Category Archives: Baking

Bread and Cakes

Pecan-Almond Granola

Posted on by Andrea

This granola is a staple in our house. I suppose that’s primarily because it’s so easy to make, but I also like knowing exactly what’s in my granola, and you cannot compare the cost to store-bought. The price of cereal, particularly a high-quality granola is one of the things that really bugs me! Sooo, I make this all the time. It’s also great if you have kids away at school – it mails perfectly in a ziploc bag, tucked into a parcel or a bubble envelope.  Give it a try – so tasty and easy. I eat about 1/4 of a cup of it with oat milk and fruit as part of my breakfast, or as a bedtime snack. LOVE IT.

Pecan Almond Granola

adapted from Cuisine at Home

3 cups large flake oats (preferably organic)

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp pure almond extract

Optional:

1 cup of dried fruit. (raisins, cranberries, etc.)

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchemnt paper.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, pecans, almonds, salt and cinnamon.

mix dry ingredients

In a small pot, heat water and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add oil, vanilla and almond extract.  Pour over oat mixture.

pour liquid mixture over oats and toss thoroughly

Toss thoroughly, then spread onto baking sheet. Put in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir around and spread out again. Put back in for another 5 minutes, then stir, turn again, and continue in this fashion until the granola feels dry to the touch.  Then turn off oven and leave the granola in there for another 1/2 hour to further dry out.

Take out of the oven, and let cool. If you are adding dried fruit, do that now. Place into an airtight container. Try it with milk or nut milk, yogurt, kefir, and add some fruit if you like.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (with mini peanut butter cups)

Posted on by Andrea

peanut banana muffins

Peanut butter and banana is a classic combination, so I thought I’d try it in the form of a muffin. This creation is inspired by Grandma Harper’s much loved Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe, a well-worn recipe card in our house.  I had a bag of PC mini peanut butter cups, so I used those instead of chocolate chips, added peanut butter into the batter and topped the muffins with chopped peanuts. What can I say?  I love peanuts and peanut butter. The result is a  perfectly delicious muffin, fluffy and tender– I only wish I’d thought of it sooner.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

makes 12 regular sized muffins

1  1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3)

4 Tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter

4 Tbsp peanut butter (use whatever you have on hand, I used a pure peanut butter, no additives)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup PC mini peanut butter cups (or any other kind of chocolate chip if unavailable)

1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with baking cups or grease well. Place muffin tin on baking sheet.

Beat together first six ingredients. (banana, oil, peanut butter, egg, vanilla and sugar).  In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to banana mixture, stirring and folding gently until just combined.  Fold in mini peanut butter cups.  Divide batter equally among muffin cups, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if using.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Let cool. Enjoy!

mix first 6 ingredients together

In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to banana mixture, stirring and folding gently until just combined.  Fold in mini peanut butter cups.

fold in mini peanut butter cups

Divide batter equally among muffin cups, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if using.

divide batter evenly

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Let cool. Enjoy!

*These freeze perfectly.

Texas-Style Beer Bread

Posted on by Andrea

Oh. Ma. Gah.  I saw this recipe and it appeared so easy, I had to give it a try. This is another quick-bread, something you can throw together in literally, one minute.  This bread is delicious eaten on it’s own with some butter….or butter and cheese…peanut butter…but I think it would be great served alongside a soup, stew or chili.  I think I’ll try adding some cheddar into  the flour mixture next time, before adding the beer. EASY. GOOD. TRY IT. It comes from this amazing cookbook – one of my all-time favourites: The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather. You can find it on amazon.

Beer Bread

Texas-Style  Beer Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 (12-oz.) bottle good beer or ale
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place loaf pan on cookie sheet.

pour remaining butter on top

2) Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in beer. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not over mix. The dough will be thick, heavy and  sticky. Pour half of melted butter into a loaf pan. Spoon clumps of dough into pan. Pour remaining half of butter on top of dough.
3) Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown. Top of loaf will be gnarled. Remove from pan and serve hot. Yield: 1 loaf or 10 slices.

the bottom – buttery, crunchy, awesome

delicious

Fast and Divine Cinnamon Buns

Posted on by Andrea

Cinnamon Buns

Who doesn’t love cinnamon buns? Nobody that I know of. I’ve always wanted to make Cinnamon Buns, but was deterred by the prospect of a  yeast dough, waiting for it to rise, etc.When I saw this recipe, I was motivated to try. It was super easy, you just have to make sure you gather your filling ingredients and set them aside first…then make your dough, which comes together really quickly. Anytime is a good time for these babies. Give it a whirl, you’ll look like a rock star if you have company.

Fast Cinnamon Buns

adapted from Cuisine at Home

Yields 12 buns

 Filling

1 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Dough

¾ cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup buttermilk

¼ cup granulated sugar

4 Tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

For the Glaze

2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

2-3 Tbsp cold milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 400. Grease sides and bottom of a 10 inch springform pan, or a 10 inch pie plate will do as well.

Prepare the filling:

Combine brown sugar and spices. Melt butter, do not mix in. You will be using this to spread onto your dough.  Toast pecans in a dry pan over medium heat until they begin to smell toasted. Remove from heat  and chop fairly small but not completely ground up. Keep in separate bowl.

Prepare your dough:

In a food processor, mix together the cottage cheese, buttermilk, melted butter, granulated sugar and vanilla. Process until smooth – about 10 seconds.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse until dough clumps together. Don’t overmix or it will result in a tough dough. The dough will be soft and moist.

make the dough

Scrape the dough onto lightly floured surface and knead together a few times with your hands until smooth. Roll out to a 12×15 inch rectangle with rolling pin.

Roll out, spread with butter

Brush the dough with melted butter, leaving ½ inch border all around.

Sprinkle sugar mixture over top, patting into surface. Sprinkle nuts over sugar.

spread with filling

Starting at long edge, roll up, pinch seam to seal, leaving ends open.

With sharp serrated knife, cut into 12 pieces. Set the pieces in pan.

place in pan

Bake until golden brown and firm to touch, 20-28 minutes. Cool for 5 mins, Run a spatula or knife around the edge to remove. Transfer to serving plate. Make glaze, drizzle over top. Scarf!

 

Irish Brown Soda Bread

Posted on by Andrea
Galway County Galway County
Irish Brown Bread Irish Brown Bread

Emily Breakfast

One of our fondest food memories of Ireland is the deliciously dense and nutty Irish Brown Bread. It is served with every soup and stew, placed on your table at dinner, and toasted with breakfast. It’s so delicious slathered with butter, with butter and some old Irish cheddar (our favourite car snack) and toasted with jam. We bought a few loaves at Griffin’s Bakery in Galway, were given a loaf by the host of the Vanilla Pod in Killarney, and really liked both the white and brown varieties offered at The Earl’s Court Hotel in Killarney for breakfast.

Upon arriving home, I was eager to try to recreate it. I found an  Irish Brown Bread recipe,  and modified it slightly by adding molasses instead of sugar, added ground flaxseed… to try to make it a little darker. It’s so fast and easy to make, no yeast or rising required. Everyone should know how to throw this together, it will come in handy when you are out of bread – especially at the cottage, for example, where you don’t necessarily feel like running out to the store. It tastes good the first day, even better the second and will last, well wrapped, for 4 or 5 days.

Irish Brown Bread

makes 1 loaf

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp molasses

1/2 cup olive oil

1  1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Prepare pan – a 9 or 10 inch round, and I place that on a baking sheet.

Mix together flours, flaxseed, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda.  In large measuring cup, combine buttermilk, molasses and olive oil. Make well in center of flour mixture and pour in wet ingredients. Stir to combine, then knead briefly until smooth. Place into a 9 inch round baking pan or a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Bake 30-40 mins, until it sounds hollow when tapped. This bread is good the first day, but tastes even better the second, and will keep, well wrapped for 4 or 5 days.

Irish brown bread with cream of celery and apple soup