Apple Walnut Snack Bars - Healthy Earth Friendly Gluten Free Back To School Snack

PR Log (Press Release) – Aug 18, 2009 – I was inspired to create this Gluten Free * Diabetic Friendly Snack Bar after attending a American Diabetic Expo and hearing parents state that they were having difficulties in finding healthy, non-fruit snacks to put into their children's lunch boxes.  Enjoy.
Eco Chef Love

Apple Walnut Snack Bars - Healthy Earth Friendly Gluten Free Back To School Snack
Gluten-Free * Soy Free * Dairy-Free * Agave Sweetened * Optional Nuts

1 cup (85 g) Gluten-Free Oats (See Shopping List)
1 cup (128 g) Organic Dried Granny Smith Apple Chips – Broken into pieces. Add an additional 1 Cup of Apple Chips if creating Nut Free Option. (See Shopping List)
¾ cup (250 mL) Finely Chopped Organic Walnuts (Optional)
1 cup (128 g) Gluten-Free Brown Rice Flour  
1 teaspoon (4.2 g) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (6 g) Cinnamon Powder
1 tablespoon Fresh Ground Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
¼ teaspoon (1.05 g) Fine Sea Salt
¾ cup (224 grams) Extra Virgin, Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil
½ cup (125 mL) Alcohol Free Vanilla Flavor (See Shopping List)
2 cups (340 g) Organic Agave (See Shopping List)

                                                       Dry Ingredients
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).  Place Oats on baking sheet pan.  Bake for 11 minutes. Remove from oven.  Allow toasted Oats to cool completely. Place Oats in food processor or blender. Grind Oats into a fine flour. Add Dried Apple Chips to Oats.  Grind until it becomes flour.  Add optional Walnuts OR additional Dried Apple Chips to Oat Apple Flour.  Grind until it becomes a fine flour again.  

If you are using Food Processor:
Add Brown Rice Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon Powder, Nutmeg and Sea Salt. Pulse until blended together.

If you are using a blender:
Place Oat Apple Flour in mixing bowl.  Sift Brown Rice Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon Powder, Nutmeg and Sea Salt into Oat Apple Flour.  Stir with spatula until both flour mixtures are well blended together.

If you are planning to bake the bars on another day, place Flour mixture into sealed, airtight
food storage bag. Store for future use.

                                                            Wet Ingredients
Pour a small amount of Olive Oil into spay bottle.  Spray the inside of muffin tin cups to keep snack bars from sticking.  Spaying the muffin tin cups with Olive Oil instead of lining the muffin pan with cupcake liners is Earth-Friendly because it reduces waste. It is best to make your own spray, since the Vegetable Baking Sprays sold in stores contain Alcohol.

Pour Olive Oil, Agave and Vanilla Flavor into a mixing bowl.  Whisk until liquids are completely blended together. Set aside.

Place flour mixture into a separate mixing bowl.  Pour Oil blend into the flour mixture.  Stir with rubber spatula.  Quickly pour mixture into muffin tin cups.  

Bake for about 22 minutes or until done.  Allow to cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before removing Snack Bars from pan.

                                                           Why Agave and not Sugar?
Agave has a very low glycemic index, meaning there’s no spiking of blood-sugar levels. Agave is a delicious alternative for diabetics or anyone wanting to avoid the unhealthy side effects associated with Sugar and artificial sweeteners.

                                                           Why Gluten-Free Oats?
Gluten Free Oats® can be considered SAFE for people who are gluten intolerant because  they are tested to be below 10 parts per million (ppm) by the University of Nebraska FARRP Laboratory.

                                                            Shopping List:
Gluten-Free Oats
http://www.glutenfreeoats.com/shopsite_sc/index.html
Organic Dried Granny Smith Apple Chips
http://www.barefruitsnacks.com/products.html - They are also available in the bulk and snack sections of your local grocer and health food stores.
Alcohol Free Vanilla Flavor
http://www.theposter.com/vanillaextracts.html   (Vanilla Flavor, No alcohol)
Organic Light Agave  
http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/ - The first selections are from Aunt Patty's. Click on Organic Agave Syrup.  Select Syrup. Agave Light, Raw. Also available at Whole Foods or your local Heath Food store.

2009 ©  EcoChef Love