Cherry Granola Bars

Ingredients:

1  cup flour

1 ½ cups quick oats

½ cup rolled oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup room temperature butter

cherry filling see below

Cherry Filling:

2 cups fresh cherries stems removed and seeded

1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon water
pinch salt

Prepare Cherry Filling by adding cherries to a small saucepan, stir in sugar, water, salt, lemon juice, and corn starch. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, once it starts to boil cook for 10 minutes. It should have started to thicken, if not cook for a few more minutes. Once thickened remove from heat and let it sit at room temp until cool. Pour into a bowl and cover, refrigerate until ready to use.

*I typically will make this a day or two before and set in the fridge until I am ready to make the bars.

Preheat the oven to 350° and spray 8×8 inch square pan.

Add all of the dry bar ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix together using your hands.

Add butter, using a pastry blender or your hands work the mixture into crumbs/pea-sized pieces. It will become a soft and crumbly mixture.

Add 2/3 of the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and firmly pat down. Then top with cooled cherry filling. Add evenly the remaining crumb mixture on top of the cherries. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Let bars completely cool. Cut bars into 9-12 serving and serve.