Date Balls

Sometimes a bar is just too much snack for a 3 year old. Enter the date ball. A limited ingredient, smaller version of the date bar, these are closer to Larabars but I think they have more texture and less fruit.

Like the date bars, this recipe has some flexibility. The flax meal could become nut meal. The coconut could become dried fruit. Unlike the date bars, the dates are the only "sticky" ingredient and I'm not sure other fruits can replace them here.

The mixture will appear too dry when you mix it. While you should add a little warm water if it just won't hold together, make sure to try pressing it into balls first. It won't roll into a ball like dough, it needs to be pressed and shaped with your fingers. Because these are dried than the date bars, I store them at room temperature.

Date Balls

1/2 cup pitted dates (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes if they seem dry and drained)
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal or nut meal
2-1/2 Tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 5 Tablespoons water for at least 1 hour
1/4 cup flaked coconut or dried fruit

Process the dates in a food processor or blender until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. Press into balls approximately 1-inch in diameter.

Date Bars

Have you ever noticed what is in most granola bars? And what is not in them? Not really the best choice for healthy eating. On top of that, G has had some digestive problems and we have been going through a lot of diet experiments to help her. Commercial granola bars, her favorite post-swim, post-ballet snack don't really help. So I set out to make a bar that includes the best things for her tummy, at least the best things we have found to date.

Christie helps with the experiment

What did I want to get in there? Chia and flax seeds, specifically, for fiber, water retention, fats, and protein. Also, fruits that help move things along the digestive system, like dates, prunes or figs. Coconut has some helpful fats and could go in a bar, but avocado is probably asking too much!

Looking around, I found some potential recipes and started playing around with ingredients and techniques. This is what I settled on but the recipe is really flexible. Don't want nuts? Use alternative butters and sunflower seeds or coconut in place of almond. Vegan? Use maple syrup instead of honey. Prefer fruit to chocolate? Use dried cherries instead of chocolate chips. I haven't tried them with figs or prunes in place of dates but if you soak them in hot water, they will probably work.

Pressed into pan by hand, waiting for final "smoosh"

 The key to a bar that holds together well enough to eat it without making a giant mess is the pressing. Once everything is in the pan, it needs to be pressed in by hand then well smooshed down by a second pan on top of the mixture. Since the base of my loaf pans are slightly narrower than the top, I find another loaf pan is perfect for the smoosh. Plastic wrap or parchment just helps keep things neat and easy to turn out of the pan for chilling.

The slab after pressing and chilling

 Chilling the slab makes it easier to cut. You don't have to store the bars chilled but I find they get a little too soft above 75 F or so, at least too soft for a preschooler to eat neatly.

Cut and wrapped

Date Bars

1/2 cup pitted dates (soak in hot water for 10 minutes then drain if they seem dry)
2 Tablespoons chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons nut or seed butter
2 Tablespoons honey, maple syrup or agave
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal, chopped nuts, shredded coconut or sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2-1/2 Tablespoons chia seeds soaked for at least 1 hour in 5 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Process dates in a food processor or blender until finely chopped. Add chocolate chips and pulse to chop chocolate a bit smaller (or use mini chips).

Combine nut butter and honey in a small bowl and heat just until easy to pour.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well to combine. If you find it is too hard to stir by hand, you could throw everything in the food processor and give it a few pulses instead.

Line 4x8-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper, leaving sufficient overhand to wrap over top of bars. Lining is optional, but I find it makes things easier to press and move. Press down with your fingers to pack into the base of the pan. Fold plastic or parchment over top of slab and, using another loaf pan, press down hard until the slab is very compacted. Chill slab in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Unwrap slab and cut into 8 bars. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature depending on your climate and texture preference.

Pumpkin Mochi

G started preschool last September. This opened up a whole new world of food. Not only do I feed my own child, but now I make snacks and treats for school events. What will the kids eat? Can I keep the sugar and refined/processed items to a minimum and have them eat it? Oh, and no nuts or anything processed in a facility with nuts.

For the holiday celebration, I went back to my roots. Something so simple and popular it has to be a hit. Mochi! Sure, it's got sugar and extremely refined white rice flour, but at least nothing has seen a nut and, bonus, naturally gluten and dairy free! Plus, G can help make it.

Then J pointed out that kids around here have probably never seen mochi. At least not the kind without ice cream inside. Hm. Do I want to be the mom who sends the weird food? If they try it, they should like it. Maybe if I cut it into fun shapes. And it does jiggle, kind of like jello. Is that good or bad? Well, I'm too busy with holiday and birthday baking to come up with anything else at the last minute, so weird food it is.

I went with pumpkin so it was seasonal and had a familiar pie taste, limiting the weird factor to texture, not taste. G helped mix and cut out the shapes. There is a bit less sugar than most mochi recipes but it is still quite sweet. I am not sure if canned pumpkin puree will work the same or if it will need extra liquid. Note that this make A LOT of mochi.

Pumpkin Mochi

450 g mochiko (1 pound box)
200 g sugar (1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
112 g melted butter (4 oz, 1 stick, 1/2 cup)
400 g fresh pumpkin puree (14 oz)
2 cups coconut milk
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch and 8x8-inch pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together mochiko, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter, pumpkin, coconut milk, and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour. Cool completely before cutting.