Copious amounts of kale were sacrificed in my pursuit of a kale energy bar. On my umpteenth attempt at puréeing the leaves into gooey-green glue, inspiration struck: why not incorporate the kale in crispy kale-chip form? It only took one batch to know I had a winner. The trick to getting great bars is to make sure that the kale is super-crisp, which is a cinch so long as you dry the leaves thoroughly– I'm talking layers of clean dish towels or many turns in the salad spinner, a mere minute or two of effort, before baking. If water remains on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. I don't know about you, but the prospect of steamed kale bars doesnt do it for me. But crispy, toasted seed-enhanced bars? Yes and yes!
BAR TIPS
–For best results, do not use peanut butter; it will overwhelm the other flavors in the bars.
–The ratio of dry and liquid sweeteners here is essential for binding the bars–experiment at your own risk!
–The crispy kale leaves can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
BAR KEEPING
Tightly wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap.
ROOM TEMP: 2 days
REFRIGERATOR: 1 week
FREEZER: 3 months in airtight container; thaw 1/2 hour
BAR VARIATION
CRISPY SPINACH & APRICOT BARS
Prepare as directed, but use 6 cups of packed baby spinach leaves in place of the kale and an equal amount of chopped dried apricots in place of the dried berries. Omit the almond extract and add 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest instead.
Recipe notes
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