Poste Moderne Brasserie’s chef Dennis Marron spends most of his time in the kitchen, but when he’s not whipping up delicious meals he’s pounding pavement to train for marathons.
To supplement his training for his next race in Pennsylvania this May, the chef came up with his own nutrient-stocked granola bars. Filled with exotic ingredients such as goji berries, hemp hearts, and acai powder, Marron’s Marathon Bars are hearty snacks that will fuel you through your next grueling training run.
Makes 4 dozen bars
Nutrients per bar: 342 calories, 16.5 grams fat, 36.6 milligrams sodium, 45 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 36 grams sugar, 4.8 grams protein.
Ingredients:
1 cup John McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal
1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
1 cup dried goji berries, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded unsweetened dry coconut
½ cup hemp hearts
½ cup blanched almonds, chopped
½ cup nonfat dry milk
½ cup toasted wheat germ
½ cup agave syrup
½ cup honey
¾ cup raw sugar
1¼ cups chunk-style peanut butter
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 teaspoons orange zest
Olive oil pan spray, as needed
2 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips
4 ounces acai powder
3 ounces paraffin
Directions:
1) Spread oats in a 10-by-15-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300-degree oven until oats are toasted, about 25 minutes, stirring frequently.
2) Pour dried fruit, coconut, almonds, dry milk, hemp hearts, and wheat germ into a large bowl; mix well. Mix hot oats into dried fruit mixture.
3) In a frying pan, combine agave syrup, honey, and sugar; bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and quickly stir in peanut butter, orange extract, and orange zest. Pour over oatmeal mixture and mix well. Quickly spread in greased pan and press into an even layer, then cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours or until next day.
4) Cut into bars about 1¼ by 2½ inches.
5) Place chocolate chips, acai powder, and paraffin into a metal mixing bowl. Place over simmering water until melted; stir often. Reduce heat to low.
6) Using tongs, dip 1 bar at a time into chocolate, hold over pan until it stops dripping, then place on wire racks set above waxed paper.
7) When firm and cool, serve bars, or wrap individually in foil. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks; freeze to store longer.
