Monday 25 November 2013

Baking

Welcome to two new followers via Bloglovin - MellyC and Rose Matthews.

I needed to make some more Granola for DB so whilst the oven would be one for that, I would also make us some St. Clement Date Slices. This is a variation of the original Cranks recipes here:

350g dates (or dried apricots or figs), chopped, 6tbsp water,grated rind of one lemon, 225g wholemeal flour, 100g porridge oats, 75g raw brown sugar,150g butter or margarine, melted.

Put the dates, water and lemon rind in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until the mixture is soft.Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle half to a (27 x 18cm) shallow cake tin and press down WELL (very important this, or you will get a kind of granola effect, not a bar).Cover with the date mixture and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top. Press down firmly again.

Bake in the oven at 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes. Let cool in the tin and then cut into 16 slices.

I only had dates so that is what I used. I grated in the zest of 1/2 a lemon, then used the juice of that 1/2 lemon, plus the juice and zest of half an orange. These combined juices came to 5 tablespoons so I needed to add just 1 tablespoon of water to the chopped dates.
Once amalgamated, I tipped it onto a plate to cool.
I then measured into a bowl, 225g of plain white flour including one tablespoon of wheat-germ and one of oat bran (didn't have wholemeal flour!), 100g of jumbo oats, 75g of light brown sugar.

150g of margarine and the zest of the other 1/2 orange added to it, was melted and poured onto the combined mixture in the bowl.
Half the mixture was pressed firmly to flatten it, into a 12" x 7" tin (again, all I had),
the date mixture was added and flattened,
followed by the rest of the oat mixture. This was sprinkled on before being pressed into place. YOU MUST PRESS OTHERWISE YOUR BARS WILL FALL APART!
After that, it was baked at 200C for 20 minutes, left to go cold and divided into 16.

Yum yum!



12 comments:

  1. Mmmmm, delish! I have 2 very old and tattered Cranks recipe books - probably the same ones you have! I am "off' grains sat the moment so am making a kind of Birchner Muesli with nuts and seeds dried fruit and fresh berries when I can get them. I add a grated apple before eating and the juice of a tangerine or half an orange. It will be a little while before I can eat something as more-ish as these bars look!

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    1. I don't know what the flour does in this recipe as they don't rise up during cooking. Maybe you might be able to blitz 225g of oats and turn them into some kind of flour, plus add some oat bran or even use all oat bran?

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    2. Mmmm could even possibly use some of the coconut flour I bought the other week. I'd assume you use measure for measure.

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    3. I don't honestly know, didn't know it existed so haven't used it. Give it a try, or make half measures.

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  2. I like the sound of this DC. You can't beat a good tray bake.
    Patricia x

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    1. We like things like this but only as a treat. We have both managed to lose weight this year and don't want to put it all back on over winter (although that might be difficult as the cold weather makes you want to eat doesn't it?)

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  3. this is one of our favorites! They can be messy but oh so good!

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    1. Every time we make them, we always feel they won't work. Every time, they do! Good as a treat on their own, or with hot custard or warmed through with ice cream or yoghurt.

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  4. They are really making my mouth water, I love anything with dates in, combine them with flapjack and I'm in heaven. I dont think they would last very long in our house!!

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  5. Those look delicious! I love flapjacks as does KL so I make them when she's home. J doesn't like them and I don't want to eat them all!

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  6. Karen and Scarlet - We freeze them in batches of 4 so that they last as long as possible. Just finished the 4 for this week, next 4 next week etc.

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  7. I have never thought of freezing anything like that, mmm ice lolly style date squares :-) might catch on!! xx

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