cocoa-nut cinnamon rolls

these were superb. coconut, green&blacks cocoa, walnuts in an ooey gooey cinnamon roll. these would be so easy to make them vegan...just replace the egg with your fav egg replacer...easy as pie. i mostly use coconut oil to replace my butter and it provides magnificent results as well as a ton of healthy benefits that butter does not even begin to supply. plus, i knock out cows milk for coconut or almond to amazing results. please...vegan readers try it veganized and let me know what you think!
the best thing was that i froze them after the last rise then let them thaw for 30 min the next morning and they were perfect!

littlefoodie was all up in these rolls and it made a mama happy even though they were sweet and sugar laden...you only live once!

enjoy!



for the dough:
1 pkg organic yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/4 cup organic unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp natural coconut extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 lg egg, lightly beaten (can totally be replaced with egg sub!!! to make it vegan..yay!)
2 cups King Arthur brand white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup flour as needed

cocoa-nut filling:
2/3 cup organic pure dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened organic coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup green and blacks cocoa
1 tbl cinnamon
1 1/2 tbl organic unrefined coconut oil, melted

pour warm water into a bowl and sprinkle yeast over. let stabd five minutes to bloom.
add to yeast mixutre coconut milk, sugar, coconut oil, extracts, salt and egg or egg substitute.

stir in 3 1/2 cups of flour to mixture. turn dough out on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic...about 8-10 min....push your finger in and if indentation bounces back it should be good to let rise.
add the remaining flour if dough is too soft and sticky.

place dough in a large greased glass bowl coated. cover with a damp and clean towel and let rise in a warm place, free of drafts for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
after 1 hr. punch down and let rise 5 more mins.


combine filling mixture into a bowl.

roll dough into an 18 x 10-inch rectangle on a floured board and brush with 1 1/2 tbl melted coconut oil. sprinkle with filling leaving, leaving a 12 in border around dough and then leave just enough filling to sprinkle onto the bottom of baking pan.
roll up on the long side like a jelly-roll and pinch seam to seal.

using dental floss (cause its way easier than anything else) slice off the size rolls you want..about and inch or so.
sprinkle remaining filling into the bottom of 9 in pan and add slices, cut sie up to pan.
cover and let rise 1 1/2 hrs.
(after this last rise you can go ahead and freeze them...make sure they are tightly wrapped though. i use wax paper for the top so nothing sticks and i don't lose any sugary filling.

preheat oven to 350°. and bake uncovered for 25 minutes. when done drizzle with icing or eat plain.

icing:
1 cup organic powdered sugar
coconut milk as needed
1 tsp pure vanilla or coconut extract

coombine together. add coconut milk as needed for right consistency.

cranberry and walnut pumpkin coffee cake

wild oats marketplace recently put out a new fall magazine featuring articles and recipes and info on healthy living and eating. its the fall issue so the pumpkin has begun! around here pumpkin is not just for holidays...packed with flavor, vitamins and veggie goodness we consume it many ways all year long.
their featured recipe is a pumpkin coffee cake. of course, i wouldn't be me without changing it up a lot. there was too much sugar in the original recipe and since its a breakfast treat i felt like it needed the yummy addition of fruits and nuts...oh, and a handful of flaxseed to boost up the nutritional value. all in all...it is a lovely morning treat!

enoy!

2 cups whole wheat organic pastry flour
1 1/2 cups organic oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tbl aluminum-free baking powder
1 tbl cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup melted organic coconut oil
1 cup organic dark pure brown sugar
3 large organic eggs
1 can organic pumpkin
1 cup dried preservative free cherries
1 cup chopped organic walnuts

streusel:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 tbl organic pure brown sugar
2 tbl organic grade b maple syrup
4 tbl melted organic coconut oil


preheat oven to 350 F.

combine flour thru salt in a large bowl.

in a mixer beat coconut oil and sugar until combined. add eggs and pumpkin. beat on low until mixed together. stir in flour mixture. fold in cranberries and walnuts.

pour into greased 10 in square pan.

mix streusel ingredients together and sprinkle on top of cake.

bake 1 hr. cool and eat.

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.

almond cornmeal muffins with apricots

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup low fat organic plain yogurt
1/4 cup organic maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted organic butter, melted
1 lg organic egg
1/4 cup dried organic apricots, chopped
organic dry toasted sliced almonds

preheat oven to 350F.

combine flour, almond meal, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

combine yogurt, maple syrup, coconut butter/oil, and egg. add to dry. fold in apricots.

pour into muffin tins and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

bake 20 min.