Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bars

This started out as a couscous "pudding" from a recipe book that was an utter failure. Not wanting to waste all that couscous, I had to do something with it. Following the principles from a recipe I'd baked up the previous week, I turned the mess into magic!

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄4 cups  whole wheat couscous
• 3  cups 1% low-fat milk
• 2  tablespoons honey
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  lemon, zest of
• 1⁄2 cup  mixed chopped  dried fruit (apples, apricots, raisins, dates, cherries)
• 1⁄2 cup craisins
• 1⁄2 cup golden raisin
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped roasted hazelnuts
• 1⁄2 cup  millet
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
• 2  eggs
• 2  tablespoons white sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Scald the milk, then stir in the honey, vanilla and lemon zest.
2. Add the couscous and stir once, then cover and let stand until the milk is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine fruit, nuts, millet, spices and sugar.
4. Once couscous is done, fluff with a fork. Allow couscous to cool until warm, then stir together with fruit mixture.
5. Beat two eggs together, then stir into couscous mixture until moist and sticky. Add additional milk if necessary.
6. Pat mixture into greased 13x9" pan, smoothing out surface with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with white sugar to make a nice crisp crust.
7. Put pan into a preheated 350°F oven and bake for about 40 minutes of until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. Allow pan to cool completely, then cut into 16 skinny bars.
9. Store bars in refrigerator up to one week.