Needlessly Bland Bars

The May/June issue of Whole Paycheck's The Whole Deal contained a recipe for what I thought would be pretty tasty and fairly nutritious bars. I mean, shouldn't cherries, oranges and oatmeal together make for some tasty bars, don't you think, Gentle Reader?

Cherry Orange Oatmeal Bars3 C gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 C smooth almond butter
1 C dried sour cherries or a mix of cherries and raisins
1/2 C orange juice
1/3 C honey
1 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
3 egg whites
2 T finely ground flaxseed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Lightly spray an 8" square pan with oil.
   
3. Mix together oats, almond butter, cherries, orange juice, honey, nutmeg, salt and egg whites in a bowl.
   
4. Press the mixture firmly into the pan.
   
5. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 35 minute.
   
6. Let bars cool 5 min., sprinkle flaxseed over the top, let cool completely then cut into bars and serve.

Yield: 12 bars

Nutritional Info
Calories: 200
Fat: 5 g
Protein: 7 g
Carbs: 32 g
Fiber: 6 g
Na: 110 mg

The Faudie's Futzings
Even though I recently made a trip to Whole Paycheck, I opted not to pick up all the ingredients for this recipe. Instead, I made due with what I had or bought substitutes cheaper at HEB.

• In lieu of almond butter, I picked up a small jar of Wally World-brand reduced-fat peanut butter. I promptly froze the rest of the jar lest I be unable (as usual) to keep my fingers out of it.
  
• I almost bought dried cherries, but I opted to use cranberries because I know that orange and cranberry are a good combo.
  
• I didn't use gluten-free rolled oats. I used the regular 'ol "old-fashioned" oats I buy from HEB.
  
• I didn't use 2 tablespoons of flaxseed. In fact, I don't think I even used a full tablespoon--maybe a teaspoon and a half. I also don't think the flaxseed I bought at HEB's bulk foods mini-playland was ground. I have a smallish Ziplock of itty-bitty dark brown seeds. I can't imagine, though, grinding these things and getting anything except dust, but what do I know?

Speaking of those flaxseed, I'm not sure if it's intended to be a dusting that's meant to stick or not. I sprinkled a little atop my bars after I'd let them cool 5 minutes, and the suckers just bounced off the top. There was no adhesion whatsoever. Personally, I find it annoying to eat something that has a dusting of something or other--seeds, sugar granules, coconut flake particulates, whatever--on top that just falls off and gets everywhere except your mouth. Am I a neat freak for that reason? I don't think so. If you're going to use a topping that's to add flavor to the finished product, wouldn't it behoove you to do so in a way to ensure that topping stays atop the finished product?

And don't suggest, Gentle Reader, that I add the flaxseed before baking or at some point during the baking process. The page of The Whole Deal on which the recipe appears also contains a handy ad for Whole Paycheck's ground flaxseed that highlights its nutritional value and its versatility. That ad notes, "For maximum benefits you should not heat it in your processing, either...." So there ya go, Gentle Reader. Don't you feel smarter now?

Getting back to the question with which I opened this post: Shouldn't cherries (or cranberries, for that matter), oranges and oatmeal together make for some tasty bars, don't you think, Gentle Reader? They should, but these bars are tasteless. They have an odd consistency--not necessarily chewy but still dense--and are largely devoid of flavor. The orange is nonexistent, the nutmeg seems to have disappeared and the peanut butter is totally lost.

As a note, Gentle Reader, I'm not the only person to find the bars a big disappointment in the flavor department. A few people who've reviewed the recipe on Whole Paycheck's site made similar comments. That site also recommends some additions and substitutions, but I don't think using cinnamon instead of nutmeg or adding chocolate chips would miraculously give these things flavor.

And to think I wasted a perfectly good bag of dried cranberries on these things....