Category Archives: Breakfast

Banana Nut Bread Oatmeal

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Banana Bread Oatmeal

Hello everyone! Long time no see, eh?

This past month has been CRAZY. I gave birth. ‘Nuff said.

I don’t have the words to describe to you how horribly hard, frustrating, rewarding and sweet it has all been.

Helen

But this little girly is so worth it. Soon, I’m sure, the sleepless nights, slow recovery and endless feeding sessions will all fade into distant memory. Hopefully.

Banana Bread Oatmeal

One of the hardest parts of recovery is not being able to do ANYTHING. I didn’t realize how much I took for granted the little things like combing my hair, fixing a cup of tea and doing the dishes. I have really missed being able to create in the kitchen.

Banana Bread Oatmeal

This oatmeal was one of the last things I was able to concoct before little Helen arrived. I had just discovered how easy and delicious steel cut oats are. Yes, they do take a while longer to cook, but I believe it’s worth the wait.

Here’s a scrumptious way to spice up your morning oats. Hope you enjoy – and create something fun in kitchen! You never know when that privilege will be taken from you.

Banana Nut Bread Steel Cut Oats | Recipe by Erica Lea of Cooking for Seven |
Makes 4 servings | PRINTABLE PAGE

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • Generous pinch each of: cardamom, nutmeg and cloves
  • 2 large, ripe bananas, plus extra for serving
  • 2 tablespoons natural sweetener of choice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans
  • Butter, cream and maple syrup for serving

Directions:

1) Bring the water and milk to a brisk boil. Stir in the oats, salt and spices. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender, about 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, toast the pecans. Mash the bananas until fairly smooth. Once the oats are finished cooking, stir in the bananas, sweetener and vanilla.

3) Serve immediately with butter, cream and maple syrup, if desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Helen

Aaaand one more of this little dolly. Because I can’t help myself.

Crunchy Maple Granola + Baby Update

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Maple Granola

Hello there! Hope you all had an awesome holiday season. I wish I could say ours was rockin’, but it seems like we’ve been battling one sickness after another.

I was going to make Nutella Stuffed Cookies for ya’ll, but after the indulgence pigging out from the holidays, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Maple Granola

So I went a little healthier route and made granola instead.

{1/52} Granola

For Christmas I received the lovely Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, from which I got this granola. I think I’m going to really enjoy cooking my way through that book.

This granola is bonkers good. The flavors are simply wonderful and it bakes up nice and crunchy. Plus, it super-customizable — always a good thing in my book. You can change up the type of nuts or fruit for a totally different result.

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And now for a bit of a baby/pregnancy update. I’m at 34.5 weeks (the above photo was taken at 33 weeks), or 5.5 weeks from my due date! It kinda scares and excites me to think that we’ll be responsible for the life of a tiny, helpless baby in a little over a month.

For now I’m doing my best to eat right to keep this life inside of me healthy. Onward to this new adventure!

You can read more about my pregnancy on my personal blog.

Maple Granola

Recipe Notes:

  • I think the use of egg white to help bind the granola is brilliant. It didn’t make the granola as “clumpy” as the recipe suggested it would, but it was still quite crunchy.
  • The fruit made the granola get a tad softer. Next time I might leave it out altogether. After all I’m not a huge fan of fruit in my granola.
  • Coarse sea salt makes this granola really lovely. Every once in a while you get a bite with a little salt crystal. Delightful!
  • The original recipe called for olive oil, but I used butter since olive oil can break down with baking. You could also use coconut oil if you prefer.

Crunchy Maple Granola | adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook | makes about 7 cups | PRINTABLE PAGE

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup pecans or nuts of choice
  • 1/4 flax seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 1/2 cups dried fruit of choice (I used figs and apricots), optional

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 300° F (150° C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) In a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, nuts, flax seeds, cinnamon and salt. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Mix in the maple syrup.

3) Pour the butter/maple syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and toss to coat well. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Add to the dry ingredients and toss.

4) Spread the granola out onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, until the granola is nicely toasted, golden, and feels dry, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

5) Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. When completely cool, break up the granola and stir in the fruit. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also store in the refrigerator of freezer for longer periods of time.

Dirty Chai Pancakes with Spiced Caramel Sauce + The Winner!

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Dirty Chai Pancakes

Alright, time for the promised pancakes!

When Emma pinned these Dirty Chai Pancakes the other day, I knew I needed to make them. And so I did.

Reuben loved them. “These are really good pancakes,” he told me with his mouth full.

Dirty Chai Pancakes

Lovely Chai spices are mixed in with the dry ingredients. Fresh-ground espresso makes these “dirty” pancakes.

You should whip these up. Today. For breakfast, lunch or supper! They’re good any time.

Recipe Notes:

The original recipe called for spelt flour, but I subbed whole wheat and AP flour with great success. It also called for non-dairy milk, but I just used regular whole.

I didn’t have any maple syrup on hand, so I just mixed up a spiced caramel sauce. You could also mix a few spices into warmed maple syrup if you prefer.

Dirty Chai Pancakes with Spiced Caramel Sauce | adapted from The First Mess and Foods of Our Lives | serves 3-4 | Printable Page

Ingredients

For the Spiced Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch each of: ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves

For the pancakes:

  • 1 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup all-purpse flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground espresso
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • pinch of ground cloves
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice
  • 1 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

To make the caramel sauce:

1) Place the sugar in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts. This will take a few minutes.

2) Once the sugar has all melted start adding the butter one piece at a time. Whisk until the butter is completely melted. Wait about 3 seconds and then add the cream slowly. Whisk as you add until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.

3) Add the salt and spices and whisk again a couple times just to incorporate.

To make the pancakes

1) Combine the milk and vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Stir lightly and set aside to curdle for at least 5 minutes.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground coffee, cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves. Add the curdled milk, maple syrup, melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir gently to combine, taking care not to over mix.

3) Heat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter. Drop 1/3 cup measures of the pancake batter into the pan. Allow the first side to cook for 1 to 1-½ minutes, or until bubbles pop on the surface and the edges appear dry and lightly browned. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute. Remove pancakes and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

4) Serve pancakes with lots of butter, spiced caramel sauce or maple syrup. Yum!

Now for the winner of the Mignon Kitchen Giveaway!

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Using random.org, I have selected a winner!

And the winner is…

Commenter #51, Carrie J.L. who said: “Fish sticks, homemade tartar sauce, and green beans! Simple, quick dinner =) Really enjoy your blog by the way! And can’t wait to check out this kitchen website! =)”
Congratulations, Carrie! I will be emailing you soon with further details.

Thank you all for participating in my giveaway.

Have a lovely day!

Dirty Chai Pancakes

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones + Monday Favorites

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Hey everyone! I baked some super-delicious scones. You can check out the recipe + step-by-step photos & instructions on the Tasty Kitchen Blog. {LINK}

Stuff I love at the moment:

Recipes:

Provencal New Potatoes via Simply Recipes | Roasted Broccoli Soup via i am baker | Homemade Lemon Curd via Have Cake, Will Travel | Lemon Crepes via Cook Me Tender | Chocolate Jam Sandwich Cookies via Desserts for Breakfast | Banana Cake with Butterscotch via White on Rice Couple | Thai Tea Ice Cream via Amandeleine

Products:

Cake Plate | Edwyn Collins Mugg | Le Café Mug | Porcelain Lip Bowl | Bone China Spoons | Rosewood Serving Knife | Linen Apron | Monochrome Cup Set | Bowls | Bowls | And More Bowls | Be Happy Tea Towel | Rustic Honey Pot |

What are you lovin’ today?


Raspberry Muffins + The Winner

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Raspberry Muffins

Did you know that I have some of the best in-laws ever? When my husband and I were on our honeymoon, my husband’s mother and sister planted our garden for us. Even though the deer and rabbits attacked it with abandon, we were able to glean some organic produce this year. Without my in-laws, it would have been too late to start a garden this year.

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Not stopping with that, they have showered us with their own amazing produce – fresh strawberries, raspberries, green beans, garlic, and more. Plus, they taught me how to can green beans so we can savor them all winter.

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Which brings me to these raspberry muffins. I had a whole gallon bucket of lovely raspberries from Reuben’s family in the fridge, and I wanted to bake something delicious with them. We were having soup for supper and I thought these would be a nice addition to the meal. And they were a success! Reuben loved them.

“How to did you get them to be caramelized on top?” he asked.

My evening was made.

Notes:

  • Of course I substituted part whole wheat flour and natural sweetener. The original recipe called for lemon zest, but I didn’t have any on hand so I skipped it. It also called for pecans in the topping, but Reuben doesn’t care for nuts in baked goods so I left them out.
  • I felt that the recipe did not call for enough buttermilk. I ended up adding 1/4 cup of cream or more to the batter to get it to the right consistency.
  • It will seem like there’s way too much topping for the muffins, but that’s not the case. It’s just right. Trust me.

Raspberry Muffins

Printable Page | Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the topping:

  • 1/3 cup demereara sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the muffin batter:

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 demerara sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten slightly
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease or line with muffin papers 12 standard muffin cups.

2) To make topping: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

3) To make the muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate small bowl, combine the egg, butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir just to moisten. Add the raspberries and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix.

4) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Evenly distribute the topping over the batter. Bake in preheated oven until golden and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Place pan on a cooling rack and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to the cooling rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, with butter of course!

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Now for the Winner!

The winner of my RiceSelect giveaway is:

Commenter #78: j.hodge who had yogurt for breakfast.

Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway. I have several more giveaways lined up this fall, so stay tuned!

Keep eating and cooking what you love!

Erica Lea

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

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Some days, you just need a recipe that doesn’t call for fancy ingredients. You don’t have any specialty items on hand, but you still want to bake something utterly scrumptious.

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This cake definitely fits the bill. A soft, cinnamon-scented batter is filled with buttery, sugary swirls. Top it off with a drizzle of maple and cream cheese frosting, and you have one delicious treat.

 

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Notes:

The original recipe called for a powdered sugar glaze. I much prefer a less-sweet cream cheese based frosting. So I made up a recipe for drizzly maple-cream cheese frosting.

As per my usual substitutions, I used whole wheat flour in place of most of the AP flour, and maple sugar instead of brown sugar. I also added a bit of cinnamon to the cake batter to enhance the flavor. You can add pecans to the topping, but I didn’t have any on hand, so I left them out. Besides, my husband doesn’t like nuts in baked goods.

 

 

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Divine Baking | Printable Page | Makes approximately 8 servings

 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup AP flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar, demerara, sucanat, rapadura, or brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cups whole milk
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar or sweetener of choice
  • 1 tablespoons AP flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons chopped pecans, optional

For the maple cream cheese frosting:

  • 4 oz. (1/4 lb.) cream cheese, softened
  • 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a round cake pan.
2) In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the whole wheat flour, AP flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine the milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat into the dry ingredients until well combined. Slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3) In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, maple sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans (if using) until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonsful and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. You want to make sure it’s done.
5) Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add the maple syrup and vanilla. Add a few tablespoons of milk, if necessary, so the frosting can be drizzled. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the frosting on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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40 Responses to “Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting”

  1. How much fun did you have typing ‘husband’ on your blog for the first time? ;)

    Cake looks delicious! :)

  2. Erica Lea says:

    DessertForTwo: Haha! It was awesome typing that out. Before I shared my dad’s insights about the food I cook, now I get to share my husband’s!

  3. Haha, I was just about to write exactly the same thing as the commenter above!

    This looks great, though – interesting to turn a yeasted dough into a cake dough. Yum.

  4. Elizabeth says:

    So I have this in the oven right now! Just what this pregnant woman was craving :)
    Thanks!! Can’t wait for it to finish cooking!!

  5. GOOD. GRIEF.

    sold. on my way over. :)

  6. Hah! Love the ‘my husband….’! And *love* the look of this cake… :)

  7. This looks really lovely! It reminds me of a Finnish cake called “Boston cake” (I have no idea where the name comes from) :-)

  8. Yum! This would be so good for breakfast, or a snack, or whenever for that matter. :-) The glaze makes it for sure. And my husband doesn’t like nuts in baked goods either. :-p

  9. That looks fantastic. The cream cheese glaze over top looks really beautiful and I love the cinnamon and maple combo. Yummy! Plus I love that you use whole wheat flour :)

  10. I adore coffee cake! Love that you added cream cheese instead of the overly-sweet sugary glaze it usually has.

  11. Carol says:

    This looks amazing…a definite one to make. Congrats on your recent marriage!! :)

  12. Esther says:

    Mmm. This looks heavenly! I can see my brothers mouths watering already:-)

    Thanks for the recipe!

  13. Maria says:

    I am drooling! This looks so good!

  14. Ali says:

    Drizzly maple cream cheese frosting…..uh, yum!! That sounds fantastic :D

    If you’d like, I wanted to invite you to share your best recipes over at my new party, Recipe Sharing Monday at Jam Hands. I’m going to be featuring my favorite submissions during the week and I’d love it if you’d join in the fun. :O)

  15. Katrina says:

    This cake sounds lovely! I’ve never baked with maple sugar before, but it sounds super tasty. Great recipe!

  16. Two thumbs up for your glaze alteration, I think your version sounds absolutely delicious :) Ive seen this kind of recipe around a few times but not many of them have looks anywhere near as tempting as yours! Gorgeous photos indeedy

  17. Love love love this!!! Breakfast fit for a queen. :-D

  18. Cinnamon rolls and cake are about two of my favorite things so of course I am drooling all over my keyboard, yum!

  19. Anything with maple and nuts, is a perfect food!

  20. Ooooh, this looks fabulous! It has all the components of ooey gooey cinnamon rolls without all the hard work of kneading and rolling out the dough! Thanks for sharing, Erica! :-)

  21. What a great, delicious idea. I love cinnamon rolls so I can only assume I’d love this cake. The maple cream cheese icing sounds divine. Thanks for sharing this!

  22. laura says:

    wow, this looks amazing! can’t wait to try – thanks for sharing!

  23. Mmm.. that looks divine and I am with your husband – I hate nuts, especially on cakes :)

  24. cat says:

    This looks so incredible! I love all things cinnamon and this looks like a satisfying way to cure the cinnamon swirl craving.

  25. Katie says:

    What a unique idea for a cake! This looks amazing.

  26. […] Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (Cooking for Seven) I am 100% sold that this can be my breakfast, lunch & dinner for an entire weekend. Amazing! […]

  27. Ally says:

    Delicious! xo

  28. This looks amazing! Yum! Wish I had this for breakfast right now!

  29. Karen Thompson says:

    This looks wonderful. I like the “use what I have” concept…so often a trip to the store is required. Love your site…found it by way of “Brown Eyed Baker”.

  30. I feel the same way about the frosting… I always replace powdered sugar glaze with cream cheese-based something when I’m doing cinnamon rolls. Good call!

    Enjoy this treat with your new hubby! So fun :)

  31. GingerCan says:

    I have been looking forever for a site with recipes made with natural sugar and natural ingredients! I am so excited and can’t wait to try some! Thank you!

  32. Mrs C says:

    Oh this looks heavenly!! I could have with my morning cup of jo right now!!! What do you think of this fun recipe for Meditteranean kabobs…easiest appetizer ever!

    http://www.MrsCapretta.com
    Recipes Fashion Marriage

  33. […] Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Drizzle, from Cooking for Seven […]

  34. Kim says:

    This cake is amazing, I made it on the weekend and would definitely make it again, I used only brown sugar, that’s all i had and doubled the cream cheese icing, I have an obsession with it, I love this cake

  35. […] Cinnamon Roll Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting From Cooking For Seven […]

  36. I stumbled apon your blog when looking for some cinnamon maple bread recipes. I’m finding LOTS of recipes I must try… this being one of them. Looks so yummy… I’m not sure if I should make this cake or your Cinnamon Bread today… tough choice!

  37. […] Cinnamon Roll Cake adapted from Cooking for Seven […]

  38. Kim says:

    Oh my goodness! This is going on my Fall Baking List!! Thank you so much for sharing this.

  39. […] undomestic feel like baking, which means I’ll be looking for something to put in my crockpot. This cake sounds good, or maybe this one (we found blueberries yesterday). I can’t decide. But this […]

  40. […] From, Cooking For Seven:  Cinnamon Roll cake with maple cream cheese frosting This entry was posted in breakfast, dessert, recipe on September 29, 2011 by […]

Grandma’s Cooking School: Apple Strudel

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{Grandma’s Cooking School is my chronicles of the informal cooking lessons that my Grandma graciously decided to give us girls. I have compiled a list of all the lessons so far. Enjoy!}

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Apple Strudel. A thing of beauty. Sweet apples encased in a thin, flaky dough. Delicious.

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We began our lesson by reading through the recipe and preparing the apples.

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Next, we mixed together two kinds of dough: a quick version and a more traditional version made with yeast. Meanwhile we cooked the apple filling.

Continue reading →

Baked Oatmeal, Old & New

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Fascinating how much your photography can change in just 1.5 years. Way back in December of 2008 I blogged about a delicious recipe I had concocted: Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal. Here was my original header photo:

I was so proud that captured this image early on a Winter morning.

All of this to say, go and see my guest post on the Tasty Kitchen blog: Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal.

Grandma’s Cooking School: Homemade Bread & Sweet Rolls

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{Grandma’s Cooking School is my chronicles of the informal cooking lessons that my Grandma graciously decided to give us girls. I have compiled a list of all the lessons so far. Enjoy!}

I am at a loss for words to describe these delicious creations, so I’ll let the photos do (most of) the talking.

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Grandma’s homemade bread. Light, flavorful, delicious.

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I love Grandma’s flour/baking drawer.

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And her cupboards.

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Grandma showed us a different way to form loaves: folding!

group4Now, the cinnamon/sticky buns. Much butter is required.

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Proofing and baked. Can it get any better than this?

**Next Time on Grandma’s Cooking School: Apple Strudel**

Here is the list of our lessons so far.

17 Responses to “Grandma’s Cooking School: Homemade Bread & Sweet Rolls”

  1. I’ve missed your updates! Come back soon :)

  2. Natalie says:

    I love following your blog! Many of your posts remind me of my own experiences… especially Grandma’s homemade bread :) Your pictures are incredible and as usual everything looks delicious! Keep up the awesome posts. Thank you.

  3. Melanie says:

    My bread never turns out like Grandma’s! Does she use gluten?

  4. Erica Lea says:

    Melanie: No, I don’t believe she uses gluten. Seems like magic, eh?

  5. Kitty says:

    I love what you are doing. My friends and I always talk about how we miss our mother’s home cooking and how we wish we haven’t written down their recipes. Your “Grandma’s Cooking School” is brilliant! I wish I had the sensibility to have done the same thing.

  6. Jo says:

    Yum! I would like one of those cinnamon rolls now, please :)

  7. Hannah says:

    i absolutely love this series!!

  8. Laura West says:

    I just discovered your site on Tastespotting. What a joy! You are an amazingly talented young woman. I love making family recipes and recipes friends have given me from their families…so much history lies behind a recipe. Your kind and loving nature shines through!

  9. Sue says:

    Just found you via Tasty Kitchen..that top photo of your bread is so beautiful!!! I’ll add you to my reader :-) Congrats on your two year anniversary too :-) Your photos and recipes are lovely!!

  10. Mariaq says:

    Baking with loved ones makes the product even more tasty! What a great post!

  11. pambala says:

    Oh, your photography is gorgeous! That shot of the loaf of bread is beautifully lighted and I’m sure you edited it just right!!

    Nice website! I’m looking forward to trying your recipes! I found you on Tasty Kitchen.

    ~pam

  12. rita says:

    i love your blog! keep it up. these recipes are wonderful. grandmas, rock! thanks for sharing. i’ll be sure to try these lovely bread/rolls.

  13. kathy juarez says:

    just found your blog love it…. would you mind sharing the name of the cook book your grandma is holding in the pick it looks like her loving hands have made many recipes from it .

  14. Kathy Green says:

    What a wonderful tribute to your Grandmother. I regret not knowing how to REPLICATE my Mom’s PIZZA – the BEST ever! Thanks for sharing.

  15. shivani says:

    lovely bread n rolls. wonderful way to show ur love to ur grandmother.
    are the recipes available on the site. i would live to try the both the bread n the rolls. the bread has risen beautifully.

  16. Erica Lea says:

    shivani: Unfortunately the recipes are not available. Grandma would like to keep the recipes in the family.

  17. Holly says:

    Where is the recipie link? The pics are great but I need the recipies.

Raspberry Crumb Bars

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One evening, when I was in one my baking moods, I felt like making something special for breakfast. I saw these over at Smitten Kitchen and decided that they needed to be made. Of course I made my usual adjustments – whole wheat flour and a natural sweetener. I also left out the lemon zest (as we had none).

To be honest, I thought these bars were a little on the tart side. However, I was overall very pleased with them, and will most likely try them again.

We served them with both liquid and whipped cream. Delicious.

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Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the crust and crumb:
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 cup Demerara sugar or Sucanat or rapadura
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the raspberry filling:
1/4 cup Demerara sugar or Sucanat or rapadura
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 pound raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

Make the crust and crumb:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.

2) Put the flour, sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

3) Reserve 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the raspberry filling.

Make the raspberry filling:

4) In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the raspberries are evenly coated.

Assemble and bake the bars:

5) Spread the raspberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

6) Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares. Serve plane or with liquid or whipped cream. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.

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