4.23.2012

Secret Recipe Club: Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

.  Yep, you betcha.  It's SRC time once again!

And who was my wonderful assignment this month?  Well, it was none other then The Mommy Bowl, by Ms. Deanna.  This assignment was actually quite interesting, which is one of the main reasons I am so absolutely in love with SRC.


If you've glanced through my recipes, you'll see a common theme throughout: butter, butter, sugar, and...more butter.  Am I right, or am I right?  I am.  But The Mommy Bowl is centered around gluten- and dairy-free recipes, so needless to say LSM is basically the antithesis of what Deanna is all about.  But HEY!  That's what SRC is ALL about!  So thank you for this match up ☺

I struggled a bit on what to make from The Mommy Bowl, but only because I had no clue where to get some of the ingredients.  Dang, I give props to Deanna for the extra effort of finding supplies.  I'm lazy so I guess I could never do the -free anything route.  


But then I spotted these suckers: Chocolate Pecan Pie Bites.  Uh, how could anyone pass these up?  Obviously I couldn't.  And yes, you'll notice Deanna's title says 'bites' but I felt like being extra adventurous and made these lovelies into bars [wink, wink on the 'adventurous part'].  I was so intrigued by this recipe not only for the extremely short ingredient list but because I've always been interested in making my own snack bars but have just never made the plunge.  

Point two of why I love SRC: I get a chance to try out things I normally wouldn't.  


So what exactly do these taste like?   I know your curiosity is killing you right now.  Okay, I'll be honest.  Robbie was not a fan.  But I think it was a mental thing because he knew there were dates in them.  However, I actually thought they were quite tasty!  And knowing they're healthy and natural makes them that much more enticing.  Hollyann and another co-worker also tried them out and really loved them!  But they were both also women.  So maybe just make these for the female gender....

Anywho, Deanna describes these bars as reminiscent of Lara Bars.  I would have to agree and I can't really think of another bar they resemble.  They're very soft and chewy, with a deeply nutty flavor from the pecans, slight sweetness from the dates, and just an ever-so subtle hint of chocolate.  And a dash of salt to bring it all out.  I found that they were a fantastic snack to have around for a little pick-me-up during the day.  Nom, nom, nom.

So thanks Deanna for this wonderful inspiration to make my own bars, this was such a fun experience and I owe it all to you!  To a wonderful April!  .

My Notes:
  • Deanna's original recipe called for a slightly smaller amount of ingredients, but since the package of pecans came a bit bigger, I opted to use them all (which I reflected in my ingredient list below).
  • Deana's original recipe also called for scooping the mixture into balls, however, I randomly felt like making bars.  Either way works though!
  • I suggest keeping the bars/bites in the refrigerator, the colder they are the better they stay together.

Adapted from The Mommy Bowl

Ingredients:
6 oz. raw pecans
6 oz. pitted dates
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/3 tbsp. cocoa powder
Water (if necessary)

Directions:
  1. Place parchment paper in 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
  2. Place pecans, dates, salt, and cocoa powder in food processor.  Process until finely chopped and mixture clumps together.  If mixture does not come together, add water, one teaspoon at a time, and pulse until combined.  Firmly press mixture evenly into loaf pan.  Place in refrigerator until firm.  
  3. Pull bars out of pan using parchment paper.  Cut as desired.
Yield: 8 bars


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19 comments:

  1. Wow! Look at those. I bet they were delicious! Great pick!

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  2. I love using dates as a sugar replacement. I can't wait to try these. I think they look delicious! Great job and great choice.

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  3. These look really great. Love how simple they seem.

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  4. Yum, these look delicious! Looking forward to making these.

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  5. They look gorgeous. I like being made to try new things with SRC too C:

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  6. I'm so glad you were able to find something to make! It IS good to stretch our boundaries, isn't it? And, believe me, if I didn't have to be -free of all sorts of stuff, I wouldn't. It's SO much easier to use butter and sugar and white flour. But, you rise to the occasion, right?

    Anyway - I love the bar version. It fits better with Lara bars anyway, right? :)

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  7. We love dates at our house so these would be very popular! They do look yummy. Bars over bites? I agree, bars over bites!

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  8. Since I like dates, pecans and chocolate I'm sure I would like these too! Great SRC pick.

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  9. They look great! There's something about the SRC that brings out the culinary adventurer in all of us :)

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  10. What a wonderful recipe. You picked a great one for SRC.

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  11. They look almost like some figg bars we get in Denmark, but I like the idea of dates better!

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  12. It's great to branch out with SRC and try things we normally wouldn't. (That being said, I have been pretty safe with my SRC picks.) Cudos to you for trying something different and I think they sound pretty delicious.

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  13. I couldn't do a -free anything either. These bars look amazing, great pick. I actually like dates!

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  14. Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Thursday this week. These sound delicious! I love dates and am always looking for more recipes to use them in.

    I can't wait to see what you link up next week. Have a wonderful weekend.

    Michelle

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  15. I think those look really good! I would eat them, even knowing there are dates, lol. :)

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  16. YUM!

    We'd love to see this at our Beautify it Monday link party open now!

    -Four Sisters
    Bringingbeauty.blogspot.com

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  17. These sound and look divine! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday :)

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  18. They look so divine, and I love both the ingredients, pecans and dates, bookmarking this definitely going to try this out, thanks for sharing, I should say featuring this from your assigned blog right ? sometimes some posts just disappear not to have noticed and getting featured like this brings about the goodness in it :) that is why I said thanks for sharing.

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  19. Sounds delicious! You can add some orange skin and change water for orange juice. It really adds a freshy taste to the bars. :D

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