Cherry Dream Bars

Amazing bright and vibrant cherry jam sandwiched between two soft “cookie dough”. These irresistible bars are loaded with all kinds of good stuff. Deliciously sweet but awesomely healthy. It’s quite satisfying, my friends. Okay, who’s ready to make some cherry bars? Don’t be shy, I’m sure you do!

To prepare the base place all ingredients into a food processor and blend. Should take one or two minutes. Process until the dry mixture will release enough oils and sticks together when pressed. For the jam filling simply blend the thawed cherries with some cherry juice (from the now thawed cherries) handful of dates until it becomes smooth. Add a tablespoon psyllium husk and pulse together. Let sit on the counter top for about 20 minutes. And Voila! Creamy, dreamy, yummy JAM!!! Divide the dough in half, roll it 1/8” to 1/4” thick, spread the jam over the base, roll out the remaining dough and top with it (gently press down) to create a sandwich. And that’s pretty much it! This recipe really is that simple – It’s as easy as one, two.

Did I mentioned that this recipe can be made with just about any fruit you want? And you can use this recipe to make any type of jam? Making a healthy raw version of jam at home is super easy. There are a few types of thickener what you can use: chia seeds, psyllium husk, Irish moss or agar agar to make it more gelatinised.

Cherry Dream Bars

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

4 hours 15 mins

 

Author: Deviliciously Raw

Recipe type: Sweet treats

Cuisine: Raw, Vegan

Serves: 7

Ingredients

• ½ cup golden flax seeds, made into flour
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp nut milk
• 10 - 12 dates, soaked and drained
•  
• 2 cup frozen pitted cherries, thawed at room temperature
• ¼ cup cherry juice, from the now thawed cherries
• 1+ ½ tsp beetroot powder, optional
• ½ cup dates
• 1 tbsp psyllium husk

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients (except nut milk) into a food processor and blend. Should take one or two minutes. Process until the dry mixture will release enough oils and sticks together when pressed. Add a tablespoon nut milk and pulse to combine.
2. For the jam filling simply blend the thawed cherries with some cherry juice (from the now thawed cherries) handful of dates until it becomes smooth. Add a tablespoon psyllium husk and pulse together. Let sit on the counter top for about 20 minutes.
3. Divide the dough in half, roll it ⅛” to ¼” thick, spread the jam over the base, roll out the remaining dough and top with it (gently press down) to create a sandwich. Place in the fridge for a few hours (about 3- 4 hours) to set and then cut into bars. Enjoy!

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Chis seeds and psyllium husk, they turn any liquid into a thick gel. That’s right! Within a few minutes, the chia seeds/psyllium husk will absorb the fruit juices and thicken it to a jammy consistency. When making fruit jam with chia seeds, the seeds do all the work. Simply stir in or if you like your jam more smooth than chunky use a blender to puree it. One note about this variation is that the chia seeds will overpower the coloring of the jam, so be prepared for a darker looking jam.

Irish moss can be used thickens soups, jams, cakes, nut milks, puddings and smoothies. Aside from the texture, you won’t even notice it’s there (the gel itself tasteless).

How to prepare Irish moss paste – rinse the Irish moss very well in cold running water, then wash it in bowl with cold water. Change the water a few times until the water is clear. Soak in plenty of cold water 3- 4 hours in room temperature, rinse and drain (It is ready to use when recipes call for soaked irish moss). For irish moss paste – blend 1 cup irish moss (soaked) with 1/2 cup water. Store in fridge, last for a week.

Agar Agar can be used as a substitute in recipes that call for gelatin, including jam. I assume some of you may not be familiar with it. Agar flakes/powder are made from freeze-dried sea vegetables, usually seaweed. Agar has no calories, no carbs, no sugar, not fat and is loaded with fiber. Though agar is a great substitute to gelatin, don’t expect the same results when replacing gelatin with agar in a recipe. First, it doesn’t give the same texture. Gelatin can give a creamy texture whereas agar gives a firmer texture. The most important thing to know is that agar needs to be first dissolved in water and then brought to a boil. It will set as the ingredients cool down. You can’t add agar flakes or powder as it is in your food. You should definitively follow the package directions and the recipe to determine which quantity to use.
But here is a basic rule you can adapt, use 1 tablespoon agar flakes to thicken 1 cup of liquid, and 1 teaspoon agar powder to thicken 1 cup of liquid.

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag #deviliciouslyraw @deviliciously_raw on Instagram. I can’t wait to see your amazing creations!