High Fiber Energy Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried prunes, pitted
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 cup margarine, soft
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Combine prunes (and apricots if using) with the orange juice in a blender. Blend until almost smooth, scrapping down the sides of the blender a few times. Stir in the nuts; set mixture aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the margarine, sugar and honey. Beat in the egg. Mix in flour, oats, wheat germ, baking soda and salt to blend thoroughly.
3. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Spread a little less than half of the flour mixture evenly in the pan. Spread the prune mixture evenly over the mixture in pan, keeping the prune mixture to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Crumble the remaining flour mixture over the top to cover the prune mixture. Pat down gently.
4. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 30-35 minutes or until browned and springs back to the touch.
5. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars about 1 by 2 inches each.