COOKING APPLES – STEWED & HEALTHY ENERGY BARS:

I have posted quite a bit on apples.  I had some cooking apples lately, some given to me and some I bought.  They are great.  

I use them:

·        to add to bun mixtures (by stewing them in orange juice first)

·        to make apple sauce for Pork (not just for side sauce but rub some on top of your pork before roasting for a wonderful flavour)

·        for pies/tarts (add some juicy blackberries/pears also)

·        to make stewed apple with cinnamon (yummy warm in a bowl, with a dollop of warm custard)

·        to stew them to sweeten healthy home baked treats

·        to make yummy chutney

·        for making jam (blackberry & apple is fab)

The list really is endless.  Most things made fresh can be popped in the freezer so you can make a lot of things in advance. 

Yesterday I posted a yummy tasty APPLE PIE.  Previously I posted recipe for APPLE BUNS. 

Today……….It’s STEWED CINNAMON APPLE & HEALTHY ENERGY BARS

STEWED CINNAMON APPLE really is not a recipe as there’s really nothing to it. 

• Peel, de core and chop up your cooking apples
• Place in a saucepan with couple tablespoons of water
• Add couple of shakes of ground cinnamon spice
• Heat over med heat until apples are stewed.  You may need to turn heat down a bit and stir every so often.

THAT’S IT!!

As I mentioned, this is a yummy treat, warm with some warm custard poured over it. 

HEALTHY ENERGY BARS:

I add some of my stewed apple to these for sweetness.

I made these today.  I would eat one during the mornings.  They contain plenty of nutrition and they are a slow release energy treat.  Best of all they are packed with protein rich goodness.

Here’s how I made them:

(All these ingredients and quantities are what I use to suit us – you can omit or add anything you fancy yourself)

1.      Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.  In a large mixing bowl, combine:

• 210g oats
• 75g whole almonds
• 60g plain cashews
• 40g hemp seeds
• 40g halved walnuts
• 25g sunflower seeds
• handful of dried cranberries 

2.      Add 200g honey; 90g stewed apple & 25g melted butter and mix/combine well.

3.      Spread mix out evenly in the baking tray, using your hands to flatten down and getting into all corners. 

4.   To finish with, i drizzle honey over the top again.

5.      Place in freezer for about 1 hour.  Then cut into squares.   

Cooking apples are so versatile.  You may be blessed to be able to pick them from a tree in your garden or know of someone who has one.  Otherwise they are easily picked up from supermarkets.