SPELT AND OAT FIG BARS

Let me tell you what you have to look forward to in the next couple weeks. Fresh figs! They seem to always be dry at the regular markets or tease you for a stiff price at Whole Foods and farmers markets. However, they linger on the lower produce shelves at Trader Joe’s with a humble sweetness, both in flavor and price. It may be a different story where you live, but that’s the song I’m going to sing as I encourage you to start eating fresh figs… wherever you choose to find them.

After I graduated college, I spent some time working at Villa Lucia, a little bed and breakfast in the heart of Tuscany. Lots of stories, lessons learned and certainly a number of cooking tips acquired. Days were spent cooking for dinner parties, bottling tomato sauce and, in the fall, harvesting olives from sunrise to sunset. Hugh was there in the summer and fell in with the ex Italian Special Forces Paratrooper turned groundskeeper- but that is another story, and a far less glamorous on than mine. The property has ginormous fig trees, hence canning fig preserves. No sugar, no preservatives, just boiled figs. A few jars made their way home with me, and that is what I used in this recipe, but you could use any fruit preserve that is naturally sweetened. If you really want to be rustic, you could make your own (simmer berries in their own juices on low heat for about an hour+). This recipe is lowfat, high fiber and much more of a breakfast/snack bar than a dessert.

SPELT AND OAT FIG BARS // Makes 12 Bars

1 ¼ Cups Spelt Flour

1 ¾ Cups Oatmeal

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Salt

1 Large Egg

1 tsp. Real Vanilla Extract

½ tsp. Almond Extract

¾ Cup Brown Sugar

½ Cup Applesauce

2 tbsp. Butter (to ensure a crisp crumble topping)

1 ¼ Cups Fig Preserves (or any other fruit preserves, naturally sweetened)

1. Oven to 350’. In a large bowl, sift all dry ingredients together (spelt flour, 1 ½ cups oats, salt, cinnamon, baking soda ).

2. In a second bowl, whisk the brown sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extracts and applesauce. Add in the dry mixture, and mix to incorporate. It should look like cookie batter at this point.

3. Spray a 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread the preserves evenly over the bottom layer.

4. With the remaining mix, add another ¼ cup oats and 2tbsp of butter. Mix with your fingers. Crumble it on top of the preserve layer.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is a bit crispy. Let them cool a bit before cutting.

*Enjoy with some greek yogurt or ice cream to balance this fibrous bar :)

CARROT CAKEY COOKIE 'WICHES

This is a recipe for ye of a well-stocked pantry. However, if you go buy all of these things, I promise you will use them up on this specific recipe. I think carrot cake is the favorite dessert option. There are comfort flavors (vanilla, cinnamon), textures (pecans, carrots) and frosting that kicks buttercream booty.

These nubs of goodness are healthy enough to eat for breakfast! I wish I could say these lasted longer than the afternoon that we made them.

Though I’m not much of an ‘exact’ kind of cook, this recipe is an exception. To make a cake-like cookie, you need a specific consistency so the cookie puffs up nice without running into a pancake. A pancake I’m sure you could solicit people to eat, but aesthetics are a priority here. You will notice that the ‘frosting’ is a bit more heart healthy than your cream cheese alternative, but you are welcome to substitute whichever you prefer. I do suggest giving the yogurt a try, the tang is nice and the treat doesn’t sit like a rock in your stomach.

CARROT CAKEY COOKIE ‘WICHES // Makes 20 Minis or 10 Jumbos

1 Cup Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

½ Cup Wheat Bran

1 Cup Oatmeal

½ tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Cinnamon

1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (or fresh nutmeg, cause I’m sure you’re more likely to have that around)

3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans

1 tbsp. Real Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Carrot (not store bought- freshly grated in a cheese grater)

2 Eggs

½ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

2 tbsp. Butter, room temperature

½ Cup Brown Sugar

½ Cup Golden Raisins

Filling:

17.6 oz Container (about 2 Cups) 2% Greek Yogurt (Fage brand recommended)

¼ Cup Local Honey

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Oven to 325’

1. In a small bowl, pour about half cup of hot water over the raisins and let them soak. In a bowl, whisk the eggs well. Add applesauce, butter, brown sugar and stir. Drain the raisins and add them, and the carrots to the wet mixture. In another large bowl, mix all dry ingredients and the nuts.

2. Gently, in thirds add the dry ingredients to the wet. You should get a pretty thick dough at this point, firm enough keep form on a baking sheet, but still more moist than your typical cookie.

3.Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Use an ice cream scoop for large cookies, or a tablespoon for smaller ones and set them 2’’ apart. Bake for 12-16, depending on cookie size, until edges brown a little and the middle is just set. Timing will vary.

In the meantime, mix all filling ingredients with a whisk and put in fridge to firm up.

*Allow cakey cookies to cool before assembling the sandwiches. Then bring them to me. Or use desired amount of filling and eat immediately as the yogurt gets a bit messy once it starts to soften. You could also freeze them for about 30 minutes, which would make them much easier to eat.