Ok, this is not to my credit whatsoever, credit belongs to the Detoxinista for sharing her recipe for Cherry Pie Larabars. I absolutely love her blog and encourage everyone to check out her recipes. I keep links of my favorite recipe blogs of some amazing chef's and nutritionists on my blog, so be sure to check them out!. Anyway back to the larabars. I did not know what a larabar was until I read her post. From what I get, they are pretty tasty, healthy treats. I guess there has been a lot of speculation about Larabars since the company was purchased by General Mills. GM is fighting to stop the labeling of GMO's which as we all know, means they are not looking out for the consumer but only their own pocket book. The good news is that the questions about GMO products used to make Larabars have been answered. Larabar has issued a statement on their website that they are enrolled in the Non GMO project and will continue to be GMO free. But, as always, making them yourself is always cheaper and best!
Like I said, I saw the first recipe for larabars on Detoxinista's site, after that I saw several different versions cropping up over the different blogs I read. They sounded delicious and I had just restocked my dates and almonds and had to try them for myself. So I thought about the other dried fruits I had available, cranberries, yum, raisins ok, I could dry some strawberries or apples maybe, then I thought of the new organic Turkish figs I just bought that are delicious...mmm oh yes.... I always loved the occasional fig newton when I was a kid, but who knows what the heck they put in them these days. These are very reminiscent of a fig newton but far more healthy and much more tasty!
So I was onto my mission. And the results were as I expected YUM! They are chewy and crunchy from the almonds and the fig seeds. Everyone here loved them. These are just too good not to share even if I can't take credit for the recipe. There are endless options for this recipe. Substitute the figs for whatever dried fruit you have available! I definitely recommend using unsweetened, chemical free dried fruit. If you can't find any then you can easily dry your own if you have a dehydrator. I am dreaming up new concoctions as I type... Anyway onto the good stuff. This recipe is super simple! Only three ingredients.
Fig Larabars:1 cup of soaked & dried raw almonds
1 cup of figs
1/2 cup of dates pitted
Directions:
You'll want to start a day early if you are going to soak your almonds. Soak the raw almonds in twice to three times as much water overnight. In the morning give them a good rinse and pop them into a dehydrator. Set at 105 degrees and let them run at least 8 hours, maybe more. I let mine run till the next day. Test them to make sure they are a bit crispy. (if you don't care if your almonds are raw or don't have a dehydrator, you can toast them instead, or buy toasted organic almonds and skip this step)
In a food processor, add the dates and figs (make sure there are no stems left on the fig and the dates are pitted) run the processor until the dates and figs are chopped and mixed. Add in the almonds and process some more until the almonds are in tiny chunks. The mix should stick together well if you try to make a ball. Make a large ball of the mix to press it together and make it stick. Lay this on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and form a type of rectangle with your hands. Lay an additional piece of parchment over the top and roll with a rolling pin for an even layer. You can press it all out by hand or even make it into little cookie or ball shapes. As bars, keep a piece of parchment papper between them to keep them from sticking together. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Makes 8 bars.
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