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.

A Chocolate Chip Party!

Expectation: That there is no such thing as a delicious whole grain chocolate chip cookie.

Winner: Laura's Whole Wheat Chocolate Chippers

I knew I had to attempt the chocolate chip cookie, but I also knew I would need some help. So, I called the pro herself: Mom. But, instead of just one mom, I called in back up. I invited 4 friends and their moms for a whole grain chocolate chip cookie baking party! Despite being slightly chaotic, the party was a ton of fun and the cookies were all really tasty. Everybody was surprised at the outcome and we all had a hard time picking a winner. 

I chose four recipes (one for each pair) that were different, but each was a "basic" chocolate chip cookie with no additions like cranberries, oatmeal or nuts. I'm sure that all of these recipes would taste great with cranberries, oatmeal and nuts but, for purposes of testing, we needed to keep it simple. 

The recipes we made were: 

The winner: Laura's Whole Wheat Chocolate Chippers

Recipe by: our close family friend and neighbor Laura

Made by: Laura and her daughter Megan

Laura makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies, and her recipe is highly coveted. We got permission to use the recipe and substituted only 3/4 of the white flour with whole wheat flour, leaving 1/2 cup of white flour. But, we all agreed that you couldn't taste the whole wheat at all, so substituting all 2 cups would work just fine. Absolutely scrumptious!

A close second: Healthy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from: Kitchen Stewardship

Made by: my sister-in-law-to-be Erin and her mom Sharon

While doing my research, I came across this recipe. The reviews were great, and I was intrigued by the use of coconut oil. These are some delicious cookies!

In third place: Classic Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from: King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book

Made by: my mom and me

I chose this recipe because it uses Barley flour. These are slightly crunchier cookies, and overall pretty tasty!

And last: Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from: King Arthur Flour

Made by: My good friends Shea and Jillian (no mom involved)

I'm not quite sure what happened here, but these cookies didn't turn out quite right. I can't say for sure that it was caused by the lack of mother involved, but it is a little suspicious. I chose the recipe because of some interesting ingredients: honey, espresso powder, cider vinegar, and white whole wheat flour. The cookies had really great flavor, but they lacked "presence" or "oomph". I love you Shea and Jillian!!

Before the guests arrived, I set up stations for each pair and put all the ingredients in the center of the room. We also provided snacks and wine, to keep everybody in good spirits! 

As guests arrived, each pair got to work on their recipe.  

Once the cookies were in the oven, my mom kept everyone outside while I set up the tasting stations. The hardest part was keeping everyone from tasting their cookies before the "official" tasting! I set out four bowls with one kind of cookie in each bowl. Guests went down the line tasting each cookie and dropped an M&M in the bowl of the cookies they liked the best. 

The clear winner was Laura's Whole Wheat Chocolate Chippers (although these really were a close second).

I asked Laura if she had any tricks, and she says to not let the butter get too soft and to take them out of the oven after 10 minutes, when they should be barely browned and they will cook the rest of the way on the pan.. And, as an experienced eater of Laura's delicious cookies, I know that she makes them really big, and really full of chocolate chips! She even makes them with walnuts sometimes, which I LOVE.

WARNING: I'm about to tell you the nutrition facts for one cookie. I suggest that you not scroll down and look, because I'm a true believer in the health benefits of chocolate chip cookies (being happy is good for you, right?). And now I'm going to list some of the health benefits of dark chocolate (semi sweet counts as dark), just because I think you should know:

• lowers blood pressure
• lowers bad cholesterol
• contains antioxidants
• contains epicatechin (this is something that is good for you, apparently)
• stimulates endorphins (makes you happy!!)
• contains seratonin (anti-depressant)
• contains healthy fats like oleic acid (also found in olive oil)

And I know I don't have to tell you the benefits of whole grains, since you're reading this blog. So, now that you know the tremendous health benefits of whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, here are the nutrition facts, if you must look. But first I'm showing you one more picture just in case you change your mind. 

My best estimate of the nutrition facts for one cookie (if you make 16 like we did - these are BIG):

355 calories

21g fat

44g carbohydrate

4g fiber

GI 73

GL 32

About the ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour contains the macro nutrients of the wheat's bran and germ (the whole kernel). It is hearty and more robust than white flour and a good source of calcium, iron and fiber. It can be substituted for some or all of the white flour in most recipes, and found in most grocery stores.

Espresso Powder starts with specifically selected coffee beans that are ground and brewed to make espresso. After brewing, the grounds are then dried and crushed into a fine powder. This powder can also be used to make instant espresso or as a garnish. If you cannot (or don't have time to) find espresso powder, you can use instant coffee or finely ground coffee beans in it's place. Espresso powder is much more concentrated than instant coffee, and has a darker, richer flavor, so adjust to taste.

Hazelnut Espresso Coffeecake

Expectation: To make another amazing whole-grain coffeecake for a special weekend.

Winner: Hazelnut Espresso Coffeecake

I was looking for an interesting and delicious breakfast treat to have around on a special weekend. As soon as I read the name of this coffeecake, I knew I had to make it. I love hazelnuts, and I really love chocolate, and this coffeecake has both! The final product has a drier texture than expected, but it tastes amazing with coffee. If you're a coffee, chocolate or hazelnut fan, I guarantee you will love this coffeecake!

One interesting thing this recipe calls for is espresso powder. My King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book (where I found the recipe) describes espresso powder as "chocolate's best friend." It says to "use 1/2 to 2 teaspoons in chocolate baked goods, frostings, and sauces; a touch of espresso powder enhances chocolate's flavor without adding any coffee flavor of its own."

I didn't expect this ingredient to be difficult to find, but was soon proven wrong. The first place I tried was Whole Foods. I thought it might be in the baking section, near cocoa powder and that kind of thing, but it was nowhere to be found. Eventually I made my way over to the coffee kiosk, and asked the girl behind the counter. She hadn't heard of it, but thought it sounded like something that would be used in Tiramisu, and took me to ask the baker in the baking section. The baker told us that it is not used in Tiramisu, and that the yummy dark powder on top of Tiramisu is cocoa powder. Meanwhile, the coffee girl made me a bit of finely ground espresso beans, just in case I had no luck. The baker told me to check an Italian grocery store, so I set out next to AG Ferrari. They also didn't have espresso powder, although, like Whole Foods, they carry instant coffee for baking. Still feeling hopeful, I checked Draegers to no avail. I did eventually find espresso powder online, sold by King Arthur Flour. Perhaps it's a marketing ploy afterall. Matt surprised me with a jar on my birthday, which I still have to put to the test, and I ended up using the finely ground espresso beans in the coffeecake.

Nutrition facts for one serving (1/16th cake):

414 calories

22g fat

46g carbohydrate

4g fiber

GI 58

GL 29

About the grains and ingredients:

Espresso Powder starts with specifically selected coffee beans that are ground and brewed to make espresso. After brewing, the grounds are then dried and crushed into a fine powder. This powder can also be used to make instant espresso or as a garnish. If you cannot (or don't have time to) find espresso powder, you can use instant coffee or finely ground coffee beans in it's place. Espresso powder is much more concentrated than instant coffee, and has a darker, richer flavor, so adjust to taste.

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).

Vegan Chai Latte Cupcakes

Expectation: That it's impossible to bake anything that tastes good without butter...or eggs...or milk.

Winner: Vegan Chai Latte Cupcakes

I had never intended to attempt a vegan baked good, but my mom called with a challenge: she needed something to bring to a bridal shower for a vegan, so why not try something that would also work for the blog? My initial research turned up a bunch of recipes using margarine instead of butter, or weird egg substitutes, which, as you know from my food ideals, is not acceptable for this blog. And then I found The Post Punk Kitchen, a vegan cooking show and website, with some great information and recipes that use whole, natural ingredients.

The recipe that caught my eye was for Chai Latte Cupcakes. Although the original recipe has no whole grains, it had gotten great reviews and sounded perfect for the shower. I decided to substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour, which works well in cakes.

These cupcakes are amazing! The whole wheat pastry flour fits right in, and any hint of whole wheat is completely masked by the strong spicy flavor. The texture is moist and chewier than most cupcakes (due to the yogurt replacing the eggs), which I actually like better, but they are still light, with a sugary crunch on top. I wish the recipe made more (it only makes 12), as I only got to taste half of one cupcake! I will definitely make a whole batch for myself sometime.

Nutrition facts for one cupcake:

165 calories

5g fat

27g carbohydrate

1.5g fiber

GI 66

GL 18

About the grain:

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).

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.