Protein Bars - Crunchy, Fresh and Delicious

Now that I'm teaching full time I have little time to eat lunch and often find I need a little boost during the day.  In the past I've reached for one of those packaged protein bars.  Full of vitamins and rich in protein but frankly lacking in texture and flavor.  Recently I saw a Food Network episode of Alton Brown making protein bars and decided I would try my own version.  The ingredient list may seem daunting but the trip to our local co-op store was both fun and rewarding.  The magic powders and flours totaled a whopping $2.17 for a single batch and the fruits and nuts, just under $5.00.

Alton Brown's version uses peanut butter.  I'm not very fond of peanut butter cooked into anything so I used almond butter instead.  Chef Bill questioned my choice of almond because peanuts do pack in a lot of flavor.  I solved this by adding a tiny bit of almond extract along with the vanilla.  Let me know what you think!  Enjoy.  Monica

Almond Protein Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 13 X 9 inch glass pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with oil.
Coarsely chop approximately 3/4 cup of whole almonds.  Sprinkle the nuts over the bottom of the pan.  Lightly dust approximately 2 tablespoons of sugar over the almonds.  Set the pan aside while you complete the mixture.

Combine and set aside:

1 cup vegetable soy protein*
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

*the vegetable soy protein I found was too coarse so I had grind it to a powder in my food processor

Whisk or beat and set aside:
2 eggs
12 oz. silken tofu
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup almond butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla

Coarsely chop 2 cups of dried fruit and set aside.  I used cherries, apricots and cranberries.

Fold the dry soy protein mix into the wet ingredients.  Add the dried fruits and stir until just combined.  Spread this mixture into your prepared baking dish.  Be careful the push the dough all the way into the corners this dough will not fill in or flatten out on its own.

Bake approximately 40 - 50 minutes until the center reaches a temperature of about 205 degrees.  Cool completely before cutting into squares.  I used a pastry knife to cut the squares and wrapped them individually in plastic for freezing.

Many thanks to my food stylist and husband Bill for help with the photography and of course to Alton Brown for the inspiration to try his bars and make them mine.