GINGER AND PECAN SLICE

Ingredients
250g butter (or margarine)
210g sugar
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 packet of pecans (approximately 110g)
1 packet of glazed ginger (approximately 200g)
290g self-raising flour

Method
Pulse glazed ginger and pecans 4-5 times on turbo.  Remove from bowl and place aside.
Melt butter on 100c for 2½ minutes speed 1.
Add all other ingredients and mix on reverse, speed 2 for 1 minute.
Press into greased or lined tray and bake in moderate oven for 20-25 minutes (until golden in colour).

General Tips
This slice is easier to cut once cooled (or even the next day) with a very sharp knife.

members' comments

JD - I used glace ginger from Charlesworth nuts.  It is delicious, almost fudge like (is this how is should be TC?) I cooked it for 25 minutes

thermoconvert - It is definitely a soft slice, I am not sure how I would describe it but it can be crumbly if cut too early.

JD - Soft slice, yes that describes it well.  Mine was cold before I cut it and it didn't crumble at all.  Perfect.

MUESLI BARS

Ingredients
40g apricots
45g dates
90g dried fruit
50g oat bran (I mill oats to make this)
20g pumpkin seeds
50g unsalted nuts
40g almonds
90g coconut
25g wheat germ
130g rolled oats
35g sunflower seeds
200g unsalted butter
160g honey
200g sugar

Method
Place apricots, dates and dried fruit into TM bowl and process on speed 8 for 8 seconds.  Remove and place into bowl.  
Mill 50g oats to make oat bran.  
Add pumpkin seeds, nuts and almonds to TM bowl, turn dial to closed lid position and pulse 5 times.  
Add coconut, wheat germ, rolled oats and sunflower seeds to TM bowl and roast for 8 minutes on 100c on speed 1.  Remove and place into same bowl as fruit.  
Place butter, honey and sugar into TM bowl and cook for 8 minutes on 100c on speed 2.
Pour sauce over all other ingredients and mix quickly and thoroughly.  Scrape into baking paper covered tray and spread and press firmly with a spatula.  Allow to cool and cut with sharp knife.

Note: If you like 'chunky muesli bars, you can get away with processing the fruit less and not pulsing the nuts at all.

If the mixture looks a little 'wet' just add 1/2 - 1 cups more of oats at final stage.

Yoghurt Topping:
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 Tbsp lowfat plain yogurt
1/2 tsp grated orange or lemon rind
1/2 tsp orange or lemon juice (or omit juice and only use 1/2 cup of icing sugar)
or
1/4 cup yoghurt
little honey and
few drops of apple juice

I have used these to ice cakes which are quickly eaten, so am not sure how well icing would store.  Would definitely keep them in the fridge though.  Let me know how it goes if you ever try it.

members' comments

caquince - Just put these together...am waiting anxiously for them to harden.  I was eating the  mixture, and it tastes delicious!   It is quite sweet - I was not sure if it would be.  I also tried rapadura sugar instead of regular sugar to see if it would still taste good.  It seems like they will be great!  I think I will even try to reduce the amount of sugar next time... I am always trying to reduce the amount of sugar that goes into my toddlers mouth, but he will LOVE them!  I definitely would not feel guilty giving him one of these - full of good and tasty things!  Thanks so much TC!

containergirl - I made these with quite a bit of 'creative' adaptation for my fussy families tastes. 
190g apricots (the only dried fruit to pass DD lips...except for in hot cross buns when she will accept small quantities of sultanas and currants)
50g oat meal
95g cashews (replacing pumpkin seeds, nuts and wheatgerm)
45g almonds
oats, sugar, honey, butter, coconut as per real recipe

I wasn't sure on the consistency and probably should have added more oats as thermoconvert advised.  It was a bit too sticky to set.  Feeling a bit deflated (because one should never try a new recipe while getting dinner and doing the evening rush Cry) I popped it into a container in the fridge.  Next day DD and I roll them into small balls or logs and roll in coconut and they were a real hit.  We have masses of them on hand now.
I look forward to trying them again and if they set that would be great but if they don't they work a treat as balls.
Thanks for the great addition to our families snack pile.

This recipe is best used with soft, bruised and/or mushy apricots, which you really wouldn't want to eat fresh.

APRICOT NECTAR

Ingredients
800g apricots (stones removed)
900g water
400g sugar

Method
Place apricots and water into TM bowl and cook for 25 minutes at 100c on speed 3.
Add sugar and cook for 10 minutes on 100c on speed 3.

Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

General Tips
You can thin this puree with water and serve with ice as a drink.  Has a shelf life of over 6 months.