Breakfast Cake

This recipe can be kind of confusing and dish-intensive, but it's yummy! My daughter requests it any time I ask what she wants for breakfast. (I don't ask her often...) ☺

2 ½ cups flour (OR-- 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup oatmeal. OR-- half whole wheat flour, half white flour)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix; remove ½ cup and add to (extra) topping. (see below).

Then, to the remaining dry ingredients, add:

½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

Stir dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together:

½ cup applesauce
3 Tb oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (may substitute 1 Tb lemon juice(or vinegar) plus milk to make 1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes before adding.)

Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

For (extra) topping:
In a separate bowl, mix together:

1/2 cup taken from dry ingredients (above)
3 Tb flour
3 Tb brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 Tb soft butter
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until it seems firm on top. It’s fine when it appears collapsed in center as long as sides have lifted slightly from baking dish.

Serve warm. Optional: serve with cool whip, cinnamon sugar, or fresh fruit.

Rice Flour and Yogurt Pancakes

Rice Flour and Yogurt Pancakes
Wheat Free Recipe

Ingredients:
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat milk

Directions:
Sift rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Mix egg with oil and yogurt; stir in milk. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and mix until just blended.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour batter by tablespoonfuls into the dry pan.

Cook pancakes until golden brown on both sides, 2 minutes or less. Stack on warm plates.

Serve with butter and preserves, syrup or honey.

Recipe makes seven to eight Rice Flour and Yogurt Pancakes, four to five inches in diameter.

To make your own brown rice flour:

Rinse brown rice well. Lay paper towels on cooling racks, spread rice on paper towels until dry. Grind in wheat grinder on the finest setting.

**I stopped eating wheat due to some stomach pains I was having. I eat these pancakes every day (I make a big batch and freeze them), and I love them! I spread crunchy peanut butter on them and eat with peach jam or real maple syrup.

German Pancakes

This is another childhood recipe I asked my mom for the other day. I have yet to make them, but plan on doing so soon.

German Pancakes
6 Eggs
1 cup Flour
1 cup Milk
1 tsp. Salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix batter until smooth, a blender may be helpful. Put 2-3 tbsp. butter in a 11x13 pan and put in the oven to melt the butter until it is bubbly, be sure not to burn it. Take pan out and add batter to pan then put back in the oven to cook. Cook about 20 minutes or until the edges rise and are golden brown. Serve with syrup, fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, etc.

*Using the whole batter in the 11x13 pan makes a bit of a thicker pancake, if you prefer them thinner use a 8x8 pan along with the 11x13.

*In searching for a picture to include I found this serving idea, making individual pancakes by using muffin tins. Be sure to grease the tins really well, and bake for only about 15 minutes, again watch them until they are puffy and golden brown.

Crepes

I got this recipe from my Mom. She made these all the time when I was a kid, and I got a craving for them the other day so I got the recipe. She said she got the recipe from some old lady she knew, but altered it just a little. Here is the original recipe:

Crepes
6 Eggs
3 cups Milk
2 cups Flour
½ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. Brandy
4 tsp. Sugar

Mix together and drop a thin layer (1 tbsp.) into a hot greased pan. Cook until edges turns slightly brown and crisp and then flip and cook other side. Anything can be used as a filling, I prefer the sweet side.

*My mom said she excluded the Brandy, and also the sugar. She thought they were sweet enough already with the fillings.

My suggestions: Use a blender to mix the batter, it makes a smoother consistency. I halved the recipe and had leftovers, so beware that it makes a lot. I didn't add the brandy, but added 1 tsp. of the sugar, but honestly, it probably didn't need the sugar at all. Also, I must have used a large pan because it took 3-4 tbsp of batter to make one crepe. I served my crepes with Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding, Whipped Cream, Fruit - sliced bananas, strawberries and peaches. Having lots of options on the table makes a good variety for everyone. (Bo would've preferred some meat or something, but still liked them!)

Best Berry (or apple) Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the following:

1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

In a separate bowl, or liquid measuring cup mix well:

1/4 C. oil
1 egg
1/2 C. milk

Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Mix just until moistened, DO NOT OVER STIR. Add 1 Cup berries of choice. Blueberries, blackberries or raspberries are especially good. Stir them into the mixture. Spoon into prepared muffin cups or greased muffin pan, about 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on tops.

For Apple variations:

I like to add apple for moisture and to make them go a little further. Pick a sweet apple, Golden delicious or Jonnygold apples are my favorites, and chop or grate one apple and add to the dry ingredients as well as 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (opt.) and proceed as normal. This muffin recipe also makes wonderful apple muffins (no berries) if you add 1 Cup of chopped or grated apples in place of the berries, approx. equivalent to 2 apples. You can also substitute brown sugar for white and can add a crumble topping of brown sugar, cinnamon, oats and butter.

Granola

Linton’s Granola

10 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
2 cups grape nuts
½ pound coconut
3 cups chopped or slivered almonds
1-½ cups brown sugar firmly packed
1-½ cups water
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup honey
½ cup molasses
1-½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp vanilla
Raisins or any other dried fruit as desired (after baking)

In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat until sugar is dissolved but do not boil.

Pour over dry ingredients and stir until coated. Spread onto 4 large cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes stirring 3 or 4 times. The longer you bake it, the crunchier it will be. After baking add raisins or other dried fruit. Cool. Store in zip lock bags or air tight containers. Makes about 20 cups of granola.


Mom’s Granola

8 C oats (quick or regular)
2 C nuts
2 C coconut
1 C bran
1 C wheat germ
½ C sunflower seeds
Combine in a large bowl; Mix well.

1 C oil
1 ½ C honey
1/4 tsp salt

Boil until frothy; Pour over cereal.
Stir until cereal is coated. Spread
cereal on to a cookie sheet. Bake
at 350 for 30-45 minutes, stirring
every 5-10 minutes.

Sausage Gravy

Bo's favorite thing to eat is biscuits and gravy. I've had to learn how to cook it well to make him happy. My dad makes awesome gravy, and I've tried to mimic his perfection. I still work on it, but I've got it pretty close. So here is the recipe for the gravy, just serve it over biscuits.

Sausage Gravy

1 lb. Sausage
½ - ¾ c. flour
Milk
Salt and pepper

Brown the sausage in a large frying pan. My dad uses the hot flavored sausage for better flavor. I use it as well, but it makes the gravy a little spicy, so if you don't like spice I'd choose a different flavor. Once sausage is browned turn to low, sprinkle the flour in small amounts, onto the sausage and mix to absorb. Once all the flour is absorbed start adding milk and return heat to med/high. I'm not sure how much milk is actually added, but it's probably somewhere between 2 and 3 cups. Add a cup at a time and stir, continually stir so the gravy does clump. Add salt and pepper to taste. The amount of milk added will vary depending on how thick you want your gravy, when you reach your desired thickness, turn to low and warm it until served.