Power Packed Oat Bars with Cranberries, Apricots and Pumpkin Seeds

• 7 tablespoons:unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup:packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons:golden syrup or light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon:salt
• 1-1/2 cups:quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup:chopped dried apples
• 1/4 cup:chopped dried apricots
• 1/4 cup:dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup:pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons:sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup:dried coconut flakes

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line and grease an 8 inch square baking pan with wax paper.
2. In a saucepan, melt together the butter, sugar, golden syrup and salt.
3. In a bowl, combine the oats, dried apples, apricots, cranberries, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and the coconut.
4. Stir in the butter and syrup mixture.
5. Spoon the mixture into the pan and press down with a potato masher to compress and level the surface.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, cut into bars with a sharp knife. Allow to cool completely before lifting from the pan. Store in the fridge.

Contributed by: ANNABEL KARMEL

These delicious flapjack type bars are packed full of nutritious ingredients. Oats provide long-lasting energy as the fiber in oats slows down the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron and zinc and sunflower seeds are rich in vitamins E and B. Dried apricots are one of nature's great health foods and they are rich in beta-carotene and iron.