Fuel to be back at it

I am now officially a working mom since I returned to work last week. It's a busy time as my partner is splitting parental leave and staying home with our little gal. There are a lot of firsts - baby's, daddy's and mamma's. Thankfully, I have found an energy-filled recipe for homemade granola bars that works as a quick breakfast or snack. Granola mix is something we usually have on had in one form or another. Sometimes it has different seeds, chocolate chips, different nuts, raisins, oats, etc. I have tried making bars before but they never seem to hold together or be suitable for taking to work or on-the-go. This one inspired by a Today's Parent magazine "picky eaters" insert actually works! It suggests putting the granola mixture in the bottom of muffin tins for baking so you end up with granola coins. Plus, the recipe calls for an egg which helps bind it all together. Brilliant!

Here's the recipe (but feel free to substitute items you have on hand or love (like instead of dried cranberries, use raisins or another dried fruit). I had coconut in the cupboard so I used that this time and it was yummy!

Egg, fresh, 1 large
Maple Syrup, .25 cup
Canola Oil, 1 tbs
Oats (large flake), 1 cup
Sunflower Seeds, without salt, 2 tbs
Cranberries, dried, sweetened (craisins), 0.25 cup
Almonds, 2 tbs
Cooking spray or oil for pan

In a medium bowl, whisk egg with maple syrup and oil. Stir in all the other ingredients. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (or oil the bottoms of each part of the tin). Spoon the granola mixture into the muffin tin, separating the mixture into 12 portions and patting it down with the back of a spoon.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 mins until golden around the edges. When done. let cool a few minutes then run a knife around the edge of each one to release them. Let the coins cool on a rack.

If you want to make granola, or want to cut out the oats or egg in this recipe, simply toss all the dry ingredients together in a baggie. Sealed, it should last a while or you can portion out 1/4 or 1/2 cup portions into containers or baggies for lunches and snacks.

Fall into this cake

I've had a lack of posting lately...mostly due to a squirmy baby inside my tummy which has taken over my natural appetite and desire to stand in a hot kitchen. Expect posts to be sparse in the coming weeks and months. When I do have time (and energy), though, I promise to post what I've been up to with cooking and/or baking. This time, I have something just sinful to share: pumpkin rum raisin cake. It's a dense dessert that's full of flavour and spirit. Here's how it goes:

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup amber or dark rum, or apple juice (I used dark rum)

1/4 cup warm water

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups pumpkin purée

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Glaze
Raisin-soaking liquid

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups icing sugar

First, soak the raisins in the rum and warm water and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350C and grease a bunt pan. 

Beat the eggs, sugar and oil until frothy and then add the pumpkin purée and blend until smooth. Set aside.

 

 In another bowel, sift together flour, baking powder, spices and salt (ie. all the dry ingredients).

 Then mix the dry into the wet ingredients until just combined. Drain the raisins (save the liquid) and add those and the nuts. Mix to coat. This would also be delicious with chocolate chips!!

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 55 mins (until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few crumbs). 

When baked, allow to cook for about 10 mins before inverting the pan and turning the cake out onto a cooking rack. Cool the cake completely. 

For the icing glaze, mix together 3 tbs (or slightly more, who's counting?) of the raisin/rum liquid with the icing sugar and vanilla. Drizzle a small amount over the cake and let cool and harden. Then drizzle some more and let that cool and harden. Repeat this a few more times until the glaze builds up on the cake. 

 

Serve and enjoy. It's a great fall treat and a little boozy so it feels special and very grown-up. The original recipe is from an unexpected place: Our Compliments. Happy fall everyone!