Baking Day - Berry Muffins, Fruit & Nut Balls, Muesli Bars

As we were leaving town,
I needed to reduce the stores in my pantry, fridge and freezer!

So, we made lots of yummies to share with friends and neighbours.


Mulberry Muffins
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour , sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup almond meal
1 banana, mashed
½ cup apple syrup
2 T olive oil
½ cup pineapple juice
½ cup milk
1 cup frozen mulberries

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Separately, combine banana, syrup, oil, juice and milk.
Add wet to dry ingredients.
Stir through the berries at the end.
Pour mixture into a greased (or patty pans) muffin tray.
Bake in a moderate oven approximately 15 minutes.

Sweet nutty balls
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup almonds
2/3 cup rolled oats
100g dried apricots, soaked in boiling water and chopped
2T honey
juice of one orange
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
some almond meal and sesame seeds for rolling
Blitz the sunflower seeds until ground in a food processor.
Add the oats, chopped apricots, honey, juice and coconut - process until the mixture comes together.
Shape into small balls, then roll in in either meal or seeds, then chill to set.

Muesli bars
100g soft, dried apricots
50g dates
50g sultanas
juice of one orange
2 eggs, beaten
75g melted butter
21/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup desicated coconut
1/3 cup wholemeal spelt flour
1/2t ground cinnamon
1/2t baking powder
pinch (Himilayan rock)salt

Oven temp 180 degrees
line an (approx) tin with baking paper
Chop the dried fruit in a food processor with the orange juice, until minced.
Add eggs and butter, and pulse briefly.
Mix together the oats, coconut, flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Mix all together thoroughly.
Firmly press the mixture into the tin and bake for 15-20 mins, until golden on top and firm to the touch.
Score into bars, with a knife tip. Cool in the tin
A personal note: next time I make these, I think I'll hand chop the fruit and blend everything in a bowl by hand. Not use a food processor. My boys didn't really enjoy not being able to recognise all of the ingredients they were eating.

* The last two recipes were adapted from the 'energy balls' and 'chewy apricot bars' recipes from this wonderful book: "Cooking for your Child" by Nicola Galloway


A cooking tip!
Just about all dried fruit are interchangeable.
As are nuts and seeds.
Therefore 1/2 cup of dried apricots could easily be translated as
eg: 1/4cup raisins + 1/4 cup dried figs
Also, I do the same with almond meal = flour and dessicated coconut = rolled oats.
All of these little hints will help to use what's already in your cupboard and to change recipes to suit your family!
May all your baking days be happy ones
ღ

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