Can you believe it's September? I can't, but I am really feeling the shift in my schedule as my days get more and more filled with tasks and activities. So filled sometimes, that I can forget about breakfast until I'm so hungry that I can't even think. . .
. . . which lead me to. . .
. . . making these. . .
. . . super powered. . .
. . . cereal bars. . .
. . . packed with whole grains, nuts, chia, flax and beautifully ripe plums. . .
. . . they are just the thing to power your morning, or help you get your kiddos out to school on time with something wholesome and delicious in their hands.
Almond Plum Super Cereal Bars
Recipe adapted from here
Crust:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 rolled oats
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 4 cups chopped plums
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons chia seed
- 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons water divided
Topping:
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
In a food processor pulse the dry ingredients for the crust until the oats are broken down. Add the butter and pulse again until evenly distributed.
Whisk the egg, milk, almond and vanilla extracts together. With the food processor running, add the wet mixture in a thin stream until the dough comes together. It will be a tad sticky.
Divide the dough in half and wrap in parchment or plastic wrap. Chill the dough until firm.
While the dough is chilling make the plum/chia filling. Place the plums, the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, mix the chia seed and the 6 tablespoons of water stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. Let sit for 15 minutes to fully hydrate the seeds.
Cook the plums down until there is barely any liquid left (about 25-30 min) making sure to watch closely during the end to avoid burning the fruit.
Transfer the plum mixture and the chia to a food processor and mix until well blended. Chill with the dough until the dough is ready.
When the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350.
Roll out the first half of your dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle that is roughly 12" x 10" tapering the edges so that they are a bit thinner than the rest of the dough. Cut the dough in half with both sheets of parchment still on. These bars will be a bit wider than traditional cereal bars which means more room for filling! On the thinner bars the center seam can push out filling and leave the bars with more crust than I prefer.
Peel the top piece of parchment off one strip and spread 1/4 of the filling down the center of the dough. Using the parchment underneath to help you, fold the side with the thinner edge in first and then the cut edge so they overlap about 1/4". Fold up the ends and press all the seams gently.
Using the parchment underneath to help you, transfer the long bar to a parchment lined baking sheet by rolling it over off the sheet you are holding onto the baking tray. This will place the seam side on the bottom now.
Follow the same process for the second bar (if you have a large enough oven to accommodate 2 trays you can do all 4 at once, or you can do them in two rounds like I did).
Heat the honey with the water for the topping and brush on top of the bars before sprinkling the flax.
Bake 15-18 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges.
Allow to cool before cutting the long bars into three 4" bars (cut off the closed ends first). Doing it this way allows the filling to stay in place better than if you cut the bars before baking.
Place the bars in a covered container and they will soften a bit (like banana bread does) and taste delicious. Perfect for grabbing as you are running out the door.
Happy baking!
~ Sarah
*Last time in recipes: Fruit Leathers
