Chocolate No -Bake Power Bars |
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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes |
Ready In: 65 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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I like to find good energy bars with different tastes. This is nutritious and tastes good too! Great for the lunchbox or as an afternoon snack! I adapted this from a recipe from Ellen's Kitchen. Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats |
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted and ground |
1/2 cup dried apricot, chopped fine |
1/2 cup raisins, chopped fine |
1 cup shredded unsweetened dried shredded coconut (i sometimes use sweetened) |
1 cup almonds, blanched,chopped or slivered |
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder |
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ |
2 teaspoons butter or 2 teaspoons margarine |
1 cup white corn syrup or 3/4 cup honey |
3/4 cup sugar |
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (try cashew butter!) |
1 teaspoon orange extract or 1 teaspoon lemon extract (or vanilla) |
2 teaspoons orange zest or 2 teaspoons lemons, rind of |
12 ounces chocolate chips (2 cups) |
4 ounces paraffin wax, food grade or 3/4 cup butter |
Directions:
1. Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan for about 7 minutes, until golden,then grind coarsely (can be done in food processor).
2. Toast the oats in a 300 degree oven in a 10 inch by 15 inch baking pan for 25 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching.
3. Mix the seeds, apricots, raisins, coconut, almonds, dry milk, and wheat germ; mix well.
4. Mix hot oats into dried fruit mixture.
5. Butter the hot baking pan; set aside.
6. In the frying pan, combine corn syrup or honey and sugar; bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter, orange extract, and orange peel.
7. At once, pour over the oatmeal mixture and mix well.
8. Quickly spread in buttered pan and press into an even layer.
9. Then cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
10. DIPPING FOR CHOCOLATE COATING Cut into bars about 1 1/4 by 2 1/2 inches.
11. Combine chocolate chips and paraffin in to top of a double boiler.
12. Place over simmering water until melted; stir often.
13. Turn heat to low.
14. Using tongs, dip 1 bar at a time into chocolate, hold over pan until it stops dripping, then place on wire racks set above waxed paper.
15. With paraffin, the coating firms very quickly, bars with butter in the chocolate coating may need to be chilled.
16. When firm and cool, serve bars, or wrap individually in foil.
17. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks; freeze to store longer.
18. Makes about 4 dozen bars, about 1 ounce each.
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