Chewy Granola Bars

 Until I saw this recipe, I thought that making any type of granola was a complex process best left to large food manufacturers.  If you’ve ever made rice krispie treats from scratch, making chewy granola bars from this recipe is not much different.

I stumbled across this recipe in the September 2009 issue of Yoga Journal magazine and is adapted from Petit Appetit - Eat, Drink and Be Merry by Lisa Barnes (Penguin Book Group, 2009). 

Where these bars are as sticky as rice krispie treats, I found the extra step of lining the baking pan with aluminum foil whose edges hang over the side of the baking pan help in removing the granola from the pan to a flat surface to cut into bars.

Chewy Granola Bars

Makes 16 2-inch bars

Wrap these treats in wax paper or recycled aluminum foil when packing them to go.

Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray, for pan

Aluminum foil, for pan

1 1/3 cups rolled oats or quick cook steel cut oats

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 cup turbinado sugar or organic sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, letting edges of foil hang over side of pan.  Spray aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray. 

2. In a large bowl mix the oats, seeds, cereal, cranberries and ginger until well blended.

3. In a small saucepan, combine rice syrup, sugar and vanilla.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. 

4. Pour rice syrup mixture over the oat mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.  Spoon into prepared pan and top with a piece of waxed paper.  Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. 

5. Cool to room temperature.  Remove waxed paper.  Using edges of aluminum foil used to line pan, lift granola out of pan and to flat surface to cut into bars. 

6. Wrap the bars individually or place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature. 

For chocolate chip, substitute ginger and dried canberries for 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Adapted from PetitAppetit - Eat, Drink and Be Merry by Lisa Barnes (Penguin Book Group, 2009) and Yoga Journal (September 2009).

Applesauce Cake

As I noted in my Applesauce Bread posting, having made my own applesauce for over a decade, I've acquired several recipes where applesauce is a primary ingredient. This recipe I found in the revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook.

This can be made as two 8” cakes, a 9” x 13” cake or 4-5 mini-loaves. I generally make mini-loaves as these freeze well, and are sweet and flavorful enough to not need frosting. For freezing, I suggest wrapping each loaf in plastic wrap and then placing the loaves in a freezer safe ziploc bag.

Applesauce Cake

Yield: Two 8” cakes, round or square; one 9” x 13” cake or 4-5 mini-loaves.

½ cup canola oil

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup applesauce (this is about 16 ounces)

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

Set oven rack to middle rung. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Spray baking pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium to large bowl, combine oil and sugar. Add the applesauce and blend. Beat in the eggs and mix thoroughly. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix until blended. Stir in raisins and nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan(s).

Bake 25-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan(s) for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks.

Single or double Spelt Pie Crust for 9” pie

In mid-November 2015, I discovered the link I had to the Spelt Pie Crust recipe once available on the Bob's Red Mill website no longer worked. A search of this recipe via Google yielded yielded a copy from Spark Recipes which gives instructions for a single crust.

As noted in my July 2013 post, this recipe helped me get my pie crust mojo back and has been my go to pie crust recipe ever since. I originally found this recipe on Bob's Red Mill Spelt Flour package which I bought for another recipe.

Spelt is a whole grain and an ancient species of wheat whose taste I find similar to whole wheat. The end result is a golden pie crust, not too sweet, but not super-flaky either.

I found this recipe makes a good single or double whole grain crust. If making a single crust, you can just press the crust into the pie plate.

Spelt Pie Crust single crust

3 Tablespoons oil, Canola Oil recommended

2 Tablespoons cool water

¼ Teaspoon salt

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Spelt Flour

In a medium to large bowl, whisk oil, water and salt together. Stir in the flour and mix only until evenly moistened. Press into a 9-inch pie plate. Fill and bake as required for the filling. Or bake the empty crust for 12 minutes in 275 degrees farenheit and fill when cool.

Spelt Pie Crust double crust

6 Tablespoons oil, Canola Oil recommended

4+ Tablespoons cool water

1/2 Teaspoon salt or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups

In a medium to large bowl, whisk oil, water and salt together. Stir in the flour and mix only until evenly moistened. If needed, add water one tablespoon at a time and continue mixing until dough forms. Cut dough in two equal halves.

Using half of the dough, form into disc shape. Flour dough lightly and then roll into circle between two sheets of waxed paper until large enough to fill 9-inch pie plate. Carefully lift both pieces of wax paper from dough. Set aside in the wax paper. Repeat with other half of dough.

Use pie crust as noted in pie recipe.

Applesauce Bread

Having made my own applesauce for over a decade, I've acquired several recipes where applesauce is a primary ingredient, such as Vegan Whoopie Pies. This bread recipe one was given to me a former neighbor whose eldest son was diagnosed with dairy and egg allergies as an infant.

Applesauce Bread

½ cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar

2 beaten eggs (or Egg Replacer)

1 ¼ cup or 1 pint unsweetened applesauce

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

1 cup chopped raisins (optional)

Place oven rack on middle setting.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Grease 9-inch loaf pan.

In medium to large bowl cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add applesauce, then sifted dry ingredients. Beat smooth and fold in raisins.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Remove from pan; cool on rack. Serve.

Pumpkin Pie in 9 ingredients and 90 minutes or less

I found this at about.com while searching for an easy way to make sweetened condensed milk using either soy, rice, almond or coconut milk for use in the Perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe.

If you're looking for a pumpkin pie recipe which comes together quickly and tastes great, I highly recommend trying this one. Use a pre-made pie crust to save time.

1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree

1 cup milk or soy milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1 tsp. Cinnamon, ½ tsp. Ginger and ¼ tsp Nutmeg
1 9-inch pie crust.

Place oven rack on middle setting. Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit.


Line 9-inch pie plate with pie crust.


In medium to large bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, sugar, corn starch, vanilla extract and spice(s) using hand mixer on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl if needed.


Slowly pour filling into pie crust.


Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees farenheit. Turn oven down to 350 degrees farenheit and bake for another 30 minutes. Turn pie around and bake for another 15 – 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of pie comes out clean.


Let cool. Refrigerate any unused portions.

What's left from the second time I made this pie

Apple and Oat Crisp

With the height of apple season occurring now in New England, I thought I would share my favorite apple crisp recipe, which is from the book JustDesserts by Karla Seidita.

This was my go to recipe post apple-picking and prior to learning how to make and can my own applesauce.

I like this recipe as the topping can be made a day or two in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to be used. The apples can be prepared in advance and kept frozen until ready to be used. Leftovers, which are rare, can be re-heated in the microwave using a microwave-safe dish.

Apple and Oat Crisp

Yield: one 8-inch square casserole, 6-10 servings.

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup oatmeal, uncooked

10 apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)

Topping: In a medium size bowl, use a fork to combine all ingredients except apples to make a coarse meal. If preparing in advance, cover topping and refrigerate. Bring topping to room temperature prior to using.

To make crisp:

Place oven rack on middle rung. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Grease an 8-inch baking dish. Starting with apples, alternatively layer apples and crumbs in casserole, ending with crumbs. Bake 45-60 minutes until apples are soft and crumbs are golden brown. Serve warm. Store any leftover crisp in refrigerator in air-tight container.

Carrot Slaw

On a recent trip to my local farmer's market, I noticed the first of this year's crop of apples along with carrots and onions. This, along with the heat of summer in full force here in New England, made me think of carrot slaw.

I found this recipe in my Fanny Farmer Cookbook and notes this is “a great favorite with children”. I like this recipe as it's a nice change from cabbage-based coleslaw, the carrots, celery and onion can be prepared a day or two in advance or can be purchased ready to be added to the salad.

Carrot Slaw (serves six)

From the revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook.

6 medium carrots, grated (approximately ½ – ¾ cup of carrots)

¼ cup diced onion

1/3 cup raisins

½ cup diced apple (approximately 1 medium size apple)

½ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup diced celery (optional)

salt (optional)

black pepper (optional)

In a medium to large bowl, toss carrots, onion, raisins, apple and celery (if using). Mix in the mayonnaise. If preferred, season with salt and pepper. Chill thoroughly before serving.