Try these bad boys out! They are sooo yummy and even a little bit healthy, too.

3 cups granola without fruit
3/4 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)
1/2 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup wheat germ
1-3/4 sticks (14 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put cereal in a large bowl and break up any clumps with your fingers. Add in craisins, peanuts, coconut. Mix together. Cream butter at medium speed for about 1-2 minutes. Add sugars and beat until creamy. Add in egg and salt. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in flour a little at a time until just blended.
Slowly add the cereal mixture and use a spatula to fold it into the cookie batter. Scoop out the cookie dough in 1/2-1oz balls (depending on how big you want the cookies) and arrange on baking sheet about 1-2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.

Here’s another variation of the great Canadian Butter Tart!

Courtesy of FoodTV.ca.

Makes 10 tarts

Ingredients

Pastry

• 2- 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2/3 cups cold vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. ice water

Filling

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup currants

Directions

Pastry

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Sift dry ingredients together. With a pastry cutter, blend in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water gradually until dough forms. Pat dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick. With a cookie cutter, cut out ten 41/2-inch circles. Press the circles into 10 cups of a muffin tin. Put the muffin tin in the freezer for 20 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden and set. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling

In a medium bowl, lightly beat together the egg, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, vanilla and salt.

Assembly

Divide the currants among the shells. Pour the mixture into the shells and bake until set, about 15 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes.

Remove tarts from pan and cool on a wire rack.

A Canada Day favorite! This butter tart recipe comes from Cindy Snetsinger in Brantford, Ontario, who got it from her grandmother. These butter tarts are runny – but not too runny – and delicious.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup shortening
• teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup raisins (optional, or can be replaced with chopped pecans or walnuts)

Pastry

Blend the shortening and the flour with a pastry cutter, or two knives, until you’ve created a uniform mixture that is crumbly and about the size of frozen peas.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 egg, 1 tbsp white vinegar and 2 tbsp cold water. Add to shortening and flour mixture.

Mix all ingredients together, but only until just mixed and no more.

** The key to flaky pastry is not to over handle the dough. **

For ease of handling, make a ball of the dough, wrap in cellophane and place in freezer for 10-15 mins. Roll out dough onto floured surface to about the thickness of a CD case. Using either a cookie cutter or something like a jar lid, cut out circles from the dough. Press dough circles into a muffin pan.

Filling

In another bowl, mix well corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and egg. Add vanilla and stir in raisins.

Spoon filling into pastry shell to just below the rim.

Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes until golden brown.

Makes about a dozen tarts.