Delicious Multigrain Bread

This recipe is my baby.  It started out as a simple recipe from Allrecipes, but over the years I've tweaked it and experimented with it until finally coming up with what I consider the perfect bread.  It makes my heart happy to know that even if all I can get my kids to eat some days is bread, they're still getting something packed with goodness.  Don't be fooled by the whole grain-ness of this bread, it is moist and soft and scrumptrulescent.  It is important to note, however, that for best results you want fresh ground whole wheat flour.  Before I had the ability to grind my own flour I had to sub in about 3 cups white flour for some of the whole wheat flour.  It is so much better (and better for you) if you can grind your own flour!

 

Whole Wheat Oat Flax Bread (or easy home made rolls).

Ingredients

·         3 cups warm water

·         2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
·         1/3 cup agave (or honey) 
·         1 cups whole wheat flour
·         1 cup oats
·         3 tablespoons butter, melted
·         1/3 cup agave / honey 
·         1 tablespoon salt
·         1 cup ground flax
·         3 tablespoons bread dough enhancer or vital wheat gluten
·         5ish cups whole wheat flour
·         2 tablespoons butter, melted

 Directions

1.  In an electric mixer (I use my mom’s 30+ year old Bosch), mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup agave. Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup oats and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly (this is called “proofing the yeast” for anyone new to bread making).

2.  Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter (make sure butter is not too hot), 1/3 cup agave, and salt.

3.  Add flax, dough enhancer and 4 cups flour and mix. While mixing, continue to add flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Let knead for about 5 minutes.

4.  Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.  (I preheat my oven to the lowest setting during step one and turn it off with just the oven light on once it’s preheated.  I then use the oven for both rises)

5.  Punch down bread dough and divide into 2 loaves.* Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by about one inch.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely on wire rack.

 *I have funky sized bread pans, so after the first rise I’ll sometimes make one large loaf (bakes at 360 degrees) and divide the remaining dough into rolls. I then place them in the freezer for future easy “instant” rolls. I first put them on a small cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap until frozen and then transfer them to a freezer bag for long term storage.  When you want to make rolls, just take the frozen rolls, place them in a greased glass dish and let them thaw/ rise for about 3 hours.  Once risen, cook for 12 minutes at 415 degrees.  Butter generously upon removing from the oven.  These rolls are always a hit!

Black Bean Brownie Cookies

Beans can be used for a substitute for oil in a number of recipes, provided those recipes call for some strong flavors, like cocoa.  It takes some tweaking to get the consistency right sometimes, but the health benefits are pretty awesome.  That being said, the original recipe for these cookies I first saw posted to Facebook by a friend of mine.  I couldn't just let the recipe be, even though it was already "healthified," because I can never just let a recipe be.  I just can't.  Thus here is my even healthier (I added things like flax and Greek yogurt and tweaked the sugar) and arguably yummier (at the very least, I think I improved the texture) recipe:

Black Bean Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups black beans, rinsed well
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 6 T. butter, melted
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• ½ cup agave
• 2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 11/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used fresh ground flour- it's lighter and better for you)
• 1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup Truvia baking blend (Stevia + sugar)
• 1/3 cup (be generous) ground flax
• 1 T. baking powder
• dash of cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top OR butterscotch chips (my husband's preference which I stumbled upon by happy accident).

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine black beans, milk, peanut butter, vanilla, agave, Greek yogurt and melted butter in a food processor and process until smooth (I used my Blendtec).
3. Combine whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, flax, salt, and cinnamon, in a large bowl.  Stir in wet ingredients.
4. Stir in dark chocolate chips.
5. Spoon dollops of the batter onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with the extra chocolate chips.  These cookies do not spread, but just puff a little as they cook so you can get them pretty cozy.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Let cool slightly, then put on a baking rack until they are cooled completely.
8. ENJOY!!

 

Note: These should probably be kept in the fridge, if they stick around that long.  I, er, I mean, my kids wolf these down like nobody's business.