Granola/Low-fat Granola

Our ward just recently did a honey order, so we also included in our activity night some granola recipes using honey. Edie brought these and they sound very good!

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Granola

• 14 cups oatmeal
• 2 cups coconut
• 2 cups wheat germ
• 2 cups chopped nuts
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup oil (safflower oil)

Mix and spread out in deep pan. Toast in 200 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Cool. Add 2 cups raisins.

Low-Fat Granola

• 8 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple juice (concentrate)

Thaw a can of apple juice concentrate and add 1/2 cup (Do not dilute before adding). Mix all together. Bake for 60 minutes at 300 degrees. Stir occasionally. Remove sooner if you want it less crispy.

Spiced Honey Butter

We also served honey butter with our bread activity! Who can resist honey butter and these were 2 great recipes shared!

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Spiced Honey Butter

(published in Country Woman May/June 1995)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp grated orange peel
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

You can beat the butter until light and fluffy, add the honey; then beat just until blended. Or just mix all ingredients well, cover, then refrigerate.

Honey Butter Spread (taste of home)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup honey

In a small bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the honey; beat just until blended. Serve with bread, bagels or toast. Store in refrigerator.

Tips for Bread Making

Here are the tips that were shared for Bread making last night! Start with these and then move on to the Fabulous bread recipes below!!

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1. Instant yeast can be mixed straight in with other ingredients.
2. Active dry yeast must be "proofed" by mixing with 1/4 of your liquid and 2 tbsp sugar for 15 minutes before making dough
3. If your wheat dough is heavy, replace some of your wheat flour with wheat gluten (1/4 - 1/2 cup)
4. If you like to eat hot bread, or don't eat it fast enough to need multiple loaves at once, save the dough for later. Place half of the dough into a greased bag (or greased bowl with a lid) when forming your loaves. The dough will keep in your refrigerator for a week or more. Just pull it out when you are ready, form a loaf, let rise to double and bake as usual.
5. Adding dough enhancers like lecithin, vital wheat gluten will improve bread texture.
6. For crustier bread, place a pan with 1/2 inch water in the bottom of your oven. Bake bread at 425 for the first 1/3 of cook time, then drop temp to that called for in the recipe for the remainder of the cook time!

Fabulous Brown Bread, Multi-Grain Bread and French Bread

We had a great activity last night and learned all about bread from Wendy! Here are a few recipes we tried that were fabulous!!!

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Fabulous Brown Bread

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 3 cup hot water (really really warm)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or any type of oil)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup wheat gluten
• 3/4 cup non-fat dried milk
• 1 tbsp salt
• 4 cups wheat flour
• 3-4 cups white flour

Mix all ingredients together in a mixer. Add just enough white flour to create dough (add your wheat first and then add the white by the cup full to see how much you need), but dough will remain sticky! Let rise until doubles.

Punch down dough and put into loaf pans (makes 2-3 loaves). Let rise one hour. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Multi-Grain Bread

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 3 cups hot water (not too hot!)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or any type oil)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup wheat gluten
• 1 cup 9 grain mix
• 3/4 cup non-fat dried milk
• 1 tbsp salt
• 4 cups wheat flour
• 3-4 cups white flour

Mix all ingredients together in mixer. Add just enough flour to create dough, but dough will remain sticky. Let rise until doubles.

Punch down dough and put in loaf pans. Let rise one hour. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes

Kitchen Aid Mixer French Bread

• 2 tbsp yeast
• 3 cup hot water (not too hot)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or any oil)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 7 1/2 cups white flour

Mix all ingredients together in mixer on high. Let rest 10 minutes. Turn on high for 10 seconds. Repeat rest and punch down a total of 5 times (50 minutes).

Divide the dough in half and roll out into a long loaf. Put on a well greased cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Slash top of bread(just use a knife and cut into the bread a little) several times and let rise 20 minutes.

Beat up 1 egg white and 1 tsp water. Brush over loaves and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes! Enjoy!!

Spicy Steak Fries

Look what I found while clipping coupons!!! Yes clipping coupons! I was looking in the flyer and found this recipe beside a Mrs. Dash coupon labeld HEART SMART too!!

These are definitely heart smart since they are not fried but baked and there is just a little olive oil to help the seasonings stick! I don't know why I haven't tried this before, but these were very easy and very good! With a little ketchup and you are set! I will next time not use as much of the seasoning and you can adjust the amounts to what you need!

Spicy Steak Fries

from the smartsource coupon flyer!

• 2 large potatoes
• 2 tbsp Mrs. Dash extra spicy seasoning blend (I had her original blend and used that, didn't try the extra spicy! Just a little salt would be great too!)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Wash and cut potatoes into wedges, DO NOT PEEL! Dry potato slices on paper towels.

In a large bowl, toss potatoes with Mrs. Dash, olive oil, and garlic.

Spray baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray and lay wedges on baking sheet. Place potatoes in preheated 425 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes and bake another 15 minutes or until potatoes are browned and tender!

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, which is a part of the Pioneer Woman site. I am always looking for great breakfast recipes for our weekly Breakfast Wednesday dinners.

We tried these and they were really good. I didn't make the Maple-Butter icing this time, but will definitely try next time!

I read nothing but rave reviews on the icing and even just putting regular old maple syrup on them!

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

(thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen)

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1/4 cups butter, melted
• 1 tbsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.

In a separate large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium/low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.

Serve warm with icing drizzles on top or syrup!

Maple-Butter Icing (for Pancakes)

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cups butter, melted
• dash of salt
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or can use extract)
• 1/4 cups whole milk (or more if needed)

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more milk as needed!

Honey Butter

Where has honey butter been my whole life! I know I have had it before, but I have never made it at home! It was a restaurant treat! Now I know why!! Honey Butter is soooooo good and you end up finding yourself eating more bread just to eat the butter! You even put way more on than you would buttering a piece of toast with just butter!

I will definitely be making this again, but I will be practicing more self control and only eat it sparingly! I did half this recipe and it made quite a bit too!

Honey Butter

www.ourbestbites.com

• 2 cubes real butter--close to room temp., works best when slightly chilled still
• 2/3 cup honey
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

(If your butter is too soft, you'll end up with a gooey mess, so she just left it out on the counter for about 20 minutes or so before beating and it turns out nice and fluffy)

Just place everything in your electric mixer bowl and beat for about 30 seconds. I actually had to beat it longer. Serve at room temp. with anything your heart desires!!!

I placed mine in the refrigerator over night and set it on the counter in the morning and it was soft and spreadable after only about 5 minutes! Super good, make some today!!!!