Beehive Honey & Lemon Poppyseed Hot Pudding Cakes-Plant Based

As a descendant of Utah Pioneers, I love to make these adorable little beehive cakes to honor my heritage, especially on July 24th, Utah's state holiday. I use cast iron molds which create an awesome light outer crust (our favorite part), and depending on how long you bake them, they come our more cakelike (longer bake), or hot pudding like (shorter bake).  

Following is a plant based version of this previous recipe. 

Ingredients:

2 cups aquafaba (chick pea/garbanzo bean juice)

2.5 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 T. poppyseeds

1/2 cup plant based milk

1.5 Tablespoons chia seeds

2 cups honey 

1 medium sized, ripe avocado

1 medium sized ripe banana

2/3 cup plain soy yogurt

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Zest of 1-2 oranges or lemons for added flavor (optional)

Syrup:

1/2 cup raw honey

1/4 cup coconut cream

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

Preparations:

Whip aquafaba to medium soft peaks and set aside.

Mix wheat and oat flours, baking powder, salt, and poppyseeds together and set aside. 

Add chia seeds to milk, stir, and set aside

~ ~

In a mixing bowl, cream honey, avocado and banana together. 

Gently mix in aquafaba, yogurt, and vanilla. 

Add flour mixture. 

Mix in milk and chia seed mixture, along with orange/lemon zest (if desired)

Pour into prepared pans (lightly coated with coconut oil or coconut cream, then coated with whole wheat flour or lined with parchment paper or large muffin liners).

Bake at 350* for 60-70 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then invert and place on a baking sheet.  

Microwave raw honey and coconut cream for 3-4 minutes until combined and boiling - reaching a syrup like stage. Add almond extract. Spoon or evenly pour syrup over each individual cake, allowing excess syrup to pool around edges. Allow to cool.  

 

Superfood Orange and Date Protein Power Bars - Gluten free

(Photos coming once they've cooled)

I am so excited about this recipe for protein/power bars!  

Besides being super yummy, they are rich in super foods/nutrients, (google flax, chia, quinoa, sesame, anise, and amaranth), 100% natural (no processed ingredients), and gluten free - yay! Made from nuts and seeds and so full of those healthy Omega 3's that we all need more of, but rarely get. I'm a proponent of 'made from scratch', and love that these are made with home ground nut butter, and my own shredded and toasted coconut. And did I mention that they are yummy?  

Filling and perfect for a morning when you don't have time for breakfast (I have a lot of those), after a run or bike ride, or as an afternoon snack for the kids after school.  Crunchy, nutty goodness, and totally versatile for whatever you might have in your pantry, to suit your taste.   

Heat oven to 350*

Mix the following together, spread on a cookie sheet, and toast in oven for 15 minutes - stirring occasionally. 

1 c. uncooked quinoa

1 c. uncooked oats

1 c. uncooked amaranth seeds

1/2 c. flax seeds

1/2 c. chia seeds

1 T. sesame seeds

1 T. anise seeds

Remove from oven, and place mixture in a large mixing bowl.

Add following fruit and nuts to mixing bowl with cooled grains: 

17-20 chopped (pitted) medijool dates (or any dried fruit - raisins, cranberries, blueberries, cherries)

3-5 chopped dried figs

1 c. shredded, unsweetened, lightly toasted coconut 

(Shred whole coconut, and toast in oven for 60 minutes at *225)

1/2 c. cashews

1 T. chia

Grate zest from 2 valencia oranges into a small bowl, and set aside. 

Binding mixture: 

1 c. unfiltered raw honey

Juice from 2 valencia oranges

2/3 c. nut butter (peanut, almond, or cashew)

(blend 3/4 c. raw nuts in high power blender until it turns to paste)

1 t. kosher salt

1.5 T. coconut oil

Heat honey in saucepan, over low heat.  Add orange juice and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for a few minutes so that it reaches a syrup like consistency. Stir in nut butter and whisk until smooth. Add salt and coconut oil.  Stir constantly and bring mixture to a boil.  Allow to boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat before this reaches a nougat like consistency.  

Immediately pour over grain/nuts/fruit mixture, add grated orange zest, and quickly mix together. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan.  Use hands or spatula to compress, and smooth down, and bake at 350* for 20 minutes. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 hours.  

Cut into bars. 

Optional - Melt 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 T. coconut oil.  Dip bottom of power bars into chocolate, and allow to cool on parchment paper. 

Individually wrap in plastic wrap.  

These store well in the cupboard, or refrigerate or freeze.  

Multi-Grain Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I love to make whole wheat bread.  I'm a 'grind the wheat to make her bread' kind of gal.

For years, I've relied on my trusty "Fool Proof Whole Wheat Bread" recipe, and haven't been let down.  

As I was making it today though, I thought I'd add a few more ingredients, to make it more of a multi-grain whole wheat bread, and I substituted coconut oil for the olive oil.  I was surprised at how much lighter and softer this came out, and my family might have even loved it a bit more than my standard recipe.  

  This recipe takes 2 hours from start to finish, with 30 active minutes 

5 ½ cups warm water

2 1/4 T. dry yeast

2 T. salt

1 cup oil (olive or coconut)

2/3 cup honey

8 cups whole kernel wheat

3 Tablespoons chia

2 Tablespoons flax seed

3/4 cup oats

Combine 5 ½ cups warm water, yeast, salt, oil, and honey in Bosch or large mixer bowl. Let stand 5 -10 minutes to activate yeast.

While yeast proofs, using a wheat grinder, mill 8 cups whole kernel wheat to yield 12 cups of whole-wheat flour.  (The wheat will be warm, and perfect for the yeast if ground at this point). 

Add 8 cups of whole-wheat flour to mixing bowl. If using a Bosch, use the ‘spring-loaded’ position (turning to the left instead of the right) button the switch first to blend the ingredients, or mix on low speed until well blended.

Add 3 – 4 cups more flour, 1 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. (The amount of flour required will vary according to the moisture and protein content of the wheat and your atmosphere/altitude etc. The stickier the dough, the moister the bread, but it should clean the sides of the mixing bowl).   Knead dough on low speed for 10 minutes.

Add flax seeds, chia seeds, and oatmeal, and mix thoroughly.

Oil hands and working surface. Remove dough from mixing bowl and with oiled hands, spread into a large rectangle.  Divide into 6 equal portions.  Starting at one end, begin rolling each section, one at a time, into an oblong shape.  Pinch the ends together and turn underneath.  Place in oiled, metal 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 5/8" bread pans (this size seems to work the best, and metal works better than glass).  If desired, oil the top of the loaves for a soft crust.  Cover with a damp cloth, away from drafts, and let rise 1/3 in bulk, or approx. 35 minutes.  

Bake at 425* for 8 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350* for the remainder of the baking period (27 to 32 minutes). Remove from pans when done, and allow to cool on baking racks. Brush tops with butter or oil immediately.  

*Notes:  I specifically use a Bosch mixer with this recipe.  I've tried it with a Kitchenaid mixer, without the same results.  My guess is that it relates to the Bosch's cover retaining the heat perhaps?