the bars are golden brown on top, 30–40 minutes. (The center may seem under-baked, but the bars will firm up when cooled.)

Set the pan on a rack to cool. When they are completely cool, use the overhanging flaps of parchment to lift them, as a block, out of the pan to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut into squares. Store tightly covered at room temperature, or freeze (so you won’t eat all the bars in one go!).