Category Archives: BREAKFAST RECIPES

CANDIED FRUIT AND NUT BRAIDED YEAST BREAD

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I have been enjoying a variation of this bread since I was a child. Every Christmas, our close family friend Charlotte always made a similar bread, and I routinely made a pig of myself. It was just so amazingly delicious.

So, when I started making bread in my early twenties, I found this recipe which was very like Charlottes, but also included a small amount of candied citron and candied cherries. And I liked it even better. (Some days an angel really does land on your shoulder.) Well, as you might have guessed, I have been making this bread ever since.

One of the fun Christmas events when my kids were young was to have an open house. All kinds of goodies were served including this Christmas bread. It was a way to share Christmas with our friends. And to teach the kids the enjoyment that can come from hosting. Other years we would deliver goodies to friends and family. The picture you see below was taken I believe in 1974. Ursala on the left and Paula on the right.

I didn’t bake this bread every year because there are just so many incredible breads out there that make wonderful Christmas treats. Like cinnamon rolls (several recipes on site), Christmas Berliner Stollen, Krendl (Russian Christmas Bread), Dried Cranberry and Almond Braided Danish, Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce, Baba Au Rhum, and Cream Cheese Danish. To name a few.  

But as with other favorite recipes of mine, I just make them and assume the recipe has already been posted on this site. Silly me. So, I apologize for not getting this braided yeast bread recipe posted sooner. (Like in time for Christmas 2023.) Also, this year, I changed things up a bit. Shape wise that is. I decided to make 5 small loaves instead of three braided breads. Every year I give 4 of our neighbors a small loaf of some type of sweet bread for Christmas. This year, as you can see from the picture above, it was a loaf of this delightful bread. (And yes, the fifth loaf stayed here and was gobbled up very quickly.)

So, if you too are a bread lover, and want to make something special for Christmas (or any other day of the year for that matter), this is a bread I am sure you will enjoy as much as I do. If you aren’t a candied fruit lover, just leave it out. Or change the type of candied fruit. Or add more nuts. Whatever appeals. Just don’t forget the glaze. It is just so wonderful. Not too sweet – just perfect. And if you have never used vanilla paste, get some at your earliest convenience. It is tantamount to heaven in a jar.

Well, it’s still raining here in NW Washington. But at least we aren’t having the same terrible snowstorms that are battering the East Coast and California. But there is a small chance of snow this weekend. And I say – bring it on! I love snow. Especially when there is nothing on our calendar. And for more weeks than I care to count, our weekend is free. And to that I say – HALLELUJAH! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

And as always, peace and love to all.

2 c. whole milk, scalded

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. crushed cardamon seed

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

scant 2 T. active dry yeast

¼ c. lukewarm water

2 lg. eggs

8 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ c. chopped walnuts

1 c. diced citron

1 c. chopped candied red and green maraschino cherries, plus more for decoration

veggie oil

½ c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract

milk

Combine the scalded milk, butter, salt, crushed cardamon seeds, and cinnamon in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cool to lukewarm

Add the yeast softened in water. Add eggs. Mix well. Add 4 cups of the flour and beat well. Add the nuts, citron, chopped candied cherries, and enough remaining flour to form a firm dough (dough will be sticky).

Pour a bit of veggie oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff spatula, form the dough into a lightly greased ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes. Punch down the dough.

For three braided loaves:

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds. Divide each portion into thirds again. Shape each into a 14-in. rope. Place 3 ropes on parchment paper or a greased baking pan and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise for 40-50 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 195-degrees.

Remove from oven and place on wire racks. Make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste together with enough milk to make a thin consistency. Using a pastry brush, coat the braids with a thin layer of icing. Decorate with holly leaves and additional red and green candied maraschino cherries.

For 5 small loaves:

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 5 equal sized pieces. Shape into footballs and place in small, lightly greased loaf pans.

Cover and let rise for 40-50 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 195-degrees.

Remove from oven and place on wire racks. (If you have baked the loaves in aluminum foil pans, let the bread cool in the same pans. If not, remove from pans. Make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste together with enough milk to make a thin consistency. Using a pastry brush, coat the braids with a thin layer of icing. Decorate with holly leaves and additional red and green candied maraschino cherries.

     

THREE CHEESE CANADIAN BACON QUICHE WITH CARAMELIZED ONION AND SPINACH

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We are definitely fans of quiche. And because of this, I am always trying to mix things up a bit so that quiche boredom doesn’t set in. So, with variation in mind, and a general nod towards using ingredients on hand, I came up with this quiche recipe.

The first ingredient I was especially delighted to use was the wonderful Canadian bacon we get from a local purveyor of all thing’s carnivore – Del Fox Meats in little old Stanwood, Washington. Not only is this a local business, but the prices are reasonable, the staff nice and helpful, and the quality of the meat very good. And they make their own sausage and jerky. Their homemade Landjeager being Mr. C’s all-time favorite.

So, tick the meat part of the quiche off the list. Now onto the cheese. I happened to have a bit of Swiss cheese in the fridge, along with some Manchego cheese (a sheep’s milk cheese from Spain and one of Mr. C’s favorites) and of course Tillamook Sharp Cheddar.

So, I thought to myself “what the heck, why not use some of each”? I also had some other wonderful cheeses from which to choose, but I thought these three would work well together, and I was right! So, that only left a few additional ingredients to do their part in adding flavor and texture to the usual suspects (great name for a band BTW) – eggs and milk. So, why not caramelized onion instead of the normal green onions, a touch of garlic, some Dijon mustard and black pepper for savory, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper for the personality component, and fresh spinach to add both color and nutrition. And there you have it. Use what you have on hand quiche.  

Now something you should also know. The crust recipe below is super easy to make. No mixer required. But in all honesty, it is not going to produce the flakiest crust you have ever tasted. But for quiche this crust recipe is perfect. It stays together when you lift it out of the pie pan and tastes great. But perfectly flaky it ain’t! So, feel free to use a different pie crust recipe if you should choose to do so.

OK class, what is your cooking lesson for today? Make quiche with what you have on hand and treat yourself and your family to one of the finest dishes ever conceived. And always remember – one of the best things about quiche – it’s a perfect dish to serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And how many other dishes can truly make that claim?!

Well, that’s it for today. It’s still cloudy outside, with rain not predicted, but the clouds have assumed a threatening perspective regardless of what the weather folks have to say.

So, I am going to stay inside and read, write, and generally hide from the world until it is time to go hear a local band – The Usual Suspects (not to be confused with eggs and milk) perform this evening. This will be our first time hearing this band. And I can’t wait because I already know the drummer (Chris Leighton) is one of the best drummers in the area. And the band comes highly recommended by our dear friends and neighbors Mark and Vicki who are also going to be in attendance.

So, I look forward to a night of great music, my dear husband by my side and not on the bandstand, good friends to share the evening with, and the consumption of a dinner I didn’t prepare myself. Can life get much better than this?

And as always – peace and love to all.   

For the crust:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour   

heaping ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. granulated sugar

scant ¼ tsp. baking powder

7 T. melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil

¼ c. cold water + 1 T. if the mixture seems dry

Whisk the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder together. Whisk the butter and ¼ cup cold water together. Pour over the dry ingredients. Stir until the dough is evenly moistened. (I use a regular table knife to stir the ingredients together.) Add an additional tablespoon of water if necessary.

Pat the dough across the bottom and up and a little over the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp or mold the pie crust around the edge to make it pretty.  

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling for your quiche. Reduce oven temperature to 350-degrees.

For the filling:

2 T. unsalted butter

1½ c. diced Canadian bacon

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 c. grated Swiss cheese

½ c. grated Manchego cheese (or more cheddar cheese)

1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1½ c. whole milk (part half & half is great)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper

tiny pinch cayenne pepper

5 lg. eggs

1 c. chopped fresh baby spinach

Heat the butter in a small frying pan. Sauté the Canadian bacon pieces for about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the bacon to a small bowl. Set aside.

Add the chopped onion and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and starts to become a light golden brown, 20–30 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Scatter bacon pieces over the partially baked pie crust. Combine the three different kinds of grated cheese and layer 2/3 of the cheese mixture on top of bacon. Scatter caramelized onion evenly over the cheese.

Whisk the milk/half & half, Dijon mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and eggs together. Pour mixture into the pie pan. Sprinkle the spinach and remaining cheese mixture evenly overall.  

Hint: to keep your pie crust edge from getting too brown while baking, cover with thin strips of aluminum foil.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until the filling is set, about 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED NEW ORLEANS STYLE BEIGNETS (AND BEYOND)  

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Top picture, beignets just out of the oven. Second picture, after sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Just so you know, New Orleans style beignets are different from classic French beignets in that the dough for New Orleans beignets includes yeast to help the dough rise. True French beignets are a choux pastry (no yeast) that relies on moisture content instead of yeast to facilitate rising. (And yes, Café du Monde uses yeast in their beignet dough. And of course, they deep fat fry their beignets, and serve them hot out of their oil bath liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar. But we aren’t going in that direction today. Except for the powdered sugar sprinkling. We are all in on that part!)  

Now, if you are not familiar with beignets, allow me to elucidate. Beignets are a type of donut, but with a bit more of a yeast risen texture. And the flavor on the inside is not as sweet as a traditional donut. Which I especially appreciate. But for some, beignets are not as sweet and therefore not as well-known or well-loved as glazed or frosted donuts.

So, in order to make everyone happy, I have given you the recipe for baked beignets topped with powdered sugar. But for those of you who prefer a sweeter overall flavor, I have provided 3 topping recipes to sweeten these basic donuts up a bit. So, below you will find my recipes for Vanilla Glaze, Spiced Rum Glaze, and my crazy good Maple Frosting. If choosing one of these options or your own favorite topping, no need to brush with melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Just let the baked squares (or your choice of shape) cool completely before adding the glaze or frosting.  

The difference with this recipe from other recipes for beignets is not the ingredients in the dough, but the method of turning them from dough into an edible product. In this happy journey to beignet/donut paradise, there is no hot oil used in the making of these tasty morsels. Your oven fulfills that responsibility. Plus, you can choose to make the dough the day before or the same day. Whichever method works best for you. And wait until you read how easy the dough is to prepare. You are going to be blown away. (Hopefully towards your kitchen.) Because this simple recipe makes for some extremely delicious treats that everyone you serve them to is going to love.

One thing I should mention however, which is true for either baked or fried beignets or donuts; they are at their best the day they are made. So, plan to serve them the same day or if that isn’t possible, gently warm them the next day. But be prepared to re-sprinkle them with more powdered sugar. (Like that’s a bad thing. Not!)

So, without further ado (drum roll please), welcome to the world of baked beignets. Or baked glazed or frosted donuts. Regardless of which way you go, you are in for a new and (slightly) healthier way to enjoy a donut.     

As always, peace and love to all.

¾ c. lukewarm water

¼ c. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. active dry or instant yeast

1 lg. egg

½ c. buttermilk

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided   

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

3½ to 3¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed, or a tiny bit more as needed

veggie oil (for greasing the mixing bowl)

1 T. milk

powdered sugar (for dusting)

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, and yeast with your dough hook and stir until well combined. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast starts to get foamy on the surface. 

Add the egg, buttermilk, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, salt, and vanilla; mix to combine. Add 3½ cups of fluffed flour and stir on medium-low speed until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky to touch, but a bit of the dough should still be sticking to the bottom of the bowl. (Resist the urge to add too much flour.) Then turn on medium speed and knead for about 5 minutes.

Pour a small amount of oil into the mixing bowl, and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball lightly coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap.

To bake beignets the same day:

Let the dough rise until doubled in size. (About 2 hours.)

Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut into 1½-2-inch squares. (This is easy to do with a pizza cutter.)

Place the squares on baking sheets lined with parchment paper 1-inch apart. Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes or until the dough is puffy and about doubled in size.

Brush each square lightly with milk and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and while the beignets are still warm (after about 5 minutes), brush them with remaining melted butter and generously dust* with powdered sugar. If possible, eat while still warm.

To bake beignets the next day: Place the covered mixing bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The dough will double or triple in size while it’s in the fridge. Remove from the fridge at least 45 minutes before you plan to roll out and cut the dough.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut into 1½-2-inch squares. (This is easy to do with a pizza cutter.)

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets at least 1-inch apart. Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes or until the dough is puffy and about doubled in size.

Brush each square lightly with milk and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and while the beignets are still warm (after about 5 minutes), brush them with remaining melted butter and generously dust* with powdered sugar. Eat while still warm.  

Please note: If you don’t plan to eat all the beignets in one sitting, warm them in your microwave for about 10 seconds just before serving. Then sprinkle with more powdered sugar if necessary.

*An easy way to sprinkle/dust powdered sugar is to place a small amount in a fine mesh strainer and then shake the strainer over whatever you wish to decorate. This same technique works well with cocoa for chocolate dusting. 

VANILLA GLAZE

2 c. powdered sugar 

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

5-6 T. whole milk or cream

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.

Place the beignets on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Coat the beignets with the glaze by dunking each one into the glaze. Place back on the wire, glazed side up, to set completely before storing in an airtight container.

SPICED RUM GLAZE

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. rum

tiny pinch cinnamon

tiny pinch nutmeg  

2–3 T. whole milk

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons milk together. If needed, add more milk to achieve desired consistency.  

Place completely cooled beignet pieces on a large baking sheet. Drizzle on the glaze. Allow glaze to harden before storing in an airtight container.

MAPLE FROSTING

2 T. unsalted butter

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

2 T. whole milk

1½ tsp. corn syrup

1 tsp. good maple extract

1 c.  powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar. When the brown sugar starts to dissolve whisk in the milk and simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and whisk in the corn syrup and maple extract. Then whisk in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and free of powdered sugar lumps.

Using a large spoon, ladle frosting onto each cooled beignet piece.

Warning: Work quickly or the frosting will start to set up before you get to the last piece. (Take my word for this!)

QUICK AND EASY BAKED MAPLE BARS

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I’m sure I’ve mentioned my addiction to maple bars somewhere along the line in one of my stream-of-consciousness introductions to a recipe. But if not, let me state unequivocally – I LOVE MAPLE BARS. And have since 4th grade when right across the street from our hilltop grade school in Bothell, Washington (can’t remember the real name of the school) was a small convenience store that sold among other things, maple bars. (I actually have no idea what other items were sold in the store because I was mainly interested in the maple bars. I do have a vague recollection that there were candy bars and ice cream bars available too. But if there was anything else that didn’t resemble something sweet that a kid could put in their mouth, I’m not at all sure what that would be!) And if I recall correctly, the maple bars were a great whacking 5 cents. So, as often as I could, I availed myself of those scrumptious treats. And I have adored them ever since.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have literally gone years without a maple bar coming anywhere near my mouth. But as I’ve gotten to the stage of life when my remaining years are far less than the exceedingly large number of years I’ve already experienced, I’ve come to the conclusion that denying myself the pleasure of a maple bar now and then is ridiculous. Thus, my decision to learn to build my own maple bars in the privacy of my own kitchen!

The first thing I wanted to perfect was the dough for a fabulous donut like base for the frosting. And then of course, figure out how to make the maple frosting just like it’s made in bakeries. And believe me, I’ve tried making maple frosting several times throughout the years. And although the previous tries were OK, they were not what my 9-year-old mouth remembered. Until today, that is!  

And truly I don’t remember where I originally found the bones for the frosting recipe. But I messed with the original recipe a bit, and by golly, the kid buried deep within me, was doing cartwheels right in our living room after the first bite. OK, mental cartwheels, but if I were still 9 years old, it would be the real thing!

So, if you too or someone you love has a maple bar addiction, let me introduce you to this quick and easy recipe. The dough is baked not deep fried, so there is a bit of redemption in that regard. However, the frosting is sinfully sweet and has absolutely no healthy redeeming qualities. It is just pure heaven. And definitely should be classified as a guilty pleasure.

Well, that’s it for today. It’s still off and on drizzling outside so I can’t work off any of the calories I took in while savoring today’s maple bar. But hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do more hacking and slashing of shrubs that have become an impediment to anyone wanting to get to our front door or onto our deck. Mainly because my plan is to have another maple bar tomorrow morning along with my over easy egg.

And as always, peace and love to all.  

¾ c. whole milk

3 T. unsalted butter

2 T. granulated sugar  

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 T. warm water  

1 pkg. or 1 scant T. instant dry yeast  

1 lg. egg

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as required

Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir together and cool to just slightly warm.

In the bowl of your stand mixer add the yeast to the warm water. Add the cooled milk mixture and the egg. Stir together using the dough hook.

Add the flour and knead until the dough is soft and elastic. (You will probably need a good bit more flour. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl, but still leave a bit stuck to the very bottom of the mixing bowl. The dough will be soft to the touch but not at all tacky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down and pat out into a 1″ thick square on a floured surface.

Cut into 8-10 rectangles and let rise again covered for about 30 minutes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 7-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before spreading with the Maple Frosting. Then cool the frosted bars completely before eating or storing in your fridge or freezer.

Please note: I start making the frosting as soon as the bars are out of the oven. If you prepare the frosting too far ahead of time, it will be too hard to spread nicely and evenly on the cooling bars.

MAPLE FROSTING

¼ c. unsalted butter

½ c. brown sugar, packed

3 T. whole milk

1 T. corn syrup

2 tsp. good maple extract

2 c.  powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar. When the brown sugar starts to dissolve whisk in the milk and simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and whisk in the corn syrup and maple extract. Then whisk in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and free of powdered sugar lumps.

Using a large spoon, ladle frosting onto each warm bar.

Warning: Work quickly or the frosting will start to set up before you get to the last bar. (Take my word for this!)

Please note: This makes a lot of frosting. You may not need all of it. If so, refrigerate the remaining frosting and see what kind of inventive use you can come up with for the rest.  

    

GF BANANA NUT QUICK BREAD  

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You need really ripe bananas. Black spots and streaks are our friend!

OK, the first thing you should know is that I have a strong aversion to bananas. You couldn’t get me to eat a plain banana even for the cost of a round trip ticket to Witchita. (Like I would want to go there anyway!) (But, that’s not the point.) But, for some unknown reason, I love banana bread. (I know. It makes no sense at all.)

So, when I decided that what I needed was a recipe for a banana bread that was a bit healthier than my other two delightful recipes already on this site, I went on line for inspiration. And I found this great recipe on one of my favorite sites – cookieandkate.com. Of course I messed with a couple of the ingredient amounts and added chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of coarse sugar on top to add a little bit of crunch to the bread. Because, who doesn’t like crunch? But the bones of this recipe are all on Kate.

And by golly, this recipe makes for one darn good banana bread. And it’s healthier for us than my other two recipes, so I feel less guilty eating it. And serving it to Mr. C.

And this super moist bread is very easy to make. Doesn’t even require a mixer. Just the use of a whisk and a tiny bit of elbow grease.

So, if you too would appreciate experiencing a little less guilt when biting into a tender and delicious quick bread, then this is the recipe for you.

Well there’s a cloud covering over our part of western Washington today, but it’s not raining. We did have a bit of rain the last couple of days, but not enough to dampen our spirts. Just enough to give the plants and trees in our yard a nice soft watering. Of course with the clouds we can’t see the mountains. But they’ll come back and bless us with their beauty when the clouds decide to visit another part of the world.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that there are things that we can count on to make our lives more pleasant. Like mountain sightings, and noisy creeks, and sandy beaches. And tree blossoms in the spring, and fresh veggies and fruits available to us year-round in our local grocery stores.

Because of all the treasures that are a part of my daily life, I try very hard not to take anything for granted. Instead I endeavor to remain thankful for all the wonderful blessings I receive on a daily basis. I am so very, very lucky. As I hope you are too.

Peace and love to all.  

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil  

⅓ c. maple syrup

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

4 lg. eggs

slightly rounded cup of mashed ripe bananas (2 lg. bananas)  

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. fine sea salt

2½ c. almond flour

¾ c. chopped walnuts

2 tsp. coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top

Lightly spray 1 (9×5-inch) non-stick loaf pan or 2 (7½ x 3½-inch) non-stick loaf pans with cooking spray. Then cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of pan or pans. Lightly coat the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set pan or pans aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, and vanilla together until well blended. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Add the mashed bananas, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add the almond flour and stir just until the batter is well blended. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan or pans. Evenly sprinkle the coarse sugar over the top of the dough.

Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 55 to 65 minutes (single loaf) or 45-50 minutes for 2 pans. Or until the center of the loaf springs back when touched with your fingers and the internal temperature reads between 200 to 205-degrees.   

Remove from oven and place the pan or pans on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. (This bread is delicate while still warm.)

Use a butter knife or offset spatula if necessary to loosen the edges of the bread from the pan, then carefully turn out onto your wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Warm slightly before serving.

  

FRESH BLUEBERRY ALMOND QUICK BREAD

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I usually make some type of quick bread before we head out on a trailer trip. Maybe some muffins too. And a couple kinds of cookies to munch on any time a goodie is called for, along with 3 or 4 appetizer spreads for happy hour. And of course, homemade granola. And marinara sauce, meat loaf, etc. etc.

But for our recent month-long adventure, I wanted to change things up a bit. And I decided that blueberry bread would be perfect. So, onto the internet I went in search of the perfect blueberry bread recipe. And I found this recipe on thebestblogrecipes.com. I made a couple of minor changes, but all our thanks for this great recipe go to Shauna and Bailey.

I made two small loaves for the trip. I froze one and kept the other in the trailer’s fridge. And I was amazed at how well the one in the fridge stayed fresh. Of course, I had to ration out thin slices or the first loaf would have been totally consumed within 2 days. This bread is just that good. And I don’t know what made me think to include a bit of almond extract and place sliced almonds on the top along with the coarse sugar to give the bread a tiny bit of crunch. But boy did it work. And this bread had been so stinkin’ easy to build. I didn’t even have to get my mixer dirty.

So, next time you need a yummy treat for either breakfast or coffee breaks, I recommend you give this recipe a try. Easy and quick to prepare, and absolutely delicious.

Well, that’s it for today. Mr. C. and 4 other guys are rehearsing in our living room for an upcoming gig. So, after preparing a sandwich and chips lunch and two peach pies for the guy’s break, my body is telling me that what it needs now more than anything else is a nap. So, I’m going to give my body what it wants. Dynamic and scintillating rhetoric will just have to wait for another recipe preface when I can hopefully keep my mind focused and my eyes open. And my thoughts directed at my writing rather than towards my pillow.

But as always, peace and love to all.

2 c. fresh blueberries, washed and air dried

2 tsp. unbleached all-purpose flour to coat the blueberries

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¾ c. granulated sugar

2½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 lg. eggs

½ c. + 2 tsp. whole milk

½ c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. pure almond extract

½ c. sliced almonds

2 tsp. coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top

Lightly spray 1 (9×5-inch) loaf pan or 2 (7½ x 3½-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray. Set pan or pans aside.

In a small mixing bowl, sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of flour on top of the fresh blueberries, and gently stir them together.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the 2 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk, veggie oil, vanilla, and almond extract together until all the wet ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until no flour streaks are visible. Do not over mix. Carefully fold in the blueberries, taking care not to crush the berries while mixing.

Spoon the blueberry batter into the prepared loaf pan or pans. Evenly sprinkle on the sliced almonds. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of coarse sugar on top of the bread for garnish.

Bake the single loaf in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake the two loaves for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow the blueberry bread to rest in the pan or pans for 20 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Gently warm before serving. Great for breakfast or with your late morning or afternoon coffee or tea.

CINNAMON GRANOLA WITH DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

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OK, I know, another granola recipe. But as I have said before, we adore granola and eat it almost every morning. And I still love to experiment with different combinations of oils, sweeteners, spices, nuts, and dried fruit. But truthfully, none of my granola recipes are that different. But posting recipes keeps me off the streets and from driving Mr. C crazy. So, think of my posts as a way for me to keep thinking positive rather than dwell on all the negative things that are currently happening in our country. But enough about that!

Anyway, a couple of days ago I prepared a batch of granola using the formula you find below. And Mr. Cs comment yesterday morning, after just one bite, was “this granola is really good”. So, even though this recipe is like some of my other granola recipes, I felt compelled to post this one too. (I’m sure you can understand the logic behind my decision and can find it in your heart to forgive me.)

But, if you too are a granola lover, give this recipe a try. The flavor of cinnamon is just terrific with dried fruit. And no, you will not taste the olive oil. But the sweetness from the maple syrup comes through. Overall, when taken with fresh fruit and yogurt, this granola is a winner. But you must judge that for yourself. So, what are you waiting for? You already have your written invitation!

Peace and love to all.

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. vanilla

8 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

3 c. nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts) 

1 c. unsweetened flaked coconut

1 c. dried chopped dates

1 c. dried blueberries or dried chopped cherries  

1 c. dried chopped strawberries or dried cranberries

1 c. freeze dried blueberries, opt.

Preheat oven to 300-degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Then stir in the oats. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet or sheets in an even layer and bake for 25 minutes. (The layer will be fairly thick.) (Don’t wash the mixing bowl.)

After 25 minutes, add the nuts and coconut. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the oats are a light golden brown.

Remove from oven and transfer the granola back to the large bowl and add the dried dates, blueberries, and strawberries, tossing to combine.

Allow to cool completely before adding the freeze-dried blueberries. Store in an airtight container.

Great topped with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt.

GRANOLA WITH ALMONDS, COCONUT, DRIED CHERRIES AND BLUEBERRIES

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OK, yet another granola recipe that worked. I say “that worked” because sometimes my granola experiments are less than delicious. Way less than delicious. Take my last one before this one for example.

It included so many healthy ingredients that it tasted like sawdust with a few nuts thrown in for encouragement. Needless to say, that recipe did not make it on this site. One of my never to be repeated, drop it off the face of the earth, do not make this again, what were you thinking kind of recipe that you will never know about. Unless of course I feel compelled to relate another failure I experienced in my kitchen. And yes, I do have monumental debacles every so often. But those washouts often lead to a learning experience. And I did learn one valuable lesson. There is a huge difference between pepitas and dried pumpkin seeds.  

Pepitas are delicious and when just a few are added to granola, everything is just fine. And in salads and seed breads they are divine. But the pumpkin seeds I added to the batch of granola that shall forever remain unpublished, were so dry they tasted just like I imagine fodder tastes. Dried hay. And just to clarify, pepitas and pumpkin seeds are two different things.

Pepitas are harvested from styrian or oil seed pumpkins and the seeds do not have hulls. Any other variety of pumpkin produces a hulled seed that’s fibrous and less tender. Now maybe I just got a bad batch of pumpkin seeds that I used in my second to the latest batch of granola. There is always that possibility. But you know the old saying – fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. And I intend to remain without shame! At least when it comes to pumpkin seeds!

But this batch was perfect. Lots of oats, almonds, coconut, and dried fruit. Just the way I like granola. And I like granola a lot.

So, although I have several recipes for granola on this site, I feel there is always room for one more. Because variety is the spice of life. And I want my life to be spicy.

As always, have fun cooking up a storm. Try new recipes. Try new ethnic cuisines. And don’t be afraid of an occasional failure. No one can produce a winning dish every single time. It truly isn’t possible. Plus, every other cook would hate that person. And who wants that?

Peace and love to all.  

½ c. pure maple syrup

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

8 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

3 c. roughly chopped almonds   

1 c. unsweetened flaked coconut

2 c. roughly chopped unsweetened dried cherries

1 c. dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 300-degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and cinnamon together. Then stir in the oats. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet or sheets in an even layer and bake for 25 minutes. (Don’t wash the mixing bowl.)

After 25 minutes, add the chopped almonds and coconut. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the oats are a light golden brown.

Remove from oven and transfer the granola back to the large bowl and add the dried cherries and blueberries tossing to combine.

Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

HEALTHY GRANOLA WITH OLIVE OIL AND MONK FRUIT SWEETENER

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So, here goes. I am on a mission to reduce sugar in our diet. So, that means, I will be posting recipes that fit into our new lifestyle. While I know many of you are much younger than we are and have no need to change your eating habits. The fact remains that Mr. C. and I both need to eat a bit healthier. And of course, that will impact the type of recipes I post. But fear not. For those of you who are familiar with this site, you know that I have previously posted many recipes that contain an abundance of every type of ingredient that is not considered “healthy”. So, if you are into cookies, cakes, breads, desserts, high fat cream sauces, gravies etc. etc., you need not look elsewhere. I’ve still got you covered.

But that was the old me. (Actually, the young me.) And the new me (really the old me) needs to make the change. Of course, being about as human as one can get, I will undoubtedly slip once-in-a-while and come up with possibly the most sinfully caloric recipe ever invented. My hope is that this will not happen. At least not very often. But I have been living in this skin for a long time. And I know my limitations. Just please send good thoughts my way. Healthy, low-calorie thoughts that is! Anyway, back to this recipe.

My daughter Paula has been touting the benefits of using monk fruit sweetener for some time now. I bought some about a year ago, tried it, and promptly sent her the rest of the package. Then when she was up for Thanksgiving this past year, she made granola while she was here. Brought all the ingredients with her. And of course, she used monk fruit as the sweetening agent. The granola was delicious. I’d give you the recipe, but Paula is not one of those cooks, unlike me, who uses a recipe. She just goes for it. And the amazing thing is – her food always tastes wonderful. It must be all those chemistry classes she took in college. Whatever it is, she didn’t get the “wing it” gene from me! Thus, no recipe from her to share with you.

Well, the upshot is – I bought another package of monk fruit and am going to be using it more and more. At least I’m going to give it the old college try!! Ra ra sis boom bah. (Humbug, that is!)

So, if you too want to cut down on sugar and build a granola that is both healthy and delicious, give this recipe a try.

Well, that’s it for today. I’m making Ground Beef and Black Bean Chili for dinner. And I’m going to make cornbread to go with it. But this cornbread is an experiment. I am going to use whole wheat flour and a bit of monk fruit sweetener. If it turns out good, happy day. If not, you will not be hearing from me about the joys of using monk fruit sweetener instead of maple syrup.

Peace and love to all.   

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. monk fruit sweetener*

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

⅓ c. flaxseed meal

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

3 c. mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, cashews, peanuts)  

1 c. flaked unsweetened coconut

3 c. dried fruit (chopped if necessary) (apricots, dates, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc.)

Preheat oven to 300-degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, monk fruit sweetener, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flaxseed meal together. Then stir in the oats. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 25 minutes. (Don’t wash the bowl.)

Add the nuts and coconut. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the oats are a light golden brown.

Remove from oven and transfer the granola back to the large bowl and add the dried fruit tossing to combine.

Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

*According to Food Insight, “Monk fruit, also known as lo han guo or Swingle fruit, is a small round fruit native to southern China. Monk fruit sweeteners are no-calorie sweeteners that can be used to lower one’s intake of added sugars, while still providing satisfaction to enjoy the taste of something sweet. Some types of sweeteners in this category are considered low-calorie — such as aspartame, and others are no-calorie (e.g., monk fruit sweeteners, stevia sweeteners and sucralose). However, collectively they are often referred to as sugar substitutes, high-intensity sweeteners, nonnutritive sweeteners, low- and no-calorie sweeteners or simply low-calorie sweeteners.

Like other no-calorie sweeteners, monk fruit sweeteners are intensely sweet. Monk fruit sweeteners range from being 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, and as such only small amounts are needed in a product to equal the sweetness provided by sugar. Monk fruit sweeteners can be used in a wide range of beverages and foods like soft drinks, juices, dairy products, desserts, candies, and condiments. Because they are stable at high temperatures, monk fruit sweeteners can be used in baked goods. However, a recipe that uses monk fruit sweeteners in place of sugar may turn out slightly different because in addition to sweetness, sugar plays several roles in recipes related to volume and texture, but this varies based on the type of recipe.

Several brands, such as Monk Fruit In The Raw®, Lakanto®, SPLENDA® Monk Fruit Sweetener, SweetLeaf® and Whole Earth® use monk fruit sweeteners in granular and liquid forms.”

NO BAKE FRUIT AND NUT GRANOLA SQUARES

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For those of us trying to be good (that is staying away from cookies, candy, and the like), we still deserve a treat occasionally. And for those of us getting older and faced with the possible onset of diseases (like diabetes) that often hit as we hobble into our golden years, we have to be particularly careful what we put in our mouths.

So, I decided to look for a treat recipe for myself that packed a wallop. Wallop in this case defined as having “a big flavor bang, in a small package, that’s reasonably healthy”. (Not an easy task.) So, when I discovered a recipe for a 5-ingredient granola bar on the minimalistbaker.com site, I decided this treat would work for me with a few minor ingredient adjustments. And the recipe you find below is the result. Plus, I cut the pieces much smaller than the original recipe suggests. Actually, about a third the size. But as it turned out, one piece is absolutely enough. Because these babies are rich.

But OMG, they are delicious. Perfect for those times when nothing but a bit of sweet will do! But I try not to eat one a day. They aren’t vitamins after all!  Even if they do contain healthy ingredients. According to healthline.com “Dates boast an impressive nutrient profile but are quite sweet. Yet, they’re packed with fiber, which helps your body absorb its sugars more slowly. When eaten in moderation, they’re a safe and healthy choice for people with diabetes.”

And maple syrup, which again should be eaten in moderation, according to food.ndtv.com states “the glycemic index of maple syrup is around 54. Foods with glycemic index lower than 55 get digested slowly, enabling slow release of sugar in the blood stream, prevented chances of abnormal blood sugar spikes.”

And then there’s the peanut butter. (Oh, how I love peanut butter!) According to the nationalpeanutboard.org “Individuals with diabetes need foods that can help manage blood sugar and weight. Peanuts and peanut butter can be a powerful ally to reaching success. Peanuts and peanut butter have a low glycemic index, which means they don’t cause blood sugar to rise sharply.”

And to top things off, these squares also contain almonds and rolled oats. But everyone knows the health benefits of these two incredible ingredients, so I will skip describing their many glorious assets.

Final analysis – these granola squares are easy to prepare, contain healthy ingredients, and taste really, really good. Oh, and they’re crunchy. And who doesn’t love crunchy!

No more to say except – stay healthy, stay kind, stay involved, and stay safe. Oh, and stay informed. It’s natural to want to protect ourselves from all things unpleasant. But it’s not wise to forgo information that is not to one’s liking. Especially on current events. But we should always choose wisely how and where we gather information. And to my thinking, reliable sources don’t just state their own feelings on a subject. They try to give only the facts and allow the reader or listener to use their own critical thinking abilities. For me, this is the foremost criteria for good reporting. I don’t appreciate being talked down to. Or being told what to believe. But when someone is an expert, or reporting on what was said by an expert, it allows me to come to my own conclusion. For this type of reporting, I am most appreciative. And the only kind that truly holds my interest. Or for which any attention is received by me at all! 

Peace and love to all.

1 c. (packed) roughly chopped dates (I use Medjool dates)

2-3 tsp. water

1 c. toasted* slivered almonds

1½ c. toasted* rolled oats

½ c. finely chopped dried apricots (or dried fruit of choice)

¼ c. real maple syrup  

¼ c. creamy salted peanut butter (not natural)

½ tsp. vanilla  

Process dates and water in a food processor until only small bits remain (about 1 minute). Transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the toasted almonds, toasted oats, and dried fruit until well blended.  

Warm the maple syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour over the oat mixture and mix well.  Scoop mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish or other small pan lined with parchment paper. (Be sure to use enough parchment paper that you can lift the bars out of the pan.)  

Press down firmly with your fingers until the mixture is uniformly flattened. This helps the squares stick together better.

Cover with plastic wrap and let firm up in fridge for 45 minutes or more.

Remove cold contents from the pan and cut into desired size squares.  

Store in an airtight container in your fridge.

*To toast almonds and oats, place on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.