Monday, November 15, 2010

Granola Bars

By: Karen Young of Karen's Kitchen

Harvest Loaf
Looking for a heftier loaf? This one is full of texture and very much like a granola bar—fruity, nutty, and full of fiber.


Yield
1 loaf   Prep Time 25 minutes  Baking Time 25 to 30 minutes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped figs
3/8 cup chopped dates
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup sliced almonds
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1  Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter and flour an 8x3½x2¼-inch loaf pan, making sure to cover the corners. Line with parchment paper then grease and flour the paper lining.
2  With a wire whisk, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together; set aside.
3  Set aside one whole fig and date for topping. Quarter them lengthwise and set aside. With a spatula, mix figs, dates, walnuts, and almonds together.
4  Pour fruit and nuts into flour mixture. Mix together.
5  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.
6  Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Spread evenly and smoothen the top. Decorate with the quartered date and fig, pressing lightly to embed the fruits at least a quarter of the way in the batter.
7  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
8  Cool 10 minutes then remove loaf from pan. Allow to cool thoroughly. Wrap airtight and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Fig-finding tip  If you’re lucky, you could chance upon fresh figs in supermarkets. But this recipe uses the dried kind.

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