Breakfast Bars over cereal any day!

So today was my day off, in theory, but with one thing or another, and all the running around I needed to do today I didn't manage to get home when I had hoped to. Not that big a deal, as part of my running around had me going to a book store (gasp!) and the market (oh, the horror). I wasn't able to enjoy it quite as much as I would have liked, because just as I was getting to Atwater, I realized that the sole of my Doc Marten had come unglued, to where it now resembles a flip flop more than a boot. Really useful that, with fresh and slushy snow on the ground. *sigh* It did mean that I made my choices a little more expeditiously than I might have otherwise, however, so I wasn't that late getting home. I had just enough time to take out some of my footware frustrations in my favourite way: baking.

I love breakfast. I can no longer fathom leaving the house in the morning without (unless it is for the purpose of procuring) breakfast. However, I hate cereal. I think it was because as a kid, growing up we had 2 choices for weekday breakfasts: honey nut cheerios or shredded wheat. I actually liked shredded wheat, but cheerios should be reserved for necklaces or kindergarden art, as far as I'm concerned. (Sorry Mum! We did on weekends get other stuff, and there is a family legend about a sourdough muffin starter-thingy we named Fred, but there it is.)

In the summer, I will often make myself a smoothie, which I can take with me, but during the colder months, I really like a cooked breakfast, something hot. I also like to sleep, which sometimes (often) means I haven't much time to put something together. Enter the breakfast bar. There are a number of companies that make these; I think that it is almost safe to say that there is an entire industry devoted to the "on the go" breakfast. Some of these even cater to the gluten and dairy free community! I have as yet to find one that I like though. If they are fruit filled, there isn't much of it, and more often than not the "dough" bears a closer resemblance to cardboard than something I purposefully want to eat. I do take them on treks and camping, but those are already situations where I'm supposed to be proving how tough I am, so they just fit the situation.

The bars that I made today are based on Grace Cheetham's "Fig and Date Fruit Bars"; they haven't got much to them in terms of what you need, they go together quickly and you can easily make substitutions. I like that the recipe makes 8 servings, so you don't get stuck eating the same thing for ages, but the 8 pieces are substancial enough that a nice cup of tea or coffee to go with and it actually counts as breakfast. So this is the way I did them today:

Fruity Breakfast Bars

• 2/3 cup chopped dried figs
• 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 3/4 cup chopped dried (pitted) dates
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup *This can be found where you get North African/Morrocan food stuffs. I use Clic brand.
• 2 tablespoons Agave syrup
• Heaped 1 cup Quinoa flakes (though if you like a milder flavour go with rice flakes)
• Sprinkle of chia seeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and then lay parchement paper into either 2 - 8" X 4" bread pans or an 8" X 6" baking dish and set aside. Cut up the fruit and place into a sauce pot with the water; bring to a boil on high, then reduce the heat to just under medium and cook until the fruit has absorbed the water and you end up with a compote, about 15 minutes.

While the fruit is stewing (and this smells amazing, by the bye) toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until browned; careful as they will burn quickly! Once the pine nuts are toasted and the fruit has absorbed all the water, combine them in a bowl with the pomegranate and agave syrups, mixing well. If you want to add in any spices (ie cinnamon or cardamom) mix it in with the fruit, but it tastes fine without. Mix in the quinoa flakes, stirring well and then press into the prepared pan.

 

 

Sprinkle some chia seeds on the top (as many as you'd like, but remember they absorb a lot of liquid and can lead to cramps and gas; you could also go with about a tablespoon of hemp seeds) and then bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. They will firm up a bit more as they cool, so once they can be safely removed from the pan by the parchement paper, allow to cool comepletely on a wire rack before cutting into 8 pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge till gone.

 

Enjoy!