11426 Dried Fig and Nut Bars 1 hr 25 mins 36 bars Fri Mar 14 07:02:00 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 27 12:39:11 -0700 2009 Medium American CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/11426 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:39:11 GMT Chewy fennel-flecked energy bars Chewy fennel-flecked energy bars, packed with dried figs, almonds, and hazelnuts. More panforte than Fig Newton, these chewy bars are a combination of dried figs, honey, spices, and toasted nuts. They’re sturdy enough to slip into your pocket before you hit the slopes, and will keep you energized all day long.

Special equipment: Use a candy thermometer to know when the honey mixture is done cooking.

Game plan: Hazelnuts are typically sold with their thin, dark skins still attached. You can easily rub the skins off with a clean kitchen towel after toasting the nuts. Don’t worry if there are a few bits left—they’ll add color and flavor.

To crush the fennel seeds, seal them in a plastic bag, place them on a countertop, and tap on them using the bottom of a pot or a rolling pin until they are lightly crushed. You can also use a mortar and pestle.

This recipe was featured as part of our Winter Cabin Fever story.

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  • Heat oven to 300°F. Coarsely chop hazelnuts and almonds and set aside. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan and set aside. Stir together flour, cocoa powder, orange zest, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and cloves in a large bowl until evenly mixed. Add nuts and figs and stir to coat.
  • In a small saucepan, stir together sugar and honey and place over low heat. Increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 245°F on a candy thermometer, about 6 minutes. Immediately pour over nut mixture and, working quickly, stir until dry ingredients are coated (the mixture will be very thick). Transfer to the prepared pan and, with moistened fingers, press evenly into the pan.
  • Bake until mixture has puffed slightly and has a toasty aroma, about 35 minutes. (The mixture will be soft and tacky to the touch.) Transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Remove from the pan and cut horizontally into thirds, then cut each third into 1/2-inch-thick bars (you should have about 36 bars).
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com/assets/2008/02/fruitnutbar290.jpg Kate Ramos 52 Snack 1 cup whole, toasted, skinned hazelnuts (about 5 ounces)

    ]]>     265 1 cup whole, toasted almonds (about 5 ounces)

    ]]>     2/3 cup all-purpose flour

    ]]>     2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

    ]]>     48 2 1/4 teaspoons finely grated orange zest (from 1 medium orange)

    ]]>     285 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed

    ]]>     279 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    ]]>     281 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

    ]]>     34 8 ounces dried black Mission figs, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

    ]]>     298 2/3 cup granulated sugar

    ]]>     1/2 cup honey

    ]]>     5931 kate ramos 1 chow 13938 ski weekend 822 american 782 autumn 14531 back to school 288 baked dessert 240 breakfast 261 nuts 836 adventurous 6328 myo 318 snack 813 hungry 9636 adults 435 vegetarian 1619 omnivore 332 vegan 2403 diy 15300 winter weekend 15302 skiing 933 winter 1046 cold weather 2897 bar snack