Whole-Wheat, Whole-Grain Morning Monster Cookies and an Invitation!

 

Last year if you would have told me that I'd write two blog posts on running, I would have laughed (and laughed, and laughed some more).

What I always said when people talked about running was that "running hurts me."  It was the truth, and also, remedied with a more substantial sports bra. *ahem*

You might have seen a post back in the spring about my first 5K.  Since then, I've kept up with the running...albeit a slight foot injury had me on the sidelines for a few weeks and this Houston humidity is surely trying to kill me.

What has kept me going is a group of girls called the Red Faced Runners.  Yep.  Here we are in our Wonder Woman socks...

{That's me, top left...can't you tell?}

LISTEN UP....we want you to run WITH US!!!  
{More in a minute...}

We're all at different levels of running, but the common denominator, besides our red faces, is that we cheer each other on.  These girls are my heart when I feel like I don't want to get out there, or I want to quit and walk home. 

We also have a fearless leader, Cindy of Once Upon a Loaf.  Cindy is a real-live RUNNING COACH...and she's over at Dara's blog, giving some invaluable advice for starting a running program and training for a 5K.

First though, Cindy was nice enough to share a few quick points here:

1. Believe in the run.

2. Believe in the rest.

3. Respect must rule all.

4. Your body is your temple.

5. Your kitchen is your place of worship.

6. Equip yourself.

7. You run.  You don't jog.

8. Get after it.

9. Spread the love.

10. Have the time of your life!

We're inviting you, challenging you (would love for you) to run WITH us the weekend of September 8th.


Pick a race in your area and let's run together!!!  (Click here to search a list of races.)
Plus....you can eat all of the cookies you want after the race.  (I'm not sure that's in Cindy's training plan, but it's part of mine.)

---

OK...let me share with you part of my running routine.  I like to run early.  Why?

A. It's cooler outside.
B. It takes me approximately 4.5 hours to dry my hair, so early gets me out of the house by noon.

Before heading out, I like to grab a quick breakfast.  I don't want to cook anything, so most mornings, I grab a Kind Bar (thank you, Teresa), but having a breakfast cookie like this already made and ready to go is even better.

I call these "Morning" Monster Cookies because they're chock-full of oats, whole-wheat flour (KA White Whole Wheat), peanut butter, and dried cherries replace the typical M&Ms.  OK...there are chocolate and butterscotch chips, too.  Sugar = energy, right?  Right.

Morning Monster Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
3 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 & 1/2 cups chunky peanut butter
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup white whole wheat flour, King Arthur brand (all-purpose is fine)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup dried cherries

Melt the butter over low heat and set aside.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda and salt.  Whisk in the melted butter.

 

Add the peanut butter, oats, and flour; stir until combined.  Stir in the chips and cherries until evenly distributed.  (This will give your arm a workout.)

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Drop the dough by 1/4-cupfuls onto the parchment-lined sheets.  Flatten slightly with your fingers.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Let cool on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.

{Based on a recipe for classic Monster Cookies from The King Arthur Cookie Companion.}

---

Click on over to Cookin' Canuck for more detailed tips from Cindy.  Be sure to visit the rest of the Red Faced Runners, too!

Cindy, Once Upon a Loaf 

Amy, She Wears Many Hats

Kristen, Dine & Dish 

Lori, Recipe Girl

Katrina, In Katrina's Kitchen

Robyn, Add a Pinch

Carolyn, All Day I Dream About Food

Krista, Budget Gourmet Mom 

Shawn, I Wash...You Dry

Dara, Cookin' Canuck 

So, will you join us?  
{psst...join the fun on twitter using the #RFR5k hashtag.}

Lavender & Lemon Scones

No judging, ok?  I've had this little tin of dried culinary lavender in my cabinet for over a year.

I know, I know....that's a big no-no.  You see, sweet Aimee from Simple Bites gave me a tin of culinary lavender at Blissdom (in 2011). ;)  I just couldn't find the *perfect* recipe to try with it....so I kept it in my cabinet and would just open the tin and take a whiff occasionally.

No judging, remember?

When Bon Appetit arrived in my mailbox complete with recipe for Lavender Scones, I knew this was the moment.

I changed the recipe up a bit....based on what I had on hand.  I also grated in the butter....a trick I learned from Cook's Illustrated a few years ago.  More on that in a minute.

In one word, I would describe these scones as "lovely."  In more words, they are sweet, flaky, and a little fancy.  Planning a tea party, or a ladies' brunch?  Make them. 

Don't be fooled though, even though they sound girly & dainty, Mr. E and the kiddo LOVED them!

Lavender & Lemon Scones
{makes 16, adapted from Bon Appetit}

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup half & half, plus more for brushing
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
sanding sugar
lemon curd

Place the butter in the freezer.  Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, lavender, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. 

On the large holes of a grater, grate the frozen butter and add to the flour mixture.  Stir gently, then rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles a coarse meal.

Whisk together the buttermilk, half & half, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste.  Add to the flour/butter mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead about 5 times, until the dough comes together.  Pat into a 10 x 6" rectangle.  Halve the dough into two 5 x 6" sections.  Cut each section into fourths, then cut each square diagonally.  (A bench scraper is the perfect tool for this.)

Place 8 of the scones on the prepared baking sheet.  Brush lightly with half & half and sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Bake for 13-15 minutes, until golden and done.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, place the remaining 8 scones on another baking sheet and freeze in a single layer.  Once frozen, place in a freezer bag.  Bake from freezer as directed above.  Add a few more minutes of cooking time as necessary.  If baking all at once, move oven racks to the lower and upper thirds and rotate sheets during cooking.

Once the scones are cooled, serve with a dollop (or three) of lemon curd.  I used store-bought, but if you are looking to make your own, check out Sweetapolita's post on Citrus Curd.  It's heavenly.

Now that I've been bitten by the lavender bug, I think there's no turning back.  I see lavender sugar cookies in my future.  And hey, I might even buy a fresh tin! ;)

Thank you, Aimee! 

Blueberry Bundt Cake for Mother's Day

Brunch is a beautiful thing.

You don't have to wake up early, and really, anything goes at brunch...spicy sausage & egg casseroles, bubbly mimosas, and cake.  Did I mention cake?

It's no secret that all moms love brunch.  Really.  It's a fact.  I think you need this Blueberry Bundt Cake at yours.

The recipe is adapted from Warren Brown's new book CakeLove in the Morning.  It's such a sweet, cheery book...and if you love making breakfast and brunch, you'll find everything here from waffles to frittatas...and, yes, cake!

The recipe calls for superfine sugar.  Don't panic; I'm going to show you how to make it at home. Aaaaaand, we're going to get all fancy with ours and make VANILLA superfine sugar.

{Do you think "Superfine sugar" has an attitude around all of the other sugars?  "Sure, you're sweet and all, but I'm SUPERFINE."} These thoughts are what go through my head as I bake.

Back to the cake...

Blueberry Bundt Cake

{adapted from CakeLove in the Morning}

2 & 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup milk, room temperature
2/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 & 3/4 cups vanilla superfine sugar *see note
1 & 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature
1 & 1/3 cups fresh blueberries
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda; set aside.

In another bowl, combine the milk, cream and vanilla.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

On low speed, add the flour in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  Scrape down the bowl between additions.  Once everything has been added, run the mixer for an additional 20 seconds on low.

Coat a Bundt pan with baking spray.  Pour the batter evenly into the pan.  Use a spatula to fold in the blueberries once the batter is in the pan.

{It's fun to do it this way!}

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Place on a wire cooling rack and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, place the wire rack face down on the cake.  Invert and flip the rack; place on the counter.  Give the cake a few seconds to let gravity do its thing, then, lift the pan off of the cake.  Cool completely (or serve warm).

Before serving, dust with sifted powdered sugar.

{Flowers in the middle are optional, but if you're making it for mom, you know she'll appreciate it.}


*To make the vanilla superfine sugar:

Place 3 cups of granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor.

 

Scrape in the seeds of one vanilla bean.  Process for about 1 to 1.5 minutes.

Voila!   Superfine!

There's a slice waiting just for you (and your mom)!

Maple Pecan Biscuit Cake

Do you like cake for breakfast?  Me, too.  In case you're one of those people who feels guilty about eating cake for breakfast (are there people like that?), this cake is 100% guilt-free.  It's a BISCUIT cake!  See, totally breakfast food.

White Lily Flour is new to me, although I know I have heard of it.  My grocery store doesn't carry it, but I was more than happy to do a little baking and test it out. 
{PS...I've also never owned a Mercedes and would be more that happy to test one of those out as well.}

Back to baking...White Lily sent me a few recipe booklets, some flour, a Cuisinart mixer (!), and a few other goodies that you'll see in a minute ('cause you might win them).  I was totally inspired by one of their recipes, changed it up a bit here and there, and made this Maple Pecan Biscuit Cake.

Let me tell you, this little cake is going in my regular rotation for breakfast to serve when we have company.  It serves 9, but once our little family of 3 was finished with it, there was less than half a pan left.  Weird.


Would you like to try some White Lily flour for yourself?  And maybe a few goodies to go with it?

Yes?  Here's what one lucky person will win: 2 bags of White Lily flour, spatula, grocery list, grocery bag, 3 recipe booklets, pastry blender, dish towel, and a Cuisinart hand mixer...perfect when you don't want to use your countertop mixer.

To Enter:
Use the rafflecopter widget below to name one of the recipes from the White Lily website that you'd like to try...maybe it's a bread recipe, or breakfast recipe....or maybe DESSERT?!?

You can enter using your email OR facebook...we're trying something new, so let's see how it goes. :) US residents only, please.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
Maple Pecan Biscuit Cake

for the cake:
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 & 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups self-rising flour (I used White Lily)
1/4 cup Crisco, chilled
2/3 cup buttermilk

for the cream cheese drizzle:
3 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 TBSP milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease an 8x8" baking pan.

Stir together the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Place the flour in a medium bowl.  Use a pastry blender to cut in the cold shortening until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.  Stir in the buttermilk, just until the dough comes together.

Dump the dough into the prepared pan.  With floured hands, press the dough evenly into the pan.

Pour the butter/pecan mixture over the dough.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the dough has risen and is done.  Remove to a cooling rack and let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the cream cheese drizzle.  Beat the cream cheese until soft.  Beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Add the milk and beat until smooth.  Transfer to a piping bag or a baggie, cut off the tip and drizzle onto the warm cake.  Serve warm.

{{psst...if you like cake for breakfast, you must also see this shirt...thanks, Meg!}}

Four-Ingredient Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Baking from scratch, I love it; I do.  But sometimes, a cake mix comes to the rescue.  Like sometimes in the mornings...when I tend to feel lazy...and the last thing I want to do is create an entire sinkful of dishes before 6:30 am.

I present to you...a lazy mom's (that's me) muffins.
{I am not referring to my muffin TOP here. I mean *actual* muffins.}

They're a snap to put together, a hit with the kids and adults alike, and oh, they're low-fat.  If you're into that sort of thing.

4-Ingredient Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
{technically 5 if you count the water, but let's not.}

yield: 15-18 muffins

1 box French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 egg whites, beaten with a fork until frothy
heaping 1/2 c. cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, UNthawed)

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray or grease 15-18 cups of a muffin tin.

Stir together the cake mix and pumpkin.  I usually add 2-3 TBSP water here to loosen things up a bit.

Gently stir in the egg whites and cranberries until incorporated.  Spoon into the prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the centers pop back when lightly pressed.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

{Sometimes when you take pictures of food, visitors pop by to see what you are up to.}

Voila! Warm from the oven muffins that you can make even before getting caffeinated.

Breakfast Banana Splits . . . you want one.

My favorite story about banana splits involves my dad and Uncle Mike .  It seems years and years and YEARS ago, they decided to have an eating contest.  They consumed massive amounts of pizza and then went for banana splits.  My dad finished his, but my Uncle Mike saved his favorite part of the banana split for last, and was too full to eat it.  Somehow, this made a very big impression on me when I was a kid.

Moral of the Story: Finish your banana split whether you're too full or not. 

I found this idea through Pinterest...which led me to The Kitchn (love).  Their breakfast banana splits may be a *tad* bit healthier, topped with jam, but hey...you have to get your daily intake of Nutella somewhere!


Breakfast Banana Splits

1 banana
Greek yogurt (I like Fage)
sliced strawberries
Nutella
chopped nuts, toasted


Slice the banana lengthwise and place in a bowl.  Add 2 scoop of yogurt...I used an ice cream scooper for this.  Greek yogurt is so thick that it keeps it's shape.


Add the sliced strawberries.


Heat some Nutella in the microwave for about 10 seconds.  Drizzle over the sundae.


Add toasted, chopped nuts. (I used almonds here, but pecans might be my favorite.)

Ta-da!  Breakfast Banana Splits!  

Make them soon.  I won't tell if you eat all of the Nutella off the top first.  You know, just in case you're too full to eat the rest. ;)

The Butter, the Wranglers, the Ranch. . . oh my!

 {from top: Flavia, me (hi!), Nina, Amanda, Karen, Sandi, Kristen}

We had a little Pioneer Woman watch party at the Bake at 350 house on Saturday.  You DO know about Ree's new show on Food Network, right?  Right?

What can I say about Ree?  I've been smitten with her blog since the first day I discovered it.  A friend sent me a link, and I started reading, and reading and reading.  Four hours later, I was packing up Mr. E and the kiddo and heading to Oklahoma.  {As Mr. E's job is here in Texas, we decided to stay put.}

So, Ree's show debuted on Saturday and I invited a few friends (and fellow PW fans) over to watch, eat, and cheer Ree on!

It started with food...as it always does around here.

Yes, I got a picture of the menu and not the food.  (psst...those "diet killers" are here.) 
Except for the Nutella Scones...

{More on these later.}


...and a bowl of fruit...ooo, how exciting!

What I loved about the Pioneer Woman show was not only the food...chicken fried steak, decadent mashed potatoes...but the glimpse into ranch life. It looks like a lot of work, but also, a lot of fun....especially if Ree is doing the cooking!

We watched...


And dreamed...


And ate... (did I mention the Nutella?)


Nutella Scones
{slightly modified from the magnificent Baked Explorations}

about 1 cup hazelnuts
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Nutella, divided

Preheat oven to 350.  Place the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the papery skins begin to crack and loosen. Rub the hazelnuts with a dish towel to remove most of the skin.  Let cool.  Coarsely chop and set aside.

Increase the oven temp. to 375 and place the rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add the butter. Use a pastry cutter (or your fingers) to cut the butter into the mixture until the butter is pea size and the mixture is coarse.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together. Gently and briefly knead the dough with your hands. Add the 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts and knead gently to incorporate.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough into a rectangle approximately 6 by 12" (it does not need to be precise) and spread 1/4 cup of the Nutella on top. Roll the dough up and make a cylinder about 6 inches long, turn it on its end, and gently flatten it into a disk about 1 and 3/4 inches high. Do not overwork the dough.

Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake the scones for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.

Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool completely. Place the baking sheet with the parchment still underneath the rack.

For the topping:
Heat the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella (or add a little more) in a microwave until pourable, about 10-20 seconds on high. Transfer the Nutella to a pastry bag, cut off the tip and drip the warm Nutella in a zigzag pattern over the tops of the scones. The scones are best eaten the day they are made.

 {from top: Flavia, me, Molly (my sister), Nina, Amanda, Sandi, Kristen}

Watch parties with friends?  Highly recommended!
Pioneer Woman's new Food Network show?  My new favorite! I'll be tuning in EVERY week! 

{And I'm pretty sure Mr. E is getting a pair of Wranglers for Christmas.}