Prune and Walnut Bars

Prunes and walnuts are both exceedingly high in antioxidant power. Both are listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale with over 10,000 units. Eating a ¼-cup serving of prunes, or about four prunes, provide you with 12% of the daily value for fiber, 32% of the daily value for vitamin K and 9% of the daily value for potassium. A hundred grams of prunes (about ½ cup) provides at least 9% of your daily needs for the B vitamins, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin B-6.  Walnuts have heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and detoxifying fiber. I’ve combined these two age-defying powerhouses into one great dessert. You can add 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips to this recipe if you’re a chocolate lover. You can also make it gluten-free by simply using gluten-free flour.

SERVES 8-10

1 cup flour or gluten-free flour (I use Cup4Cup)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped prunes
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup organic sugar or monk fruit sweetener (I like Lakanto)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. honey

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the prunes and walnuts. Mix well and set aside.
3. In a stand mixer or using beaters, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the butter and sugars a little at a time.
4. Separately whisk the eggs until smooth. Add to the creamed butter mixture.
5. Combine the creamed butter-egg mixture with the dry flour mixture.
6. Spread into greased and floured 8″ X 8″ baking pan and bake at 325 degrees until the center is firm, about 40-45 minutes.
7. Cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

FoodTrients
Anthocyanins
Choline
Fiber
Omega-3s
Potassium
Vitamin C
Vitamin E