Recipe - Cranberry – Sweet Potato Bars

Finally got around to baking these yummy bars again. Haven't made them since moving to China. The recipe calls for Sweet Potato baby food, and that is not always so easy to find! I made these for Natalie when she was a toddler, she loved them. It tastes a bit like cobbler, though without the extra fruit. They are also pretty good as an ice-cream topper too! You can throw one into the micro for 10-15 seconds and then onto a big bowl of vanilla ice cream.


I used to make these with a mixture of dried fruit and fresh fruit. The ones I made today, I threw in about a cup of fresh cranberries. But remember that plain, fresh cranberries are really sour! If you only use fresh, you may need to add a bit more sugar. And there are lots of other dried fruit you can use, such as apricots, mango, peach, etc. Whatever you like!

Also, I don't worry too much about using exact measures for this recipe. It is pretty forgiving. I am careful about how the dry/wet ratio so that they are not too dry or too moist.








RECIPE
Cranberry – Sweet Potato Bars


These are a great breakfast for the little ones or for anyone who wants a healthy snack.


ingredients:


¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup whole-wheat flour
¼ cup wheat germ
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt


6 Tbs butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 jar sweet potato baby food (4 oz)
1 ½ cups old fashioned oats (not quick cook!)


preparation:


Heat oven to 350 F. Line 8x8 baking pan with foil and spray with Pam.


Place the cranberries into a blender with ¼ cup boiling water, and let sit while making the batter.


In a small bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix with a fork to blend. Set aside.


In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla, until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat another minute. Add the sweet potato and mix until well combined. With mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture. When combined, mix in the oats with a spatula. Press 2/3 of batter into the bottom of the lined pan.


Puree the cranberries in the blender. Add a bit more hot water if too thick. Spread the filling over the batter in the pan. Divide the remaining batter into clumps and sprinkle over the filling. Use a spatula to smooth out any big clumps.


Bake 35 minutes. Makes about 18 bars.


Variations:
• Replace part or all of dried cranberries with other dried fruit, such as apricots. Adjust the water accordingly so that the filling is not too moist.
• Omit the wheat germ if you don’t like it. Replace with ¼ cup more flour.