Shapeshifting Carrots
Kids are funny. One of my grandchildren wouldn’t dream of eating a carrot – raw, steamed, roasted, it doesn’t matter. Carrots are simply not his thing. Yet he loves to both help bake and to consume homemade carrot bars; somehow they’re in another category. Go figure!
So here’s my truly easy, not too sweet, recipe for Carrot Bars, another in my growing repertoire of real food that you can savour for a snack or dessert, start your day on, or have as part of your lunch.
3 C. organic whole wheat flour 1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder 1 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon
¼ C. organic brown sugar 2 t. vanilla
4 eggs
½ C. olive oil
1 C. organic shredded coconut 1 C. buttermilk or applesauce
1 C. raisins or Palestinian dates, chopped 3 C. shredded carrots
Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, dust with flour, and preheat oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid in another.
Make a well with the dry ingredients and combine the liquid. Mix until everything is well- blended. You want it to thickly pour into your baking dish, and not be runny, more like a cake batter. If you need more liquid, add more buttermilk or applesauce. The applesauce adds such a nice sweetness, especially if yours is homemade, and I love baking with buttermilk, so I often use both. It’s your call.
Bake at 350 for 40 or so minutes. Let cool and cut into squares. These freeze really well too. Enjoy!
Next week: Housing & Home, Part 3.
