CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Breakfast Bars

Start you day off with one of these tasty treats.

Breakfast Bars

½ cup butter, softened

1¼ cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup molasses

1¾ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups oatmeal

¾ cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins, dried cherries or dried cranberries

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces or chunks (or substitute coconut)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Combine butter, sugar, eggs, molasses in large mixing bowl. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to moist ingredients. Stir to combine. Stir in oatmeal, walnuts, dried fruit, chocolate or coconut. Spoon into prepared pan; cover with wax paper; press to spread mixture evenly into pan. Discard paper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until done. Cut into bars.

Yield: 16 bars.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

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