herry + Chocolate Oat Bars Are The Perfect Dessert/Breakfast

   Mom, who's a bit of a health nut (understatement), used to disparage an ex by saying, "He ate COOKIES for BREAKFAST!" as if there were no worse crime. Call me rebellious, but I'm a fan of cookies for breakfast.
assumed no-bake bars were inferior to the baked variety, but Laura of the blog Tutti Dolci changed my mind when she mixed hers up with plenty of almond butter and topped them.
dose of dried tart cherries, buttery hemp seeds, and crunchy cacao nibs, though feel free to switch up the nuts, seeds, and fruit as you see fit; the recipe is quite forgiving.

• 1 cup (235 mL) smooth, unsalted almond butter (preferably at room temperature, stirred if separated*)
• ½ cup (120 mL) maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2½ cups (225 grams) GF old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup (55 grams) unblanched sliced almonds
• ½ cup (70 grams) dried tart cherries (or cranberries)
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin coconut oil
• ¾ cup (130 grams) chopped bittersweetoats in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet set over low heat, and toast until golden and fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes.

   Each side to use as handles. Scrape in the oat mixture, and use damp hands to pack the mixture firmly.

   Edges of the mixture with a small, offset spatula or the tip of a knife, and use the parchment handles to lift it up and out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a large, sharp chef's knife.