Alright everyone, summer is officially here! Warm weather, outdoor activities, lots and lots of sunshine. We are on the go! And what shall we grab for the perfect summer snack as we run from here to there, everywhere? My good friend Heather Short of Comfort Food Made Healthy has come up with a yummy bar you can make at home and take with you on your summer adventures. No more going hungry, and no more settling for less than healthy snacks when you can have these ready to go. Happy summer and happy snacking! ~Debi
Heather Bars – the perfect summer snack!
I confess, I tried to copy those other popular bars today. I’ve made these before and I’m continually trying different combinations. I’m thinking how hard can it be to make something that tastes similar? Well, turns out it’s not that easy and it’s all about getting the consistency right. The main ingredients are Deglat dates and raw nuts. So, here’s my 100th attempt and this recipe makes approximately 10 bars (3″ long x 1 1/2″ wide x 1/2″ deep). You will notice that mine are a little chunkier (more cashews). I used about $5.00 worth of ingredients so my cost is 50 cents per bar – NOT BAD!!! These are gluten-free, raw, organic, vegan and high in iron and potassium. I’ve also noticed that they help balance blood sugar levels. TIP: Put a pinch of pink salt in the mix too.
KEY LIME / COCONUT / CASHEW
INGREDIENTS:
50 Pitted organic Deglat Dates
2 tsp organic key lime juice
1 cup organic raw cashews
1 cup organic raw large flake coconut (unsweetened)
STEP 1:
Pour 1 cup of raw unsalted cashews in the food processor and pulse them several times until they are slightly chopped up. Pour them into a bowl and set aside.
STEP 2:
Put 50 pitted Deglat dates and 2 tsp key lime juice into the food processor and about a cup of raw large flaked unsweetened coconut. Pulse this together until the dates are finely chopped. Then add back 1/2 of your chopped cashews and pulse the whole mixture in the Cuisinart (food processor) until it starts to form a ball and roll around the blade.
STEP 3:
Remove the date / coconut / cashew mixture from the food processor and dump it into a bowl. Add the remainder of the chopped cashews and then kneed the entire mixture with your hands. It helps to wear surgical gloves as the mixture is sticky. Kneed for a minute to distribute the chunkier cashews evenly throughout the mixture.
STEP 4:
Turn the mixture out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press it down and form it into a rectangle. Place a 2nd piece of plastic wrap over it and use a rolling pin to roll it out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Wrap up the rectangle and set it on a flat surface in the freezer for about an hour.
STEP 5:
Take it out of the freezer and use a sharp knife to cut into individual size bars about 3″ long x 1 1/2″ wide x 1/2″ thick (or thereabouts). Wrap each bar individually with plastic wrap or parchment paper and keep refrigerated. You can eat them right away, however I think they taste better after about a week when the nuts have absorbed some of the date flavor and the lime juice. They are also less sticky when they sit for a week.
Enjoy the perfect summer snack!
