fig and almond muffins

wow...it is hot. like breathing in fire and exhaling smoke...its hot. why am i cooking? the farmers markets have been bountiful and our fridge is overflowig in beautiful colors so i need to.
i let littlefoodie do the shopping at our sunday morning farmers market and it ended up being purple day. teeny-tiny purple fingerling potatoes that i cannot wait to turn up and roast to a salty crispness. purple, white and light orange carrots that are sweet and crisp and ready for crunchiing. fresh and dried figs so juicy and bright. and the tomatoes, all colors, all sweeteness and juicy!
this morning i made lovely almond fig muffins adapted from a cookinglight recipe. littlefoodie is in love with all things fig...dried figs only so i get to enjoy the fresh ones all alone...mineminemine.
these are light and delicious and full of fiber and goodness!

enjoy!

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup dried organic figs (your choice)
2 tbl olive oil
1 lg organic egg

topping:
3 tbl organic brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
1 tbl organic coconut oil, melted (or unsalted organic butter)
1/2 cup organic sliced almonds

preheat oven to 400F.

grease muffin tins. combine flour thru cinnamon and stir with a whisk. make a well.

in a food processor blend the amond milk thru egg. pour into the dry ingredients and fold to combine.

spoon into muffin tins.

mix up brown sugar, oats, coconut oil and almonds. sprinkle over muffins. bake for 18 min.

fig and almond cookies (this ones for you owm!)

these were divine! i changed the original recipe up a bit, which i got from cookinglight.com and made tastier and healthier too.
i use quinoa flour for part but feel free to just use whole wheat for that...same for the oat bran but please keep the almond meal..cause yum, its way better with it. littlefoodie scarfed down a couple for breakfast with some apples satueed in butter and blackstrap mollases so they were a huge hit there.
easy to travel with and a healthy hearty snack too!
(and pics will be up today! promise!!!!)

1/2 cup organic natural brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and set at room temp
2 lg organic eggs
1/4 cup chopped dried mission figs
1/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp pure almond extract
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic quinoa flour
1/2 cup organic almond meal
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds

preheat oven to 350F.
combine brown sugar, butter and eggs in a large bowl. stir in figs and cranberries and almond extract.

sift ww flour and quinoa flour into bowl. add almond meal, oat bran, baking soda and spices. add to wet mixture until just moist. fold in almonds.

drop by huge heaping tablespoonfuls on cookie sheet covered with parchement, silpat or greased.
sprinkle w/natural organic cane sugar and bake 12-15 min. cool and eat!

banana oat molasses bread

and we're back! its been a while. no excuses really, just busy with a little person. i am glad that this is my first recipe to post in bit because it is so yummy and healthy and worth making.

a good friend of ours is batteling melanoma. he is one a pretty strict diet. no soy, very low sugar, limited daily protein (from meat), no yeast. i have been trying dutifully to bring him some baked goods and savory meals weekly. and yes, i am going to be that grandma someday that bakes and bakes for everyone and believe me they better eat it or my wrath with ensue!

anyway, i was received a request last night from our friend for banana bread...one that he can eat, full of cancer fighting foods. my mission had started and i think i really delivered. now i am just hoping it makes its way over to him without having a nibble here and there off of the sides. it has oats for fiber, blackstrap molasses and organic pure maple syrup for vitamins and nutrients, banana for sweetness, toasted raw almonds for anitoxidants and i replaced one egg with 1 tbl of flaxseed meal and 3 tbl water heated.

enjoy!



1 1/2 cup whole wheat
2/3 oats (i use an organic blend of oats, rye and barley)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup organic pure molasses sugar (or natural organic brown sugar)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/8 cup organic pure grade b maple syurp
1/4 cup organic blackstrap molasses
1 lg egg
1 tbl flaxsed meal + 3 tbl water, heated for 30 seconds then mixed (to replace 1 egg)
2 ripe bananas, mashed and mixed with a few tbl of strong coffee (to bring out flavor and add some extra)
1/3 cup plain kefir (or plain organic yogurt)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup toasted, slivered raw almonds
handful of wheat germ for adding on top

preheat oven to 350F.

combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. whisk with fork. set aside.

beat sugar, butter, molasses and maple syrup. add in egg and flaxseed egg repplacement mixture. beat until combined.
add in banana, kefir and vanilla. beat until combined.

beat in dry on low until just moistened. stir in almonds.

pour into greased loaf pan and sprinkle with wheat germ. bake for and hour.

panforte

panforte is an italian dessert. its sort a cross between a confection and a cake...a little fruitcakeiness to it too. its yummy, gooey, dense and good. i haven't made this in years but we are having quite a x-mas and i always make italian for x-mas so hopefully this will be a new one added to my list! i got the recipe off of epicurious. it was printed in gourmet december of 2002. i changed it slightly, adding different fruits and fruits and some orange zest.

enjoy!

PANFORTE
4 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder plus additional for dusting
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted and loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel and chopped
1 cup dried unsulfured apricots, cut into halves
1 cup dried mission figs, each cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
1/2 cup candied citron
zest or 2 oranges
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup honey

Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan; parchment paper; a candy thermometer
Preheat oven to 300°F.

Line springform pan with parchment, using a round for bottom and a strip for side. Butter paper well and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, spices, salt, and 4 teaspoons cocoa in a large bowl, then stir in nuts and fruit.

Bring sugar and honey to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil without stirring until thermometer registers 238 to 240°F, about 2 minutes.

Immediately pour honey over fruit mixture and quickly stir until combined (mixture will be very thick and sticky). Quickly spoon mixture into springform pan, spreading evenly with back of spoon. Dampen your hands and press mixture firmly and evenly into pan to compact as much as possible. Bake in middle of oven until edges start to rise slightly and become matte, 50 to 55 minutes.

Cool panforte completely in pan on a rack, then remove side of pan and invert, peeling off paper. If making ahead, wrap panforte (see cooks' note, below). To serve, cut with a serrated knife into small pieces.

Cooks' note:
• The flavors of panforte deepen over time — it's best made at least 1 week ahead and chilled in a large sealed plastic bag. It can be made 1 month ahead and chilled, wrapped in parchment and then kept in a sealed plastic bag.