Whole Grain Strawberry Pop Tart Scones
(new recipe modified on 2/26 after a couple people told me the dough was too wet to handle)
makes 8 scones

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
6 T cold butter, sliced into small pieces
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped (or two teaspoons vanilla extract)
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
for icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Mix together the vanilla bean seeds, strawberries and milk in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter and work mixture together with your fingertips until it reaches the consistency of sand.
• Add the strawberries, milk and cream to the dry ingredients and mix together until a shaggy, wet dough forms.
• Pat dough into a large circle on a lined baking sheet and cut into eight pieces (like cutting a pie). Separate the pieces about an inch apart and bake for 16 minutes or until golden.
• Let scones cool completely while you combine the powdered sugar and milk to make the icing.
• Drizzle icing over scones and serve.

Time:
30 minutes

Banana Mango Muffins
makes about 16 muffins

Ingredients:
1 large ripe mango, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried mango
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
additional sugar for sprinkling

 
Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put the mango (fresh, not dried) in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, coconut and chopped dried mango in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, combine the mashed banana, mango puree, eggs and canola oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth (batter will be thick).
• Scoop batter into greased muffin tins about 3/4th of the way full. Sprinkle additional sugar on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Time:
40 minutes

Carrot Cake Muffin Bars
makes about 12 squares

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup old fashioned (or quick) oats
1 cup grated carrot (2 medium carrots or 1 huge carrot)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350.

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and oats. Set aside.
• Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat again until smooth. With mixer on low, slowly stream in the milk. Add the dry ingredients, grated carrots and walnuts and mix until just combined.
• Scoop batter into a greased nine inch square pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden.
• Let cool completely (about 20 minutes) before cutting into squares.

Blackberry Orange Muffins
adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 12 muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 cups fresh blackberries (or berry of your choice..use frozen if you can’t find fresh!)
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Preheat your oven to 375.

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, orange zest, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Gently add the blackberries and stir so that the berries are covered with flour. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one by one, until thoroughly combined. Add the milk and blend.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and toss gently, being careful not to crush the berries. Scoop batter into 12 greased muffin tins sprinkle vanilla sugar (or regular granulated sugar) over the tops.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden. Let cool for five minutes in the tins then pop out and cool completely.

Banana Mango Muffins
makes about 16 muffins
Print this recipe!
Ingredients:
1 large ripe mango, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried mango
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
additional sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put the mango (fresh, not dried) in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, coconut and chopped dried mango in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, combine the mashed banana, mango puree, eggs and canola oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth (batter will be thick).
• Scoop batter into greased muffin tins about 3/4th of the way full. Sprinkle additional sugar on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Time:
40 minutes

Coconut Blueberry Muffin Tops
adapted from blackberry orange muffins
makes about 14 muffin tops

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp orange zest
12 oz blueberries
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 eggs
for topping—
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 tsp slivered almonds

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 375.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, orange zest, baking powder, coconut and salt together. Gently add the blueberries and stir so that the berries are covered with flour. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one by one, until thoroughly combined. Add the milk and blend.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and toss gently, being careful not to crush the berries. Scoop 1/4 cup amount of batter onto a lined baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.
• Combine the sweetened flaked coconut and slivered almonds to make the topping. Set aside (do not immediately top muffin tops).
• Bake muffin tops for 10 minutes then carefully sprinkle about a tablespoon or so of topping on each. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until golden.
• Let cool for five minutes on the sheet pan then use a spatula to remove.

Time:
40 minutes

Did you know if you grate sweet potatoes and the mix them with an egg and some flour you can make pretty darn amazing pancakes?
It’s true.

These sweet potato latkes couldn’t be easier to make. All you need is a box grater (the same thing you use to grate cheese or carrots), a bowl and a frying pan. Serve them with anything from grilled tofu to maple syrup and bacon. Like your favorite shoes, they pretty much go with everything.

Sweet Potato Latkes
makes about 8 pancakes

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
oil for frying

Directions:
- Peel and grate potatoes on a box grater like you would carrots if you were making carrot cake. Place grated sweet potato in a large bowl and add beaten eggs, flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix well to combine.
- Heat about a tablespoon of canola oil up in a large skillet set over medium high heat. With wet hands, form pancakes with the potato mixture then flatten and fry in oil for about three minutes per side until golden.
- Serve warm with maple syrup.

Time:
15 minutes

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
yields 1 loaf
adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 tsp dry active yeast
2 tbsp warm water
pinch of sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
for filling ~
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
for frosting ~
powdered sugar
enough milk to make a slightly runny icing

Directions:

• Mix together the yeast, warm water and pinch of sugar in a glass measuring cup. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
• While the yeast is resting, beat together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue beating until combined. Add the milk then your yeast. Stir well.
• Add the flour, nutmeg and salt to the bowl and mix so that a dough forms. If you’re using a Kitchen Aid mixer and you have a dough attachment handy (the captain hook looking thing), switch to that now. Knead dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. You could also easily do this by hand on a lightly floured surface.
• Place a clean dishcloth over your bowl with the dough in it and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, roll out dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread remaining 4 tbsp SOFT butter all over. Make sure your butter is very, very soft here! Mix together your cinnamon sugar and sprinkle this very generously over the top. By generous, I mean a really thick layer of cinnamon sugar. Go big or go home.
• Slice rectangle into 5-6 thick strips. Sandwich strips together and then cut this thick layered strip into 4-5 rectangles. Place rectangles cut-side up in a greased loaf pan. Smoosh together really well (it won’t fill up the whole loaf pan) then place your dishcloth back over top and let rise for 1 more hour in a warm spot.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before drizzling with icing.

 Time:
~4 hrs

Coffee Pancakes
recipe from Pancakes: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack
yields about 8 pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk, well shaken
1 large egg
2 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a measuring cup (or small bowl), combine the buttermilk, egg, instant coffee granules and melted butter. Beat until well combined and coffee granules have dissolved.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined (batter will still be slightly lumpy – be sure to not overmix).
• Heat up your skillet and spray with nonstick spray or oil. Using a 1/4th cup measure, scoop the batter onto the hot skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side and flip. Serve warm with butter, maple syrup and more coffee.

Time:
30 minutes

Ingredients:

for pancakes—
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cooking oil
butter to grease skillet

for strawberry sauce—

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 tbsp sugar

seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Directions:

Combine the strawberries, sugar and vanilla in a small saucepot over low heat. Cook the strawberry mixture for about 20 minutes, until it’s juicy and jam-like. At this point, most of the strawberries will have broken down. Remove from heat and set aside while you make the pancakes.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk and oil and beat until well blended. In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cornmeal, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together well then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix only until just combined.

Melt butter on a hot skillet then cook pancakes for about 30 seconds each side. Be careful—they brown quickly!

Top pancakes with strawberry sauce and serve.

Time:

45 minutes (includes time to make strawberry sauce)