Power Bars

Makes about 4 dozen bars, about 1 ounce each.

Ingredients:
1 cup regular rolled oats
½ cup sesame seed
1 ½ cups dried apricots, finely chopped
1 ½ cups raisins
1 cup shredded unsweetened dry coconut
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped
½ cup nonfat dry milk
½ cup toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1 cup light corn syrup
¾ cup sugar
1 ¼ cups chunk-style peanut butter
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 package (12 oz.) or 2 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips
4 ounces paraffin or ¾ cup butter or margarine

Note: Paraffin is widely used in chocolate manufacture to improve smoothness and slow the deterioration of flavour and texture. Butter can be used instead, but a butter-chocolate mixture doesn’t cover as thinly or as smoothly.

Method:

1.	Spread oats in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven until oats are toasted, about 25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
2.	Meanwhile, place sesame seed in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Shake often or stir until seeds are golden, about 7 minutes.
3.	Pour into a large bowl. Add apricots, raisins, coconut, almonds, dry milk, and wheat germ; mix well. Mix hot oats into dried fruit mixture.
4.	Butter the hot baking pan; set aside.
5.	In the frying pan, combine corn syrup and sugar; bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter, orange extract, and orange peel.
6.	At once, pour over the oatmeal mixture and mix well. Quickly spread in buttered pan and press into an even layer. Then cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours or until next day.

Cut into bars: 1 ¼ by 2 ½ inches.

Topping - optional

1.	Combine chocolate chips and paraffin in to top of a double boiler. Place over simmering water until melted; stir often. Turn heat to low.
2.	Using tongs, dip 1 bar at a time into chocolate, hold over pan until it stops dripping (with paraffin, the coating firms very quickly), then place on wire racks set above waxed paper.
3.	When firm and cool (bars with butter in the chocolate coating may need to be chilled), serve bars, or wrap individually in foil. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks; freeze to store longer.

Nutrition information per serving
Per piece: 188 cal.; 4.4 g protein; 29 g carbo.; 9.8 g fat; 0.6 mg chol.; 40 mg sodium.

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