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.

Bran Flax Muffins

Expectation: That the recipe on the bag wouldn't be anything to write home about.

Winning Recipe: Bran Flax Muffins

This recipe is an old favorite. Years ago, my mom and I bought some flaxseed meal because we had heard about it's health benefits, and wanted to see what we could do with it. So, we tried the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill bag, and were blown away! These muffins are fantastic. They are full of great things: two whole grains (including healthy flaxseed), carrots, apples, raisins and nuts! And they are a perfect on-the-go breakfast, as they are quite filling.

I can't take any credit for these, but I just had to post them. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white flour
3/4 cup flaxseed meal
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded
2 apples, peeled and shredded (any consistency from chunks to applesauce will work)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup nuts, chopped (I use walnuts)
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease muffin tins or line with paper baking cups; set aside. Mix together flour, flaxseed meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins and nuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Yields 15 medium muffins.

Nutrition facts for one muffin:
178 calories
2.4g fat
37g carbohydrate
4g fiber
GI 90
GL 33

About the grains:

Flaxseed is a great source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The grain has a tough outer coating that must be crushed or ground in order to unlock the nutritional benefits, including large amounts of fiber as well as natural antioxidants. Flaxseed Meal is ground up flaxseed. It can be used in most recipes as a substitute for white flour, eggs (1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal plus three tablespoons of water = 1 egg), and oil or butter (3 tablespoons = 1 tablespoon of butter, margarine or oil). 

Oat Bran is the outer coating of oats, which contains the bulk of the soluble fiber and other nutrients. Oat bran is a good source of iron, potassium and thiamin. The carbohydrate content of oat bran is even lower than that of whole oats. It is a safe bet to substitute 1/3 of white or all-purpose flour with oat bran in many recipes. It can be found at most supermarkets, and it has a GI value of 55. 

Cinnamon Rolls

Expectation: That whole grains would overpower delicate cinnamon roll dough.

Winning Recipe: Spelt Cinnamon Rolls

When I told my friend Shea about this blog, she claimed cinnamon rolls as the challenge she wanted to help take on. We tried two different recipes, one for Dark and Dangerous Cinnamon Buns from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book, which the book described as "simply irresistible," and another from Spelt Healthy! which promised "succulent and moist" rolls. Both recipes were labor intensive, taking over 5 hours total preparation time, but both lived up to our expectation. Surprisingly, spelt came out on top! The "dark and dangerous" buns had a lot of flavor, but the end result was overall too sweet, and I got flashbacks of the great pretzel failure when the dough did not obviously rise. 

The recipe is intense, but if you follow it correctly, I promise you will be happy with the results!

Ingredients:

Dough

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 4 cups white spelt flour
• 2 cups whole grain spelt flour

Filling

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins

Icing

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• milk (as needed)

Preparations:

Dough: First off, make sure the butter and eggs are out of the refrigerator. Over medium-low heat, warm the milk until it bubbles around the edges. Keep good watch to make sure it doesn't boil or burn on the sides. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt and butter. Set aside to cool, but stick in a thermometer and keep an eye on the temperature.

Warm a large mixing bowl by running under hot water, then dry. To the bowl, add 1/4 cup warm water and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir to dissolve and let sit for 10 minutes, until creamy. Ideally, after these 10 minutes, the milk mixture should be at 95°F. If it's not, it's ok to keep the yeast waiting. If needed, stir the milk to cool it off.

When ready, add the milk mixture to the yeast. Add the eggs, 2 cups of the white spelt flour and 1 cup of the whole grain spelt flour. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. In half cup increments, gradually stir in the rest of the flour. The dough should be slightly sticky. Turn out onto generously floured surface and lightly knead to form a soft, smooth dough. 

Place the dough in a lightly buttered or oiled boil and turn to coat all sides of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap, lid or damp towel; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume. Test after 25-30 minutes by lightly pressing into dough. If impression remains, dough is ripe. If dough is sticking to the edges of the bowl, detach with a plastic spatula. Depress dough by pressing down with lightly closed fist using gentle strength (do not punch!) to work across and around. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. With pastry scraper or sharp knife, divide into two equal pieces. Cover each piece with bowl or plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. 

Roll or pat one piece into a rectangle about 12" long and 9" wide. Spread 2 tbsp softened butter across surface. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins. Roll from the long side and cut into 12 1-inch slices. Place rolls close together on lightly-buttered jelly roll pan or baking sheet and repeat with the other half. 

Place plastic wrap sprayed with oil over rolls and set aside in a warm place to rise. Check after 15 minutes by doing the same fingertip test. As they rise, preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the rolls have risen, place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are lightly brown and sides are creamy white. 

As the rolls cool, prepare the icing. Combine the confectioners' sugar, salt, and vanilla and add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. The cooler the rolls, the thicker the icing, so this step takes a bit of self control. To store leftover rolls, place in airtight container with wax paper between layers and keep at room temperature or place in freezer. 

Nutrition facts for one roll:

276 calories

12g fat

45g carbohydrate

3.5g fiber

GI 75

GL 35

About the grains and ingredients:

Whole Grain Spelt Flour has a sweeter, milder flavor and contains four times the amount of fiber and about 40% more protein. Baked goods made with spelt have a more fragile structure than those made with wheat, so it shouldn't be used as a substitute in all cases. It does work well in muffins, quick breads and cakes, because of it's lighter, more tender qualities. It has a GI of 63. I purchased a bag of Bob's Red Mill whole grain spelt flour for $4.85 at Safeway.

White Spelt Flour, although stripped of it's bran and germ, still has a healthy amount of nutrients because the vitamins and minerals are more evenly distributed throughout the grain. It has a GI of 65. I purchased white spelt flour in bulk from Whole Foods. 

Shortbread

Expectation: To fulfill my craving for shortbread!

Winning Recipe: White Whole Wheat Shortbread Wedges

I had been craving shortbread for a few days and was pretty skeptical that a whole grain version would work, but I was determined! I ended up trying five different recipes before finding the winner. I started with the three recipes in my King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book - Scottish Shortbread (which used ground rolled oats), Light and Crunch Oat Shortbread (which combined ground rolled oats and whole rolled oats), and Brown Rice Shortbread (using brown rice flour). All three of these made delicious cookies, but they just didn't have the melt-in-your-mouth quality of true shortbread. So, I began experimenting on my own. The fourth recipe I tried used half white whole wheat flour and half whole wheat pastry flour. These had a much better consistency and a great not-too-sweet flavor, but were a little too hearty. 

Finally I settled on mostly white whole wheat flour with a touch of all-purpose flour. These cookies are lightly sweet, with a tender bite, and extremely easy to make. They are excellent with coffee or dipped in chocolate!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour (how to measure flour)
• 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 325°F. 

Combine flours and sugar; cut in butter until mixture forms crumbs and starts to cling. Form dough into a ball and knead until smooth. 

At this point, you can form the dough however you like. I chose wedges, because they are simple and cute. To make wedges, pat the dough into an 8-inch circle on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut the circle into 16 wedges of equal size (this keeps the shortbread from breaking when you cut it after it's baked).

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bottom just starts to brown and center is set. Cut the wedges again while the cookies are still warm. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. 

Nutrition facts for one cookie:

95 calories

5g fat

10g carbohydrate

1g fiber

GI 68

GL 6.8

About the grains:

White Whole Wheat Flour is produced from a hard, white variety of the wheat plant. White whole wheat tastes and appears more like refined flour, even though it has almost the same nutrient content as red whole wheat. You can substitute 25 to 50% (depending on your taste) of the all-purpose flour in cookie, brownie and pancake recipes. I purchased a five pound bag of King Arthur Flour Organic White Whole Wheat Flour for $7.99 at Whole Foods). See how I used it in coffeecake, and peach apricot oatmeal bread.

Peach Apricot Oatmeal Bread

Expectation: To use up some freshly picked apricots in tasty whole grain breakfast bread!

Winning Recipe: Peach Apricot Oatmeal Bread

I was looking for something to make for breakfast over 4th of July weekend, and this recipe stuck out because it seemed perfect for the family gathering, yet also completely fresh and new. Once again, I found the recipe in my King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book. I intended to make the bread with only peaches from the farmers market, but on a walk the morning of July 3rd, we stumbled upon three gorgeous trees overflowing with bright orange apricots. We picked as many as we could stuff in our pockets, and I decided to make the bread with half peaches and half apricots. It was such a hit that I went back to the tree for more apricots and made three more loaves a few days later. 

I experimented with a couple things. First, the flour. The first time, I used only white whole wheat flour. The second time, I used half white whole wheat flour and half traditional whole wheat flour. The white whole wheat flour was amazing. I didn't taste a hint of whole grain. The second batch was also really light and moist, but with a slight "whole wheat" taste. If you don't mind this taste, then don't be afraid to use regular whole wheat flour. If you're trying to hide the whole grains, white whole wheat is the way to go. 

My other experiment was leaving the skins on the apricots in the second batch. The bread had a nice tangy taste, and the fruit had a more central role. Once again, if you're trying to hide the fruit, then definitely remove the skins. If you like a tangy, fruity taste, leave them on. Plus, you get more fiber and nutrients that way! The end result in either case is a light and moist, slightly sweet and tangy bread with a hint of almond. It definitely exceeded my expectations, and will fit right in with pumpkin bread and banana bread as another one of my favorite breakfast breads. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced peaches and/or apricots (peeled or not, depending on taste)
• 2 cups traditional whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour (how to measure flour)
• 3/4 cup unbleached bread flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• If you like nuts (which I do!), 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cut the peaches and/or apricots into small pieces and place in a strainer or paper towel to drain. Stir together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Add the oats, fruit and walnuts; stir to coat the fruit. Beat together the eggs, milk, oil and almond extract in a separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until evenly moistened.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Test the loaf for doneness; if a toothpick inserted in the center doesn't come out clean, cover the top of the bread with foil and bake in 5-10 minute increments until it does. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, if the bread does not come out of the pan easily, run a table knife around the edges of the loaf, then turn it out of the pan and return it to the rack to cool completely before slicing. 

I highly recommend using a non-stick pan for this bread. I had a slight disaster when, even though I had sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray, the bread stuck to the bottom of the old (not non-stick) pan I was using. 

Nutrition facts for one slice:

198 calories

5g fat

35g carbohydrate

3g fiber

GI 64

GL 27

About the grains:

White Whole Wheat Flour is produced from a hard, white variety of the wheat plant. It tastes and appears more like refined flour, even though it has almost the same nutrient content as red whole wheat. You can substitute 25 to 50% (depending on your taste) of the all-purpose flour in cookie, brownie and pancake recipes. I purchased a five pound bag of King Arthur Flour Organic White Whole Wheat Flour for $7.99 at Whole Foods). See how I also used it in coffeecake.

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.

Cornbread

Expectation: To learn more about corn and bake a delicious, healthier cornbread!

Winning Recipe: Whole Grain Cornbread with Honey Butter

I chose to try out some cornbread since it's such a classic summer treat. I found a great recipe in the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book, which had a lot of variations that sounded interesting. I made the basic recipe and it turned out really well. Then I tried my own variation to use some fresh corn that came in our veggie box. The end result both times exceeded my expectations, and was better than any cornbread I had ever had. The trick is in the whole cornmeal (read more about this at the bottom of this post), which is much more substantial (not to mention healthier) then regular cornmeal. The bread is heavy, and very satisfying, with a strong corn taste. When you eat a piece, you feel like you're getting a lot of bang for your buck - a filling treat instead of empty calories. 

To find the basic cornbread recipe, buy this book. The recipe I came up with is a bit sweeter and includes fresh corn kernels:.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole grain cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (how to measure flour)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk (if you like it extra moist, replace 1/2 cup with heavy cream)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4-1/3 cup brown sugar (to taste - I used 1/4 cup, and it was just slightly sweet)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon butter for pan
• butter and honey for honey butter

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the 9-inch square pan or cast-iron skillet in the oven to preheat. (Cornbread is best made in cast-iron, which I don't own. These directions work for either.)

Whisk together the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, honey, brown sugar, eggs, corn kernels and melted butter in a separate bowl. Add, all at once, to the dry ingredients, stirring quickly and lightly just until the batter is evenly combined. 

Remove the pan or skillet from the oven and place the tablespoon of butter into it. Swirl the pan around so the butter melts and covers the bottom and sides. Carefully transfer the batter to the hot pan, and return it to the oven to bake until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm. 

To make the honey butter, mix one part butter with one part honey.

Nutrition facts for one serving (1/9 of recipe):

409 calories

13g fat

55g carbohydrate

6g fiber

GI 76

GL 35

About the grains and ingredients:

Whole Cornmeal retains its nutrients and fiber, unlike the more common cornmeal, found at most grocery stores, which has had it's germ removed to assure a longer shelf life. Whole cornmeal is gritty, and has a rich, round flavor. It is a great source of vitamin A, manganese and potassium. It can be found at most health food grocery stores (I found it at Whole Foods). 

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour comes from the same grain as regular whole wheat flour, but is made from a softer variety and milled to a finer texture. It has a higher starch content, but is lower in gluten and protein. The end product is lighter and more tender than that of regular whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour can be found at most health food grocery stores (I found it at Whole Foods).

Blueberry Buckle Coffeecake

Expectation: To make an amazing whole-grain coffeecake.

Winning Recipe: Blueberry Buckle Coffeecake

I decided to take on this coffeecake because we were looking for a way to use some blueberries that came in our veggie box. The King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book, where I found the recipe, made some pretty hefty claims about it, promising that "Blueberry Buckle Coffeecake is rarely still around for more than an hour out of the oven, but should you have admirable restraint, it will still be just as delicious later for dessert, under a scoop of ice cream." It certainly lived up to my expectation, and I couldn't taste even a hint of whole wheat. I can't say that the cake is particularly "healthy", but you can feel a little better about it knowing you are getting the extra nutrients and health benefits of whole grains. 

First, a little explanation. I had no idea what a buckle coffeecake was, and I thought for sure that it would be explained here at ochef.com, where they describe the difference between betty, clafoutis, cobbler, crisp, crumble, grunt, pandowdy, and slump (I promise these are all baked goods and not diseases). But, alas, the buckle was left out. I did find a bit of an explanation at cooks.com, which states that "a classic buckle is made by covering a layer of fruit with a cake batter and sweet crumbs. A coffeecake made 'buckle fashion' will buckle and crack as it bakes." The cake we ended up with might be better described as a crisp, but I am certainly not complaining.

I made the recipe exactly as written in the book, and it was pretty easy to do. I did have to go out and buy some white whole wheat flour, which I will explain further below.

Ingredients:

Streusel

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (how to measure flour)
• 1/4 cup unbleached (preferably) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Buckle

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen- I used fresh)

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.

To make the Streusel: Whisk together the sugar, flours, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix to make medium-size crumbs. (Here I am pictured grinding fresh nutmeg - yummy!) We found it works best to cut the butter up into small pieces before adding it to the dry ingredients, then cut it in with a pastry knife or two butter knives.

To make the Buckle: Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.

Stir in half the dry ingredients, then the milk and vanilla, scraping down the sides. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients, then gently fold in the blueberries. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. 

Bake the buckle until a cake tester (in other words: toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool, in the pan, on a rack. The book also says that this recipe can be made with any berry you like, or cherries, or diced stone fruits, such as peaches, plums or nectarines. 

Nutrition facts for one serving (one 2 1/4 inch square):

252 calories

8g fat

43g carbohydrate

3g fiber

GI 68

GL 27

About the grains and ingredients:

Unbleached Flour comes from exactly the same thing as bleached flour, only it is bleached naturally as it ages instead of being mixed with a bleaching agent. A bleaching agent is typically added to flour to give it a whiter appearance, and to oxidize the surface of the flour grains. Known bleaching agents include benzoyl peroxide, calcium peroxide, nitrogen dioxide, and chlorine dioxide (which, incidentally, produces alloxan, a contaminant that has been identified as a possible cause of type-1 diabetes). Unbleached flour is supposedly best for yeast breads and pastries, whereas bleached is best for more typical baked goods like cookies and pancakes, because it gives foods more volume and finer grain. 

White Whole Wheat Flour is produced from a hard, white (instead of red) variety of the wheat plant. It tastes and appears more like refined flour, even though it has almost the same nutrient content as red whole wheat. It can be found at most health food grocery stores (I found it at Whole Foods). 

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour comes from the same grain as regular whole wheat flour, but is made from a softer variety and milled to a finer texture. It has a higher starch content, but is lower in gluten and protein. The end product is lighter and more tender than that of regular whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour can be found at most health food grocery stores (I found it at Whole Foods).

Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats are oat groats that have been steamed and flattened by a roller. Oat grains have an outer husk when they come off the plant which must be removed to uncover the whole oat kernel called groats. Rolled oats cannot be eaten raw, but are the main ingredient in minimally cooked recipes, like granola. Oats are a top source of soluble fiber, which can help lower cholesterol levels. Oat bran also contains beta glucan, which has been shown to enhance the immune system's response to bacterial infection. They also contain a large amount of protein and healthy fats.