When you want something sweet, make it yourself but be sure to use the best quality ingredients. The cost and the time involved may deter you from having desserts more than once or twice a week, which is a good thing!
The Roanoke Natural Foods Coop is where we buy good eggs and other organic foods–especially bulk grains, beans, and herbs. As for blueberries, we keep them in the freezer all year–we pick enough locally in early August to have them last all year long and they are easy to freeze. This recipe has blueberries, rolled oats, arrowroot, and walnuts–all excellent ingredients.
1 cup organic rolled oats
3 Tbsp. organic butter (organic coconut oil may be substituted)
1 egg, organic and from pasture-raised chickens
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Place the oats in a food processor and process into a coarse flour. Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and blend into oats until mixture is homogeneous. Add egg, honey, vanilla, and baking powder and blend well. Add arrowroot flour and blend again. Hand stir the walnuts into this mixture and spread into a pyrex baking dish (10-inch diameter or 8-inch square). Spread the blueberries evenly on top and press them down into the batter–it’s ok if they are frozen but it may take a little longer to bake. Bake for about 15 minutes in a pre-heated 325 degree F. oven until just golden and a knife poked in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake or the squares will be dry. Let cool and cut into squares. Serves 4.
