Baking | Food Whims

May 15 2013

Muesli Breakfast Cookies

I made some muesli for an article I’m writing about easy breakfast foods. And while, yeah, muesli is a great breakfast option, I just can’t get into it. It’s a texture thing. It took me years to finally be able to eat mushy oatmeal and the fact that muesli is basically a cold version of oatmeal just makes it worse for me. So… there I was faced with the dilemma of having a jar full of muesli that I would potentially never eat when I saw a tweet about breakfast cookies.

Breakfast cookies!

For some reason the moment I read Shauna Niequist’s tweet about breakfast cookies, I just had to have them. So, naturally, I bought her newest book (which I finished in only a few days) so I could get the recipe. As I read through the ingredients I realized the majority of the ingredients were already in the muesli, so in theory I could just use it as a substitute. And it worked! And they were oh so delicious.

Muesli Breakfast Cookies
based originally on 101 Cookbook’s Nikki’s Healthy Cookies but featured in Shauna Niequist’s Bread & Wine (a must read for all you food lovers… AND the kindle edition is only $3.79 right now!)

Yields 6 cookies (or more depending on your scoop size)

1 cup muesli (my muesli is adapted from Joy the Baker’s recent recipe, except I just throw everything but the kitchen sink in)
1 ripe banana
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/3 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350˚.

In a small bowl, mash together the banana, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add muesli, salt, and baking powder. Mix until well combined.

Using a teaspoon or a large ice cream scoop, scoop cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Gently press down and shape into a round cookie shape… the cookies don’t grow or change shape so you’ve got to do all the shaping work for them.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Variations: I love adding some nut butter to mine (it gives this creaminess to the cookies). If you want to do the same, go ahead and throw about a Tablespoon of your favorite nut butter in with the banana and coconut oil. Just be sure to add about 1/3 cup more muesli to absorb the added oil and moisture.

Also, the cookies pictured have some honey drizzled on top for added sweetness. I added the honey while they were cooling so by the time they were cooled, the honey had soaked into the cookie.

Final Note: For a crunchier cookie you can use an egg instead of the banana. But… you’ll need to add some kind of sweetener, because you no longer have the banana flavor to carry you. I have a theory that doubling the recipe and doing 1 banana and 1 egg would give you a nice and crunchy cookie with good flavor. That test just hasn’t happened yet.

Enjoy as a snack, for breakfast, or a nice healthier dessert option.

Abigail

Tagged banana, breakfast, cookie, gluten-free, muesli, oats, vegan

Mar 26 2013

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Whipped Cream & Raspberries

A dear friend of mine asked me to make her Gluten-Free wedding cake. So I’ve been doing extensive research about size, cost, etc. and am on the hunt for the perfect recipe and flour mixture.

This week I made my first attempt. The result: eh. Not the best, but delicious nonetheless. I couldn’t very well throw out two layers of perfectly good cake, so I had some fun. I filled and topped the layers with sweetened whipped cream, raspberries, and some milk chocolate shavings to top it all off.

The only bad part? Now I have a cake in my fridge that needs to be eaten! Anyone want to take it off my hands?!

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
makes 2 8-inch layers or 3 6-inch layers

The recipe I’m giving is the original, not my GF altered version.

adapted from Sky High (an amazing book if you are looking for some layer cake recipes… or just want to look at some gorgeous pictures!)

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Butter the size of pans you’ve decided to use. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend until well combined. Add the butter and half of the buttermilk. Mix on low speed until blended; then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, a few minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and remaining buttermilk.

Pour half of the egg mixture into the cake batter and beat until mixed completely. Add the remaining egg mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour mixture evenly into prepared pans.

Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to continue cooling.

Whipped Cream & Garnishing

1 cup whipped cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 pint raspberries
1 Tablespoon whipped cream flavored vodka (optional)
1 teaspoon cane sugar

2 ounces milk chocolate, shaved into ribbons

While the cakes are cooling, combine raspberries, vodka, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside. Whip cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate into small pieces and ribbons. Store in freezer until ready to garnish.

To assemble cake, place first layer of completely cooled cake onto your serving plate. Top with about half of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with half of the raspberries (make sure to use any crushed ones in the middle) and a few sprinkles of chocolate. Add second layer of cake and finish off with the remaining whipped cream, raspberries, and chocolate. Any juices left in the raspberry bowl can be poured around the base of the cake so it soaks into the cake.

If making 3 6-inch layers, adjust the assembly accordingly.

Serve immediately if desired, but it’s even better after it has chilled for a bit.

Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Abigail

Tagged baking, chocolate, cravings, raspberries, vanilla cake, whipped cream

Feb 22 2013

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Baking, Food, Whims

Lost in the Shuffle

Sometimes I make food that I have every intention of sharing with you, but the pictures, recipes, and stories just get lost in the shuffle. So, on this cold and windy Friday morning (before I’m late to work), I thought I’d share with y’all a few of the untold and lost dishes.

GF Chocolate Mayo Cake studded with Toffee Pieces