Let apricots fig-ure into your holiday treats
[attach]7228[/attach]Apricot-Fig Oat Bars
What’s In It?
1 cup chopped apricots
1 cup chopped dried figs
Juice of 1 orange or 1 lemon
½ cup water
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup sucanate, maple
sugar or coconut sugar
1¾ cup light spelt flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup rolled oats
¼ teaspoon sea salt
How It’s Made
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a saucepan, combine apricots, figs, orange juice and water. Cook, covered, on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a bowl, cream together the coconut oil and sucanate. Stir in the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the oats and mix using your hands. The dough will be crumbly but will hold together when squeezed.
4. Press ⅔ of the dough onto an oiled 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. Stir the date mixture and spread it over the dough. Crumble the remaining dough on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the pan and cut into bars.
Both figs and apricots are great sources of iron. But make sure you buy apricots that are dark brown and not bright orange (due to sulphites). The taste of dark Turkish apricots makes this recipe come to life!
Marni Wasserman is a certified chef, culinary nutritionist and owner of Marni Wasserman’s Food Studio and Lifestyle Shop on Eglinton Avenue West. She offers organic vegetarian cooking classes, workshops and lifestyle products. This recipe is from her Holiday Harvest class, scheduled for Monday, Dec. 9. marniwasserman.com
