Healthy Holiday Whole Grain Sweet Bread

Naturally Sweetened, Healthy Whole Grain 

Cinnamon Roll Recipe with Glaze

This season I decided to loop my braided bread into a wreath.  The girls and I thought it turned out beautiful.

These are my whole grain take on a recipe I grew up making and delivering during the holidays with my mom "Candy Cane Bread.  I use my basic Whole Grain Bread recipe with just a few alterations.  I think I posted this four years ago, but my recipe may have morphed a bit in the last few years.  The new Xylitol Glaze is a far healthier non-dairy, low glycemic index, low calorie option.

"Candy Cane Bread" (Makes 4-6 Canes)

Whole Grain Sweet Bread Dough:

Combine in Bosch (or similar) Mixer:

9-10 cups of whole grain flour (I put equal parts kamut, spelt and wheat in my grinder and blend them all together) 

3 T saf dry instant Yeast  (make sure you are using a dry active yeast!)

Add:

 6 cups Warm Water

Mix, until a paste-like consistency.  Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Add:  

2/3 cup Wheat Gluten 

1/3 cup Braggs apple cider vinegar

2 T Salt

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½  cups Honey 

Turn mixer on to speed 1.  Add whole grain flour just until dough begins to pull away from the sides of the mixer.  (Usually around 5-9 cups)  The dough will still be fairly sticky.  Mix on speed 1 or 2 for 5 minutes.  Cover mixer to prevent dough from climbing out of the bowl.  

Unrefined Naturally Sweetened Cinnamon Roll Topping:

Cinnamon

Butter  (just enough for a light coating)

Unrefined Natural Sweeteners (click for a mini tutorial of natural sweeteners) of your choice.  I like to combine and liquid and a granular sweetener.

           Great Combinations:

Agave and Sucanat

Barley Malt Syrup and Xylitol

Brown Rice Syrup*  and Sucanat

*I am using this less because of the concerns over arsenic

Divide dough into 4-6 parts.  Roll each section of dough into a long rectangle about 6"x18".   Spread a thin layer of butter on the dough.  Then add a drizzle of a natural sweetener of your choice ( i just make one long swirling "s" the whole length of the dough.  Sprinkle on a granular natural sweetener like sucanat, xylitol or coconut sugar.  Finally sprinkle cinnamon on generously.  

Braiding the Dough

Using kitchen scissors or a pizza cutter, cut strips about 1/2 inch wide along each long side of your dough rectangle.   Cut in about 2" on each side.  You should have about a 2" strip of uncut dough down the center of your rectangle.

Criss cross dough strips, alternating sides. 

 Cover and let rise until they have doubled in size.  This will take anywhere from 30-90 minutes depending on the temperature of the room.  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees convection or 350° bake.  Bread will cook 25 minutes depending on your oven.  When bread tops are golden brown, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Butter tops of bread.  

Low Glycemic Index, Low Calorie, Non-dairy Xylitol Glaze:

1 cup xylitol

2 Tbsp cornstarch

water 

*For an extra fun holiday feel, color your glaze with a few tsps of fresh spinach juice!

Put xylitol in a blender with cornstarch.  Blend until powdered texture is attained.  Add just enough water for desired spreading consistency.  I just put it in a plastic bag, snip the corner and have a perfect pastry bag.  Spread over bread.  It will melt if hot, but will harden like a regular sugar glaze when cool.

Enjoy!!!

Buckwheat and Black Bean Chili

Growing up we had this great tradition of chili and cornbread on Christmas Eve. Here is a yummy recipe I derived for a church chili cookoff. Admittedly it didn't win anything, but those people who appreciate meatless, healthy meal met this recipe with rave reviews. I wish my family loved chili, because I do. They don't. So I make this and eat it for a week. I can't make it too often!.

P.S. Thanks so much to all of you who have shared your vegan recipes with me! I can't wait to try them. Merry Christmas to all!

Buckwheat and Black Bean Chili

from the kitchen of Rebecca

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped

1 large red bell pepper,chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon real salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 cups black beans

2 cups steamed buckwheat (cook as you would white rice, available at health food stores)

2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups water or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons real maple syrup (or to taste)

2 teaspoons molasses (or to taste)

2 cups steamed Wheat Berries (cook as you would brown rice)

Garnish with...

Juice of 1 lime

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Saute the first five ingredients over medium heat. I put black beans, wheat and buckwheat in my pressure cooker and cook together for about 25 minutes. Or you make cook them separately on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 5 hours. Reduce to low and continue to simmer until ready to serve.

Holiday Cranberries with Agave

This is a fantastic recipe adapted from my mother-in-law's recipe for cranberry sauce. Emmett ate an entire bowl tonight.

Fresh Agave Cranberry Sauce

3 lbs fresh cranberries (that is a gigantic costco bag)

2 cups agave nectar

2 cups water

1 small package of frozen mixed berries

Juice of 3 fresh oranges

Add rind of one orange to cook

1/2 t of ginger

Mix all of the above in a large pot. Bring to boiling. Boil until the cranberries "pop." (I love that noise, it reminds me of helping my mom on holidays when I was a little girl.) Cook a little longer. Let set in the fridge overnight. If you want a firmer texture add some ultra gel. This recipe makes a huge bowl, but it will disappear fast!

Holiday Candy Cane Bread with Agave Frosting

A scrumptious holiday tradition. Candy Cane bread. This is made using my Basic Whole Grain Bread Recipe.
Roll out dough into a long rectangle. Lather with butter, and sweeten with a dab of barley malt syrup and a sprinkling of sucanat and cinnamon. Use a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors to make 2-3 inch slits on each side. Braid.
Make the night before and refrigerate. Take out a couple hours before you want to eat to let rise. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Frost with Creamy White Whipped Frosting.

Creamy White Whipped Frosting

1/3 c cream cheese
1/3 c whipping cream
1/2 t vanilla
2-4 T agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a metal bowl and mix well with a hand mixer.
Keep refrigerated and frost when ready to serve.

Dark Chocolate Fudge: Healthy, Raw, Free of Refined Sugars

Nothing says the holidays like a delicious piece of melt in your mouth fudge...and the chocolate smeared, blissful face of your three-year-old.
This is a fabulous recipe for healthy fudge. Not low calorie...but delectable. This dark chocolate fudge is both raw and free of all refined sugars. It is chock full of healthy (albeit expensive) ingredients. We are packaging pieces of this for Great-Grandma and Mimi (grandma) for Christmas from the kiddo's.

Healthy Dark Chocolate Fudge

Crust:

¾ c cocoa powder

¾ c fine almond flour

½ c pure maple syrup

¼ c virgin coconut oil

pinch of sea salt

Blend raw almonds in mixer until fine powder. Combine all ingredients and mix.

Cover and chill 1 hour or more.

2 ¼ c cocoa powder

2 ¼ c pure maple syrup (can substitute 1 c with brown rice syrup)

1 c virgin coconut oil (I buy mine in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs. It is much more affordable)

Blend till completely smooth. Pour into chilled tart crust. Lift: drop to release air bubbles.

Store in freezer to keep firm.

Cute little girl with a chocolate mustache is not included in the recipe. Make your own. It's fun. Trust me!

Make Your own Maple Candied Nuts: No Refined Sugar

Some salads are so delicious they beg to be recreated. Recreated often. For me that means a full dinner multiple times a week. This Pomegranate and Blue Cheese Salad is one of those. Covered in candied pecans, however, this recipe needed a little healthy love to eliminate the high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar and preservatives. I decided to make my own candied nuts. Simple and delicious.

Take note of the yummy simmering potpourri on my stove. The fragrance enticed us all day long today. I repeat. Great idea. I went to another neighbor and she had hers going as well!

Maple Candied Pecans

2 cups raw pecans
1/4-1/2 c pure maple syrup

Blend pecans for a few seconds in a blender or food processor.
Pour into a cast iron frying pan. Cover with pure maple syrup.
Toast over med/high heat. Stirring occasionally so they don't burn.

This salad probably has an official name but I don't know it. It is so pretty and delicious. Since berries are out of season and pomegranates are in, it is perfect.

Pomegranate Holiday Salad
Mixed Greens
Pomegranate
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Candied Pecans
Sliced Pears
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Toss all ingredients.

The blue cheese, vinegar, and tart pomegranate balance the sweet maple candied pecans and pears perfectly. I just add balsamic vinegar plain and I love it.