Granola Bars

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, something, optional)

1 cup nuts

½ cup wheat germ

½ cup honey

¼ cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons of flax seed oil. (Can use butter but I went healthy)

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cup dried fruit. (Any kind)

Line a 9X9 glass baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spread oats, seeds, nuts, and wheat germ on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine honey, brown sugar, flax seed oil, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 15 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

I usually leave on counter covered overnight and cut the next day.

Bagels

Whether you make just one type of bagel or enjoy an assortment they are always a good morning treat.

Ingredients:
1 cup of warm water (microwave to tea temp)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbs active dry yeast
2 1/5 cup bread flour
whatever your pleaseure is for the topping

Directions:
If in a bread maker:
Add to machine in this order.
Water
Oil
Salt
Flour
make a well in the flour for yeast
Place bread maker on dough setting and let it do it's thing.

If with dough hook or by hand:
mix salt, flour and yeast together and set aside. Add liquid to bowl and mix in dry ingredients until well incorporated and dough forms. Continue kneading dough on low speed for 10 to 15 mins. of by hand for 15 mins.

White Chocolate, Cranberry, Pecan Crunches

It is always comforting to know that when the day has gone awry and I am completely frustrated I can bake something sweet and take it to work. I don't usually eat my creations. I know it sounds ridiculous that someone could make cookies, cakes, pies or the like and not touch them but the joy I get is from the baking itself. So, it is nice to know that I work with people who don't mind my cooking and are equally excited to receive the treats as I am to make them. 

Some days that is the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ingredients:

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 ¼ cup of all-purpose flower

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup crushed pecans

1 cup cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Using an electric mixer, Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter until it well incorporated and looks like a sticky cornmeal mixture. Add egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and mix until well incorporated. Add in flour a little at a time mixing until you have a sticky dough formed. Pour in white chocolate chips, crushed pecans, and cranberries and mix with spoon or with hands until incorporated.

Make ½ inch sized balls and place on greased cookies sheet or one covered with parchment paper. Bake for 18 to 20 mins or until browned. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack and cool.

Makes 4 dozen, or make 5 and freeze the dough until next time.

Orange Cupcakes and Winter Days

I, like so many others, miss summer already. I am constantly thinking about when it will return and wondering what I will do until that happens. The cold chill in the air has made me crave something citrus. While tooling around yesterday after work I decided to whip up some Orange cupcakes with cream cheese icing and I am glad I did. I also made a batch of chocolate chip cookies which make for a great snack staple.

Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake liners in pan. Mix together orange zest and sugar with electric mixer in a bowl until fragrant. Add butter and mix until well incorporated and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Beat in vanilla and orange juice. Add in baking powder and salt and mix well. Add in flour in small amounts and mix until incorporated. Add in milk and mix well. Spoon/scoop batter into each liner until they are half full. Bake for 18-20 mins and toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature
1 tsp orange juice
1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar; add more until desired consistancy is reached.

combine cream cheese, butter, and shortening and mix until fluffy and well incorporated. Blend in orange juice. Add confectioners sugar a little at a time until desired consistancy is reached.

Whole Wheat Waffles with Mango Butter

Mango Butter

½ cup mango, peeled, pitted and diced

½ lb butter, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

Pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp)

Using a blender or a food processor, beat the butter, sugar and salt until light, about 1 min. Add mango and beat until combined, Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Will keep for about a week. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Whole Wheat Waffles

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tlbs brown sugar

1 lg egg

1 ½ cups of milk

1/3 cup vegetable/ canola oil

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Add milk and oil and combine. Add egg and mix well.

Cook the waffles as directed in the instructions that came with your waffle iron.

Baking and Such

This past weekend I bottled two batches of beer (roughly 4 cases), made two batches of pesto pizza dough, some cherry chewy oatmeal mess, a cinnamon twist and random breakfastes.

Some things I have learned.

When bottling beer make sure that you move all small open containers of beer out of your way. Beer will end up all over the kitchen. I messed up this task twice in one batch of beer. Plus side I had not cleaned the kitchen yet. Minus, dog now likes beer.

When making pesto pizza dough make a double batch. No since in having to go through all that mixing and waiting twice.

When making a Cardamon Cinnamon Twist if you don't have Cardamon (and who does) it's ok, just add some All Spice to the dough. It will taste just fine. And also if you do not have a pan big enough to support this long dough tube you have to roll up, just curve it. It will still taste just fine.

When making a cookie recipe for the first time and trying to expirement on the make up make sure to take into account the amount of moisture you add when adding fresh fruit. If you do not it will turn your Oatmeal Crisps into Oatmeal Mushies. This is not a bad thing, still tastes good, but looks like a pile of crap.

Lots of Love,
Your ever so entertaining Bor3d Baker

Coconut - Vanilla Cake with Coconut Buttercream Icing

Coconut Cake

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour, sifted (or cake flour)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Kahlua
1 tsp coconut flavoring
1 3/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour pan/s. Cream sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. Add Kahula, coconut flavoring and mix well, add flour small amount at a time until well incorporated. Add baking powder and mix well. (important to mix well)

Pour into baking pan/s and bake for until toothpick comes out clean or 30 mins.

Place aside and cool completely before frosting.

Coconut Buttercream

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp coconut flavoring
2 tablespoons coconut milk
4 cups sifted powdered sugar (aprox. 1 lb)

Cream butter, shortening, and flavoring until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar until incorporated and looks like cornmeal. Add coconut milk and blend until smooth and medium peaks form. Chill for 30 min before frosting.