Baby Cakes!

Expectation: New parents are looking for a healthier option for their baby's first birthday cake!

Every parent wants to throw their baby a first birthday party. And, what's a birthday party without a cake? Grain Expectations is excited to announce our new offering: Baby's First Birthday Cakes!

Our Baby Cakes are all-natural, sugar free (sweetened with organic fruits and vegetables), and 100% whole grain.

Our cake selection includes banana, apple, sweet potato, and carrot with your choice of either cream cheese or yogurt frosting (sweetened with agave nectar).

Here's our favorite 1 year old, Ansel, at his first birthday party, with a Grain Expectations sweet potato Baby Cake!

Order yours today at www.GrainExpectations.com!

Coming to a health fair near you!

Expectation: That people would be surprised to see baked goods at their office health fair!

Last week, Grain Expectations was invited to a Health and Benefits Fair at the Seattle Nuance office. We brought plenty of free samples, and had a great time chatting with the employees about our healthy baked goods! Check out the pictures of our display:

Reading materials: Information about our business, 

health facts about our baked goods, and our holiday menu.

A few things for sale: mini loaves of Banana Walnut Bread, 

and packages of Snowflake Cookies.

Does your doctor tell you to eat more protein? Try our peanut butter cookies! 

Full of protein, low in carbohydrates and gluten-free.

 

Here's Brian ready to tell you about Grain Expectations!

Good News in the News

I read two things in the news today that made me quite happy.

The first was these questions answered by "liberal foodie intellectual" Michael Pollan, especially this one:

What is the single best food we all should be eating every day?

Here is his answer: Single best? Probably whole grains - they offer a lot that's missing from the industrial diet, from fiber to important antioxidants and healthy fats. People who eat lots of whole grains are generally healthier and live longer than those who don't.

Second was this article from NPR that explains how American farmers are selling $4.8 billion a year in fruits and vegetables in their local markets, including to supermarkets, schools and restaurants. Part of the Grain Expectations mission is to include local produce in baked goods to take advantage of peak flavor and nutrients. Eating locally is a great way to support the economy and lower your carbon footprint. It also has health benefits, as the body naturally needs different nutrients during specific times of the year.

Just a few more reasons to add whole grains and local produce into your diet! I hope my recipes and menu items allow you to celebrate these foods as a part of your daily diet.

Fun with Nuts!

Expectation: That everybody loves nuts as much as I do.

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of nuts. If I had my way, I would put nuts in all of my baked goods. Not only are nuts delicious and perfect for adding a little crunch, they are also full of healthy fats and nutrients. In fact, people who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart disease.

I've recently experimented with adding nuts to baked goods in non-traditional ways, through nut butters and ground nuts. Ground nuts can replace flour in many recipes, and it is easy to do. Just toast nuts then grind them in a food processor or blender.

Some of my favorite recipes with nuts include:

Cherry Almond Cornmeal Cake 

(with ground almonds in the cake and slivered almonds on top)

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies 

(super easy and quite delicious)

Hazelnut Espresso Coffecake 

(with ground hazelnuts inside)

Orange Ginger Nut Bars 

(almond meal crust with pistachios and almonds on top)

Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes

Expectation: That the bold color of beets would create a beautiful cupcake.

Lucky for me, one of my new friends here in Seattle is a big fan of cupcakes, and a skilled baker. I don't have much cupcake experience, so I turned to her for some help. Our first task was an all-time favorite: red velvet.

Red velvet cake has an interesting, somewhat debated history. The Wikipedia entry claims that cake bakers have always used food coloring to achieve that deep, blood-red color. But, it points out three other culprits for the color: the reaction of vinegar with buttermilk, natural (not processed with alkaline) cocoa, and boiled beets. Even if beets were never the true reason behind the red, I do think it's a fun way to use them, so we gave it a try!

Another debated characteristic of red velvet cake is the flavor. It can be found in either chocolate or vanilla. We tried both. I pulled together a couple beet cupcake recipes, and we came up with a plan for a chocolate version and a non-chocolate version.

Pictured above is our tasting set up once the cupcakes were completed. We had looked up the flavor affinities of beets in the amazing Flavor Bible, and found, among others; goat cheese, citrus, honey and maple. We then made up four versions of frosting based on these affinities. Then, we tasted each version cupcake with each version frosting.

I don't want to give away my secrets, but all I can say is that these cupcakes were good! We had no trouble finishing every last one, and we have come up with an AMAZING treat which is definitely going on my menu. Can't wait for you to taste it!

Vegetables in Bread?

Expectation: That vegetables make baked goods moist and delicious!

Each time we get a CSA delivery from New Roots Organics, I think about what tasty baked goods I can come up with using their delicious local produce. Therefore, one goal of my business is to partner with a local farm or CSA. One delivery, we got both carrots and summer squash. I wanted to see what sort of flavor I could get with each of these, so I decided to puree them and make them into simple breads. I also bought a can of pumpkin (it's not pumpkin season), and did the same.

Here are the purees (carrots left, squash center, pumpkin right):

And here are the resulting mini-loaves (squash left, carrot center, pumpkin right):

I was amazed at the flavor I got from the squash and carrot puree. The squash was creamy, thick and just plain "squashy". The carrot was intense and spicy. The pumpkin, however, did not have too much flavor. I'm guessing this is why it is typically heavily spiced; it provides moistness while up taking on the flavor of your favorite spices. I'm curious to see if I get more flavor from fresh pumpkin, once autumn rolls around.

Do any of these sound like breads you would try? The next step is to figure out what form (muffin, bread, scone) will best showcase these flavors, and what other tasty ingredients I can add to enhance the nutrition and taste!

Perfecting the Recipes

Expectation: That I won't be able to make money off of any old recipe.

I've always tried a lot of recipes that don't make it onto this blog, but now that I've made the decision to sell my baked goods, it's time to extremely picky.

Over the last month, I've spent a lot of time thinking about my vision, and how I can differentiate from the competition. According to my research, there are very few bakeries out there who use solely whole grains. Although this has been the focus of my blog, I think my business will go one step further with the addition of nuts, fruit and even veggies. I want to focus on local produce, and truly celebrate whole, real foods.

So, it's time to get baking!

My goal is to have at least ten recipes in which I feel really confident and go from there. These ten need to cover different taste preferences (chocolaty, fruity, grainy, light and fluffy), while showcasing the four ingredient groups that I'll be featuring (whole grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits). Also, in the past I've posted other people's recipes word for word, but I don't feel great about putting a price tag on somebody else's concoction. Therefore, I'm going to create recipes that are all my own.

Needless to say, there's a lot of eating going on around here. I've sufficiently pawned off a ton of stuff on nearby friends, and have gotten some great feedback. But, once I've refined my top 10 recipes, it's diet time for me!

Perfecting the recipes is the fun part. The not-fun part is all of the paperwork, permits, applications and finances. As long as I keep my eyes on the prize, I think I'll stay motivated. Stay tuned for all of that!

Berries: Even healthier than you thought!

Expectation: That berries were like other fruits - tasty, but with a high GI.

My monthly GI Newsletter (published by the folks at www.glycemicindex.com) brought some good news this month: most berries have a low GI! To subscribe to the newsletter, click here.

Here is an excerpt of the article:

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

The scoop on berries

Emma Stirling APD

Strawberries and cream may be a perfect match, but there are so many better ways to reap the health benefits of berries. From delicate raspberries to tart cranberries, there’s a variety to please every meal, snack or drink, not just dessert.

Apart from strawberries (GI 40), most berries actually have so little carbohydrate content it’s difficult to test their GI. Their low carbohydrate content means their glycemic load will also be low, so you really can enjoy them by the bowlful without concerns about their blood glucose impact.

For the rest of the article, including some recipes, click here and scroll down.

Photo credit : 'Berry Pudding', Ian Hofstetter, The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook

© ® & ™ The University of Sydney, Australia

Taking It To The Masses

Expectation: That there are other people out there interested in healthier baked goods!

For a couple years now, I've been daydreaming about selling my baked goods and eventually opening an adorable little bakery. Well, due to large amounts of personal impatience combined with some damn good recipes, I've made the decision to take the plunge. My business license is in the mail, and big things are happening!

Unfortunately for many of you, this means I will no longer be sharing my best recipes. However, if you are a friend from California (and not anywhere near where I will be selling), you just might be able to talk me into divulging my secrets.

Check back here for updates on the business, and to follow my journey from amateur baker to full fledged business owner (here's hoping)!!

Next up:
Step one: Make my awesome recipes even more awesome.

Waffles

Expectation: To make a delicious, healthier waffle!

Winning Box Recipe: Kodiak Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix

Winning Homemade Recipe: Cinnamon Sweet Potato Waffles

Kodiak Cakes 

Always on the lookout for quick and easy whole grains, I stumbled upon Kodiak Cakes Whole Grain Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix on a recent trip with friends to Oregon. This mix contains all-natural ingredients: whole wheat flour, whole oat flour, milk, honey, leavening, egg whites and salt. Although I haven't made the flapjacks yet, the waffles were excellent: crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We happened to add bacon to the batter, which definitely didn't hurt, but I know the waffles would be great without it!

Cinnamon and Walnut Sweet Potato Waffles

For Christmas this past year, I received a great new cookbook, The Frugal Foodie, by Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small, authors of the blog TwoFatAls.com. This recipe caught my eye from the very beginning.

Along with whole grains, I love using vegetables in my baking because they add nutrients to otherwise empty-calorie foods. These waffles contain several healthy ingredients; whole wheat flour, cinnamon, sweet potato (or yams, in my case), walnuts and bananas (depending on your choice of toppings). Another bonus about this recipe is that it only contains a quarter cup of brown sugar, as the waffles are sweetened mostly by the sweet potato. I used a yam because yams are a bit sweeter and have that great orange color. 

These waffles are really fun. They have a rich, brown color, and offer layers of flavor from the spices, orange zest and yam. Although they are not particularly crispy, the texture is solid and holds up well to toppings. 

For this recipe (and more), click here: Cinnamon Sweet Potato Waffles

While on the topic of waffles, don't miss one of my all time favorite blogs, Waffleizer.

Banana-Oat Pancakes

Expectation: To whip up something quick and tasty on National Pancake Day!

Winning Recipe: Banana-Oat Pancakes

I woke up this morning to find out that March 1st is National Pancake Day. So, clearly, I had to make some pancakes! I didn't have many ingredients (no whole wheat flour), and I also didn't have time to run to the store. Lucky for me, my King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book had a recipe for Banana-Oat pancakes that I had all the ingredients for!

I can say with confidence that these pancakes are some of the best I have ever had. They are incredibly delicious on their own: completely moist, light and fluffy, with none of that weird baking soda taste and a truly amazing flavor. I couldn't stop saying "Wow. These are SO good."

The best part is that they are pretty healthy! They are mostly bananas, with only oat flour (no white flour), eggs and just a touch of sugar and spices. Nutrition-wise, the are pretty much like eating a bowl of oatmeal.

The recipe is straight out of the book, so I can't take any credit for it, but I just had to post them. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 small (or 2 large) bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs

1 cup oat flour (just throw some oats in a blender!)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparations:

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas and add the butter, lemon juice and sugar. Beat in the eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt and spices. 

Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir the batter just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Check to be sure the batter is thin enough; you may need to add a touch of milk or water (I added a bit of milk). Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.

Heat a nonstick griddle or heavy skillet (If the surface is NOT nonstick, brush or spray it with vegetable oil). When the surface is hot enough that a drop of water sputters across it, spoon the batter on 1/4 cupful at a time. Let the pancakes cook on the first side until bubbles form around the edges, 3-4 minutes. When the cakes are just beginning to set, flip them and let them finish cooking on the second side, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Serve immediately!

Yields about 10 small pancakes.

Nutrition facts for one pancake:

101 calories

4g fat

13g carbohydrate

2g fiber

GI 51

GL 7

About the grains:

Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats are oat groats that have been steamed and flattened by a roller.  Rolled oats cannot be eaten raw, but are the main ingredient in minimally cooked recipes, like granola. Oat flour is made by blending oats in a blender until they reach the consistency of flour. I bought a two pound bag of Bob's Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats at Whole Foods for $4.39. Rolled Oats have a GI of 58. See how I used them in coffeecake and brownies.

Brownies

Expectation: That I would never find a winning whole grain brownie recipe.

I've always loved the idea of brownies, but find that I am often disappointed at picnics and parties when I taste a not-worth-the-calories brownie that is too sweet or too cake-y or too hard. Therefore, I never anticipated finding a blog-worthy brownie recipe. But, after a brief whole grain hiatus over the holidays (there was plenty of baking, just not of the whole grain variety), I stumbled upon this recipe. "Rosie" promises "the best, richest brownies" and describes them as "fudgy" and "deep(ly) chocolate(y)". And, they use oat flour! So, I had to try them out. I made the oat flour myself by popping a cup of oats into a blender. Overall, these were super easy to make, and as good as Rosie promised!

One ingredient to pay attention to is dutch cocoa. There are two different kinds of unsweetened cocoa out there: natural and dutch-processed. It turns out that using the correct kind is important, as you can read about below.

Another alteration that I made was adding chocolate chips and walnuts. I firmly believe that brownies should always have chocolate chips in them, so I never make them without. And, as you know, I love nuts. This recipe will hold up with the added chips and nuts or without.


Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dutch cocoa
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely ground oat flour
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 inch pan.

If making your own oat flour, put a heaping cup of oats into the blender and blend until fine. Measure out a cup of the oat flour and set aside.

Combine the melted butter with the dutch cocoa. Add the sugar and allow the butter to cool for a bit (you don't want to cook the eggs!). Once the bowl feels cool to the touch, beat in the eggs one at a time.

Next, add espresso powder, vanilla, salt and oat flour and combine. Last, toss in the chocolate chips and walnuts (if you'd like). Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan before devouring (this is seriously the hardest part). 

About the grains and ingredients:

Dutch Cocoa Powder is cocoa that has been processed with alkali to neutralize acidity, increase solubility and remove bitter flavor. Some people believe it is important to use the cocoa specified in a recipe because the different types of cocoa react differently to baking powder and baking soda. Unfortunately, the dutch-process also reduces the amount of antioxidants in the cocoa, and it can be pricey. For more information, check out this write up by David LeBovitz. I purchased a box of Droste Dutch processed cocoa at QFC for $14.99.

Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats are oat groats that have been steamed and flattened by a roller. Rolled oats cannot be eaten raw, but are the main ingredient in minimally cooked recipes, like granola. I bought a two pound bag of Bob's Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats at Whole Foods for $4.39. Rolled Oats have a GI of 58. See how I used them in coffeecake and peach apricot bread.