Oat & Pine Nut Bars with White Chocolate

Oat and Pine Nut Bars with White Chocolate
adapted from “Food & Wine” May 2010

1 stick of unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
3/4 cup honey, I like to use a local honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups old fashioned oats
8 oz. pine nuts
a pinch of freshly ground pepper & salt
6 oz. Dove Chocolate Discoveries Chef-Series White Chocolate, cut into sections**

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 F.  Grease an 8″ X 8″ square pan with butter. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
2.  In a 2qt. saucepan, melt butter, honey and sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Stir for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has an amber color.
3.  Stir in the oats, pine nuts, pepper and salt.  Continue to cook and stir until pine nuts have a golden brown toast, about 3-5 minutes.
4.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top to level it.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edge is golden and bubbling.
5.  Let the bars cool in the pan.
6.  After the bars are completely cool, run a knife around the edge and lift them out with the help of the parchment paper.
7.  Cut the bars into sizes desired, either long bars or square, I like mine as smaller squares.
8.  Temper the white chocolate or melt the chocolate in a microwave with a 1/2 teaspoon of canola oil at 20 second increments stirring in between until completely melted.  (I did both ways and prefer the tempered chocolate for the fast hardened and glossy finish.)
9.  Dip the bottom of each bar in the melted chocolate and let the chocolate set.

** Use a quality white chocolate that uses only cocoa butter as the fat.  Lesser  quality white chocolate will contain other oils such as vegetable or  tropical oils.

Bars will keep for 3 days at room temperature. My were long gone~