Honey: A sweet remedy

I am always on the lookout for recipes using honey at this time of the year, since I find that local honey in moderation helps control my seasonal allergies.

Spring is coming and buds are already appearing here and there. So I was inspired to make these honey-sweetened snack bars by a show on the television Food Network with Ellie Krieger.

My final recipe was a variation of what Krieger did, as is so often the case, because of the ingredients available in my pantry at the moment.

After all, why buy something when you can use what is already within reach?

I had a couple of jars of natural peanut butter and almond butter, each with about a half cup left; a box of Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs cereal; a package of dried cherries; and a jar of honey made by William Merriman in North Canaan. Willie’s Honey — pure, raw, uncooked —  is available at LaBonne’s Market in Salisbury or Guido’s in Great Barrington.

The seven whole grains in the puffed cereal are red winter wheat, long-grain brown rice, oats, barley, triticale, rye and buckwheat, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. With no added sugar, the carbohydrates total 15 grams per 1-cup serving; the dietary fiber is 1 gram.

This cereal has a rich, nutty flavor and great crunch.

To find Krieger’s original recipe, go to foodnetwork.com.

Crispy seven-grain cereal bars

Makes about 15 2-inch bars

2/3 cup honey, preferably local

1/2 cup each unsweetened peanut butter and almond butter

6 cups Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs cereal or other whole grain puffed cereal

2/3 cup dried cherries or other dried fruit, such as raisins

With a long-handled wooden spoon, mix the honey, peanut butter and almond butter in a large pot over medium/low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Immediately add the dried cherries, folding them in for a minute or so. They should plump up.

Add the cereal and stir until well-coated. It will be sticky.

Spray a 9-x-13-inch pan with cooking spray, or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Press the cereal mixture into the pan evenly with a wooden spoon, or lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of the mixture and press it down with a smaller pan to make a level top. Let the mixture cool, then refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares and store in an airtight container.