A friend recently asked me how I choose what to make on my adventures in baking. Well, occasionally I whip up family favorites or requests, often I play around with tastes and textures in baking experiments, and sometimes there are recipes for desserts and confections that have long been on my “to bake” list. And then — increasingly as my baking prowess swells — there are those fresh and boxed treats that I come across in my daily trips to local food shops and down grocery store aisles when I taste and peer at the item, inspect the food’s list of ingredients and say to myself: “I can make that… and without all those nasty preservatives and unpronounceables, at a fraction of the cost.” And so I was inspired to make biscotti…

We’re a few days into 2011, and it’s back to the grindstone. After a season of ultra rich, fatty and sugary foods, and lots of festive cheer, most of us are ready to turn a perennial new leaf of increased activity and healthier foods. As a nod to these well-intentioned resolutions — and an inclination to bake some healthy, tasty, high fiber snacks for my family — I’ve whipped up a batch of these delicious, nut-free granola bars.

These date squares are sweet, chewy, crumbly, messy, and a little bit tangy thanks to the yummy, lemon-spiked medjool date purée sandwiched between a buttery crumble crust. Lemon juice takes the edge off the potentially sickening sweetness of the dates, and butter is… well, butter — enough said.  But honestly, you could eat a medjool date sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard and it would still kick an ordinary date square’s butt.

Like a tiny paper lantern concealing a golden jewel, the ground cherry has a pleasantly mild flavor, which I can only describe as a cross between a sweet tomato and a cantaloupe, with a surprisingly subtle vanilla undertone. Quite delectable.

Yes, it can get expensive feeding your family organic, whole, healthful food, but you don’t have to break the bank in order to do so. Baking and cooking your own meals and snacks is s far more cost-effective way to eat well. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it with paying $7.99 for a 500g bag of organic granola.