Energy Bars

Recipe from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

Husband-Tested in Marimar’s Kitchen (Alice’s daughter-in-law)

Makes 24 bars

Back when our son first got married, I was delighted to find that he had chosen an excellent cook for his lifetime mate.  She and I enjoy cooking and baking very much and have shared recipes over the years.  This recipe came from a cookbook that I had given her (I own a copy too).  She made these bars for us to snack on during a recent visit to their home in Mexico.  I love that they are not too sweet.  They are chewy and slightly crunchy and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea and a piece of whole fruit for a mid-day pick-me-up. 

Cooking spray

1 cup quick-cooking oats

½ cup shelled unsalted raw sunflower seeds

½ cup toasted wheat germ

¼ cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole-wheat flour

½ cup dried apricots

½ cup raw almonds

½ cup raisins

½ cup pitted dried dates

½ cup nonfat dry milk

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Coat a 9” X 13” baking pan with cooking spray.  Place the ingredients, except the maple syrup and the eggs, in a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped.  Add the syrup and the eggs and pulse until the mixture is well combined.  It will resemble a coarse paste.  Transfer to the baking pan and spread evenly to cover the bottom.  Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cut into 24 bars (each about 3” x 1½”.)  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutritional Info: (per bar) 133 calories; fat 5 grams (1.8 g mono; 2 g poly; 0.6 g sat.); protein 5 grams; carbs 20 grams; fiber 2.5 grams; cholesterol 21 mg; sodium 19 mg.  Each bar is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of fiber, phosphorus, protein, and thiamin.