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Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Fruit & Nut Bars (Chewy Bars)

How many of you skip your breakfast?? Well..I don't do that,and I think if anyone does it so shouldn't be doing it as per the nutritionists and dieticians.A light breakfast with a cup of milk and toasted bread or a bowl of corn flakes or a bowl of oats is filling n healthy,but sometimes we need a change to break the monotony of everyday routine.And you start thinking ways to make your breakfast or snacker a bit more healthy & interesting,that's where this recipe works out perfect even for pranky kids.They are definitely gonna love this.Though I used egg as a binder in this but you can easily replace it with bananas as I tried it in Banana-Oats Bar(4 ingredient sugarless recipe).Try this out a day and enjoy it for a couple of days with a cup of milk :-)


Ingredients
whole wheat flour 1/3 cup
jaggery 1/3 cup or light brown sugar 1/3 cup
baking powder 1/8 tsp
baking soda 1/8 tsp
walnuts/pecan/hazelnuts 1 cup(I used walnuts)
almonds /cashews 1/2 cup(I used sliced almonds)
pistachio 1/2cup coarsely chopped
raisins/dates/prunes/figs 1 cup(I used raisins)
cherries/cranberries 1/2 cup
apricot dried 1/2cup(I used tutti fruity instead)
egg 1/ ripe banana 1
vanilla extract 1/2 tsp
salt 1/4tsp



Method-
-Lightly crush the almonds and pistachios.(I used sliced almonds so just crushed the pistachios.)
-Sift flour in a bowl,add in the salt,baking powder,baking soda without lumps.
-Dissolve the jaggery in 1/5 cup hot water and strain to remove impurities.Keep aside.
-Add in the dry fruits & nuts chopped as listed so that the fruits and nuts are well coated.Mix with a spoon or hands.
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F,Line a square baking pan  8 * 8(I used glassware) with aluminium foil at the bottom and sides.
-Whisk the egg till fluffy in another bowl and add in the vanilla extract.Add in the dissolved jaggery.
-Mix the egg mixture in the dry fruits & nuts mix and coat well to get a sticky batter.
-Spread the mix evenly in the prepared pan,pressing it down till the corners and with the help of a spatula or back of a spoon.
-Place it in the center of the oven and bake  for 30-40 minutes untill batter is golden brown and pulled away from the sides of the pan.(I could get it ready at 32 minutes)


-Remove from pan and cool on wire rack .When cooled lift the edges of the aluminium foil and get it out of the pan.Cut into pieces and serve.

Servings~ 16 squares /12 rectangular ones


NOTES
* The bars can stay good for 10 days at room temperature or longer after refrigeration.
* You can add in any desired dry fruits of your choice,keeping in mind the quantity remains the same.
* I used egg in this recipe as I was short of bananas,but I have easily tried out the Banana oats bar in which  had used banana as the binder.
* You can use light brown sugar instead of jaggery.


Sending this to Show Me Your HITS series #4 Iron Rich foods guest hosted at my space,Spotlight Breakfast Ideas ,Lets Party Breakfast, Guest Quest ,Healthy Food for healthy Kids Toddlers Breakfast/Dinner

44 comments:

Roshni said... Best Blogger Tips

Perfect bars.. looks too good.. please link to my event

Ongoing Event : Toddler Breakfast/Dinner

Vineetha Sush said... Best Blogger Tips

Healthy option...yummy too.

Ramya said... Best Blogger Tips

lovely and very rich bars

Priya Suresh said... Best Blogger Tips

Wow extremely chewy and super nutty bars..

Nalini's Kitchen said... Best Blogger Tips

Wow!!!perfectly done..looks tempting...

Reshmi said... Best Blogger Tips

crunchy and healthy... how can someone deny a breakfast like this... and I can munch it anytime

Akila said... Best Blogger Tips

Wow yummy chewy snack... Just love it...

Square Meals said... Best Blogger Tips

Looks really yummy, Julie :-)

simran said... Best Blogger Tips

fantastic bars......i think if i made these at home..they wouldn't be just kept for breakfast..my kids would happily be sitting with these bars through the day...tasty!

Balvinder said... Best Blogger Tips

I never skip my breakfast and I cook something almost everyday. When I can't make I eat these bars( as you have made)or healthy cookies with with fruit and seed smoothie. Good one!!!

Hema said... Best Blogger Tips

That's a healthy bar, you have used jaggery in the place of sugar, you have been tagged by me, visit my space..

radha said... Best Blogger Tips

I love it when the bars are chewy. And so fruity!

Archana said... Best Blogger Tips

looks so delicious. Thanks for the egg sub.

Soni said... Best Blogger Tips

Looks chewy and delish!!Healthy and a perfect start to the day :)

Rasi said... Best Blogger Tips

the bars have come out so well julie.. this is on my list of must try items..

Suja Manoj said... Best Blogger Tips

They looks so good,healthy and yummy bars..

Sensible Vegetarian said... Best Blogger Tips

Julie the bars look really delicious and colorful.

Spice up the Curry said... Best Blogger Tips

bars looks so fabulous and yumm

Sravs said... Best Blogger Tips

Wow those bars are so delightful!! you made them perfectly !!

Ongoing event CC:Mom’s Recipe

Avika J Chawla said... Best Blogger Tips

wow its looks delicious and very healthy..m gonna try this one for sure ...or may be u can send me some..:)

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

wow julie...the bars hav come out so well!!!!bookmarking it...will definitely giv it a try !!!!


http://www.onlyfishrecipes.com/

Faseela said... Best Blogger Tips

Bookmarked Julie.... a shouldv try healthy bar......awesome..

Shylaja said... Best Blogger Tips

Delicious and healthy bars

Shabitha Karthikeyan said... Best Blogger Tips

This chewy and nutty bars are really a keeper. Nicely done !!

Gayathri NG said... Best Blogger Tips

Awesome bars, looks delicious...

khushi said... Best Blogger Tips

i wish i could have a bite of these lovely bars

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

so delicious.
Love this recipe

http://followfoodie.blogspot.com/

Sobha Shyam said... Best Blogger Tips

very healthy and delicious bars..nice idea for breakfast :)

jasna varcakovic said... Best Blogger Tips

Great idea for breakfast skippers (like ME)!

Cathleen said... Best Blogger Tips

These look absolutely delicious! I can't believe I've never made a fruit and nut bar before! Yum!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

Very crunchy, healthy and yummy bar. Very delicious also.Thanks for linking my event.

Cuisine Delights
My Monthly Event - Spotlight : "Healthy Breakfast Ideas".

sojo said... Best Blogger Tips

thats a real healthy delight....

Ambreen (Simply Sweet n Savory) said... Best Blogger Tips

Rich & healthy bars, that looks and sounds so good!

Jeyashris Kitchen said... Best Blogger Tips

A perfect way to start the day with these bars

Kaveri Venkatesh said... Best Blogger Tips

Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day and I too don't like skipping it.
These bars are a healthy and filling breakfast option

easyfoodsmith said... Best Blogger Tips

Healthy scrumptious great! There are so many adjectives that can be used for these incredible chewy bars. Great post!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

great for breakfast or snack..delish.

Mahi said... Best Blogger Tips

Delicious bars...perfect for a quick breakfast!

Priya dharshini said... Best Blogger Tips

Healthy treat..Luv the clicks.

Achu's Amma's Kitchen said... Best Blogger Tips

healthy and yummy bars

Anisha said... Best Blogger Tips

This is awesome. It's like a nutrient bar made at home. Best part I like is that Egg is optional. :)

misha said... Best Blogger Tips

Great looking bars and a lovely idea :)

www.mahaslovelyhome.com said... Best Blogger Tips

Woww... delicious and tempting bars recipe.. looks absolutely inviting.. thanks for sharing !!

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips

Wowza! These look fabulous. :)