by ADMIN on JULY 16, 2011
Say that five times fast! This recipe is an oldie but a goodie, adapted from one of my favorite cook books: Old Fashioned Baking, put out in 1995 by Better Homes and Gardens.
I’ve upgraded the recipe to be on the heatlhier side; cutting down the butter and substituting with better-for-you oils and plum puree, switching out the white flour for wheat flour, added ground walnuts into the crust, and used a mixture of plums and apples.
When you experiment with recipes and think outside the box, anything is possible! Plum Crumb Bars Author: Adapted from the Old Fashioned Baking cookbook. Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 45 mins Serves: 12 Nutty whole grain crust topped with plums, apples, and a crunchy sweet topping!
Ingredients
2 cups chopped fruit (3-4 large plums plus one large apple)
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cups walnuts, ground to a flour consistency
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon, divided
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp canola oil
¼ cup prune puree (you can find this in the baking section of the grocery)
2 Tbsp water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grind walnuts in a food processor until fine. Then add flour, ½ tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Pulse food processor to combine ingredients.
Combine walnut mixture with brown sugar and oats. Mix in the oil, melted butter, and prune puree. Blend until crumbs form and no loose flour is visible.
Set aside ¾ cup for the topping. Press the rest into the bottom of a 9 x 13" (or 7 x 11") baking dish (ungreased). Bake for 15 minutes then set aside.
While crust is baking, combine chopped plums, apple, white sugar, and water in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring more frequently towards the end once the fruits begin to become more mushy.
During the last 3 minutes of cooking, mash about half the plums with the back of a wooden spoon to create a thicker, stickier consistency (similar to a chunky jam).
Next, evenly spread the fruit mixture onto the crust. Then sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup oat mixture on top. Press the crumbs into the fruit to help it stick.
Bake for 25 minutes. Once cool, cut into squares and enjoy!
Enjoy!