Pender Harbour Bars (Gluten-Free)

These delicious bars are sure to please both young and old and the recipe is incredibly versatile, allowing you to add or adapt the ingredients to your own tastes.  If you omit an ingredient balance the recipe by adding more of another ingredient.  The original recipe comes from Chef Lisa Lum's cookbook, A Chef's Secrets and I have adapted it so that it is gluten-free. 

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats (These are the old fashioned variety, not instant or quick oats.  Also, if you are making this for someone who has celiac disease, be sure to use gluten-free oats)

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins, dates, cranberries or combination

1/3 cup flaxmeal (ground flax)

1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted

2 Tb. sesame seeds

1/4 cup flax seed

2 Tb. vanilla

3/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup peanut butter (I use natural)

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

 Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  In large bowl combine first nine ingredients (oats to flax seed) and mix well to ensure even distribution.

 In separate bowl, mix together vanilla, brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, and melted butter or margarine. 

 Mix well

 Pour into dry ingredients and mix until evenly moist.

 Press into an un-greased 9 by 13 baking pan and bake for 13 - 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and middle appears set. 

 Let cool before cutting

Enjoy!