SEASONAL RECIPES Chocolate, Fruit, and Nut Snack Bars
WHAT TO COOK THIS WEEK
Makes 12
These bars, loaded with dates, rolled oats, bananas, tahini, orange rind, cashews, apricots, cranberries, and cocoa powder, are dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan. Once they’re mixed and baked in a square pan, cut them into rectangles. The only sweetener comes from dates and bananas. The bars might find a place at the breakfast table with coffee, or accompany you on an afternoon of errands, or hit the spot at the 4 o’clock slump.
Olive oil (for the pan)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 small ripe bananas, sliced
¼ cup well-stirred tahini
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon sesame seed
⅛ teaspoon flaky sea salt
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Very lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan. Line it with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides of the pan to use later as a sling.
2. In a food processor, pulse the dates and oats until finely chopped. Add the cocoa powder and pulse once or twice to mix.
3. Add the bananas, tahini, olive oil, vanilla, salt, and orange rind. Pulse until the mixture forms a coarse paste.
4. Add the cashews, apricots. and cranberries. Pulse 2 or 3 times, or just long enough to mix them in without pulverizing them.
5. Scrape the batter into the baking pan. Level it with the back of a spoon, pushing it firmly into the corners. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the square is firm to the touch. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
7. Using the parchment as handles, transfer the whole piece to the rack; let it cool completely.
8. Peel off the parchment paper. Set the square on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, make one vertical cut and one horizontal cut to form 4 squares. Make 2 evenly spaced cuts on each square to shape 12 bars. Store in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper for up to several days.