Nut, Fruit and Grain Clusters

This so doesn’t taste like a healthy snack, but it is. It has a deep, rich flavor.  I love granola type things, so I thought I’d play around with the concept. Note: The toasted barley is very crunchy, so if you plan to serve this to people with dental issues, you might want to skip the barley and add another cup of oat cereal.

Ingredients:

½ cup barley
4 cups O shaped oat cereal
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sliced (or slivered) almonds
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries

6 Tablespoons light stick butter

2 Tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup maple syrup (or agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt

Directions: First, toast the barley by placing it in a dry skillet and cooking it on medium low for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until pale golden. You’ll know it is starting to toast when it smells nutty.  Remove from the stove and let cool. In a large bowl, mix the cereal, oats, toasted barley, nuts, flax seed, wheat germ and dried fruit.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats if you have them or spray the dickens out of the pans with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar on low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Add in the honey, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Cook for three minutes and then pour over the cereal mixture. Stir to coat all of the cereal mixture. Spread the mixture between your baking sheets and pat down into an even layer. Bake for 16 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and break into clusters. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.