Super Easy and Quick Dutch Baby Pancake

 Last week my girls were asking for pancakes but I just didn't have the time to stand in front of the griddle for a long time flipping them (5 girls go through a LOT of pancakes!). I vaguely remembered seeing a recipe for Dutch pancakes and decided to look them up.  IT was super easy to make and my girls and husband all over them! Here is where I found the original recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23898/dutch-babies-ii/

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs eggs
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar for dusting
  

  Directions

  Instructions Checklist

  • Step 1

    Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet inside oven and preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).

  • Step 2

    In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until light. Add milk and stir. Gradually whisk in flour, nutmeg and salt.

  • Step 3

    Remove skillet from oven and reduce oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt butter in hot skillet so that inside of skillet is completely coated with butter. Pour all the batter in the skillet and return skillet to oven.

  • Step 4

    Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove promptly and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Super easy breadsticks

 

The other night I was making broccoli cheddar soup and realized that we were out of bread to make garlic toast.  The baby was miraculously sleeping so I found this recipe and made them very quickly.  My girls loved them!  Click HERE for the original recipe.  I changed it only slightly:

Ingredients

• 1 C warm water 
• 3 tsp yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp coconut sugar (or your choice of sweetener)
• 1/4 C coconut oil (or your choice of oil)
• 3 C all purpose flour
• Parmesan, garlic salt, or whatever toppings you desire

Before baking

• 1/4 C butter melted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In the mixer, add the water and then yeast. Let it sit and "proof" about 5-8 minutes.. you should see it foam up on the top if you have the yeast at the right temperature.
• Add the brown sugar, salt, oil, and flour - and mix well with the hook attachment, 3-4 minutes.
• Once mixed it should become very elastic
• Prepare 2 baking sheets - I used parchment paper because I like to save on dishes and it never sticks!
• Lightly oil your hands with olive oil, and pull the dough from the mixing bowl. Form into a ball and knead lightly for 1-2 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
• Lay the ball of dough on the bigger cookie sheet and roll into a 10x12 rectangle.
• Cut into strips with a pizza cutter or knife
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each stick with melted butter and add any additional seasonings before they bake. (I used parmesan on some and garlic salt on the others.)
• Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until light brown

 

Easy and Quick Pizza Dough

We often make pizza because it is one of the few meals that all 7 of us love.  If I haven't had time to soak my grain the day before to make the healthier version, I give my girls a treat and let them make this delicious 15 minute pizza dough.  Crispy on the bottom and soft on the top, it is just so delicious!  I double the recipe and let them each make their own big pizza the way they like it and then they can have leftovers to take to school for lunch.  Thanks to Homegrown in the Valley for such a delicious and easy recipe!

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast 

1 teaspoon honey

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Whisk yeast, honey, and warm water together in a bowl. Cover and let it stand about 10 minutes. It should be frothy, like the first picture. See how much the yeast loves honey? Sugar can also be used.
2. Stir in flours, salt and oil. I do this with my dough hook in the Kitchenaid but you can kneed it by hand.
3. Move dough to a floured surface, cover with a towel, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. Now you can either use your dough as is or if you have a few more minutes, shape it and let it sit again for another 5 minutes or so to let it develop a little more flavor.
5. Bake your crust in the oven at 450 degrees until it starts to brown, then add your ingredients and continue to bake until the cheese is melted.

Read more: http://homegrownandhealthy.com/painless-pizza-crust/#ixzz5A3nM9tKx

Papa Eric's Waffles

The girls love Papa Eric's waffles more than any other so I finally remembered to ask him for the recipe.  I didn't try to make it healthier by soaking the batter because I was afraid I would ruin the recipe, but I did use half whole grain flour and half unbleached all purpose flour, and I also substituted my sucanat for white sugar and used half butter and half coconut oil for the oil.  (I tripled the recipe and didn't want to use up my stash of either oil at once.)  My girls agreed that they were the best waffles we had made and I freezed half of them for easy breakfasts on school mornings.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 egg yolks beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups milk
3 egg whites beaten stiff

Directions: Measure dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Blend.  Combine egg yolks and milk.  Stir into dry ingredients.  Stir in cooking oil. Carefully fold in egg whites.  Do not over-mix. Pour approximately 2/3 cup batter onto preheated grid.  Close and bake

Soaked Flour Muffins

I love the versatility of this recipe!  Thanks to Eat Nourishing for a great recipe!

2 cups of whole grain flour, preferably freshly ground (I used whole wheat)

3/4 cup sour dairy, such as buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, or clabber (could also use water + 2 TBS lemon juice, whey, or apple cider vinegar)

1/2 cup melted butter/ghee or coconut oil (lard or tallow might be ok too)

I cup pureed pumpkin, squash, carrot or sweet potato (could also use mashed banana or apple/pearsauce)

2/3 cup sucanat/rapadura or granulated palm/maple sugar

2 eggs, pastured or free-range organic

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, raisons, dried cranberries, chopped dates, coconut flakes, or crispy nuts

Recipe Instructions:

In a glass bowl, combine the flour, sour dairy, and melted fat together. Cover with a clean dish towel or plate and allow this mixture to soak at least 8 hours, or even better, 24. The longer it soaks, the greater the reduction of phytic acid. It is also important that you place this mixture somewhere warm. A good place is your oven with just the light on, or a dehydrator set on low. A cold counter top in the winter is not going to reduce any phytates. You need warmth. 

Once the batter has had a good soak, add in the rest of the ingredients. You will have to give it all a very good stir. Forget what you have learned about making muffins in the past. It’s not going to work here… but it doesn’t matter, they’re still going to turn out fine! I think I may have even used my electric mixer to get everything incorporated really well, that’s ok! Fold in your add-ins at the end, if using. 

Pour into greased muffin tins (preferably not aluminum or non-stick — stoneware is good). Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean and your house smelling wonderful. That’s how I know something is ready, it smells done! This recipe makes about 16 regular sized muffins. 

Allow to cool for a few minutes and be sure to serve with plenty of raw pastured butter. Cream cheese would be good too… Add a tall glass of cold raw milk and you’ve got yourself a decent breakfast or afternoon snack!

Soaked Cinnamon Honey Spelt Biscuits

This is another great healthy breakfast option!  Thanks to gnowlfglins for the recipe

• 
  
• 2-1/4 cups sprouted spelt flour (cannot be warm from grinding or will melt the coconut oil)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 generous tablespoons coconut oil, solid
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar, kefir, kombucha, yogurt, OR whey
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons raw milk, coconut milk, nut milk, OR water
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1/3 cup raisins (about a handful)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Then add coconut oil and cut into the mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until coconut oil is the size of peas or smaller.

Add acid of choice, milk, and honey in a measuring cup. Whisk to combine. Add liquids to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Finally, gently work in raisins.

Transfer dough to clean, floured surface. Roll into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squares using a knife or pizza cutter.

Transfer squares to a coconut-oiled cookie sheet, leaving space between. Put sheet in oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy! You can also turn them into yummy scones!

Soaked Grain Cinnamon Rolls

I've been looking for a healthy cinnamon roll recipe and this one has worked well.  

4 cups freshly ground hard white winter wheat (I use Prairie Gold)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (homemade or storebought, just make sure the store bought has live cultures/bacteria in it)
3/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
¼ cup warm water
1 Tablespoon dry instant yeast
2 Tablespoons Sorghum  (Blackstrap Molasses, or honey could be used)
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Baking soda
1 (may need a bit more or less) cup unbleached organic white flour

Toppings!

1 to 2 sticks of butter (softened to room temp, spreadable texture)

1/4 to 1/2 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil (also softened)

Cinnamon and yet more Cinnamon

Rapadura, Cane Sugar or anything that you can justify as being healthier than white sugar

Raw Honey

Directions for Assembly:

Warm butter-milk and coconut oil and mix in with Whole Wheat flour.  Save the white flour for later.

Dough should not be super sticky but since this is for cinnamon rolls and not loaf bread. Form a ball and place in the bowl, cover with cheesecloth and leave in a warm place overnight (12-24 hours).

In the morning, combine water, Sorghum, salt and baking soda in a measuring cup and mix well. Add instant yeast and cup of white flour directly to the dough and pour wet ingredients over top. Mix until it is smooth and the “elastic bands” as some call it are visible as the gluten activates. Form a nice ball and again place your dough back into the bowl and cover with cheesecloth. Allow it to rise until it had doubled in size. Pummel dough down, knead it for just about a minute. Lightly sprinkle your “rolling” area with white flour, use a bit more if the dough is still a bit sticky to make sure it doesn’t superglue itself to the surface.  

 Roll roll and roll some more. Once it is all rolled out nice and thin (not pie crust thin but just barely thicker. Keep in mind this will puff up considerably in size and the flavor is better the less dough/bread there is and the more toppings so don’t be afraid of thin!)

Slap dab and smear the butter and coconut oil all over your huge spread of dough.Once a generous layer of fatty goodness has been successfully applied you can move onto the sprinkle and plop phase.

Add Cinnamon.

Follow the cinnamon up with sweetener. Now is the time to roll everything up into one big log of dough. Here is something else that is easy to have go wrong. Make sure you keep even “tension” as you roll and don’t allow loose or floppy areas to get rolled up. Once it is all rolled up a long piece of unflavored floss or double up a piece of heavy duty, good quality sewing thread.

Plop in a pre-greased baking dish of your preference. Spread some softened butter over the tops of my rolls before sliding them into the oven and the butter keeps the tops nice and soft while the middles are baking.Allow to rise to roughly double and slide into the oven to bake for roughly 30 minutes at 350.

Homemade Freezer Biscuits

I love a recipe that I can freeze for a quick meal!  Many thanks to Money Saving Mom for the great recipe!

Homemade Freezer Biscuits

• 4 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening, butter, or coconut oil (I used all coconut oil in the last batch and it worked well, but they did taste a little coconut-y.)
• 1 3/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients together. Add in the shortening or butter and mix until crumbly. (If you have one, you can use a KitchenAid or food processor to save time and effort). Add in the milk and mix until a ball forms.

Roll out onto a floured surface and cut into biscuits.

To Freeze: Freeze on a cookie sheet for 1-2 hours. Then remove and place in a airtight freezer bag.

To Bake: Pull the desired number of biscuits out and let thaw for 30 minutes to an hour. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-12 minutes. You can bake them straight from the freezer but they won’t rise much.

Makes 24 biscuits. Recipe adapted slightly from Favorite Freezer Foods.

Soaked Breakfast Bar

My girls enjoy these for breakfast or snacks.  We like them with either chocolate chips or apple butter inside.  Thanks to Just take a Bite for a great recipe!

Soaked Breakfast Bar

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup kefir, yogurt or buttermilk
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup rapadura/cane sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. honey

1/3 – 1/2 cup jelly, jam or fruit butter

Mix flour, cultured dairy and oil.  Cover and let soak 7 – 24 hours.

Mix in remaining dough ingredients until well combined.  Spread half of the dough into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Spread an even layer of jam on top of dough.  Spread remaining dough on top.  Bake at 350 for another 25 minutes.

Cut into bars.  Place bars on a separate baking sheet, with space in between bars.  Bake another 5-10 minutes, until dough is baked through.  Allow to cool.

Whole Grain Yogurt Dough

I've been looking for  a versitile soaked dough that I could use for home made hot pockets pop tarts, etc.  This one works well.  Thanks to Keeper of the Home for a great recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup plain yogurt (I've used kefir before too)
• 3½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (also good with spelt)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Cream together the butter and yogurt (or kefir). Slowly add the flour and salt until everything is combined into a nice dough.
2. At this point you can either use it immediately or leave it on the counter for 12-24 hours to soak.
3. When you are ready to use it, roll out the desired amount on a floured surface and use as desired.
4. Depending on what you are using the dough for, it usually takes around 30 minutes to bake at 350 degrees. Adjust your baking temperature and time for what you are making.

Notes

If you put this in the refrigerator to roll out later, it will have to return to room temperature before the dough is workable. It is hard as a rock when it first comes out of the fridge.

Grandma Connie's Angel Biscuits

My girls love these biscuits and I love making something that my grandmother used to make!  They are very easy as well.

5 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup shortening (I use palm shortening or coconut oil)
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 yeast cake or package
1/4 cup warm water

Work shortening into flour; add sugar; mix with buttermilk and yeast dissolved in water.  Knead well.  Roll out any amount needed and cut with biscuit cutter.  Let rise 5 minutes.  Bake 10 minutes at 475.  Keep dough covered in fridge up to a week.

Soaked Pumpkin Pancakes

I found this recipe when looking for a healthy pumpkin pancake recipe.  Many thanks to Nourishing Gourmet for this great recipe!

• 2½ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups whole milk, coconut milk, kefir, or buttermilk - if using a non-fermented liquid such as coconut milk, add in 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar, water kefir, or other live culture liquid (I used raw whole milk)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoons salt
• Apple Cider Syrup (optional)
• Butter (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large glass bowl, mix your flour, melted butter and milk. Cover with a towel and leave on the counter for 12- 24 hours. (I usually do this the night before.)
2. In the morning in a medium-sized bowl whip the pumpkin puree, eggs, coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
3. Pour the mixture into the flour that was soaked over night. Stir until the batter is smooth.
4. Heat a skillet (I prefer cast iron) over medium heat. You will know it is ready if you sprinkle a couple droplets of water on the pan and they sizzle.
5. Pour batter onto the skillet to create the size pancakes you desire. I prefer about 4 inches in circumference, ¼ of an inch thick.
6. Cook until bubbles start to appear. Flip over and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Serve fresh off the skillet or place in a baking dish in a warm oven.
8. Top with butter and apple cider syrup.

Dad's unbeatable Buttermilk Pancakes

These are truly the best pancakes in the world an a very simple recipe!  My girls talk him into putting sprinkles and chocolate chips on them but I much prefer them with just a bunch of butter and syrup :)  I have to triple this recipe for our large family!

1 Cup A/P Flour
1 Tbs Sugar
1 tsp  Baking Soda
1 tsp  Baking Powder

1 Egg
1 Cup Buttermilk
2 Tbs Oil  (30ml) (1/8 Cup)

Mix the dry separate from the liquid. Don't put in the oil until everything else is mixed together.  Fry on a hot griddle.

GF Whole Grain Soaked Tortilla

Whew!  I've had quite the time finding GF recipes that my picky 3 year will eat!  Thanks for all of your suggestions and recipes; I am slowly trying them all out!  I've kind of given up on bread and come to the realization that a tortilla must be the way to go for easy lunches for my Karlie.    I tried many recipes online but couldn't find a good one that uses freshly ground soaked whole grain, which is what I prefer for better digestion and absorption of nutrients.  So I adapted my original recipe and finally made one that she likes! Next time I am going to try to use less tapioca flour and more brown rice or buckwheat, but this is what worked well so I thought I should post it before I forget it!

Combine: 
1 cup freshly ground brown rice flour
1 cup freshly ground buckwheat flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil (olive, coconut, or butter)
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

Cover and soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.  Then:

1. After soaking, add 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. sucanat, and 1 tsp. salt to soaked flour mixture, kneading in the flour until the dough is workable but not too stiff.
2. Shape into 8 – 10 balls and let stand 10 more minutes. 
3. Roll to form a circle or use a tortilla press.  I found that this dough is a little more sticky than my old recipe so I rolled the tortillas between two sheets of wax paper.
4. Bake on a lightly greased griddle till done (not browned). Toast for about 20-30 sec. per side.

Yield: 8-10 tortillas.

Soaked Buckwheat Pancakes

We recently confirmed that my 3-year old has a sensitivity to gluten, so I've been trying out some new recipes. Apparently, the best gluten-free recipes either use almond flour or a cocktail of different flours. We can't afford to use almond flour for all our baking purposes and I don't have all the ingredients in most "multi-flour and bean" gluten-free recipes. So I decided that buckwheat would probably be my most affordable flour that can sometimes stand alone. It grinds up well in my grain mill but has a definite different texture and taste that I am still getting used to. This pancake recipe turned out to be the best buckwheat recipe I've tried yet. (And let me assure you that simply substituting buckwheat for spelt in my normal tortilla recipe is NOT a good idea... I definitely need a new recipe for that!) I think I added a little bit of molasses for some extra minerals and sweetness. Many thanks to Just Making Noise for a great recipe! I can't wait to try out more of her recipes!

• 2 cups 100% buckwheat flour (or 1 cup buckwheat & 1 cup whole wheat or spelt)
• 2 cups buttermilk, kefir, yogurt or water w/ 2 Tbsp lemon juice or raw vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp raw honey (I liked the deep flavor of molasses, so I added a bit of that, too)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

Soak flour with liquid in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.


Lightly beat the eggs and pour into the soaked flour. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and thin the batter to desired consistency with water if needed.


Cook on a hot, oiled griddle or cast-iron skillet. These pancakes cook slower then unsoaked whole grain flour or white flour pancakes. When bubbly on top and golden brown at the bottom… flip over and cook for a few minutes till golden brown.

A good use for old muffins...

With the birth of our baby, we were blessed to have a lot of food given to us. And since our parents came to help us out for a while, they made breakfast for us. So we didn't get around to eating all the muffins bestowed upon us before they started getting stale. But I am here to tell you that stale muffins make a DELICIOUS bread pudding!! I didn't really use a recipe or measure, but just mixed together the muffins (crumbled), a bunch of milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, and a little maple syrup till it was soupy and threw it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Delicious! I liked it so much that I have since made it with pumpkin muffins and blueberry muffins. It is great served with extra milk, cream, or butter and is a fabulous way to get those healthy fats into my girls :)

For this of you who would actually like a recipe, HERE is one that I recently saw on a blog I enjoy reading :)

Delicious Blueberry or Banana bread/muffins

Because my baby is due very soon (any day now!!!!), I have not been trying out new recipes. I've just been trying to stock my freezer with recipes that I know we will enjoy. However, I recently decided to splurge and buy some sprouted flour so that I wouldn't have to worry about the soaking step in my recipes (anything to make my life easier at this point!). Sprouted flour opened up a whole new collection of recipes to me and this recipe is the first one that I tried. So easy and delicious! I made a loaf of banana bread and one of blueberry bread and they both turned out great! I didn't even fool with the crumb topping since I wasn't sure if it would freeze well, but I'm sure that they would be even better if you included it! Thanks to Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking for such a great recipe!!

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry/soft spring wheat is the best!)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup rapadura or sucanat (natural sweeteners)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted – or replace with half applesauce, as desired
• Blueberry Variation: Replace bananas with 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries and 3/4 cup applesauce. Yum!

Topping, optional:

• 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup rapadura, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full (Definitely fill all 12, otherwise they will overflow).
3. Optional: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup rapadura, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. I normally just sprinkle with cinnamon and a little rapadura.
   
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean