Apple Oatmeal Molasses Tea Cakes

 

These are fairly filling tea cakes that are very similar to "Lassy Buns" from Nova Scotia. The difference is that these are much softer, moister and not as heavy. The touch of ginger reminds me of the Jamaican "Bullas" I grew up eating....but these are not as "tough" as a Bulla! The addition of sour cream and grated apple keeps them moist even after a few days of storage in an airtight container. They go well with morning coffee or afternoon tea. 

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup oat bran

½ cup old fashioned oats

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½-1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root

½ cup finely grated apple (peeled or unpeeled)

½ cup dried fruit of your choosing (mango, apricot, cranberries, raisins, dates, etc)

½ cup shortening (you can use 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup  shortening)

½ cup molasses

½ cup milk (half and half is better if available)

½ cup sour cream

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Juice from ½ lemon

 Instructions:

 1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

2.      In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. Rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like bread crumbs

3.      Mix the finely grated apple, grated ginger and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.

4.      In another bowl, mix the vanilla, milk, sour cream, molasses, and egg. Whisk until slightly pale in color. Add the apple mixture to this and mix.

5.      Quickly add wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently until combined. Let sit for about 15 minutes so that the oats can absorb some of the moisture and the dough firms up. Do not skip this step

6.      Scrape dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently a few times. (if the dough is still too sticky and soft to roll or pat into rounds, add more flour ½ tablespoon at a time)

7.      Using an “egg ring”( see photo) or some other shaper, pat to one-inch thick.

8.      Place on prepared sheet, with edges just touching. Bake 15-20 minutes or until nicely browned and a tester inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before storing.

Delicious Blueberry Oat Scones

 

These are the most perfect scones you can imagine. They are crispy on the outside, light, soft and sweet on the inside. They go perfectly with tea or coffee any time of day. The dough is a bit messy to handle but once it comes together, it becomes easier. 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup oat bran

¹/₄ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¹/₂ teaspoon salt

¹/₂ cup Butter

³/₄ cup sour cream

¼ cup half and half

1 large Egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

^{1/2 cup dried blueberries}

2 tablespoon old fashioned oats

 DIRECTIONS

1.     Heat oven to 375°F

2.     Combine flours, dried blueberries, oat bran, sugars, baking powder, soda and salt in another bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or rub in with fingers until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs

3.     Combine sour cream, half and half, vanilla, and egg in another bowl; whisk until smooth. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened.

4.     Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times until smooth, adding small amount of flour, if necessary. Dough is sticky to start with but loses that as the oat bran will absorb the extra moisture during kneading so you should not have to add any extra flour.

5.     Divide dough in half. Pat or roll on a floured surface each half into 7-inch circle. Place 2 inches apart onto large ungreased baking sheet. Press oats evenly over dough. Score each circle into 8 wedges; do not separate. Bake 25-30 minutes or until scones are lightly browned. Cool 15 minutes; separate scones. They are freezer friendly once wrapped in foil and stored in a Ziploc bag. To reheat in a microwave, use low power (30%) and wrap the scone in a damp paper towel.

 

Super moist Butternut Squash Bread

 

This is a sweet, super moist squash bread that uses sour cream and half and half to make it richer. So, it's not a diet bread, it's the real deal! If you are worried about calories and fat, this is not the bread for you! It does require some elbow grease to grate the squash (made easier if you have a fine disc on your food processor). If not, the old fashioned way using a fine grater gives you a good workout! It freezes well.

1/2 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups finely grated Butternut Squash or pumpkin, firmly packed

1/2 cup sour cream

¼ cup half and half

1 teaspoon orange flavoring (or the zest of an orange)

1 cup flour

½ cup oat bran

¼ cup whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon Arrowroot flour. Optional (this improves the texture. Cornstarch may be substituted)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour the sides of a 9X5-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper
3. Mix Flours, spices, chopped pecans, oat bran, salt, baking powder and soda in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Grate the butternut squash and add the cranberries, ginger, lemon juice and maple syrup to it. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, half and half, eggs, and oil. Add the sour cream and orange extract; whisk until pale in color.
6. Mix in the grated squash mixture
7. Add the dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (it will look grainy due to the oat bran). Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Cool for five minutes in the pan. Gently turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Store covered at room temperature (the bread also freezes well).