berry lemon coffee cake

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup organic natural cane sugar
1 mashed ripe banana
2 tbl unsalted chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 lg organic egg
juice of meyer lemon juice
3/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup blackberries
1/2 cup raspberries
zest of 1 meyer lemon

1/4 cup organic natural cane sugar
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, chopped
juice of half of meyer lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.

combine flour, oats, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt in a small bowl, stir.
beat sugar, banana, and butter in mixer; beat at medium speed until blended. add egg and lemon juice, beat well.

ad dry ingredients and almond milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

fold in berries and zest.

pour into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

for topping combine sugar, lrmon juice, almonds and cinnamon and sprinkle over top. bake for 35 minutes. cool.

m is for mutigrain and muffins (multigrain banana nut muffins to be exact)

its been another long stretch in between posts. i've been finding it harder and harder to cook and bake how i used to with a growing boy pulling on my legs most of the day. littlefoodie has become enamored with the alphabet and letters....and EVERY time he sees a word he loves to tell me the sound it makes and say the first letter...then proceeds to "spell" in his own special 2 1/2 yr old way.
today m was the word and all day "m said muffin, m says muffin..evwey lettah makes a sound m says mulitgrain banana nut muffins". do you have this crazy leapfrog letter contraption/brainwasher? escape while you can. and yes, i do enjoy the constant conversation and curiosity but i'd like to get my baking on around here a little more than i have been...

i have been experimenting with different flours like organic spelt flour and organic quinoa flour and so far the results have been awesome. also, i have been using unsweetened almond milk in most of my baked goods and the results are incredible as well.
these muffins, despite being hearty and wholesome are very light and flaky. under bigfoodie dads supervision today littlefoodie jr. downed 3 and wanted more all day. these were definitley 2 thumbs up from the toddler palate and the parental palates gave it high ratings as well.

enjoy!

1 cup organic spelt flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic quinoa flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large organic eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup unsweetned almond milk
2 tsp pure natural vanilla extract
2 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup crushed walnuts
1/3 cup dried blueberries (preservative free)
sliced roasted almonds

preheat oven to 350F.

sift spelt, quinoa and whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda into bowl. stir in oat bran, oatmeal, cinnamon and salt.

add flour mixture to mixer and beat in on low the butter and applesauce. add eggs, almond milk, vanilla, and bananas. beat just until moistened and combined.

add in walnuts and fruit.

spoon into muffin tins and top with sliced almonds. bake for 25 min.

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.