Chocolate Goji Granola Bar

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup (260g) Turkish Apricots
• 1 cup (140g) Goji Berries
• 1 cup (120g) Sweetened Coconut, Shredded
• 1 cup (170g) Sesame Seeds, Hulled Raw
• 1 cup (180g) Natural Supreme Almonds, roughly chopped or Cashew Pieces
• 1/4 cup (70g) Natural Smooth Peanut Butter
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Coating:

• 1 cup (200g) Jumbo Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Tbsp Natural Smooth Peanut Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
2. Add the apricots and goji berries to a food processor and pulse to form a thick paste. This can take a while. The mixture should be soft/spreadable.
3. Add the coconut, sesame seeds, almonds and peanut butter to a large bowl. Mix well. Spread on the lined baking tray in a thin layer then bake for 7-9 minutes or until the mix becomes fragrant and just starts to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Pour slightly cooled nut mixture back into the mixing bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the apricot and goji mixture into the bowl as well, taking time to get all of the blended fruit into the bowl. Add vanilla, then mix the contents well. If the mixture is quite dry, add an extra 1 Tbsp nut butter. The mixture should be easy to shape together and hold well, but not be so wet that it is too wet to work with. Shape mixture into desired shape (bars, balls or logs all work). Place each one back on the lined tray, and repeat until all the mixture is used up. Place tray in the freezer for 1 hour.
5. After chilling bars for an hour, add chocolate chips to a heat proof bowl with the 1 Tbsp peanut butter. Set over a pot of just simmering water (make sure the bowl sits above the water line, and does not touch it). Melt fully, then remove from the heat.
6. Remove bars from the freezer and dip each one into the melted chocolate. Use two forks to pick the bar up and allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl before placing the bar back onto the lined tray. Repeat with all the bars, then place the tray back in the fridge to set.

Notes: Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge (for up to 2 weeks) or the freezer (up to 3 months).

Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Bake Time: 7-9 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 49 minutes
Yield: Approx. 24 bars