Patriotic Granola Bars-Turned-Bread

It's time to send off another round of cookies to support deployed American troops with Operation: Baking GALS! My cookies are part of the effort for Team Oven Lovings for the Recovering, which sends goodies to soldiers currently recuperating from injuries sustained in the line of duty. The treats will be part of a program that is already in place that serves a home-style meal to the patients to instill a sense of community in the hospital.

Getting my patriotic baking cap on, I rounded up a recipe (granola bars from my Williams-Sonoma Baking tome). The recipe calls for pre-made granola, so I used Zoe Foods' cinnamon raisin mix.

I made a few tweaks (like using applesauce instead of mashed banana, maple syrup instead of honey, and doubling the recipe), then stuck the soon-to-be-bars in the oven to bake.

What emerged was not exactly granola bar material, but more like granola bread. Whoops. Still, it tasted good and seemed to pass the Best Husband Ever's taste test, so I'm not too bummed.

So I packaged the granola bread up, tucking in some apple peel for freshness. Now the box is sitting in the fridge, waiting for its adventure in the mail system to begin tomorrow.

If you're interested in baking to brighten a deployed soldier's day (and taste buds), visit the Baking GALS website for more information. It's great fun, and a great cause. Hooah!