Flaxseed, Raisin, and Fig Granola Bars

Homemade granola bars have been all the rage on a lot of blogs lately.  I was finally inspired enough by the figs my mom sent me home with to make some of my own.

Brown-eyed baker made creating granola bars easy with a basic granola bar formula.  The only change I would make is to toast the oats and nuts first because they didn't come out crunchy at all.  Still, super delicious!  Below is both the basic granola bar recipe and the way that I made it.  YUM!

Basic Granola Bar Formula
from brown-eyed baker

1. Rolled Grains (2½ cups)
Suggestions: Oats, Rye flakes, Barley flakes, etc.

2. Nuts, Seeds & Spices (1 cup)
Suggestions: Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Cinnamon, Ginger, etc.

3. Sticky Sweetener (1/3 cup + ¼ cup)
Suggestions: Honey, Agave Nectar, Molasses, Maple Syrup

4. Dried Fruits or Chocolate Chips (1 cup)
Suggestions: Raisins, Apricots, Dates, Figs, Prunes, Cranberries, Pineapple, White Chocolate Chips etc.

5. Binder (1 cup)
Suggestions: Pureed Dried Fruit, Apple Butter, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Unsweetened applesauce, etc.

Flaxseed, Raisin, and Fig Granola Bars

Yield: 8 to 12 bars, depending on how large you cut them

Ingredients:1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups rolled oats

1/4 

cup chopped peanuts
3/4 cup flax seed
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F with the rack in the middle. Lay peanuts, flax seed, and oats in a 9 x 13″ baking dish in a single layer. Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown. Set aside and let cool a bit.

2. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. (my pan was a little longer than this)

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, honey, applesauce, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla extract. Stir in the toasted oats, peanuts, and flax seed, making sure that it is evenly mixed and all of the oats are moistened. Mix in the figs and raisins.

4. Turn the mixture out into the baking pan and press into the pan, making sure it is evenly distributed and tightly packed.

5. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the freezer until the bars are firm, at least 1 hour. Remove from the pan and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Whole Wheat Fig Newtons

Still sick, and still baking to feel better.

I was reading through some old blog posts that were posted before I started following some of my favorite blogs, and stumbled across this recipe.  Although my grocery store doesn't sell dried figs (I'll have to bring some home next time I'm at my parents' house, they always have some) I had a jar of fig spread that I'd used to make a stew a few weeks ago.

I'll have to make the stew again and remember to take pictures, because last night I was all about some cookies. I replaced the fig newton filling with the fig spread.

Unfortunately, it probably wasn't as thick as the spread that ELR suggested making.  Next time I will try to follow the original recipe.

Other than that, I highly recommend flouring your work surface when you roll out the dough.  It's really sticky and hard to fold otherwise.  And as a a result, I had a bunch of cracks, which led to a lot of my filling pouring out of the cookie during baking.  Which meant some of my newtons were almost fig-free :(

Although mine didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, the cookie dough did taste a lot like the original and I think they'd be pretty tasty if you make the filling as instructed.  I'll definitely have to try this one again once I get a hold of some dried figs!

Mmmm, cookies and cold medicine with Muppets tissues.  At least I have cookies.

Whole Wheat Fig Newtons
from Eat, Live, Run
makes about 40 cookies
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 ounces butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 T brown sugar, packed
1 T cream (I used half and half)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
for filling:
2 cups dried figs, stems chopped off
about 3 cups apple juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Cream together the brown sugar and butter. Add the cream and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating after each addition.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until a soft dough forms (be careful not to over-mix). Turn dough out onto a floured countertop and form a smooth ball. Let chill in fridge for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the figs in a saucepot and cover with apple juice. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add sugar and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool and puree figs and juice together.
Preheat the oven to 350. Cut dough ball into two parts and keep the part you’re not using in the fridge. Roll out one part into a large rectangle (see above photo). Carefully pick rectangle up and put on a lined baking sheet. Spoon about a half cup of fig puree down the center of the rectangle, being sure to save room around all edges. Fold top and bottom down over the middle of the rectangle and let the edges barely overlap. Fold the outer edges of the rectangle in and pinch together. Repeat with other piece of dough.
Bake for twenty five minutes, until golden. Let cool before slicing into newtons.