Earth Day Bars

Celebrate the planet's natural delights by baking a batch of these sweet snacks filled with a harvest of ingredients from all around the world.


Here's some background info on the tasty add-ins:

Raisins: California, the only place in the United States that harvests the grapes used to make raisins, is the world's No. 1 supplier.

Pineapple: Thailand produces approximately 20 percent of the world's pineapple crop, surpassing the Hawaiian Islands.

Brazil nuts: The complex growing environment this tree crop requires prevents it from being grown on farms. Instead, it's harvested directly from the rain forests of Brazil, Peru, and other South American countries.

Chocolate: Africa's Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans, the ingredient that gives chocolate its unique, irresistible flavor.

Coconut: The Philippines and Indonesia are the world's leading producers of copra, or coconut meat.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups baking mix (we used Bisquick)

1 1/2 cups instant oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

ADD-INS:

Coconut flakes

Chocolate chips

Chopped dried pineapple

Raisins

Chopped Brazil nuts

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, oats, brown sugar, butter, egg, and cinnamon.

Stir the mix with a wooden spoon until you have a crumbly dough. Next, customize your international treats by folding in 1 cup total of the add-ins of your choice.

Press the dough into an ungreased 9- by 13-inch pan and bake for 17 minutes or until the center is set and the bars are slightly brown. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 1-1/2 dozen 2- by 3-inch bars.

from http://www.familyfun.go.com/