APRICOT TEA COOKIES

About 20 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup rolled oats (not instant oatmeal)
1/2 cup Sucanat, sugar, or alternate dry sweetener of choice
1 cup raw almonds, chopped
1 cup dried apricots, preferably unsulphured, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower or other light oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup plain or vanilla soy milk (approximate)

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Sift the flour, soda, powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the oats, sugar, almonds, and apricots. Stir in the oil, vanilla, and soy milk, mixing well. If the mixture seems too dry, add more soy milk a few drops at a time until the mixture holds together but isn’t liquidy. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges.

FRUIT TEA LOAF

About 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sunflower or other light oil
3/4 cup Sucanat, sugar, or alternative dry sweetener
1-1/4 cups tea steeped at regular strength, or water
1-3/4 cups unbleached or whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon or vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons raisins
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
1/2 cup almonds or hazelnuts, chopped

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Cream together the oil and sweetener in a large mixing bowl. Add tea (and if using it, the vanilla) and mix well. Sift the flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together into the wet ingredients, mixing until all ingredients are moist. Stir in the fruit and nuts, blending well. Turn the mixture into a well-greased loaf pan and spread the top with a wooden spoon or spatula to smooth. Bake for 35 minutes or until done when tested with a toothpick. Allow to cool at room temperature before serving.

APPLESAUCE TEA LOAF

About 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup sunflower or other light oil
1 cup Sucanat or alternate granulated sweetener of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unbleached or whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup seedless raisins, dried currants, or dried cranberries
Additional applesauce, optional

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Prepare a loaf pan by lightly oiling and flouring. In large mixing bowl, stir together the applesauce, oil, sweetener, and vanilla. In a separate bowl or on a sheet of wax paper mix together the dry ingredients: flour, soda, and spices. Blend these into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon, beating vigourously until smooth. Mix in the dried fruit, blending well to distribute evenly. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smoothing the top with the spoon. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave the loaf in the pan to cool to room temperature before slicing. Serve topped with a spoonful or two of applesauce, if desired.

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