With great enthusiasm I set out one morning to make Build-Your-Own-Energy-Bars, courtesy of Amber Shea Crawley and her cookbook, Practically Raw. I knew I could bang out a batch of bars, pop them in the freezer and have them ready for our daily 3 pm snack. Easy. I gathered the ingredients and pulled out the food processor and away I went. But something went wrong. The mixture was not really a mixture. There was no way it was going to stick together to create bars. I stared into the processor as if the answer were in the pile of pretty crumbs. I looked around the kitchen. What could I do to rescue this recipe? I didn’t want to add maple syrup – no way it needed any sweetening. Peanut butter? As much as I love it, it would not work here. Sesame seeds…sesame seeds…tahini! I plopped a big ol’ spoonful into the processor and whirled again.
Same deal. When I poured the mixture into a pan prior to freezing it, prod and shove as I could, the mixture was not coming together as beautifully as in Amber’s photo. I referred to the directions and immediately saw what I’d done wrong. I hadn’t actually read the directions. I’d just taken it upon myself to toss all of the ingredients into the processor without noticing that, yes, there were a few steps to follow. Simple, but important, steps. Deciding to continue anyway, I put the mixture in the freezer and a few hours later pulled it out to see if anything magical had happened behind closed doors. Naw. Still crumbly. But it passed the taste-test with flying colors. Inspiration hit the next morning: topping for our daily grain cereal! It’s absolutely delicious. We ate the first batch up so quickly, I’ve already repeated my mistake. (Scroll down for other ways to use this “crumble.”)
Please visit Amber at her blog, AlmostVeganChef.com. She’s a graduate of the Matthew Kenney Academy. Amber’s book, Practically Raw, has really helped me incorporate more raw foods into my diet. The recipes are delicious, creative and flexible – especially helpful if you’re just starting out with this type of cuisine.
Big Bowl of Overnight ‘Frige Grains with Soy Milk, Bananas, Chia Seeds and Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble.
Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15
Description
Sprinkle this easy-to-make, flavorful, fruity crumble on top of your morning oatmeal, over pancakes or waffles, or bake it into my Tahini Date-Orange Crumble Cookies!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups walnuts
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp. crystallized ginger
- zest of 1/2 an orange
- 1 heaping Tbsp. tahini
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until the mixture is a bit chunky, but uniform
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 97
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 14
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 0
Jar of Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble.
Strawberry and Cherry Pie topped with Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble and Bob’s Natural Granola (no oil).
Slice of Cherry-Strawberry Pie with Date, Cherry, Walnut & Ginger Crumble.
Tahini-Orange-Date Crumble Cookies. Recipe here.
To hell with reading directions — that still looks delicious… and versatile!
Thanks – and I agree! Throw out the recipe ;-)!
I love that it “makes enough.” 😀
Not only do I skip directions, I forget to measure.
Yet another quality we share. 🙂
So glad it all went so well – thought you were supposed to be taking things easy? Seems to me you’ve exchanged one whirlpool for another! Glad you like Ben the Barn Owl – as for knowing that you’ve got your own family of them, well – serendipity maybe? First Coyotes, then almost matching Tommy Teddy – and now Ben! Cheers. Isobel
Ha, Isobel, I know – I must be crazy! I guess I don’t know how to take things easy… Yes, we seem to have a connection when it comes to fuzzy creatures!
Yum! It looks so good, I’d call it an on-purpose too!
Alright! I like the way you think ;-)!
What a happy mistake! Sometimes the best foods come in unsuspecting packages! I love that this has ginger and dates what a great combination!
I know, right? I love good mistakes ;-). Oh, ginger – how I love thee – and you’re right, with the dates it’s extra yummy!
I don’t know if I can wait for your cookie recipe! Yummmy
Ha ha, some of my favorite recipes are born out of accidents in the kitchen! I’m usually to impatient to read directions, and even though I can follow a recipe, most of the time I just can’t be bothered. I’m totally making some for muesli topping. What is this oil free granola you are talking about ?!? I feel a challenge coming on! 😉
Yeah – I was very happy to stumble onto Bob’s oil-free granola. The big BUT is that it does have a ton of sugars, which I do try my darndest to limit. So, I don’t use this or any granola very much. However…making my own sans oil and using fruit-sweetened magic WILL happen. As soon as I find the time…
Ha ha ha ha – so funny, sorry, but I was in the kitchen yesterday doing the exact same thing, making granola bars – they turned out like this. So I am very very happy for this post! Thank you for the inspiration!!! 🙂
Oh my, you are a lucky girl, going to eat at Matthew Kenney’s restaurant!!! I love him!! Hope you will write a review!
Amazing, Anne! I’m glad to hear you have the occasional mess-up in the kitchen, too. I will be sharing what I eat at MK’s. I’m SO proud to have his school and restaurant in my state – imagine!!
Inspired! I love beautiful and delicious accidents. It’s kismet! ♥
*happy dancing*
Veggiewitch ♥
I love that! I love your happy dancing, too ;-)! Girl, do me a favor and make sure my comments on your blog aren’t going into your Spam folder.
I noticed that this morning… WordPress is being weird. =0/
Totally annoying. I just contacted Akismet via WordPress…Let you know what I find out.
OH wowzaaa you made GOOD use of this crumble!! It looks fantastic.
I could also probably just munch it straight, you know? Brittany, my luv, I think my comments on your site are going into your Spam folder – hate for you to think I’m not loving your posts!
That looks SO delicious. Tell us what’s in your overnight-grains breakfast! I want to make it.
Thank you! I use a mix of rolled grains: rye, triticale, wheat, barley & oats and then throw in a handful of dried fruit. Cover with nut milk of your choice, put in the ‘frige overnight. In the morning I add more milk, sprinkle with chia seeds, nuts, bananas, etc. Delish!
I am so trying this. And thanks for the heads up about the spam folder. 🙂
Oh, PS, I think my comments on your site are going into your Spam folder.
can not go wrong with those ingredients! lovely
Thanks, Dena! Hey, check your SPAM folder, please – seems like all of my comments of late on other sites are getting trashed!
I will! Thanks
A bar gone totally right 😉
This granola looks delicious and I am dying for breakfast now 😀
Thanks!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I think that makes a much better title than mine! Thank you, dear! Breakfast is GOOD! Anytime…
Happy accidents are the best!
It’s a relief when kitchen recipe accidents turn out okay, isn’t it? No composting necessary…
Yum! Oh yea, we totally knew you “meant” to do that hehe, Thanks for sharing with us your cooking process, I love learning how talented folks improvise because that’s when a new bright idea is born. I shall try this recipe!
It’s always a relief when I don’t have to compost a mistake I made ;-)!
Look at you, getting healthy for summer, and you didn’t even know it!
The best way to get healthy, don’t you agree? When you don’t even realize it!
I love her book! It’s so beautiful and everything I’ve tried from it is spectacular!
I love re-purposing recipes when they don’t turn out exactly right- and this looks so delicious! I’d welcome it on top of my smoothies, fruit and oats any day 🙂
Ooooh, Gabby! Smoothies!! Yes!
YUMMMM, just on top of hot fruit with cinnamon, even. Want. Some. NOW. 🙂
Oh my gosh – another great idea! Yes: YUM!
Hey Annie, firstly that crumble looks amazing!! Second I nominated you for a one lovely blog award 🙂 you can see it here http://veghotpot.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/one-lovely-blog-award-2/ x x
If you could see my big lerpy grin right now, hehe! Thank you, my dear!!
yum yum yum! love the use of ginger! must try soon! btw…I love your site so much and just nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I posted this on my post: http://everydayvegangirl.blogspot.com/2012/05/versatile-blogger-and-what-i-ate.html. You can check out the Versatile Blogger Aware site and rules here: http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/vba-rules/
Ahhh!! How sweet of you!! Thank you so much – heading over to your site right now :-).
Beautiful photos and what a very happy mistake! I love the idea of using it as a topping for a crumble or bowl of cereal.
Thanks, Lorna! It has a nice sweetness and that ginger bite…yes, excellent on cereal!
Sometimes kitchen mistakes create the most delicious accidents! I find coconut oil works really well if you are in this dilema again, and need something to set in the freezer. ooooo your up coming cookie recipe looks wicked 🙂
That crumble sounds so good & tasty too! So easy to use too or add this raw crumble to a breakfast smoothy! Yum Yum Yum!
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