Chocolate No -bake Power Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

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 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

Recipe

• 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.