Nutty Quinoa Granola Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup almonds, chopped
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 15 medjool dates
- 2 Tbsp warm water
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Optional: ½ cup dark chocolate chunks
Directions:
- Toast the oats and quinoa in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant. Once you start to hear a popping sound, you know it is almost done. Remove from heat and let cool completely (can place in the fridge to speed up the process)
- Combine almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, sesame seeds, hemp hears and flaxseed in a large bowl. Mix in the cooled roasted oats and quinoa. Set aside.
- Place medjool dates and warm water in a food processor. Pulse until dates become a paste.
- Combine the peanut butter, almond butter and honey in a glass measuring cup. Heat slightly until a smooth, liquid consistency.
- Add the peanut butter mixture to the dates. Pulse until smooth. Add in the vanilla.
- Pour the peanut butter/date mixture into the large bowl containing the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined.
- Press granola bar mixture into a 9” x 9” pan.
- Place pan in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours to let granola bars set.
- Remove from pan and cut into bars or squares.
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Banana Date Nut Muffins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Nutriblend flour
- 1 ½ cups natural wheat bran
- 1 cup All Bran cereal
- ¾ cup large flake oats
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp baking soda
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups dates
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup oil
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup molasses
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup raisins
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Line muffin tin with muffin liners and set aside.
- Mix the buttermilk and baking soda in a large measuring cup. Let stand while preparing the other ingredients. (As the baking soda activates, the mixture should expand in volume)
- In a medium pot, bring the water and dates to a boil. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened. Remove from heat, transfer into a bowl and cool slightly.
- Mix flour, wheat bran, All-Bran cereal, oats, flaxseed, wheat germ, coconut, pecans and walnuts in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Mix oil, molasses and eggs.
- Mash the bananas and add to the thickened date mixture. Stir to combine and add the egg mixture.
- Add all wet ingredients together, combining the buttermilk mixture with the banana/date mixture.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the raisins at the very end.
- Distribute batter evenly among the muffin tins, filling each one until heaping. Should make approximately 24 muffins.
- Bake for about 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
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Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups butter, softened
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup icing sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300ºF
- Cream butter in a large bowl.
- Add flour, cornstarch, icing sugar and salt. Mix until thoroughly blended.
- Wrap dough in wax paper and chill until firm.
- On a floured surface, roll dough with rolling pin and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
- **Option to use dough immediately, add chocolate, chopped nuts or other add-ins and shape into balls.
- Place dough balls or shapes onto cookie sheet.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.
- Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Decorate with icing if you wish.
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Granola Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs beaten well
- 6 cups granola
Directions:
- Measure 6 cups of granola into a large bowl. Set aside
- Heat peanut butter and honey in a microwave safe bowl for approximately 2 minutes or until just about to boil.
- Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Add to the hot peanut butter/honey mixture and mix vigorously (you don’t want the egg to cook and separate out of the mixture).
- Stir the peanut butter mixture into the granola. Mix well.
- Press into a 9” x 9” pan.
- Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours or overnight.
- Cut into squares.
Granola
Ingredients:
- 6 cups large flake oats
- 1 ½ cups sunflower seeds
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin seeds
- 1 ½ cup chopped almonds
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- 1 ½ cups coconut
- ½ cup ground flax seed
- ½ cup natural wheat bran
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups raisins
- 2 cups cranberries
Directions:
- Mix the oats, seeds, almonds, pecans, coconut, flaxseed and wheat bran in a large roasting pan.
- Heat the oil and honey in a glass measuring cup until warm. Add the vanilla and almond extract.
- Add the honey mixture to the roasting pan ingredients and mix well.
- Bake at 250ºF for 2 hours stirring every 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and mix in the raisins and cranberries.
- Allow the granola to cool completely in the roasting pan.
- Store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. **If making into granola bars, let the granola cool completely before using.
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Brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter melted
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla or peppermint extract
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup chopped nuts or mint chocolate chips
- or 8 squares semi sweet chocolate chopped
- (or both nuts and chopped chocolate)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9” x 13” pan with aluminum foil and grease lightly. Set aside
- Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup.
- Add eggs and mix well.
- Add flour, cocoa, and baking powder to mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix!
- Stir in chopped chocolate, nuts, coconut if desired.
- Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Allow brownies to cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- Chill before cutting into square.
Icing
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 6 Tbsp cocoa
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla or peppermint extract
- 1 egg
Directions:
- Melt butter and add cocoa, icing sugar and vanilla. Mix well
- Beat in egg.
- Ice brownies while still warm, a few minutes after they come out of the oven.