CRANBERRY-ALMOND OAT CEREAL

 

Another recipe from the Metropolitan Bakery Cookbook. With a finer texter than my favorite granola recipe, this recipe is great served with milk and eaten as a breakfast cereal. It has wonderful flavor from the maple syrup and the vanilla and almond extracts and the spices.
I over bake this batch, so next time I will be sure to watch it closer. ( i think i may have turn the oven to 375 by mistake)

3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 cup dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In medium saucepan, stir together the oil, honey, and maple syrup. Place over low heat and bring just to a simmer. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, wheat germ, milk powder, cinnamon, and cloves. Pour the warm honey mixture over the top, then toss to coat the nuts and grains. Divide the nut and grain mixture onto 2 nonstick baking trays. Spread each into a thin layer.

Bake the cereal 20 minutes; remove the pans from the oven and stir. Spread the cereal again and bake 15 minutes more or until light golden. Cool the cereal completely on the pans so it becomes crisp. Stir in the cranberries. Store in an airtight container.

makes 12 cups

SPICED CORNMEAL CRACKERS

 

Quinn and I enjoyed these crackers for lunch today. We topped them with cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and black olives. They were like little tacos. These homemade crackers were a lot more like chips than crackers. I found that after baking, the large sheet of cracker could be easily cut into smaller pieces with kitchen scissors. I found the recipe in a cookbook that I purchased about a month ago, but have not made much of anything out of it yet. This book is full of interesting recipes.

" The earthy sweet corn flavor of these lightly spiced crackers will inspire you to replace your store-bought corn chips. They are easy to make in large quantities and then store in airtight containers for unexpected guests."

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
2 1/2 plus 3 T cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, and spices. Add the water and whisk until smooth.

3. Drop 1/2 cup of the batter in the center of a prepared baking sheet. With an offset spatula, spread the batter into a thin sheet (1/16" thick. Bake the cracker on the center oven rack 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden. (the cracker will buckle up from the baking sheet.) Cool the cracker on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the crackers within 1 hour of baking or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
makes 6 crackers

HOT CHOCOLATE CAKE

 
They batter for these cute cakes is delicious-very rich. They look wonderful baked in mugs.

8 T. unsalted butter (1 stick) plus extra for coating
10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolated, coursely chopped
3 T flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for dusting
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mini-marshmellows
2 T cocoa powder, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Generously butter, flour and sugar eight or nine 6-ounce oven-proof ramekins. (You can also bake this in a 9 or 10 inch pie plate; increase baking time 22-25 minutes or if you prefer a gooey center 17-20 minutes.) Place butter and chocolate in double boiler over simmering water and melt until smooth, cool. Beat the eggs, yolk, sugar, vanilla and salt on high speed until volume doubles and the mixture becomes foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the 3 T. flour, then
gradually add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture beating on low until fully incorporated. Fill the ramekins two-thirds full and bake until the cakes puff and begin to crack but the centers are still a bit runny, 13-17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes. Sift the cocoa on top of the marshmellows. Note: if you fill the cups too full it is hard to get the marshmellows to stay on, because these cakes puff up when they cook and sink when they cool.

Thomas the Train Birthday Cake

 

roses 

Froggy Valentines

 


The kids gave out Frog Prince cookies attached to handmade cards with a googly-eyed frog saying" You are "Toadally" cool! Have a "Hoppy" Valentine's Day. They had fun stamping the frogs onto paper. I spent some time completing the project. Cade had fun making a frog with a crown Valentine box to take to school.