Jamaican "Toto" Breakfast Muffins

 

"Toto" is a Jamaican coconut cake that is more like a bread. It is very dense and filling probably because it was originally something that slaves would put together with available ingredients. As a child growing up in Jamaica, we always had Toto in the house as it made a good snack with any kind of beverage. The problem with the original Toto is that it quickly became dry and then really needed a beverage to wash it down. I have tried to make these muffins dense but also moist. That's where the sour cream and shredded apple come into play. Both keep the muffins very moist. I have also used half and half rather than whole milk as the cream from that makes a difference. You can substitute 1/2 of the half and half with coconut milk if you wish. If these are too sweet, decrease the granulated sugar to 1/4 cup. One, with a cup of coffee or tea makes a filling breakfast!

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup half and half

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup coarsely shredded apple (from 1 small apple)

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root

Zest from an orange (optional but makes a difference in flavor)

Juice from 1 small lemon

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup dried fruit (blueberries, raisins, apricots, mango etc), OR Chocolate Chips

½ cup vegetable oil

 

1.     Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with jumbo sized paper/foil liners.

2.     Shred the apple (you will have some small pieces left over. Cut those into small cubes. . Mix with finely grated ginger root, orange zest (if using) and lemon juice. Set aside.

3.     In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, shredded coconut, whole-wheat flour, oats, dried fruit (or chocolate chips), cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4.     In a large bowl, whisk together oil,  milk, sugars, sour cream, molasses and eggs until smooth. Mix in shredded apple, and ginger.

5.     With a large rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling ¾ full.

6.     Bake for about 25-30 minutes or a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the muffins, in the tin, to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the tin and let cool completely on the rack. Once cool, store in an airtight container or wrap and freeze.

Pumpkin Oatmeal "Dunkers"

 

These are not the usual rusk like Biscotti but are a more hearty, dense version. They are for "Dunking"!! They are fairly rich but hold their shape well even after dunking in coffee or tea. They are not too sweet, (if you like sweet cookies, increase the sugars by 1/4 cup each) but are very filling. This recipe is the third in my "Pumpkin Oatmeal" series (previous were a quick bread and scones). The "drying out" step at the end is very important as the dryer the cookies are, the longer they will keep in an airtight container.

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon Arrowroot flour

1 tablespoon flax meal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon maple syrup

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

½ cup oat bran

1 egg

½ cup sour cream

1 cup finely grated pumpkin

¼ cup half and half

½ cup dried fruit

Juice of ½ a lemon

 

1.      Mix together flours, baking soda, oat bran, spices, salt, sugars, and oats.

2.      Finely grate the pumpkin. Mix together with the dried fruit, molasses, maple syrup and lemon juice

3.      Rub in the butter with the flour (use hands or food processor). Mixture should look like coarse bread crumbs

4.      Whisk together the half and half, sour cream and egg.

5.      Mix in the pumpkin mixture with a wooden spoon, add to dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Let sit for about 15 minutes then turn out onto a clean surface with a mixture of flour and oats (about an additional ½ cup of each). Knead for a bit until the dough is no longer sticky (the dough will absorb the flour it needs. Discard any excess). Make into two loaves as you would usually do with biscotti.

6.      Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Cutting with a sharp knife, at a slant, slice into ½ inch slices, and arrange slices, cut sides up, on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake for another 2-4 hours until the slices are very dry.

 

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.