Carrot-Walnut-Oat Gems

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly spray an 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick spray.
2. Place 2 cups of the walnuts in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the oats, cinnamon, and salt, and process in a few long pulses until they combine to become a powder. Transfer this to a medium-sized bowl. Finely chop the remaining 1 cup of the walnuts and stir these in.
3. Switch to the fine grating attachment of the food processor, and grate the carrots. Add this to the walnut mixture, along with the golden raisins, honey, lemon juice and zest and vanilla, and mix with a fork until thoroughly combined.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and press it into a square about an inch thick. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes or until the top is dry and toasty.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut the baked mixture into 2-inch squares with a very sharp knife. They are a little crumbly. Allow to cool to room temperature. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, and serve cold or at room temperature.

 

This recipe is truly quick and easy if you use a food processor for grinding the walnuts and grating the carrots. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do Step 1 in a blender, and grate the carrots by hand.