Brown Rice Crispy Treats with Dried Fruit
Makes about 25 bars
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
- 6 cups brown rice cereal
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
- 2 tablespoons sesame or sunflower seeds
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Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Quickly stir in the marshmallows and cook until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Stir in cereal, and dried fruit and seeds if using, until well-coated and combined. Spray a rubber spatula or wooden spoon with nonstick cooking spray and press mixture evenly into pan.
Cool and cut into 2 by 2-inch squares or use cookie cutters to cut into shapes.
Any dried fruit the children choose will be a good source of vitamins. This is a good alternative for lunch box and party snacks too!
* Recipe courtesy of Food Network
Flaxseed, Fig, and Walnut Crackers
Makes about 40 crackers
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup whole flaxseed
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal (available in the vitamin section of most supermarkets)
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- About 7 dried figs, chopped (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup soy milk
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Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the whole and ground flaxseed, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Add the butter and mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs.
Fold in the walnuts, figs, and soy milk, and mix until the dough is smooth.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/8 inch thick or thinner. Cut it as if on a grid to form 2-inch squares, then transfer them to an ungreased baking sheet with a spatula. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Bake the crackers until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Let cool, then serve.
Flaxseed and walnuts are an excellent source of omega 3 oils and manganese. Among the many health benefits of flaxseed, it is also known to promote bone health. This recipe will be fun for the children to prepare; they can cut$ out the crackers in different shapes too. This is a simple anytime snack that the children can take pride in sharing with their friends!
* Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com
Nut Free Trail Mix
Ingredients:
- 2 parts sunflower seeds or roasted pumpkin seeds
- 2 parts raisins
- 2 parts nut-free cereal
- 2 parts dried fruit of your choice (e.g., apricots, cherries, or dates)
- 1 part nut-free chocolate chips (optional)
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Combine all ingredients in an airtight container. Dried fruits will get sticky after a few days in warm weather, but trail mix will keep at room temperature for quite a long time.
* Recipe courtesy of About.com
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Extreme Granola
Makes 7 cups
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cups pecans
- 1/2 cup natural almonds
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, cane syrup or honey, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries or raisins
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large shallow baking sheet with foil. Spread the pecans and almonds on the sheet and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Transfer the nuts to a board, let cool and chop the nuts. Set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. Pour the oats and sesame seeds, if using, in a mound on the same baking sheet. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave; stir in the maple syrup and salt and drizzle on top of the oats. Stir well with a rubber spatula and then spread out the oats in an even layer.
Bake the oats for 30 minutes, stirring once with the spatula halfway through, until the oats are lightly colored. Let cool; the mixture will crisp as it cools. Add the dates, blueberries, and reserved nuts and toss.
This granola can be used for almost anything your children want- pancake topping, with yogurt or milk, ice cream topping, or just plain as a snack! Now the kids know just what goes into granola. They can choose the berries and nuts to customize to their own liking.
* Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com
