Fruit and Nut Chewy Bars

Recipe from Chef Ken Hall.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped dried apples

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until light golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
Warm honey in a microwave until the consistency of thin syrup. In a food processor, pulse honey, dates, cinnamon, and oats until oats are coarsely chopped. Scrape oat mixture into a medium bowl. Break up any clumps of dates and, if needed, chop any large date chunks. Stir in nuts, cranberries, and apples. Squeeze mixture into a ball. Line baking sheet with foil and oil foil. Using damp hands, firmly pat mixture onto foil into a compact 6- by 12-in. rectangle. Freeze until rectangle is firm enough to cut, about 20 minutes. Lift rectangle from foil to a work surface and cut into 16 bars. Wrap bars individually.