Makes 12 bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 cup blanched almond flour
3/4 cup almond meal
3 dates, soaked for 20 minutes in warm water
3 teaspoons lemon zest
2 omega-3, free range eggs
For the Cashew Cream:
1 cup raw cashews
5 dates
3 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon rind
pinch of salt
For the Fruit Topping:
6 strawberries, sliced
24 raspberries
36 blueberries
Instructions
Make the Crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9″x9″ pan with coconut oil, set aside.
Drain the dates, then place in a food processor with the eggs and lemon zest. Blend until smooth. Add the almond flour and almond meal in small batches, blending until fully incorporated.
Press dough into the bottom of prepared pan, evenly. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool in the pan for an hour.
Cut into 12 equal bars.
Make the Cashew Cream:
Soak the cashews in 2 cups of warm water, and the dates in 1 cup of warm water for 20 minutes. Drain the cashews. Place the dates and their water into a high speed blender along with the vanilla, lemon rind and salt. Blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours before frosting bars. It will become thicker and creamier once cold.
Assemble the Patriotic Bars:
Spread chilled cashew cream on each of the 12 bars. Place a slice of strawberry, 2 raspberries and 3 blueberries on each bar.
Serve immediately or place in fridge until ready to serve.
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 211 calories, 13g fat, 11mg sodium, 20 carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 7g protein.