I love granola.  Unfortunately most granola are too high in fat, carbs and other things we too easily load up on.  I have experimented with a few home made granolas.  I consider this a project in the works but here is my latest.  They are tasty and are really not that bad as a snack...you could certainly do worse..

Great Granola Bars

Each bar is 140 Calories, has 4g Fat, 22 G carbohydrate, 4g fiber and 4g protein.

4 C. Old Fashioned Oats
¾ C dry roasted sunflower kernels
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp sweetened coconut
2 Tbsp whole flax seed
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
1 5 oz. Package craisins (any flavor I used cherry)
1 Tsp. Cinnamon (or other spice)


1/3 C Black Lentils (Indian grocery)
1 1/2 C Water divided
1/3 C agave syrup



Mix oats, sunflowers kernels, brown sugar, coconut, flax seeds, ground flax seeds, cinnamon and craisins in a large bowl. Mix with hands to be sure ingredients are well mixed and distributed.


Cook 1/3 C black lentils in 1 cup water (put both in small pan bring to boil reduce heat and cover until water is absorbed about 40 – 50 minutes. While still hot pour into food processor (or blender). Add additional ½ cup water and agave syrup, blend or process until smooth. (gross looking grey paste I know, but its a really good for you paste).


Add the sweetened bean paste to the other ingredients. Mix well until all in=gredients are combined and “moist”. Turn out into oiled jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (with sides). Oil hands a bit and press the micture completely into the pan evenly.


Bake in a preheated 275 °F until golden brown (maybe 1.5 hours) the longer you bake them the crunchier they will get.




Remove from oven and using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut into 18 pieces (on the length cut in half then each half in thirds, on the width cut into three should yield 18 6 x 1.5 inch bars. Allow to cool completely when cooled about ten minutes remove to wire rack to kep crunchy or leave in pan for chewy granola bars.

Amish Friendship Bread, Part II

I like the coffee cake but its really not what I am looking for though a good alternative to make if following the standard directions.  I guess my real issue is that you make a largish quantity of the fermented gak but only put 1 cup in the cake.  I have been baking breads for quit a few years now and know how much flavor is in that fermented goodness.

The direction for the cake are feed it when you receive it 1 Cup each Milk, Sugar and flour.  Stir briskly and then stir every day.  You then feed the mixture again on day five and day 10.  Using the resultant mixture to bake the cake(s) and have enough left over to give to friends.

MY next "experiment will be to use all the resultant sour to bake either a cake or sweetbreads.

there is always enough mixture stuck to the sides to perpetuate the mixture for another round of feeding/baking.  Not sure on a recipe yet but that is the direction I am headed

Bubbly Goodness

"Amish" Honey Cake

Amish Friendship Bread.  The very phrase strikes fear into most bakers.  One of your friends is trying to foist off a cup of gooey sludge saying it makes a great cake.  All you have to do is feed it twice.  Stir it once a day and then bake your little heart out.  Oh, and by the way you'll have enough gak left over to "share" it with your friends.  By share, I mean hard sell like a televangelist with expensive taste in recreation drugs.

Now it is fairley easy, low maintenance and if you dont follow the rules it hardly makes a difference in the final product.  Your friend will usually give you instructions and some recipes to bake.  The cake is not bad, they freeze well and have stead many a bake sale with endless product.

The starter is milk, flour and sugar in a 1:1:1 ratio.  The starter you receive has been passed from friend to friend as is a living yeast culture.  It rises and falls and get a little beery but over all is not too bad.  The cakes are like pound cakes (or should i say 10 lb cakes) in that they are bundtish, heavyish but tasty.

My long interest in these type of cultural phenomena has led to make these on occasion over the years but I have always been dissatisfied with the results.  I mean you only use a cup of the starter but the cake is risen using baking powder.  I wanted to develop a cake that took advantage of the natural yeasts to add some lightness to the cake.  So here then is my "experiment"

Amish Honey Cake

2 1/2 C Flour
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 C Starter (amish friendship bread)
1 C Milk
1 stick (1/4 lb) of butter room temp
1 8oz. Pkg cream cheese room temp.
1 C Sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C Brown Sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter (melted)
1/2 C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
2 Tbsp Honey

CAKE:

DRY:
In a bowl mix the 2 1/2 Cups Flour and Tbsp of baking powder, set aside.

WET:
Cream butter and cream cheese well.  Cream in sugar.  Add eggs one at a time mixing well between eggs.  Add cup of starter, milk and vanilla.  Mix until sugar is dissolved.  Add dry ingredients to the wet and blend well (about a minute).  Pour into a greased/floured 13 x 9 x 2 pan.  Set aside.

TOPPING:

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, 2 Tbsp flour and chopped nuts in a small bowl.  MIxuntil ingredients are combined.  Stir in 2 Tbsp of melted buter with fork.  Make sure butter is worked in well and mixture resembles crumbs.  Spread the topping over the top of the cake.  Measuring out 1 tbsp of honey at a time drizzle the honey all over the topping.

Allow the cake to rise about 2 -3 hours.  This will give the yeast some time to ass some lightness ot the cake.  Bake in a 350° F oven for 40- 50 minutes until cake tests done.  Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Overall the taste is as I expected, it is definitely lighter.  not sure if its due to the action of the yeast or just the baking powder being left alone to do its thing.  I allowed the case to rise for 2 and 1/2 hours.  the finished product is nice and tall.   Moist as I expected.  The topping kind of melted into the cake ans in some cases sank down in it which is good but I had hoped it would cover the top better.