Snack attack - Raspberry and almond bars

The girls are back to school so packed lunches and afternoon snacks are back on the menu.  These bars are healthy-ish, tasty and filling which is a must in an after school snack. Almond and raspberry is a winning combination.  Will even declared them the best thing he'd tasted all day; thumbs up all round!

Raspberry & almond bars

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

1 cup of jumbo (old fashioned) oats

3/4 gluten free flour

1 1/4 cup of whole raw almonds

6 tbs coconut oil

1/4 cup of honey (mild flavored)

3/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8" square tin with baking parchment.   Blend the oats, flour & 1 cup of the almonds in a food processor until ground.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, except the jam, and pulse until combined. It will form a gritty thick paste.  

Reserve about 1/2 cup of the mixture.  Using your knuckles press the remaining mixture into the tin until flat & evenly distributed.  Using an offset spatula spread the jam over the base.  Take care to get jam up to the edges and in the corners.  Pulse the remaining 1/4 cup of almonds until roughly chopped. Sprinkle them with the reserved mixture over the jam.

Bake in the oven until golden brown on the edges and bubbly, about 45 minutes.  Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting up.  I made about 16 squares. Store in the fridge.

Almond jammy goodness.

Spiced Apple bars

It is officially Fall.  Bulbous pumpkins are taking over the fresh produce at the supermarkets and stores are in full on Halloween mode.  It all seems slightly irrelevant as its 37oC outside, we are still swimming in the pool and slurping ice pops!    However not one to miss a baking opportunity Connie & I decided to make these Spiced apple bars which have a definite autumnal ring to them. 

In the UK they are known as flapjacks and were a favourite in my house growing up, with or without the apple.  They are fun for kids to do and worth the fight over the bowl licking rights!

The recipe is slightly adapted from her cookbook "Children's book of Baking".

Spiced Apple bars

2 large or 3 small apples (any variety will do)

6oz unsalted butter

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/4 cup sultanas or raisins

2 tbs sunflower seeds

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup jumbo oats

Line or grease a 7 x 11 inch tin. Preheat the oven to 325F.

In a medium sized saucepan melt 1oz of the butter. Peel and chop the apples into chunks and add to the melted butter.  Cook them over a low heat until the apples soften slightly, 5 - 10 minutes.  

Add the rest of the ingredients except the oats and seeds.  Stir until the remaining butter and sugar has melted then remove from the heat. Stir in the oats & seeds.  Tip the mixture into the tin then smooth down the top with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until dark golden and still soft.  Allow to cool in the tin then transfer to a cooling rack and cut into bars or squares.  Be careful not over cook them as they become dry and brittle.

Might of eaten the corner bars....

The house is filled with a delicious aroma which is reminiscent of Autumn, even if its nothing like it outside!

Carrot cake cookies

You know you just can't have enough snacks in the house, right?! I like to bake some form of snack every week for the family; something that I can eat and that's a bit on the healthy/filling side for the girls.  The doughnut maker is having a rest so I was on the look out for something new.  

I came across the Paleo Mom and got sucked into to her site for quite sometime.  So much so I have ordered her book, "The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal your Body". As someone who suffers from x3 autoimmune diseases I thought it might be worth a read ;-).

Anyhow, the recipe below is adapted from her Carrot Cake bites.

Carrot cake cookies

1 cup grated carrot

3/4 cup cashew nut flour

1/2 cup dates (pack them in!)

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 egg

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mace

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sultanas or raisins

Preheat oven to 350F & line a baking sheet with either a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Add the dates and cashew nut flour to the food processor and pulse until it forms a sticky paste.  Then add the rest of the ingredients except the sultanas and mix until well combined. 

Then stir in the sultanas by hand. Now comes the sticky part; first wet your hands then roll the mixture into evenly sized balls (about palm sized). Place then on your baking sheet and flatten with your hand.  They don't spread much so you can pack them in. 

Bake for 15mins, they will start to crack and look slightly more golden in colour.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  I can't remember how many it made - it was a tray full of well packed in cookies.

They are moreish little bites packed full of goodness.

Have a great weekend xx