THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! Congratulations to Grace for winning the Chinet Bakeware. Enjoy!
It’s the time of year where you’re baking and cooking all the time. And all of that means even more dishes. Dishes? They’re no fun. I was introduced to Chinet Bakeware earlier this year and have fallen in love with it. It’s high quality disposable Bakeware that I love because it means no clean up, and it is the best way to give food to other people. No waiting to get your dishes back.
I have successfully made Peach Crisp and Plum Cherry Crumble in it, and I use it to set fudge all the time. I was even a weekly winner in their Bakeware contest. When Chinet approached me to do a giveaway for you, my wonderful readers, I was super excited. I know you all could use this for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m a sweets baker pretty much exclusively, but this Bakeware would be fabulous for dressing, macaroni and cheese, pasta casserole, green bean casserole, mashed regular or sweet potatoes, and so much more.
My only word of caution is that is isn’t the best way to bake something like a cake or bar where you need to make sure it bakes all the way through or the bottom of something gets crispy, as the pan does not conduct or hold heat very well, pretty much cool after only a few minutes out of the oven. But there are so many things it is great for, I’m so thankful this product is on store shelves and that one of you will get a chance to try it.
First I wanted to make something different with it. I’ve seen so many homemade granola bars lately that I wanted to put my own spin on them. I put a few ingredients together quickly, pretty much all healthy, save for a little Biscoff because . . . well . . . it’s Biscoff, and I love Biscoff, mixed them together in one bowl, pressed them into the pan, baked them, and after a little cooling tasted.
Baking as much as I do, recipes that I make fit into one of a few categories. There are those that don’t work out so well (you don’t see those here), those that I like and am happy to have tried but won’t make again, those that I really like and hope to make again one day, and then there are those special recipes that I want to make again tomorrow. Cherry Almond Granola Bars? They fit into the last category. I fell in love with these bars in one taste. Okay I really fell in love with them raw, when I had to force myself to put most of the dough in the pan, not my mouth. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had a granola bar in so long or because I’ve never had a homemade one, but these are so awesome, one of my favorite things I’ve made. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, it doesn’t matter when you eat these hearty, healthy bars, just make sure you whip up a pan to give a try. The chewy oats are matched perfectly with the crunchy coconut and almonds. The tart cherries add great flavor, even the Biscoff comes through in a surprising amount, and the cherry honey intensifies the cherry flavor while keeping things gooey and chewy. I’m picturing these as a power breakfast before black Friday or Christmas morning for a burst of present opening energy.
Let’s talk giveaway. One winner will receive a full set of Chinet Bakeware. You’ll get 3 8-inch square pans, 3 large oval 7 by 11 inch pans, 3 small oval 7.25 by 9. 25 inch pans, and 2 9 by 13 inch pans. I know you’ll love this Bakeware as much as I do. Good luck!
To enter the giveaway, tell me the first thing you’d make in the Bakeware.
To earn additional entries:
Follow @piesandplots on Twitter. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional and entirely separate comment.
Like Pies and Plots on Facebook. Come back and let me know you’ve liked me in an additional and entirely separate comment.
Follow Pies and Plots on Pinterest. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional and entirely separate comment.
Follow @piesandplots on Instagram. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional and entirely separate comment.
Subscribe to Pies and Plots via email using the form at the top of the page on the right hand side. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional and entirely separate comment.
Like Chinet on Facebook. Come back and let me know you’ve liked in an additional and entirely separate comment.
Important: In order for each of your entries to count, you must leave entirely separate comments. Meaning it is possible for the first seven comments to all have been left by one person. If you leave all of this information in one comment, you will only be entered in the giveaway one time.
The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, November 11, 2012.
The winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on random.org. The winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen.
Disclaimer: Chinet provided the giveaway, but the opinions, as always, are my own.
I also want to tell you all about a recipe contest currently going on. It is from Tupelo Honey Cafe, which has been in my bookmarks for years as a place I want to visit. All you have to do it submit your favorite holiday side dish, dessert, or leftover recipe. I bet you know which category I’m entering 😉 Each week they’re announcing a winner of their cookbook, and at the beginning of December, three people will each win a $200 gift card to their online store or restaurants. I know you guys have some amazing recipes to submit, and bloggers, you’re eligible too. I think you and your readers would love this contest, so pass it along. Head over to Tupelo Honey’s website to take a peak at all the rules and enter. You only have until November 16th, but that’s plenty of time for all you bakers and chefs out there!
Disclaimer: Tupelo Honey Cafe approached me about this contest, but the opinions, as always, are my own, and their site really has been in my bookmarks, so it was kind of like fate that they approached me.
Cherry Almond Granola Bars and Giveaway!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 16 generously 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats (I used Quaker)
- 2 cups quick cooking oats (I used McCann’s)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup cherry honey (regular honey would also work)
- 1 cup dried tart cherries (I used Sun Maid)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup flaked unsweetened coconut (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup crunchy Biscoff
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment. I used a Chinet Bakeware pan.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, cherries, salt, coconut, almonds, sugar, and Biscoff. Mix to fully combine and make sure there are no clumps of ingredients. Your hands may be the best tool here.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Press it in firmly with your hands. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until lightly golden brown and fragrant.
- Allow bars to cool for 30 minutes, then cut into bars, but do not remove from the pan. Allow to cool completely before removing the bars from the pan or they will fall apart. May be stored at room temperature for up to one week. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Looove hmemade granola bars!
I’d probably make some kind of brownie with the new bakeware (boyfriend has been craving it 😉 )
★★★★★
Oh those granola bars sound awesome! And what would I make? Oh man with all those sizes there are far too many options. But I am thinking a peanut butter topped brownie
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These are really good!
Thanks! Glad you liked them 🙂
Wow, the granola bars look fantastic! I’ve been thinking about making granola bars lately. So I would probably make these granola bars first. And brownies, second. (I’ve been craving them too!) 😛
I follow you on twitter, duh 😛
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I “liked” you on Facebook and just finished making this great chewy granola bar. I did substitute maple syrup for honey and used 4 cups of old fashioned oats. If I am lucky enough to win the bakeware, I would bake up several batches of the Cherry Almond Granola Bars in the 9 x 13 inch pans as my daughter, daughter-in-law and I get together to cook/bake periodically. Each prepares something different, then we divide and each have a great meal to take home. These would definitely be enjoyed by my five grandchildren, ages 2 through 12.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the granola bars, Grace! They are one of my favorite recipes! I can’t wait to try them with maple syrup. Good luck in the contest!
And I, of course, like you on fb!
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Thank you for sharing this yummy treat! We have been enjoying the granola bars for breakfast, snack time and a lunch bag dessert! And the few crumbs we gathered up, were a great topping for yogurt! We love that they are made from healthy ingredients and can be so tasty and filling!
It’s great to hear you liked them, Mary! They are great any time of day. Putting the crumbs on yogurt is a wonderful idea. I bet they’d be great on ice cream, too, but that’s the baker in me talking 😉 I hope you’ll enter the contest too!
I’d make blondies!
I would make a casserole of some kind.
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I follow you on pinterest!
★★★★★
Granola Bars — Great treat with health in mind. fiber for the heart. Cinnamon for blood pressure & nuts for good fats.. Tasty treat.
Cook ware- First thing I’d try to make would be the caramel blondies 🙂
★★★★★
The very first thing I would bake would have to be brownies with peanut butter fudge frosting – my hubby’s all time favortie!! Your granola bars look fantastic too. 🙂
Following you on twitter @rubyk25
Liked you on Facebook
I would make brownies.
I like Chinet on fb 😀
★★★★★
These are really good and so much better than the ones you buy.
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They are totally better than the ones from the store. I was surprised, but I should know by now that everything homemade is better than store bought.
The first thing I would make in my brand new Chinet Bakeware would be chocolate chip cookie bars.
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I like Pies and Plots on Facebook.
★★★★★
The Cherry Almond Granola Bars were a hit with my 2 children and young grandchildren.
I’d use the Chinet to bake more batches of the granola bars and give a pan to each. 🙂
I’m thrilled you enjoyed them, Grace! They are one of my favorites 🙂 I hope you’ll try more of my recipes!
The first thing I would do with new Bakeware would be hand them over to someone that can bake. That being said, the stipulation would have to be something that is seeped in brown sugar and cinnamon.
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Hmmm, the first thing I would have to make would be the carmel blondies….yum!
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I liked Pies and Plots on Facebook 🙂
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I liked Chinet. on Facebook …
I would make those famous Blondies!
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I’m following you on Twitter! 🙂
following you on pinterest!
I’ve actually been to the Tupelo Honey Cafe. Such a charming place! 😉
So cool that you’ve been to the Tupelo Honey Cafe, Carolyn! I hope to make it there one day, or at least mail order some of their stuff to try!
Thrilled to win the Chinet Bakeware. It all arrived late yesterday, just in time to use for baking many items for our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. By the way, my daughter-in-law just called to ask about amount of tart cherries for the granola bars as she’s taking them to her family gathering. Delicious recipe. Again, thank you Laura for the opportunity to enter the contest.
I’m so glad you received the Bakeware in time for Thanksgiving! I hope it will be very helpful to you. It’s such a compliment that the granola bars have been a huge hit. Thank you for all your support, Grace, Happy Thanksgiving!