We have taken (another) small sabbatical from posting, but now we are back (again) with a few new recipes. To make up for our inherent laziness time away, we are doubling down with a fruit and nut bar recipe we found in bon appétit and also an experiment of our very own.
If you’re anything like us, January begins the season for good intentions and unattainable goal setting. Such as, “I’m going to try to be nicer to old people this year”, or “I’ll stop lying to code compliance about how many cats I actually have”. Or maybe you just do run-of-the-mill resolutions such as healthier living and eating. To each their own.
For anyone trying to increase one’s intake of prunes, almonds and things of the like, these recipes are for you. After trying out one of the recipes bon appétit published, we got brave and tested out some of our own concoctions. One of which you’ll see below, we’ll give you a peek at the other two next week.
These are delicious, filling, and guilt-free snacks that are great between meals, before/after a workout, or whenever, because you’re a grown-ass person and you get to do what you want! This can be replicated with almost any combination of nuts and dried fruits. Get crazy. Also, please share any successful variations you come up with and be sure to scroll down for our additional recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. On a large baking sheet, spread almonds, quinoa, and pepitas. Roast in oven for about 10-12 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Meanwhile, in a food processor, puree dried cherries, brown rice syrup, and water until a smooth paste forms. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cherry mixture paste with the dry roasted ingredients. Using the flat bottom of a ramekin or drinking glass sprayed with cooking spray, firmly press the mixture smooth into the 8×8 line baking dish. Bake until no longer sticky or moist to the touch, about 25-30 minutes. Once cooled, carefully remove by lifting the parchment overhang. Cut into bars. Bars can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
This is OUR version. We used the formula provided from the original recipe. It’s about 1 cup of dried fruit, 2 tablespoons of a binding oil/syrup, 2 tablespoons of water all pureed together and whatever the f**k you want as far as about 2 cups of dried ingredients. Hershey’s kisses would be DELICIOUS.
We loved both versions of this fun, versatile recipe. We will post two more of our own takes on this recipe soon. Stay tuned.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. On a large baking sheet, spread cashews and coconut. Roast in oven for about 5-7 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Meanwhile, in a food processor, puree dried figs, agave, and water until a smooth paste forms. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the fig mixture with the roasted ingredients and all remaining dry ingredients. Using the flat bottom of a ramekin or drinking glass sprayed with cooking spray, firmly press the mixture smooth into the 8×8 line baking dish. Bake until no longer sticky or moist to the touch, about 25-30 minutes. Once cooled, carefully remove by lifting the parchment overhang. Cut into bars. Bars can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.