Sharing the Bar

It’s a beautiful sunny spring day and the great outdoors are calling my name.  However, before I go there, there are two recipes which I tried out this week which will give me just enough energy for the busy summer ahead.  Fruit and nut bars from the food coop are favorites of our fam but are just darn expensive.   Even though the ingredients are spendy, it’s still cheaper to make my own.  Mmmm.

Fruit & Nut Bars   -  makes 16 bars

These bars contain no oil and no sugar; they get their sweetness from dried fruit. They are also chock full of walnuts, which contain lots of those fabulous omega-3 fatty acids. These bars are wheat and soy-free -- great for those with allergy concerns.

1 cup whole spelt flour
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup prune purée or one 2.5 oz container prunes
½ cup currants or finely chopped raisins
½ cup dried apricots, chopped fine
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Water as needed by the tablespoon

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Lightly coat an 8-inch x 8-inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead with your hands until a good, stiff dough forms. Add a tablespoon of water if the mixture is too dry. Press dough firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife before placing in the oven.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until baked through but still soft (don’t overbake them or the bars will be tough). Store leftover bars in the refrigerator.

Fruit-and-Nut Breakfast Bars  -  makes 8 bars

¼ cup orange juice
½ cup whole Medjool dates (about 5), halved and pitted
½ cup whole raw almonds with skins
½ cup dried apricots
¼ cup dried plums (prunes)
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 300°. Pour orange juice over dates and let soak 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place almonds, dried apricots, and dried plums in a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Add salt and dates with orange juice and pulse until mixture starts to stick together. Add pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, pulsing a few times just to incorporate.

Using wet hands, scoop mixture onto a work surface and form into a log about 1 3/4 in. wide and 1/2 in. thick. Use your palms to flatten into a bar, and cut bar into 8 equal pieces.

Arrange pieces about 1 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, turn bars over and bake another 8 minutes, or until nuts are toasted (but before fruit begins to burn). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.