Free Healthy Recipe - Chewy fruit bars

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350ºF/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with foil.

Pour the orange juice into a medium-sized saucepan and add the apricots
and orange zest. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce
the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the liquid has been
absorbed and the fruit is soft. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the chopped almonds and coconut on two separate baking trays. Bake
the almonds for 3-4 minutes until hot, and the coconut for 1 minute, or
until lightly golden.

Add the puffed rice and ground almonds to the apricot mixture and stir
well. Mix in the toasted coconut, toasted almonds, honey and dried fruit.
Using your hands, shape the mixture into a large ball and flatten. Transfer
to the foil-lined baking tray and, using your fingers, push the mixture to the
edges of the tin evenly.

Sprinkle the mixture with a little coconut and the flaked almonds. Cut into
12 bars and chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours to set. Store in a
sealed container in the refrigerator and use within 1 week.