Lemon blueberry bars

Chef
Brian Mckeon-Millard
Hospital
MGB Salem Hospital
Cook time
5+ hours
Yield
70-75 bars
Recipe type
Plant-based
winner
Award
Finalist
Image
Lemon blueberry bars
ingredients
Ingredients
3 pounds figs
3 pounds cashews
4 ounces raisins
12 ounces graham crackers
6 ounces yellow beet powder
4 ounces chickpea flour
8 ounces pea protein
4 tablespoons maca
4 tablespoons chia seed
3 ounces coconut oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon extract
2 3/4 tablespoons blueberry extract
14 ounces dried blueberry
preparation
Instructions
1. Peel 10 pounds yellow beets, slice thinly on a conventional slicer. Lay out on dehydrator screens.. Dehydrate at 115°F (low temperature to preserve nutrients) for approximately 8 to 10 hours. After drying, grind in a blender to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.
2. Grind 3 pounds cashews in a food processor until a smooth butter forms (drizzle 1 ounce coconut oil to aid the process). Destem 3 pounds figs and cut in half. Grind 3 pounds figs in a food processor until a smooth paste forms (use 2 tablespoons water to aid processing). Grind 4 ounces raisins until a smooth paste forms. Grind half the amount of dried blueberries (7 ounces) until a smooth paste forms. Process 12 ounces vegan graham crackers until a fine crumb.
3. Add all those ingredients to a 20-quart mixer bowl. Add all other premeasured ingredients to the bowl (6 ounces beet powder, 4 ounces chickpea powder, 8 ounces pea protein, 4 tablespoons maca powder, 4 tablespoons chia seed, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 1/2 tablespoons pure lemon extract, 2 3/4 tablespoons blueberry emulsion extract, remaining 7 ounces whole dried blueberries). By hand, mix dry ingredients with wet. This will help keep powder in the bowl when starting the mixer.
4. Add a paddle to the mixer. Mix on slow. Drizzle remaining 2 ounces coconut oil into the mixture. Add water to achieve desired consistency. Make sure the batter is well incorporated.
5. Weigh out 3-pound balls from the mix. Spread each ball out on a jelly roll pan lined on top of a half sheet pan for stability. Use hands to move the batter onto the sheet. Utilize a rolling pin to spread the mix to the edges of the jelly roll pan, working until an even slab is achieved.
6. Place a dehydrator screen on top of the bar slab, invert until the slab is released from the jelly roll pan. Follow the same procedure until all mix is processed.
7. Dehydrate all bar sheets at 125°F in a dehydrator for 5 to 6 hours until desired texture is achieved. Cool the finished product overnight; this will help achieve a fine cut when portioning. Using a specialty cookie/bar cutter, make a slight impression on the bar sheet to form bar shapes. Use a chef knife to cut into 2-ounce portions.

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