Almond Delights or Almond Datelights — gluten free with natural sugar

These bars are delightful or should I say datelightul? I’ve seen versions of these called Snickers Bars with almonds but, personally, I don’t think the name fits. I thought of Almond Joy but there’s no coconut! These delightful bars begin with a base of almond flour (along with oat flour) mixed with almond nut butter and date or maple syrup. A date paste composes the gooey, caramel-like layer that is topped with toasted, sliced almonds and then spread with dark chocolate. Created to delight, these bars are also gluten-free and use only natural sugars. This is a nutrient-packed recipe so watch out as they are also packed with calories . . . but these bars are so rich that a small one satisfies most sweet lovers. 

Almond Delights or Almond Datelights    Yield: 8x8-inch pan; about 12 bars

Bottom Crust 

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 almond butter, no sugar added

1/2 cup oat flour (to make your own – add a little over 1/2 cup old fashioned or quick oats to the blender or food processor and blend until it creates a somewhat coarse oat flour

2 tablespoons date syrup or real maple syrup 

Caramel Middle

3/4 cup date paste (cook about 1 cup of dates with 3-4 tablespoons of water until softened, adding more water as needed; process in a food processor until smooth 

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 teaspoon  vanilla

Topping

1/2 cup of chopped or sliced almonds, toasted (place in a 350° oven for 4-5 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden; watch closely)

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine almond flour, almond butter, oat flour, date syrup and salt.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Press mixture into pan to form bottom base layer.  Place in freezer.
   
4. For middle layer, combine date paste, almond butter, and vanilla.
   
   
   
   
5. Spread on top of bottom layer and sprinkle with almonds. Place back in freezer.
   
6. Melt chocolate and spread over top to set. You can also cut into bars first and dip in chocolate to cover like a candy bar. Since these bars keep best when refrigerated, I left the chocolate off. When ready to serve, I microwaved enough chocolate chips to cover a couple of bars, and then spread it over the tops of the cut and plated bars. 
   

Recipe without photos . . . Almond Delights or Almond Datelights    Yield: 8x8-inch pan; about 12 bars

Bottom Crust 

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 almond butter, no sugar added

1/2 cup oat flour (to make your own – add a little over 1/2 cup old fashioned or quick oats to the blender or food processor and blend until it creates a somewhat coarse oat flour

2 tablespoons date syrup or real maple syrup 

Caramel Middle

3/4 cup date paste (cook about 1 cup of dates with 3-4 tablespoons of water until softened, adding more water as needed; process in a food processor until smooth 

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 teaspoon  vanilla

Topping

1/2 cup of chopped or sliced almonds, toasted (place in a 350° oven for 4-5 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden; watch closely)

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine almond flour, almond butter, oat flour, date syrup and salt.
3. Press mixture into pan to form bottom base layer.  Place in freezer.
4. For middle layer, combine date paste, almond butter, and vanilla.
5. Spread on top of bottom layer and sprinkle with almonds. Place back in freezer.
6. Melt chocolate and spread over top to set. You can also cut into bars first and dip in chocolate to cover like a candy bar. Since these bars keep best when refrigerated, I left the chocolate off. When ready to serve, I microwaved enough chocolate chips to cover a couple of bars, and then spread it over the tops of the cut and plated bars. 

Fruit & Nut Granola Bars

Granola bars are great for breakfast on the go or for snacking . . .

Fruit & Nut Granola Bars   Makes a 8x12" pan of bars
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup oat flour (blend oats in the blender to make your own or purchase)
1 1/2 to 2 cups dried fruit, chopped (I used a combination of pitted dates, dried apricots and dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8x12" baking pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to overlap on ends for easy removal of granola bars; spray bottom and sides of pan with pan release.
2. Spread oats and almond on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. When done, reduce oven temperature to 300°.
   
3. Meanwhile, place butter, honey and brown sugar, salt and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar melts and mixture is well blended.
   
4. Transfer lightly browned oat mixture to a large mixing bowl, add oat flour and dried fruit and then stir in butter and honey mixture. Stir until well blended.
   
   
   
   
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and use your hands to evenly flatten mixture. 
   
   
   
   
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool and then refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting. Note: Easily lift chilled bars out of baking pan by grabbing excess parchment paper overlapping ends of the pan.
   
   
   
   

Recipe without photos . . . 

Fruit & Nut Granola Bars   Makes a 8x12" pan of bars

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup oat flour (blend oats in the blender to make your own or purchase)
1 1/2 to 2 cups dried fruit, chopped (I used a combination of pitted dates, dried apricots and dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8x12" baking pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to overlap on ends for easy removal of granola bars; spray bottom and sides of pan with pan release.
2. Spread oats and almond on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. When done, reduce oven temperature to 300°.
3. Meanwhile, place butter, honey and brown sugar, salt and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar melts and mixture is well blended.
4. Transfer lightly browned oat mixture to a large mixing bowl, add oat flour and dried fruit and then stir in butter and honey mixture. Stir until well blended.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and use your hands to evenly flatten mixture. 
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool and then refrigerat at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting. Note: Easily lift chilled bars out of baking pan by grabbing excess parchment paper overlapping ends of the pan.

UPDATED Granola Pudding . . . made from oat flour that you make youself

UPDATED GRANOLA PUDDING without the whipped cream addition  . . .  this is a recipe I've made several times during COVID-19. We use Hildebrand whole milk and SKIP the cream addition! The pudding is not as light and airy but delicious. It also makes just four servings without the added cream
The recipes uses no eggs as the starch in the oats thickens the pudding. It's also quick to make as the directions say to cook it for just one minute after it boils. It looks thin . . . but STOP after the minute. If starch granules continue to cook past that time, they start to break down and create a glue-like consistency in the finished product. It is still quite edible but the texture is not ideal.
The other fun thing about this pudding is that you can use whatever nuts you want. (If using other nuts, I just use more vanilla and omit the almond extract.)  Barry doesn't like coconut, so I sometimes toast it and add it to just my serving. Think chocolate chips would be a fun addition, too. 

ORIGIANL EXPLANATION
During the early years of my teaching career, food companies would send FREE bulletins, lesson plans, cookbooks, even filmstrips, and later VCR tapes. One of my favorites was “Quaker Quotes,” a notebook insert style newsletter. Published quarterly by the Quaker Oat Company, the newsletter was full of cooking and baking tips along with recipes.

Granola Pudding is a recipe I still make but without the coconut (Barry is not a fan). Since I remove the coconut, I generally add some sunflower seeds. 

Original Granola Pudding with added whipped cream. 

Granola Pudding   Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons butter (recipe also indicates that margarine could be used)

¼ cup Ground Oat Flour (make by grinding oatmeal in a blender or NutraBullet, etc.; begin with slightly more than ¼ cup oats to insure exactly ¼ cup of oat flour)

Nutribullet blends oats
quickly & efficiently.

2 cups milk

⅓ cup raisins

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup flaked or shredded coconut

Dash of salt

2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted for maximum flavor (I usually use about ¼ cup + also add 3 to 4 tablespoons of sunflower seeds)

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup heavy cream

1. Melt butter over low heat in medium-sized heavy saucepan; then blend in oat flour.
   
2. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk, mixing well.
   
3. Add raisins, sugar, coconut and salt.
4. Return to heat; bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir about 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
   
6. Stir in nuts, vanilla and almond extract. (I usually wait and add nuts and sunflower seeds when folding in the whipped cream)
7. Pour into large bowl; cover. Chill several hours or overnight.
   
8. Whip cream until stiff peaks form; fold into pudding mixture.
   
   
   
   
9. Spoon into dessert dishes to serve.
10. Garnish with additional chopped almonds, if desired.
    

Another favorite recipe from “Quaker Quotes” is 

PowerPackin’ Sunflower Seed Cookies.

Recipe without the photos . . .

Granola Pudding   Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons butter (recipe also indicates that margarine could be used)

¼ cup Ground Oat Flour (make by grinding oatmeal in a blender or NutraBullet, etc.; begin with slightly more than ¼ cup oats to insure exactly ¼ cup of oat flour)

2 cups milk

⅓ cup raisins

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup flaked or shredded coconut

Dash of salt

2 tablespoons chopped almonds (I usually use about ¼ cup + also add 3 to 4 tablespoons of sunflower seeds)

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup heavy cream

1. Melt butter over low heat in medium-sized heavy saucepan; then blend in oat flour.
2. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk, mixing well.
3. Add raisins, sugar, coconut and salt.
4. Return to heat; bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir about 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
6. Stir in nuts, vanilla and almond extract. (I usually wait and add nuts and sunflower seeds when folding in the whipped cream)
7. Pour into large bowl; cover. Chill several hours or overnight.
8. Whip cream until stiff peaks form; fold into pudding mixture.
9. Spoon into dessert dishes to serve.
10. Garnish with additional chopped almonds, if desired.

$250 Cookies — Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back in the day when letter writing was the norm, I exchanged letters with my Aunt Waunita on an almost weekly basis. We’d share the ins and outs of our typical week and often included new recipes we had tried.

One week she sent a recipe for $250 Cookies with a note about the story behind the cookie and her recommendation to give them a try.

The story was interesting and the cookies were even better. Since then I’ve discovered that the story is just that . . . a story. Seems it’s an urban myth . . . but the recipe is still one of our favorites.

Since it makes so many—112 to be exact, I often cut the recipe in half.

$250 Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chip Cookies    Makes 112 cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) butter


2 cups granulated sugar


2 cups packed brown sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

5 cups blended oatmeal (measure 5 cups oatmeal  & blend in blender to a fine powder; both old-fashioned and quick-cooking work)


1 teaspoon salt


2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda


24 oz. chocolate chips


1 (8 oz.) Hershey® chocolate bar, grated (I used a dark chocolate bar and prefer to chop it versus grating)

3 cups chopped nuts (either walnuts or pecans are our favorites)


1. Cream the butter and both sugars.
   
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
   
3. Mix together flour, blended oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. (I like to chill the dough for about an hour at this point.)
   
6. Make golf-ball sized cookies (I used a 1 ½ tablespoon capacity dipper) ; place about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (I used silicon liners in the cookie sheets).
   
7. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes in preheated 375° oven.
8. Remove from oven and a rack.
   

My aunt’s letters were almost always typed and I still have the original copy of her recipe and story. Here’s the story Aunt Waunita shared . . .

“A woman who works with the American Bar Association called Mrs. Field’s Cookies and asked for the cookie recipe. She was told there was a two fifty charge for the recipe. She assumed it was $2.50 and she charged it to her VISA. It was not $2.50 but $250.00. In order to get her monies worth, she is passing the recipe out to everyone. Take a copy and give it to a friend with her blessing.”

Recipe without photos . . .

$250 Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chip Cookies    Makes 112 cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) butter


2 cups granulated sugar


2 cups packed brown sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

5 cups blended oatmeal (measure 5 cups oatmeal  & blend in blender to a fine powder; both old-fashioned and quick-cooking work)


1 teaspoon salt


2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda


24 oz. (semi-sweet) chocolate chips


1 (8 oz.) Hershey® chocolate bar, grated (I used a dark chocolate bar and prefer to chop it versus grating)

3 cups chopped nuts (either walnuts or pecans are our favorites)


1. Cream the butter and both sugars.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
3. Mix together flour, blended oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. (I like to chill the dough for about an hour at this point.)
6. Make golf-ball sized cookies (I used a 1 ½ tablespoon capacity dipper) ; place about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (I used silicon liners in the cookie sheets).
7. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes in preheated 375° oven.
8. Remove from oven and a rack.

Almost No-Knead Oat Bread

We can't seem to get enough of this bread. Again, I started with Cook’s Country  Almost No-Knead Bread basic recipe but this time I used part oat flour and topped the loaf with additional oatmeal. But, I'm not done yet—still have plans for rye bread, Parmesan and olive or rosemary additions, and maybe a raisin and cinnamon loaf!

Almost No-Knead Oat Bread 

¾ cup oat flour (make your own by adding old-fashioned or quick oatmeal to a NutriBullet; a food professor works, too)
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water, room temperature

6 tablespoons mild-flavored lager beer (I just used whatever beer I had on hand + I used a little more -- just enough so there were no dry patches of dough)

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Vegetable oil spray
About 1 tablespoon oatmeal for sprinkling on top of bread

1. Mix the flours, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl.
2. Add the water, lager and the vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture to combine ingredients, scraping up the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl.
   
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours. (I actually left mind for about 24 hours without any adverse changes in final product.)
4. Lay an 18x12-inch sheet of parchment paper on the counter and spray it with the vegetable oil spray.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough 10 to 15 times. Shape the dough into a ball by pulling the edges of the dough into the middle.
6. Transfer the dough, seam side down, to the center of the oiled parchment paper and spray the surface of the dough with the vegetable oil spray. Pick up the dough by lifting the parchment paper overhang and lower it into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Let any excess parchment paper hang out over the edge of the pot. Cover the pot loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with a finger, about 2 hours.
   
7. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Remove the plastic wrap from the pot. Lightly flour the top of the dough and using a sharp knife or a razor blade, make one 6” long, ½” deep slit along the top of the dough; sprinkle oatmeal over the top.
8. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Heat the oven to 425°. Bake the bread for 30 minutes. Note: Bread is placed into a cold oven; set the timer for 30 minutes at that point —do not wait until the oven preheats.
   
9. Remove the lid from the pot and continue to bake the bread until the loaf is a deep brown and registers 210° on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bread, about 20 to 30 minutes longer.
   
10. Using the parchment paper overhang, carefully remove the bread from the pot. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely, about 2 hours. (We ate our loaf when it was warm from the oven.)

Other Almost No-Knead breads include:

Almost No-Knead Bread (basic loaf)

Almost No-Knead Cranberry-Pecan Bread

Almost No-Knead Walnut & Rosemary Bread

Recipe without photos . . .

Almost No-Knead Oat Bread 

¾ cup oat flour (make your own by adding old-fashioned or quick oatmeal to a NutriBullet; a food professor works, too)
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water, room temperature

6 tablespoons mild-flavored lager beer (I just used whatever beer I had on hand + I used a little more -- just enough so there were no dry patches of dough)

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Vegetable oil spray
About 1 tablespoon oatmeal for sprinkling on top of bread

1. Mix the flours, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl.
2. Add the water, lager and the vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture to combine ingredients, scraping up the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours. (I actually left mind for about 24 hours without any adverse changes in final product.)
4. Lay an 18x12-inch sheet of parchment paper on the counter and spray it with the vegetable oil spray.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough 10 to 15 times. Shape the dough into a ball by pulling the edges of the dough into the middle.
6. Transfer the dough, seam side down, to the center of the oiled parchment paper and spray the surface of the dough with the vegetable oil spray. Pick up the dough by lifting the parchment paper overhang and lower it into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Let any excess parchment paper hang out over the edge of the pot. Cover the pot loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with a finger, about 2 hours.
7. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Remove the plastic wrap from the pot. Lightly flour the top of the dough and using a sharp knife or a razor blade, make one 6” long, ½” deep slit along the top of the dough; sprinkle oatmeal over the top.
8. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Heat the oven to 425°. Bake the bread for 30 minutes. Note: Bread is placed into a cold oven; set the timer for 30 minutes at that point —do not wait until the oven preheats.
9. Remove the lid from the pot and continue to bake the bread until the loaf is a deep brown and registers 210° on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bread, about 20 to 30 minutes longer.
10. Using the parchment paper overhang, carefully remove the bread from the pot. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely, about 2 hours. (We ate our loaf when it was warm from the oven.)

Bloomin’ Baked Apples

     Thank you Glenda Rentz for posting the link to this delicious and creative recipe which originated at The Gunny Sack blog. 

     As usual, I made a few changes to the original recipe as noted below . . . trying to make it a little less sugary!

Bloomin’ Baked Apples

2 crisp apples

2 tablespoon soft butter

2 to 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp; I used 2 Tbsp.)

1 tablespoon oat flour —made by grinding old-fashioned oatmeal in our Nutrabullet® (original recipe called for regular flour)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 to 4 caramels (I used 1 1/2 caramels in each apple cavity)

Optional topping: Greek Gods® Greek Honey & Vanilla Yogurt (original recipe called for vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and cinnamon)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Slice off the top fourth of the apples.
3. Scoop out the core.
   
   
   
   
4. Using a small, thin knife, make 2 deep circular cuts around the center of each apple.
5. Turn each apple over and make vertical narrow cuts from the bottom side to the cut side. 
   
6. Flip each back over and place in an oven safe dish; add 1 1/2 to 2 caramels to the center of each apple.
   
7. Heat butter and brown sugar in the microwave for 30 second, stir and continue heating for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir in flour and cinnamon. Divide the mixture over the top of the two sliced apples.
   
   
   
   
8. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. (Check apples after 25 minutes and continue cooking until tender. Some apples can take 45 minutes to 1 hour to soften.)
9. Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to move the apples into bowls.
10. Top with a spoonful of yogurt.

Recipe without photos . . .

Bloomin’ Baked Apples 

2 crisp apples 

2 tablespoon soft butter

2 to 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp; I used 2 Tbsp.)

1 tablespoon oat flour —made by grinding old-fashioned oatmeal in our Nutrabullet® (original recipe called for regular flour)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 to 4 caramels (I used 1 1/2 caramels in each apple cavity)

Optional topping: Greek Gods® Greek Honey & Vanilla Yogurt (original recipe called for vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and cinnamon)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Slice off the top fourth of the apples.
3. Scoop out the core.
4. Using a small, thin knife, make 2 deep circular cuts around the center of each apple.
5. Turn each apple over and make vertical narrow cuts from the bottom side to the cut side. 
6. Flip each back over and place in an oven safe dish; add 1 1/2 to 2 caramels to the center of each apple.
7. Heat butter and brown sugar in the microwave for 30 second, stir and continue heating for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir in flour and cinnamon. Divide the mixture over the top of the two sliced apples.
8. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. (Check apples after 25 minutes and continue cooking until tender. Some apples can take 45 minutes to 1 hour to soften.)
9. Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to move the apples into bowls.
10. Top with a spoonful of yogurt.