another from my old forum.

Hi all, this recipe is really based on a tea bread, but it is heavy, and I bake it thinly (head isn't working yet today, poor word), so it is more like an energy bar. Very good from my point of view, I freeze it, cut in pieces for snacks. I like it frozen.  I can't eat it all before it would get stale or spoil.

Mix together around 3 cups of mixed chopped dried fruits, ie raisins, pineapple, apricots, do use dates as part of it, anything that sounds good. Coconut is good in it too. I have used Papaya also. I do not use sulfated fruits, I am a bit sensitive to them.

Then add a couple cups or so of a variety of chopped nuts and seeds. I like millet in this, I enjoy the little bits of crunch it adds. I like raw pumpkin seeds in it too. This is a flexible recipe, vary according to your liking on the quantities of nuts and fruits in it.

Add up to 1/2 cup of Sucanat or other natural whole sweetener. Sucanat is dried cane syrup, very brown in color. The dried fruits add natural sweetening, but I like a bit more. A little stevia could be used also. You can add some cinnamon and similar spices. Vanilla is nice. Sucanat actually has usable amounts of iron and some micro nutrients, high molasses content.

Blend together in blender tofu, (instead of eggs, use tofu about the size of 2-3 eggs), 1 cup of any veggie milk, and 1/2 to 1 cup of oil of choice. I don't think olive oil would be good. Part coconut oil would be, I think, but I have not tried it yet. I often use vegan margarine for this. Add this mixture to the fruit and nuts above, and stir. (Candace: added today, if you are trying to cut the fat if dieting, use some applesauce for moisture). Also on the oil, please do not use those cheap super market oils, they are toxic. Use naturally pressed Canola, or nut oils. Natural soy oil is acceptable too.

Then add whole grain flour, any sort, I use mostly spelt in baking. A little barley or oat flour would be good in this, and I have used them. Both are sweeter natually than wheat or spelt. This will probably require around 2 cups of flour, maybe more. I don't measure on this recipe at all, I just dump whatever appeals into it, and then add flour until it is thick like muffin dough.

Do also add some sea salt with the flour, probably a teaspoon. After all is mixed together, and your pan greased, add about 1 1/2 tsp. of baking soda, stir in and pour immediately into a large cake pan, rather than a bread pan, spread fairly thinly, about like for brownies or a bit higher. The soda will cause rising right away in the bowl. Do not stir down this rising!

If you bake it in a bread pan, it will take forever, it is heavy, and the outside might get crunchie before the inside is done. Bake at 325 until done. Cut into bars. I like to take these when I run errands, keeps me from stopping somewhere to eat. I snack on them straight from the freezer. I am single, and I don't like to keep stuff around until it gets stale, so I freeze things I bake. This is a good and wholesome snack food, loved by little grandbabies who tend not to like good wholesome food. This works nicely for my sweet tooth, not as sweet as cake and cookies, but enough to satisfy. Enjoy!