Breakfast Bars with Oats and Coconut

These were great! I really don't think they need to sit for 6 hours in the fridge. I left out the dried fruit because sometimes it can be quite sweet. Substituted chia seeds for poppy seeds and I think that was a good move. 

Recipe from Michelle Palazzo and Peter Edris
Adapted by Melissa Clark, Published March 10, 2021

"A little like granola bars with their combination of oats, seeds, almond butter and dried cherries, these cookies — adapted from the chefs Michelle Palazzo and Peter Edris of Frenchette Bakery — have a soft and chewy texture rather than a crunchy snap. Perfect for a breakfast on the run or an afternoon nibble, they are lightly sweet and decidedly filling. At the bakery, the dough is baked into large, individual cookies, but, in this slightly simpler version, the dough is pressed into a 9-inch pan and baked into bars. (To make cookies, see the note below.) —Melissa Clark" 

• ¾ cup/180 milliliters smooth almond butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup/73 grams light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
• 1 large egg, beaten, at room temperature
• 1 egg white, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⅔ cups/146 grams rolled oats
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅓ cup/28 grams unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup/37 grams dried cherries (or another soft, plump dried fruit)
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds (or chia seeds!) 
• 2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds
• 1½ tablespoons flax seeds
• 1½ tablespoons sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a metal 9-inch square baking pan with butter and line it with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches to hang over 2 sides of the pan and use as handles later. Grease the parchment paper as well. 
    
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer and a large bowl, cream almond butter, granulated and brown sugars, and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add egg, egg white, salt and vanilla, and mix until well incorporated, occasionally scraping the side and bottom of bowl, about 1 minute longer.
    
3. Put oats in a small bowl, sift the baking soda over them, and beat into almond butter mixture. With the mixer on low speed, stir in coconut flakes, cherries and seeds until thoroughly mixed. 
    
   Here's where I deviate from the recipe - it says to "Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the dough (still in the bowl) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. (This allows the oats to hydrate.)" 
    
   What I did instead is: 
   Scrape dough into the prepared baking pan. Lightly grease a large spatula and firmly press the mixture into the pan in an even layer (I didn't find greasing a spatula was necessary but if it's really sticky, go for it). I skipped their recommended refrigeration for 6 hours - did it for maybe 1 (before questioning how much the oats would really hydrate...). 

4. Bake until the surface is light golden brown and firm, 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Transfer to a rack and allow bars to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, use a butter knife or small offset spatula to cut along the inside edges of the pan and release the bars. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift bars out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. Cut into 18 bars. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

• To make these into cookies rather than bars, drop ¼-cup measures of the dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake until golden at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.