Strawberry Spice Cakes

This is my variation on strawberry shortcakes, bursting with flavor. Instead of plain biscuit-type "cakes," I make mine as spiced muffins. Freshly picked ripe strawberries are naturally sweet, and are wonderfully accented with these ingredients. You can also make this recipe for spiced cakes as a sweet bread, and use slices for the final presentation:

INGREDIENTS
If an ingredient is in red type, look for details on my "Ingredients" page, linking from the top of any page in this blog.
 
For the Cakes (makes about 18 muffins or 6 muffins and 3 mini loaves):

2 eggs, beaten
1 c honey
1/2 c sorghum syrup or molasses
1/2 c coconut oil, warmed to liquid
1 can pumpkin puree (about 1-1/4 c)
2 c all purpose gluten free flour *
1/2 c sorghum flour
1 T chai spices or pumpkin pie spices
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c chopped fresh strawberries
(* If not concerned with making this dessert gluten-free, use 2-1/2c white wheat flour in place of the two gluten-free flours in my recipe.)

Cream:
Whipped Coconut Cream (see the recipe here)

Topping:
3 c sliced fresh strawberries
1 t ground cinnamon
2 t lemon juice
sweetener to taste

DIRECTIONS (for 4):
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease large muffin tins or mini bread pans. Mix eggs, honey, sorghum, coconut oil and pumpkin puree well. Separately mix the flours, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir the chopped strawberries into the dry mix to coat them. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until well mixed. Spoon into the muffin cups, filling them just half way. Bake for 30 minutes for muffins or 50 minutes for mini bread loaves. Remove to a rack and cool.

Mix the sliced strawberries with the cinnamon and lemon juice. If they need sweetening, I use my own homemade vanilla/stevia extract. Alternately, sweeten with a little local honey. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, and the berries will release juices.

Mix the coconut cream topping, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just as delicious on slices of spiced bread

To serve, split 4 muffins in half (top and bottom) and place them open in an individual serving bowl. I switch the order of the toppings from a conventional strawberry shortcake: top muffin halves with a big dollop of cream, then spoon the strawberries on top, with all their sweet juices, flavoring the cream and the cake. This tastes just as scrumptious on a slice of the spiced bread - for breakfast, dessert or anytime snack.


P.S. Thanks to my special friend Sandra for my lovely personalized dish cloth; she is an extraordinary quilter and master of machine embroidery, as you can see.

Variations On A Breakfast Favorite, Muesli

In the late 19th century, a Swiss physician and pioneer nutritionist named Dr. Bircher-Benner ran a sanatorium in Zurich, using diet as a means of healing patients. He created "muesli," a blend of hearty grains, seeds and fruit - but a different combination from what today is known as muesli.
     To me, muesli is a hearty and delicious breakfast dish using uncooked rolled oats, which my friend Claudia from Swizterland introduced to me many years ago. Traditionally, the oats are mixed with yogurt, milk and other ingredients and refrigerated overnight, which allows the uncooked oats to absorb the liquids, soften and blend. I've tweaked my recipe over the years, substituting nonfat dairy products, eliminating sour cream since I rarely have it on hand (original called for 3/4 c yogurt  + 1/4 c sour cream), and using apple or pear sauce instead of grated apple. Below I've posted my version of Breakfast Muesli, and then several of my variations… invent your own!
     I was inspired to share this recipe after learning of some Overnight Oats/Chia Pudding recipes my friends Richard and Regina have been enjoying. The ingredients and process are similar to the recipe below, with an addition of chia seeds. The chia seeds add a great nutritional boost, so now they are a mainstay in my recipe.

JUDY'S BREAKFAST MUESLI
Author: Judy Lavoie
Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Serves: 3-4
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking, and gluten-free if that is a concern)
• 1 c yogurt
• 1-1/2 t fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c milk of choice (dairy, almond, cashew, rice, hemp, organic soy)
• 1 t chia seeds
• 1-1/2 t real maple syrup
• 1/2 apple, grated OR 1/4 c unsweetened apple sauce or pear sauce
• 1/2 banana, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 c chopped pecans or other nuts

DIRECTIONS
In a container with a lid, stir together all the ingredients except the apple, banana and nuts. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, prepare the apple and banana and stir them into the oat mixture. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top of each serving. Eat and enjoy!


VARIATIONS:

Carob and Raspberry Muesli
Add 2 t carob powder to the recipe above, and stir in 1/2-1 cup of fresh raspberries just before serving. Garnish with a few whole raspberries.

Pumpkin Muesli with Currants
Delete the milk and add these ingredients to the original recipe (above) before refrigerating overnight:
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 t pumpkin pie spices
1 t molasses or sorghum syrup
When ready to serve, sprinkle dried currants over the top of each serving. (Or add them the night before, and they will absorb some liquid and soften a bit.)

Double Berry Muesli
Delete the apple and add these ingredients to the original recipe (above)  before refrigerating overnight:
1/3 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 c sliced fresh strawberries
OPTIONAL: 1 T buckwheat

Judy's Hearty Granola

I posted my original granola recipe four years ago, and since then I've refined it a bit. The old version is still very good and easy, with few ingredients. But I've gradually added more nuts and seeds, and I found that maple syrup makes the mix less sticky than honey. I like the flavor - and the extra nutrients - of molasses too. Our southern version of molasses is sorghum syrup, and, after a visit to a Menonite community which specializes in sorghum production (in Muddy Pond TN), I have an ample supply of their delicacy. All this has evolved into my new granola, presented here. Still pretty simple, just a few more ingredients than the original - and more nutritious.

You can process this granola into finer crumbs in a food processor and use it as you would a graham cracker pie crust, mixing the crumbs with melted coconut oil, which will stiffen the crust when refrigerated. See how I use it in my chilled fruit pie recipe.

INGREDIENTS

6 c old fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking oats)
1 c raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1 c raw hulled pumpkin seeds
1/2 c raw sesame seeds
1 c chopped raw nuts (pecans, almonds and cashews are my favorite choices for this recipe)
1 c unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c coconut oil, melted
1/2 c maple syrup
2 T molasses or sorghum syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the coconut oil, maple syrup, and molasses or sorghum. Spoon wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to coat the mixture evenly.

Spread the mixture in an even layer in shallow pans (I use 2 large pizza pans). Bake for 15 minutes, stirring with a spatula if the edges brown faster than the center of the pan. Rotate pans from top to bottom oven rack and bake 8-10 more minutes, until everything is toasted golden. Remove from oven. When cooled, spoon into a container with a lid to store.

You can also add grated orange peel, raisins or other dried fruit after baking. Great as a breakfast cereal with fresh fruit, and we like it sprinkled as a topping on baked fruit or yogurt.

Easy Yummy Nut Cookies and Biscotti - A Theme and Variations

My friend Diane gave me a simple recipe for a Peanut Butter Cookie she had made for a gathering of friends. "Only 4 ingredients," she noted, and it makes for a delicious, easy dessert. After tasting one, I got her recipe. If you ever need a baking project with children, I'd recommend these cookies… fun and yummy! The original cookie recipe is at the top of this post, followed by recipes based on the original which I've created. The biscotti variation is my claim to fame, however - Rick judged them the best biscotti I've ever made (and I've made many)! These are all gluten-free too. (NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on my "ingredients" page.)

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Peanut n’ Honey Cookies (makes a dozen 2-1/2" cookies or 20 small cookies)
- original recipe from: 7 Secrets Cookbook by Neva and Jim Brackett, called Peanut Butter N Honey Cookies

2 cups dry roasted peanuts (lightly salted; if not salted add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt) *
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (or one cup of flour)
1/2 cup honey (warmed in microwave - this is a critical step; it needs to pour like water and if too little the mix will be dry and if too much the cookies will be tough.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place peanuts and oats in food processor and whiz for 1 minute until they are the texture of fine bread crumbs. Pour into bowl and add salt if using. Mix in honey and vanilla. Stir together and then mix with your hands. Dough should hold together nicely. If dry and crumbly add a bit of water; if too wet add a bit of flour (gluten-free flour, if GF is a concern for you).

Make walnut size balls and flatten on parchment-lined cookie sheet, then use fork to press down (use a cup of water to dip the fork into). The cookies don't spread while cooking, so they can be fairly close on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Putting them on the top rack of the oven helps keep the bottoms from browning too fast. Watch them and remove from oven when they are just beginning to brown on the edges. You can take them out before they look like they are done. They over-brown quickly. Cool on a wire rack.


* Check the ingredients on your purchase of roasted peanuts. I assumed the ingredients would be just peanuts, salt, and perhaps some oil… but then I detected a sweet taste. Not only did the jar I had used include sugar AND corn syrup, but it even had added monosodium glutamate. Yuck! My next trip to the store revealed there is such a thing as a jar of roasted peanuts which only includes peanuts, so that's the one I stick with now.

 JUDY'S VARIATIONS:
1) Mix chocolate or carob morsels or broken pieces of hazelnut candy into the batter before baking and flatten the ball of dough with your hand, not a fork. Bake.
2) Make Thumbprint Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies: Instead of flattening and pressing the raw dough with a fork, press your thumb into the unbaked round dough ball, just enough to make a well while flattening the ball (not so deep that you go to the cookie sheet). Bake cookies as directed above for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill the well with 1/2 to 1 tsp of your favorite jam. Return to the oven to finish baking.
3) Add chopped dried banana chips to the dough before baking
4) Flatten unbaked dough ball with your palm before baking, then press a chocolate candy kiss onto each cookie as soon as you remove them from the oven
Be creative and make your own version!

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Judy's Almond Gingersnap Cookies (makes a dozen 2-1/2" cookies or 20 small cookies)

2 cups raw or unsalted roasted almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (or one cup of flour)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 c molasses or sorghum syrup
1 teaspoon ground ginger root
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 1 tablespoon dried fine orange peel; 1/2 cup currants, raisins, or chopped dried plums

Place nuts and oats in food processor and whiz for 1 minute until they are the texture of fine bread crumbs. Pour into bowl and add salt and spices. Mix the maple syrup and molasses and warm them in a microwave - this is a critical step; it needs to pour like water and if too little the mix will be dry and if too much the cookies will be tough. Mix maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla into the dry ingredients. Stir together and then mix with your hands. Dough should hold together nicely. If dry and crumbly add a bit of water; if too wet add a bit of flour.

Make walnut size balls and flatten on parchment-lined cookie sheet, then press down to flatten the ball slightly. The cookies don't spread while cooking, so they can be fairly close on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Putting them on the top rack of the oven helps keep the bottoms from browning too fast. Watch them and remove from oven when they are just beginning to brown on the edges. You can take them out before they look like they are done. They over-brown quickly. Cool on a wire rack.

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Judy's Peanut Butter and Jelly Biscotti

2 cups dry roasted peanuts* (lightly salted; if not salted add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt)
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup honey (warmed in microwave- this is a critical step; it needs to pour like water and if too little the mix will be dry and if too much the cookies will be tough.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup jam (I used St. Dalfour's Red Raspberry, which is sweetened with grape juice, not refined sugar)

Place peanuts and flour or oats in food processor and whiz for 1 minute until crumbly. Pour into bowl and add salt if using. Mix in honey and vanilla. Stir together and then mix with your hands. Dough should hold together nicely. If dry and crumbly add a bit of water; if too wet add a bit of flour.

Separate the dough in 2 pieces. Working on a piece of parchment or waxed paper, shape one piece into a log about 2-3" in diameter, then flatten it to about 1/4" thick. Spread the jam to within 1/4" of the edges. Roll from the long side, making a log again. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Move each log to the parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut the logs on a diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return slices to the baking sheet, on their sides, and bake again for 10-15 minutes or until desired crispness. They over-brown quickly so watch them for doneness. Cool completely on a rack.

Holiday Gingerbread Biscotti

These are sooooooo yummy, and perfect for Christmas gift-giving or for leaving out on Christmas Eve for Santa! Don't be afraid of making biscotti - there's nothing exotic about the process. If you make cookies from scratch, it's very similiar. I was inspired to create this recipe when I read a ginger snap cookie recipe. I reduced the sweetness a bit and substituted and added some of my preferred ingredients, and these will be at the top of our favorite biscotti list! My recipe is gluten-free, but you can make these with wheat flour, as noted.

Remember, if an ingredient is in RED type, you can find out more about it on the page listed at the top of the blog called "Ingredients". Some of my staples might not be on your shelves, so I sometimes list the conventional ingredient I've substituted for also.

 

Gingerbread Biscotti
Makes about 2 dozen

3/4 c coconut palm sugar
3/4 c coconut oil, melted
1 large egg, beaten and at room temperature
1/4 cup sorghum syrup
2-1/2 c gluten free flour plus 1-1/2 t xanthan gum (or 2-1/2 c wheat flour)
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground dry ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 t salt
1/2 c buckwheat groats

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

MIx together the sugar and oil. Add egg and sorghum and blend well. In another bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mixing by hand works fine, in fact I discarded the spoon and literally used my hand for this dough. The dough will be shiny and soft, but not sticky.

Separate the dough into two pieces. Pat each into a fat log, about 10 inches long. I mold the ends into an angle, since I'll be cutting later on a diagonal. Lay each log on the parchment lined sheet, about 4" apart. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the logs from the pan, to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Cut each log on the diagonal, into slices about 1/2" thick. Lay each slice flat on the parchment lined cookie sheet. They can be touching now, since they won't enlarge in the second baking.

Return the baking sheet into the oven and cook the biscotti for another 10-12 minutes, until stiff. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Judy's Sweet Potato Spice Bread

This is a moist, finely textured quick bread I created to use some of my huge sweet potato harvest. Cook extra sweet potatoes without any seasoning when you are preparing some for a meal, and set aside enough to make this recipe. I've frozen zip bags with 1-1/4 cups of mashed cooked sweet potatoes for future use. The next time I make this bread, I think I'll also add one chopped apple. Yum!

• 3 c whole wheat white flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger root
• 1/2 c golden raisins
• 1/2 c chopped nuts
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 c oil
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/2 c molasses or sorghum
• 1-1/4 c cooked sweet potatoes
• 1/2 c apple juice or milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Stir raisins into the dry mixture. I use the food processor for the wet ingredients - but you can mix by hand if preferred. Pulse the eggs to beat slightly, add the rest of the wet ingredients and process until the potatoes are well mashed into the liquid. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients, and mix by hand until everything is moistened - the batter will be thick. Pour into one greased standard loaf pan or three greased mini loaf pans. Back large loaf for 60 minutes, small loaves for 45 minutes, until the top is browning. Freezes well if you don't eat it all fresh from the oven. I like this for breakfast.

Judy's Lemon Zucchini Bread

My two zucchini plants are producing a steady stock of squash these days, to the point where I've had to find creative ways to use them. Here is a yummy sweet bread, which we like for breakfast or dessert.

• 2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp dried lemon peel or 1 T fresh lemon zest
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 cup grated zucchini (tightly packed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans).

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

Add zucchini mixture to flour mix, combining until just moist. Pour into loaf pan(s) and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

TIPS:
- I add 1 cup of blueberries to this; try other in-season chopped fruit like peaches or strawberries
- For a variation, substitute orange peel and extract for the lemon
- This freezes very well, and the recipe doubles well
- For picky eaters, peel the zucchini before grating and no one will suspect any foreign ingredient!

Chocolate Raspberry Biscotti

These are a favorite of Rick's!

• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 c coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c raspberry all-fruit jam
• 2-1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 c chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the honey and oil. Blend in the egg and raspberry jam. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add the chopped nuts. Mix wet and dry ingredients (I find it easiest to mix with one hand). With wettened hands, separate the dough into two pieces and form each into a log about 2" in diameter. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut the logs on a diagonal, into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return slices to the baking sheet, on their sides, and bake again for 10-15 minutes or until desired crispness. Cool completely on a rack.

Granola

There are probably as many granola recipes as there are people making granola! Here is mine:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix:

• 6 c old fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking oats)
• 1 c raw unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 c chopped nuts
• 1 c unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix the following together then pour over the oat mixture and stir to coat thorougly (I mix by hand):

• 1/2 c coconut oil (or melted butter or oil)
• 1/2 c honey

Spread the mixture in a thin layer in shallow pans (I use 2 large pizza pans). Bake for 15 minutes, stirring with a spatula if the edges brown faster than the center of the pan. Rotate pans from top to bottom oven rack and back 8-10 more minutes, until everything is toasted golden. Remove from oven, stir around in the pans so it won’t stick as the granola cools. When cooled, spoon into a container with a lid to store. You can also add grated orange peel, raisins or other dried fruit after baking. Great as a breakfast cereal with fresh fruit, and as a topping on baked fruit or on yogurt. You can also press the raw mixture into a pie plate and use as you would a graham cracker pie crust.

My Favorite Gingerbread

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl:

• 2-1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp finely grated orange rind
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Stir in 1/2 c raisins (golden are good)

Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl:

• 1/3 c canola oil
• 1 c molasses or sorghum
• 1-1/4 c orange juice

Add dry to wet ingredients and stir to mix. Pour into greased 9" x 13" pan and bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees (will be very moist). Freezes well.

Also good with one chopped apple added, or serve warm with applesauce on top.

Banana Hermit Bread

I flavored this sweet bread to match my Nana's bar cookies she called "Hermits," and it brings back memories of our summer picnics with her.

• 2 c unbleached white flour
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger root
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c raisins
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 c oil
• 1/2 c maple syrup
• 1/4 c molasses
• 1 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the raisins. In a smaller bowl, mash the peeled bananas. Mix with oil, maple syrup, molasses, and lemon juice. Fold wet ingredients into dry. Don't overmix. Grease one loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans. Scrape batter into pans. Bake 45 - 60 minutes, with a piece of foil on the rack above to avoid overbrowning. Remove from oven. Cool in pans 5 minutes then cool on racks. This freezes well.