Recently I've come to realise the importance of having something ready in the fridge to take with me when I have to rush out of the door, or when I come home and need a quick energy boost. These bars are absolutely perfect for that. They're particularly perfect as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up between lunch and dinner, when you're running low on energy (and morale) but have no choice but to get on with your day, whether it's because you're at uni, school, work, and my most common use for them, pre sport or workout snack. These bars are sure to motivate you!

They're so incredibly simple to make too, all you really need is a food processor and they're ready in about two minutes! I tend to make them on the weekend and keep them in the fridge all week so they're ready to go. Having these at home will stop you from reaching something unhealthy and will make you feel so proud of yourself. What's more, they're perfect to share and i'm yet to meet anyone who doesn't like them.

Take my word for it when I say I could eat the whole batch. There's something amazing about the contrast in texture of the of the different fruits that pack a tangy punch in flavour, offset with the orange blossom and the hint of coconut which elevate the fruit to new heights you probably didn't know dried fruit could reach! Biting into one of these, tastes and feels good, leaving you with a good amount of energy and in a good starting place if you're trying to get more fruit into your diet. Not to mention the fact that the smell alone is incredible, making it feel like spring has come early thanks to the orange blossom water. Honestly, I use it ALL THE TIME, I can't help it, but I love it!

The recipe is so easy, and only contains a few ingredients, I urge you to give it a go!

Ingredients

1 Cup Dried Mulberries

1 Cup Dried Apricots

1 Cup Golden Sultanas

2 Tbsp Orange blossom water

1/3 Cup Dessicated coconut

Method

Add the dried mulberries into your food processor until they become a crumbly almost fine consistency, this take about a minute usually, and they should resemble the texture of large breadcrumbs.
Add in the apricots so they have a chance to break down a little
Then lastly add in the sultanas, orange blossom water and the coconut, and give the whole mixture a pulse in the food processor until everything has evenly mixed together. You want the sultanas to still be a decent size and not to have become completely smooth, so this shouldn't take too long.
Press the mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment/baking paper, an essential step if you want to get them out easily as they're sticky!
I like to add an extra sprinkle of coconut and sultanas at the end, and just press them down with a spatula to ensure they've adhered and wont fall apart when they're cut.
Then just pop them in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight so you're not tempted to devour them) until they set, then remove (with the paper) them from the tray, slice, and serve.

If you want to keep them in the fridge, simply put them in an airtight container or tin and they'll last for a really long time (or not in my case)

(Isn't fruit just so pretty! It's so amazing how the colour of the same fruits vary provided where they've grown in the world!)

I hope you enjoy them and please let me know what you think! :D