Breakfast Archives - Page 7 of 8 -

February 14, 2015

Raspberry Hand Pies

Isn’t everything more fun to eat when it’s shaped in a heart? I just couldn’t resist sharing these little raspberry hand pies with you today. I used the same dough as I did this these chocolate hazelnut toaster pastries and filled each with a couple teaspoons of jam. Surprisely simple, yet still special.

Wishing you all a beautiful day filled with love.

Raspberry Hand Pies

Serves: 10-12 hearts, depending on size

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour
¼ cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
about ½ cup good quality raspberry jam
coarse finishing salt and turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Process until seeds are finely ground. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of ice water. With the food processor running, gradually add the vinegar and water. Process just until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and finish kneading together by hand. Form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to approximately ⅛" thick. Use a shaped cutter to cut into hearts.
Take one heart and spread 2 teaspoons raspberry jam in the middle, leaving a border around the edges. Top with another heart and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Repeat with the remaining hearts.
Sprinkle tops with a generous pinch coarse salt and turbinado sugar.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges start to turn light golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on tray and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

December 4, 2014

Chocolate Hazelnut Toaster Pastries

I have faint memories of being a child and envying the kids that packed pop tarts as their on-the-go breakfast for the bus ride. At least in my mind, those looked like the best breakfast treats ever. While my parents were not extreme health enthusiasts during my childhood, they did strive to provide healthy meals and snacks for us and thus pop tarts were not part of the family diet. In my own mission for my children to have a healthy and wholesome way of eating, I try to limit the amount of processed food and sugars that they eat, but I also try to provide a reasonable amount of treats so that they aren’t left feeling deprived. These Chocolate Hazelnut Toaster Pastries are one of our latest treats and are my healthier version of pop tarts. Of course, they are wonderful straight out of the oven, but they conveniently reheat well in the toaster.

Rather than making my own chocolate hazelnut butter this time, I decided to keep things simple and used my favorite store-bought version, Justin’s. It worked beautifully and helped with being able to finish these off fairly quickly. To make this a bit healthier than a traditional pie pastry, I used spelt flour along with ground sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. The seeds add an element of nuttiness to the crust and the oils from the seeds decrease the usual amount of butter necessary for a crust pastry.

I had planned on adding a drizzle of melted chocolate on top, but in the end I decided a simple sprinkle of coarse salt and turbinado sugar was enough for me. Do not skip this step- it makes a surprisingly big difference! Go ahead and add a drizzle of melted chocolate though if you want to be extra fancy. Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut Toaster Pastries

Serves: about 10 pastries

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour
¼ cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
about ½ cup chocolate hazelnut butter
coarse finishing salt and turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Process until seeds are finely ground. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of ice water. With the food processor running, gradually add the vinegar and water. Process just until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and finish kneading together by hand. Form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to make a rectangle approximately 16- inches x 11-inches. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 3-inch x 2½-inch rectangles. You should have 20 rectangles.
Take one rectangle and spread 2 teaspoons chocolate hazelnut butter in the middle, leaving a border around the edges. Top with another rectangle and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Repeat with the remaining 18 rectangles.
Sprinkle tops with a generous pinch coarse salt and turbinado sugar.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges start to turn light golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on tray and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

[i]pastry crust adapted from Whole Grains Every Day Every Way[/i]

September 8, 2014

Peach Ginger Crumble

I love the changing seasons and autumn is always one that I look forward to, but now that the school year has started, I already miss the slower and more carefree days of summer. Peaches are still abundantly available around here and this peach ginger crumble is my way of letting summer linger just a little bit longer.

I made three versions of this peach crumble before it was just the way I wanted and as a result, we have been eating lots of peach crumble for breakfast. Having sweet baked juicy peaches first thing in the morning has been such a pleasant way to begin our days though. The crumble topping is a simple mixture of oats, almonds, a little bit of whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Substitute almond flour for the whole-wheat flour to keep it gluten-free. The ginger flavor is mild, but leave out the fresh ginger if you have an aversion for ginger. It will still be delicious! As I made this I had it in my mind to serve it with a big dollop of greek yogurt, but in the end I enjoyed eating it plain the most. Make this peach ginger crumble as a sweet and whole-grain way to keep summer around for just a little longer.

Peach Ginger Crumble

Ingredients

Peach Filling

5 cups sliced peaches, about 5 medium peaches
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt

Crumble Topping

1½ cups rolled oats
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
In a mixing bowl, gently combine the peaches, cornstarch, maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, and salt. Pour into a 10-inch round baking dish.
In another mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, flour, and salt. Add the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix together until mixture is evenly coated. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches.
Bake for 40 minutes, until crumble is golden and peaches are softened and bubbly. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or chilled.