Showing posts with label brown sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brown sugar. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Granola Bar *Recipe


These are the most yummy homemade snack. 

I was hesitant to try a granola bar thinking that my kids would probably snub them. They are granola bar connoisseurs. When I quit buying pretty much all processed food snacks, granola bars were the last to go. They seemed so.... healthy. So the kidlets got an unhealthy taste for them.

On a family camping trip, my sister brought along her homemade granola bars. The kids snarfed them down like they were sneaking Easter candy. She was onto something. I thought though that they may be too much work. I don't really put time intensive snack making on my list of to-dos everyday so they just didn't get made.

Last week my Sara came over and showed me how to make them so I could bring them to a homeschool group Valentine party. They are so easy! She took all the pics and then blogged about it. My turn!

The original recipe came from a cookbook entitled Miserly Meals .

This is my version!
Oiling the Pans

Dry

Optional Yumminess

Mixing

Press in pan and Bake

Snacky Goodness


Granola Bars
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (could substitute if you can't do wheat)
1 cup brown sugar  (check out my substitute)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
1/2-3/4 cup of honey 
*optional ingredients

Combine the dry ingredients.  Then add molasses, honey, and vanilla.  Use your hands to get it good and mixed up. (Perhaps you have helper for this job?) It should stick together, like you could roll it into a ball. If it is too dry add a bit more honey. If it is too sticky add a bit more flour. Press into a 9x12 pan that has been greased with coconut oil. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and then cut into bars. 

*OPTIONAL Yumminess can be added with the honey and molasses. Add 1 cup of any of the following: dried fruit (we did golden raisins, raisins, and dried cranberries), chocolate chips, coconut, sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts. Go and get your creative thinking cap on. These are so versatile!

These bars were crunchy and very satisfying. They would did make a lovely breakfast and snacktime treat. Enjoy!

Always Blessed, 
Gretchen  :)

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Sunday, February 10, 2013

Make Your Own Brown Sugar *Recipe


 "It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
cane sugar and molasses



I grew up making brown sugar every time we had a need for it. Somewhere along the line I stopped making it myself and resorted to buying it simply because it saved me an extra 3 minutes in my kitchen. I started up again last year to save me the three dollars and because I have been trying to get back to the basics. The ones I learned from my mama as a child.

Since I am head chef and baker in this house, we are transitioning into more honey, molasses, and (slightly less refined) cane sugar and using much less refined white sugar. I am not the sugar police; just trying to do better with more whole type kind of foods. 

 I have yet to see a brown sugar substitute of a healthy variety in my local area, so I decided to give my childhood brown sugar recipe a try with the cane sugar I have using. The granules are larger and look different so I wasn't sure.

It turned out lovely! I have used it interchangeably in several recipes that called for regular brown sugar. I see no noticeable difference in taste or texture. *I'm not sure how it would work in candy, such as a caramel. If you try it let me know!

cane sugar

molasses

mixing

brown sugar!

Brown Sugar
1 cup cane sugar (or white sugar)
1/8-1/4 cup dark molasses 

Mix with a fork until the molasses is fully incorporated. The less molasses the lighter the brown sugar. Use more molasses for darker brown sugar. The cane sugar does not 'pack' into a measuring cup as well but I have had no problem with it working. Use equal measure for regular brown sugar.


Always Blessed,
Gretchen :)
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Quote from: http://www.searchquotes.com/quotes/author/Laura_Ingalls_Wilder/3/
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