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!!!

Naturally Sweetened Gingerbread Spice Cake

If you are in the mood for a moist, rich and spicy healthy cake, this is your ticket. Be aware, the flavor and spice are robust, not for the faint of heart. My family including all my children, devour it.

Naturally Sweetened Gingerbread Spice Cake

2 c whole wheat/grain flour

1 t baking soda

1 t ground ginger

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground cloves

1/4 t allspice

1/4 t salt

3/4 c agave nectar

1/4 c olive oil

1 large egg or 2 Tbsp ground flax

1 cup raw broccoli

3 large carrots

1/2 cup coconut water or plain water

1/2 c kefir or plain yogurt

1/4 c molasses

2 t vanilla

1 T grated orange zest

Combine first seven ingredients, and mix well. Add agave, oil and egg. Put broccoli and carrots in a blender, with just enough coconut water (or plain) to puree. Add to mixture, it should be about 1 1/2 cups. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently. Bake in 2 small loaf pans 45-55 minutes in a 365 degree oven.

Xylitol Glaze

1/2 cup xylitol

1 t ultra gel or 1/2 t cornstarch

1 t orange zest (opt)

enough water for desired consistency

Combine xylitol and ultra gel in blender. Blend into a "powdered sugar." Add water and drizzle over hot cake.

In math, We are learning fractions and how to follow a recipe. This recipe was Ellery's first independent cooking attempt. She did fabulous. It is adapted from the Jessica Seinfeld "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook. Ellery loves to peruse this cookbook, I think because it is pink and has really big pictures in it!

Science Fair

Science Fair.

I let Ellery put together this project herself. It was such a positive experience. Not a huge time commitment, but a great science introduction. Building blocks for the future.

Those 2 words were the pride and bain of my teaching experience. It was a massive amount of work, but I believe it is was probably the only experience my students will really remember from the class. I was an intense teacher. It took us around 3 months. First they would turn in their question. Next hypothesis. Experimental design. Data. We would learn on how make graphs in excel during class. There was no procrastination.

Last year, I told our brand new principal I would bring the Science Fair to our elementary school. He has really been trying to bring a new degree of excellence to our school. A school which was really struggling. To his credit he has made some very positive changes in his first year and a half. We met with quite a bit of resistance on all fronts. Teachers. Parents. But we decided to push ahead, as several of us feel adamant about the positive learning experience Science Fair can afford. The Fair was tonight, and it was a resounding success. Most of the teachers stepped up and the children did a wonderful job, for the first year.

Adding 1/2 cup xylitol to the lemon water.

Common concerns are the competition element, disgruntled parents, integrity issues. We tried to alleviate some of these concerns. The judging was optional. We are not announcing the winners until tomorrow. No places, just advancers to the District level. (No comparisons by parents, which child had a medal and why theirs didn't...just a celebration of the learning.)

Only the 5th and 6th graders can advance to the District Level. They were the main focus and used the tri-fold boards. But the entire school participated. There were some interesting conclusions I was able to draw from this experience, but they are not appropriate to share on this blog because it is public. Simply put, teachers make a difference. A big difference. Especially if parents are not extremely involved with their child's education.

The three sweeteners Ellery wanted to use. Xylitol, Agave Nectar and Maple Syrup.

Ellery had a wonderful time completing her simple project investigating with natural sweetener would be the sweetest. She loved having all her friends and neighbors taste test. Agave nectar came out the clear winner. Great to keep in mind. Her class begged for her to bring lemonade so they could all try them. My favorite was actually the xylitol sweetened lemonade. None of the children cared for the maple syrup :)

We pulled our Lemonade "stand" around on the wagon, Ellery with her clipboard to keep tally.

How to Make Sense of Natural Sugar Substitutes

If you are baffled by all the sweetener names I throw out on my blog, here is an enhanced, updated recap of the natural sugar substitutes I like to use... And how to make sense of them in cooking.

My children are inundated with refined sugar. School, church, friends houses, grocery store shelves... I feel it's crucial to provide them healthier alternatives so they don't feel neglected or weird. We do not live a sweetener free life. But we have zero artificial sweeteners and virtually no refined sugar and zero high fructose corn syrup. Here is a breakdown of my favorite natural sweeteners:


Agave Nectar-Is tapped like honey from the agave cactus plant. This is probably my favorite sweetener. It contains trace vitamins and minerals. It is sweet and mild. It is expensive, but not as bad as others. This works great in cooking and in hot chocolate and yogurt. I substitute 1:1 for honey or sugar. Reduce liquid if using for white sugar. Available at health and cooking stores. Buy organic and raw from a reputable store. Buying in bulk allows for the best pricing. I purchase the Madhava brand. Note, the herbal supplement containing agave should not be consumed when pregnant, but the nectar is fine.

Raw Honey-Not for babies but for the rest of us! It is actually sweeter than sugar but contains trace vitamins and minerals. Great for baking and candies. Reduce the baking temperature in your recipe and decrease liquid by a couple tablespoons. Honey has a strong flavor, so only use it in recipes where you want the taste of honey, or you are using another strong flavor to mask, like cocoa or pumpkin. It is also a good idea to buy your honey locally, it actually can help with allergies. Honey is a staple in my breads, granola, and candies.

Pure, Organic Maple Syrup-Great flavor, it is expensive but works really well. Great for baking cookies, oatmeal, pancakes, and fudge. I also like it to sweeten yogurt, soups, and candy nuts. Try sweetening both hot and cold cereals. When baking I like to combine maple syrup with agave in cookies. Decrease cooking temp and liquid in recipe.

Sucanat-Stands for sugar cane natural. This is unrefined sugar cane crystals which still have all the vitamins and minerals. It is fairly inexpensive and has a yummy brown sugar taste. You may taste the molasses. (Molasses is all the nutrients stripped from sugar cane during the refining process.) We use this for cinnamon rolls or fruit crisps. 1:1 substitution. It doesn't get "gooey," or melt like refined brown and white sugar so I like to combine with a syrup like brown rice, barley malt or agave.

Brown Rice Syrup-This sweetener is a whole food sweetener produced from brown rice and barley malt. It is thick and creamy and has a nice caramel taste. This is perfect in pecan pie, fudge, cinnamon rolls, cookies, anything gooey or crispy. I have found this is the only natural sweetener that makes the "crisp" on a fruit crisp crispy. You can also add it to soups. It is not quite as sweet as white sugar, so you may want to add more when replacing in a recipe. Also, as with all the liquid sweeteners, decrease oven temp by 25 degrees and decrease liquid by about 1/4 cup. This is considered a "whole food" and is therefore a favorite natural sweetener for many. The sugars are also complex which will not spike blood sugar levels. I like Lundberg.

Xylitol-I was introduced to xylitol by our naturopath. She recommends it exclusively. It is a sugar alcohol derived from berries and corn cobs and does not spike blood sugar like honey or refined sugar. It also prevents cavities and has been proven to help ear and sinus infections. A great alternative to fluoride. We chew xylitol gum and mints. We also use it to sweeten cereal, hot chocolate, yogurt. It is replaced 1:1 in recipes. It is not my favorite to bake with, I don't recommend it... but works well in some recipes like the sugar cookie. Available at health food stores or online. I buy the brand Unique Sweet from Vitamin Research Products. This is the only brand I can find which derives the xylitol from berries instead of corn. According to our naturopath, that is important. It looks and tastes just like sugar. My children love it.

Barley Malt Syrup-Not just for beer. Beer making is by far the most common use of this substance, but it also makes a wonderful sweetener. It has a dark, rich flavor similar to molasses. It is made by simply sprouting, drying, then cooking barley. It has complex sugars and therefore will not spike the blood sugar. Low glycemic index. This is wonderful in anything rich and full of flavor. Cookies and cakes are wonderful. I substitute 1:1 and decrease liquid slightly. Purchase at your local health food store. I like the Eden brand.


Quick quiz....what is the sweetest of all...these kiddos. I will take all the sweetness they will dish out to me!

Thirty-one and Still Going Strong

Last night I panicked. Wondering what I had done with my life. Will I have regrets of these last 30 years. I felt time creeping too fast. I wasn't ready to face a birthday. The night brought little peace as Emmett struggled to sleep and little pip wandered back and forth from room to room (we are trying to transition her to sleep in a room with Ellery). Things weren't shaping up for a great birthday.

However, I woke up to a peaceful 8 mile run in the freshly fallen snow. After five I left my friends, slowed up the pace and just kept going. It was so quiet. So I ran and kept counting my blessings. Perfect.

Thanks to my amazing husband for a wonderful birthday. His present to me...an enhanced, beautified, economized laundry room. The best present ever. I am up so late because I just keep wandering into it and gazing around and hanging things up. A little piece of heaven in my home. Contented Sigh...
Snow, snow, snow all day long. But my girls and I enjoyed making a yummy Chocolate Buttermilk Texas Sheet Cake made with kamut flour, brown rice syrup and agave. Delicious! Frosted with whipped cream sweetened with agave and a little cocoa powder, butter and vanilla. Then my wonderful sister Monica babysat and Brent took me to Sushi. A perfect day. I guess I will take 31 afterall. Life just keeps getting better. Bring it on.

A New Favorite Vegetable, Cookie, and a Not-so-favorite

Here is a eclectic blog on everything from sprouts to cookies to drug store Christmas trees.

Brussel Sprouts have now been added to my "Vegetables I Love" list. I have to admit I have never eaten them before. It is embarrassing, being the veggie connoisseur that I am...But it is never to late to change.
I love them. And my children ate them. Admittedly a bit begrudgingly, but it was definitely not a battle....just some gentle coaxing and (here comes a confession) spray butter.

I know. I am so natural, and I shun with a passion almost every unnatural processed thing, but I found spray butter to be an acceptable evil. It has fewer than 10 ingredients (a good thing) and if I put a bit on vegetables my children will gobble them up. They don't like the real butter on them. So...for the sake of high, desirable veggie consumption we use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray. I did find this brand to be the most "natural" (I feel awkward even using that word when speaking of butter in a bottle) of the varieties.

If you want to stop reading go ahead. We all have our vices. Spray butter and chocolate chips happen to be ours. Here is the recipe for the Brussel Sprouts. These recipes are courtesy of my sister's friend Candice. We did a recipe exchange, it has been so fun. I love sharing yummy recipes...hint, hint, to any of you friends out there with delicious recipes...do share!

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts (quartered, with ends removed)

Fresh pressed garlic (be generous 4-6 cloves)

Lemon peel (full lemon grated)

Sauté Garlic in olive oil. Add Brussel sprouts, olive oil and lemon peel. May need to add a bit of water or broth. Cook (covered some of the time) until desired tenderness. Sprinkle with sea salt and parsley.

I had some left over uncooked sprouts and sauteed them the next day and added them to a great Thai dish.

Speaking of chocolate chips...Candice also had a new recipe for refined sugar-free chocolate chip cookies I actually like. They are vegan too. My girls and I can mix these up in under 10 minutes.

Refined Sugar Free Choco-Oat Cookies

1 ½ cup rolled or quick oats

1 ½ cups whole grain flour

1 ½ t baking powder

½ t sea salt

1 cup unsweetened coconut (don’t leave this out it makes the cookie they are not nearly as good without)

½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (opt. I leave out b/c my kids won’t eat)

½ cup agave nectar or maple syrup (I use agave)

½ cup olive or coconut oil (olive oil gives a nicer texture)

½ cup milk (I use 2 T powdered milk and a few T of water)

½-1 cup dark chocolate chips (1 cup is alot, watch out)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Flatten. You may want to flatten 1/2 way through cooking as well (These cookies will not spread by themselves. Refined sugar gives cookies that nice spread) and bake 15-18 min.

A few tips...these are not the greatest warm, much better cool and dipped in milk. If you are eager to try them, restrain yourself until they are cool. But feel free to indulge on the batter...it is egg free and delicious!

...Not so delicious...the Harmon's grocery store decorating cookies. These little nasties were pure hydrogenated shortening I am certain. I think we were able to have them "accidentally" get covered in pine needles from the Christmas tree in the back of the truck, on the way home, only a few deathly bites into them.

The cookie decorating came during our traditional outing to"cut" the Christmas tree (we found the prettiest one in the Rite Aid lot), and visit Santa and get a picture (free, not the price gouged ones from the mall) at the grocery store.
BTW...my camera is finally en route back to me. No more grainy madness!

Refined Sugar-free "Sugar Cookies"

Life without Refined Sugar can be very sweet. Sugar cookies are the timeless pleasure for Moms and Kids during Valentines Day, Christmas, Easter... When I decided to take my family off refined sugar I needed a recipe and this is my own variation of one I discovered. These cookies are to die for!

If you are not converted to limiting or drastically reducing refined sugar in your families diet may I suggest a book? Sugar Blues by William Dufty. This book will open your eyes if anything. I am a convert. My family has been healthier and my PMS/bloating/cramping disappeared. We are 2 years into this lifestyle.

Of all things to make without refined sugar, cookies have been the trickiest to figure out. But these Sugar-free "Sugar" Cookies are the best. Warning! Not low fat...but heavenly, melt-in-your mouth, delicious.

Sugar-Free "Sugar"Cookies

1 1/2 c butter softened
1 c natural sweetener **
1/4 t salt
4 c fresh ground whole grain flour *
1 1/2 t vanilla

**I like to use agave or xylitol or a combo...there is some personal preference here. You can use more or less to taste. I think pure maple syrup would be really good too.
*My favorite flour is actually kamut in this recipe, because of the rich buttery flavor, but wheat, spelt or the combo works well too)

Whip butter until fluffy. This is important, it helps the texture.
Add the rest of the ingredients while mixing. Add flour slowly until a stiff batter is formed.
You may need more or less dependent on the sweetener you chose and the moisture content of your flour.

Roll dough on parchment paper. Chill in fridge. You have to do this or your cookies won't turn out, they will spread like crazy. Use cutouts...
Chill again.

Put cold cookie sheet in 325 degree oven for 12-25 minutes depending on thickness.

Sidenote: I picked up these cute cookie cutters at Michaels on Friday. My sister and I did our first ever "arise at 3:45 am shopping adventure." We were complete novices. We got worked over at Wal-Mart. We had no idea how to handle ourselves. But we had a great time at Michaels, Kitchen Kneads and Old Navy.

You can leave the dough in a thick sheet for shortbread, if you like. Frost. (Note: This frosting will cause the cookies to soften, so often we just keep it in the fridge and frost when we are ready to eat them.)

Refined Sugar-free Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 c sweetener (more or less to taste, we like agave or maple syrup)
1/4 c butter
1 t vanilla (opt)

Whip all together until fluffy. Keep refridgerated. Color if desired.