LeahBar: coffee goodness

If you have never had a Larabar I recommend trying one by making your own.  You may have seen these tasty treats at the store but like many people not bought them because of the price. They are not cheap - the regular cost is $1.65 for a 1.7oz bar - eeek. (You can find them cheaper sometimes, but not often.)  Larabars are amazing- they are great snacks made with super simple ingredients all of which you can actually pronounce! Dates, almonds and cherries are the three ingredients in one of my favorites, Cherry Pie.  I was blessed to come across a food processor that was in a friend's basement collecting dust. I "commandeered" it and now use no less than 3 times a week (Thanks to J and MVP!).  Once I had this fabulous piece of equipment, I thought "Why not make your own Larabars, Leah!??" Naturally, I began searching the fabulous internet for a little inspiration and got to experimenting!  Since last year, I have made a lot of "LeahBars" and perfected the process.  It is so satisfying making your own food. This is another great recipe to make with children- they love it, especially if you add chocolate chips.

How I made it:

 Four simple ingredients! You really only need two: dates and nuts.

Process dates. 

Process nuts, coffee and salt.

Add the date paste to the nuts and process for 30-60 seconds until combined.

Press into pan with parchment paper.

 Cover and cool for 2 hours to set.

 Ready to cut.

Ready to eaten...or stored for later. :) 

This recipe made the equivalent of about 9-1.7oz LaraBars which would cost $14.85 before tax.  This Leah Bar recipe cost me $6.12 which is 68-cents a bar! I saved ONE dollar a bar. AND had I bought all my ingredients at Costco (which I normally do) it would have been $3.26, that is 36-cents a bar. Wowzers!

 LeahBar: coffee goodness

1.5-2 cups dates, roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts

1 tablespoon ground coffee
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper or set out a couple sheets of plastic wrap.

2.Place dates in the bowl and process until it becomes a paste. I let it run until it balls up. Remove date "paste" and set aside in a small bowl.

3. Add the walnuts, coffee and salt to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped (not powdery!). Set aside in a small bowl.

4. Break date paste ball into pieces and add to the walnuts.  Process until combined, about 30-60 seconds. 

5. Remove blade from processor. Wet hands (this keeps the mixture from sticking to your hands). Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly over the bottom of the pan.  If you are using the plastic wrap ball the mixture up and place it on one sheet and cover it with the other flattening it out to desired thickness.

6. Refrigerate for a few hours before cutting.

7. Cut into your desired sizes.  Wrap individual bars in saran wrap or parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Tips/Tricks:

• Lining the pan with parchment paper makes for an easy cleanup and removing the "LeahBar" sheet from the pan much easier! 
• No food processor - If you don't have a food processor you can make the date paste by mashing them with a spoon. If the dates or fruit of choice are slightly dry, throw them in the microwave for 20seconds. For the nuts you can simply finely chop them with a knife.
• Wet your hands before pressing. 
• I used the side of a glass like a rolling pin to help evenly press the date nut mix into the pan.
• These are great replacements for processed energy bars - I eat them a lot while I am on my long bike rides.

Variations:

• This recipe is just a base. Get creative! 
• You can do a 1:1 ratio rather than a 2:1 like the above recipe.
• Use different nuts or a variety. Almonds, cashews and peanuts work well.
• Use other dried fruits.  Fruits that work well: dried apricots, cherries and blueberries.
• Some combinations I have made:
• cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (ginger snap)
• finely shredded coconut, vanilla (taste like an oatmeal cookie)
• cinnamon, salt, cayenne pepper, cocoa powder (Mexican Chocolate)
• There are endless options! 
• Use a cookie cutter for fun shapes.
• Sometimes I just roll them into little balls rather than pressing into a block.