Awesome Granola Bars

Dave and I used to buy granola bars all the time, but sadly they were never 100% satisfying.  I have always wanted to try to make my own, but I thought it wouldn't be worth the effort.   I was wrong!! :)

Ingredients

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats (approx. 2 cups) 

1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds (approx. 1/2 cup)

3 ounces sliced almonds  (approx. 1 cup)

1 1/2 ounces wheat germ  (approx. 1/2 cup) 

6 ounces honey  (approx. 1/2 cup) 

1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar  (approx. 1/4 cup packed)

1 ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan 

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

toppings, such as chocolate or shaved coconut

Directions:

• Cut parchment paper to fit a 9"x13" baking dish, and rub on a thin layer of butter. (We used a smaller dish, and thought the bars came out too thick. Next time we will use the 9"x13")
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Mix the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ together, and spread out on a sheet pan. Toast for 15 minutes, making sure to stir the mixture occasionally. 

• Combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved. 

• Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. 
• Combine the oat mixture with the liquid mixture, and spread out in prepared baking dish (press firmly).  Sprinkle any other additional ingredients on top  

• Bake for 25 minutes.

• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares while it is still a bit warm.

We stored the granola bars in a plastic container, and enjoyed them all week.  Since they were so thick, it was a little hard to bite through them, so we warmed them up in the microwave for about 15 seconds.  I think if we use the bigger pan next time, we won't have that issue!

Ingredients

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats (approx. 2 cups) 

1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds (approx. 1/2 cup)

3 ounces sliced almonds  (approx. 1 cup)

1 1/2 ounces wheat germ  (approx. 1/2 cup) 

6 ounces honey  (approx. 1/2 cup) 

1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar  (approx. 1/4 cup packed)

1 ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan 

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

toppings, such as chocolate or shaved coconut

Directions:

1. Cut parchment paper to fit a 9"x13" baking dish, and rub on a thin layer of butter. (We used a smaller dish, and thought the bars came out too thick. Next time we will use the 9"x13")
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
3. Mix the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ together, and spread out on a sheet pan. Toast for 15 minutes, making sure to stir the mixture occasionally. 
4. Combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved. 
5. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. 
6. Combine the oat mixture with the liquid mixture, and spread out in prepared baking dish (press firmly).  Sprinkle any other additional ingredients on top  
7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares while it is still a bit warm.

Adapted from Alton Brown

6 Minute Egg

Yeah, "recipe" is in quotes because this is not much of a recipe at all...more of a technique.  I LOVE eggs when they are poached, or cooked over medium...anything that will get my my coveted "egg goo."  It's sometimes tough to get the eggs perfect, since I need the whites to be fully cooked.

Enter the 6 minute egg.

I watch a lot of chef and cooking shows, and I have heard about this egg.  The resulting yolks always have the magical egg goo consistency!!  Of course I had to give it a try.

• Start with room temperature eggs.  These sat out on the counter for about 40 minutes.

• Boil up some water in a pot.  If you are bored while you wait for your water to boil, watch Project Runway :)

• When the water reaches a rolling boil, carefully place eggs into the pot.  

• Set your timer for 6 minutes

• After 6 minutes, promptly remove eggs and place in a water bath to cool.

That's it!

Ohhh...gotta love the egg goo.  I didn't have any bread in the apartment to make toast, so I put the egg on top of a toasted Eggo waffle.  Amazing meal!

Chocolate and Cinnamon Babka

In the "Dinner Party" episode of Seinfeld, Jerry and Elaine missed out on the last chocolate babka, and were forced to purchase one that had cinnamon- a "lesser babka," if you will.  Well, what if we combined the two?  This chocolate AND cinnamon babka was a bit time consuming to make, but it was well worth the effort!  Dave and I can't stop eating it....

Ingredients:
for the dough
9.5 ounces bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (I used just over this amount of active dry yeast- more on that later)
1.5 ounces granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces unsalted butter, softened

for the filling
1 egg, beaten
about 1 ounce cocoa powder (I used less)
about 2.5 ounces sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)
cinnamon

for the topping
3 ounces all-purpose flour
3 ounces powdered sugar (I didn't have any, so I used light brown sugar)
2 ounces softened butter

Directions:
for the dough

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and mix on low speed to combine.
2. Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk them together. NOTE:  I used active dry yeast, so I first microwaved half of the milk to about 110 degrees, and proofed the yeast before adding it to the other wet ingredients
3. With the machine running on low, pour the wet ingredients into the dry. When everything is moistened switch to the dough hook and turn the machine up to medium. 
4. Knead until a dough comes together, then add the butter and continue kneading until it’s incorporated and the dough is smooth and sticky, about 5 minutes. (it was VERY sticky)
5. Remove the dough to a lightly greased bowl and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours until it has about doubled in size. 

 

 I know - I didn't whisk the wet ingredients together first. It was okay anyway...promise!!
 

 the tiny, sticky dough ball

Oooh...nice and fluffy! A note on why it's in the oven- as I assemble/mix the dough, I turn the oven to its lowest setting. 200F I believe.  Then when it is time to rise, I turn the oven off, throw it in, and shut the door.  It works perfectly every time!! 

Shaping

1. When the dough has doubled in size, roll it out into a square, about 1/8 inch thick. 
2. Brush with egg wash on three of the edges. 
3. Sift on the cocoa powder and sprinkle sugar everywhere, except for the egg-painted sides. 
4. Distribute the chocolate evenly, then dust the whole thing lightly with cinnamon. (I may have done a bit more than "lightly"...ha!)
5. Roll the dough sheet up starting from the edge that has no egg wash. Twist, then fold the roll in half
6. Give it two or three twists and lay it gently into a well-greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan 
7. Brush with egg wash and let it rise in a warm place (I did the same as I described above) until the dough comes up to the lip of the loaf pan, about another hour. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I went ahead and lined my pan with some parchment paper

 

 

 

 

 Do you know how hard it was to manipulate this dough AND take the pics at the same time?!  Tough, I tell ya.

 Don't make the same mistake I did. I ended up with a bulbous side (see above).  Fold the two ends towards the center, THEN twist.  The filling will be more evenly distributed, and you won't end up with a bursting tumor on one end.

 

 

Topping and Baking

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, then prepare the topping: mix the ingredients and work together by hand until crumbly.
2. Brush the dough once again with egg wash and sprinkle it all over with streusel.  (I had leftover topping. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't eat it straight from the bowl...)
3. Bake about an hour until it’s brown and springs back when tapped. 
4. Remove the pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes.
5. Lift parchment to remove babka and allow to cool completely (at least an hour)

DO NOT cut into it early.  Well, you can (I did), but it's going to be super melty and make your bread collapse a bit.  It will have more structural integrity once it has fully cooled! Enjoy!

Adapted from Joe Pastry

Healthier Cinnamon Buns (in Pancake form!)

It's a pancake that satisfies the craving for a cinnamon bun. (Well, if you are in the mood for those flavors. If you are in the mood for something heavy, sugary, and buttery, this likely won't do it for ya)

I was inspired by THIS recipe, but was shocked when I saw how much butter and sugar she put in those things.  As delicious as they look, I edited a bunch of things from the original recipe to come up with my own version.

(please note- when I made this, I was home alone, so these amounts are for 3 medium sized pancakes!  In the end, they were so decadent I could only finish one and a half. If you want to make more pancakes, double or triple the amounts)

Ingredients:
CINNAMON FILLING:
1 tbs butter, melted
1 tbs coconut sugar (use any sweetener you would like)
1/2 tbs ground cinnamon

PANCAKES:
I used Aunt Jemima complete pancake mix, but you can use any pancake recipe you'd like

TOPPING:
cream cheese (I used lowfat)

Directions:

1. Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a small bowl microwave the butter until melted.  Stir in the cinnamon and coconut sugar until well combined.  Pour the filling into a zip baggie and set it aside 
2. Prepare the pancake batter (again, I used a mix so this step was easy!)
3. Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Add batter to the pan, and reduce the heat to medium low. 
4. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling in a swirl (see photo below)
5. Cook the pancake until golden brown on the bottom. Flip, and cook until the other side is golden as well.  
6. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling.
7. Serve with a thin coating of cream cheese

Note:  When I swirled my cinnamon filling, it was kind of drippy. The original recipe recommends waiting until it has cooled a bit so that it is thicker when you add it to the pancake.  Good idea!

Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl

Overnight Oats with Chia

 Another recipe!

I have seen a bunch of overnight oat recipes floating around the web, and decided to try to make a batch of my own!  I hit a little snag, but I think next time I make them it will be perfect!  This was also my first time using chia seeds- I love them!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup oats (I used old-fashioned)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any milk would work
fruit (use fresh!!  I used frozen strawberries, and I regret it! see below....)
1/2 tbs chia seeds
large dash of cinnamon
if you like sweet oatmeal (I don't), you might want to add some sugar or agave

Directions:
1. Place everything into a container- a jar or plastic container would be perfect, and stir.
2. Leave in the fridge overnight.

Wow! A recipe with only 2 steps...love that!  The oats got soft and the chia seeds plumped up- they kinda reminded me of tapioca or those balls that come in asian bubble tea. Such a fun texture for my breakfast!

Now the snag....
I used frozen strawberries, forgetting to take into consideration that they would add water to the oatmeal as they thawed.  When I took it out of the fridge this morning, I was left with this horrific sight:

EEk! It was a watery mess.  I tilted the container to drain off most of the water, and all was well again:

 

Yum!  I can't wait to try other flavor combos! 

(note: other recipes I found online also said to add greek yogurt. not sure how I feel about that...)

Calories: 146
Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 91mg
Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 8g
Protien: 5g
Sugars: 4g

Creamy Whole Wheat Flax Seed Biscuits

This was such a quick recipe to put together!  When shopping for ingredients, Dave and I were a little disappointed with how much white whole wheat flour costs (more than twice the price of regular flour!), but these biscuits were so tasty that it was worth it! Now I'm going to start looking for other recipes which use the white whole wheat, so we can put it to more good use!

Ingredients:
2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (this is a lighter variety of wheat)
plus more flour for the forming the biscuits (about 1/4-1/2 cups)
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of iodized salt
1-2 Tablespoons of milled Flax Seed (we used 2 tbs.  also, we didn't have milled flax, so we put whole flax seeds into the bullet blender with the spice grinding blade.  worked perfectly!)
3 Tablespoons of honey (we used 1 tbs of honey, and 1 tbs of agave nectar.  you could also sub 3 tbs plain sugar)
1 2/3 c. heavy whipping cream (do NOT sub with milk. the fat here is needed since there is no butter in the recipe)

Directions:
1.  Whisk together dry ingredients and honey.
2.  Stir in heavy cream with a wooden spoon.
3.  Transfer to a well floured counter and knead just barely with well floured hands. Dough will be somewhat wet.  Form into a disc approx 1 inch thick.
4.  Cut biscuits into 8 wedges (or could use a round cutter)
5.  Bake on parchment or oiled baking sheet at 450F for 10-15 minutes, until tops are cracked and are a deep golden brown. 

With the flax and the wheat flour, you might be fooled into thinking these are a healthy breakfast.  Although you will get nutrients, there is a high fat content from the whipping cream.  But it is certainly better for you than traditional biscuits, and just as yummy!

Calories: 301
Fat: 17.8g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Sodium: 184mg
Carbs: 25g
Fiber: 4.1g
Protein: 4.9g
Sugars: 4.03g

Recipe (and better photos than mine!) from Delia Creates

Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Nothing like a nice, warm breakfast!

This is a tasty, cinnamony baked oatmeal:

Ingredients (for each single serving):
1/2 cup oats (50g)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (60g) (You can sub pumpkin or mashed banana)
1/4 cup milk, creamer, juice, or water
1/16th tsp salt
Optional: handful of raisins, chopped walnuts, brown sugar for the top
You may also add a bit of sugar and/or butter into the oat mixture.  I was fine without it, but Dave decided to give it a go...he definitely preferred it with the extra flavor.

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Combine raw oats, spices, applesauce, and liquid.
3.  Pour into a small baking pan, loaf pan, or 1-cup ramekin
4.  Cook for 15-20 minutes, or more until it’s firm. (at this point, we sprinkled on some raw sugar)
5.  Broil for 3 more minutes (or simply just bake longer, but broiling gives it a nice crust). Don’t forget to spray your ramekins first, if you want your cakes to pop out.


Here's the nutritional info (numbers are approx....obviously add more for sugar/butter)
Calories: 180
Fat: 3g
Protein: 7g
Fiber: 9g

Recipe from: Chocolate Covered Katie