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Kitchen Mailbox: Try adding something sweet to your morning routine
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I'm not a morning person. I can't jump out of bed and head to the kitchen to make breakfast. I have to ease into the day with a cup of coffee and a bite of something sweet. Today's recipes are two of my favorite morning foods. I make them the night before.
Mt. Lebanon's Susan Marquesen, a master gardener and master food preserver, introduced me to her Oatmeal Date Nut Bars for the annual master gardeners' soup exchange in February. The bars contain whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, nuts and dates, and they are outstanding. I've made them several times -- my family can't get enough.
OATMEAL DATE NUT BARS
PG tested
- 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups nuts (walnuts or pecans), chopped
- 1 cup dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Finely grind 1 1/4 cups of the oatmeal in a food processor. Stir together the ground oats, 1 cup rolled oats, the whole-wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice in a bowl.
In a separate bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer), beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in the oat mixture until just combined. Mix in chopped dates and nuts.
Place in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread evenly. Scatter remaining 1/2 cup oats on top. Bake about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.
-- Susan Marquesen, Mt. Lebanon
PEANUT-BUTTER BANANA BREAD
PG tested
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
- 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
- Cooking spray
- For the glaze
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon 1-percent low-fat milk
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine first 5 ingredients; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add sugars and beat until blended.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice). Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool 20 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan. Cool.
Combine glaze ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cooled bread.
Yields 16 servings.
-- Cooking Light magazine
First Published August 23, 2012 12:00 am
