Date Cranberry Orange Crumb Bars

A Good For You and Easy To Make Bar!

Whole Grain Oats and Wheat Germ Crust...

Delicious & Healthy Date Cranberry Fruit Filling...

Simple and Easy to Prepare...

I Highly Recommend It :)

Date Cranberry Orange Crumb Bars
Adapted from Dole®

1 pkg. (8oz) dole chopped dates
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dried cranberries, divided
1 Tbls. grated orange peel
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
3/4 cup smart balance buttery spread, melted

Cook dates in water in a small sauce pan for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup cranberries and peel.
Combine oats, flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking soda and salt in bowl. Stir in melted spread until combined.
Press 2/3 of oat mixture onto bottom of 8" or 9" square pan.
Spread date filling over crust. Add remaining cranberries into oat mixture and cover the date filling. Press down firmly with spatula. Bake at 375 ºF for 25 minutes or until light brown.

Chocolate Covered Orange Peel

OMG-These Were Good!

If there are "two great tastes that taste great together" (besides chocolate and peanut butter), they would have to be chocolate and orange. This was my first ever attempt at making this type of candy. I have to say it was very easy, just a lot of steps.

I got the recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Emiline at Sugar Plum. She had made them for her Mom on Valentine's Day in the shape of little hearts. They were just so cute and I knew if Emiline made them they had to be good! I had been thinking of them ever since and starting saving all my orange peels. It started getting a little crazy, because I wouldn't eat an orange unless I properly peeled it in order to save the precious peel!So anyway I made the chocolate orange peel but I kept the natural shape of the peeled strips. I also used more oranges, probably 4-5. And lastly, I omitted the butter from the chocolate. Other than that I followed the recipe as written.

Chocolate Covered Orange Peel Hearts (Recipe adapted by Emiline from Chocolate Step-by-Step)

Ingredients:
2 large oranges
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips, room temp.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp.

Directions:
Cut oranges into quarters. Carefully remove peel in large sections, removing any excess pith with a sharp knife.

Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut the peel into shapes.
Drop the rounds into a pan of boiling water, simmer for 5 minutes; drain. Repeat twice more using fresh boiling water each time you do it.

Combine water and sugar in pan; stir over low heat without boiling until sugar dissolves. Add orange hearts; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the peel becomes translucent.

Transfer shapes to large wire rack to drain. To dry thoroughly, stand peel overnight, loosely covered with foil.

Combine chocolate and butter in small saucepan; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Using two forks, dip peel in chocolate to coat; drain excess. Stand shapes on foil-lined tray until set.