Seedy Cranberry Crisps

You know those fancy seedy crisps that you can buy at specialty grocery stores? They come in fun flavors such as rosemary raisin pecan, salty date and almond, or fig and olive. I love these crackers. They're sweet and crunchy and full of yummy fruits and nuts and seeds. Regardless of how much I enjoy these little snacks, I have never once bought a box of them, nor considered buying a box, they are always so expensive. I look at them longingly, and then dejectedly pick up a box of plain water crackers or butter crackers of something like that and leave. 

But no more! I have discovered a wonderful alternative. Homemade crisps. these little crisps are super easy to whip together. They take a bit of time because they are baked, cut and then baked again. But you can do this all in stages and each step is very easy. The resulting crisp is impressive looking, super yummy, and so so much cheaper than the store. If you need some crackers at your next party and you've got a few extra minutes, whip together a batch of these crackers and enjoy!

I've made these crackers several times and just add in whatever nuts or seeds or dried fruit I have at that moment. I usually add anywhere from 1-2 cup of add-ins. Again, really whatever you have on hand. There's also a nice amount of sugar (both brown sugar and maple syrup) in these which makes them delicious and nicely sweetened. But I have also made them without the maple syrup and they are just as good, just a little less sweet. So depending on your preference and how your going to use the crackers you can add more or less of the sugar and they will still be a great addition to your table. 

Seedy Cranberry Crisps
Adapted from Use Real Butter
Ingredients

• 2 cups (9 ounces) whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) brown sugar
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups (16 ounces) buttermilk or liquid whey (left over from making yogurt)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (optional, I think they are sweet enough without this, but add it in for a little extra something special!) 
• About 1 cup of a mix of dried cranberries, raw pumpkin seeds and raw sunflower seeds 

Directions
Make the loaves: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease four mini loaf pans with vegetable oil spray or butter. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt with a whisk. Add in the buttermilk or whey and maple syrup (if using) and stir until just combined. Fold the cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds into the batter. Divvy the batter among the four mini loaf pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then remove them from the pans and let cool completely over several hours or overnight. (You want them to be completely cool before cutting or they will fall apart as you cut the crisps.)

Make the crisps: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using a sharp bread knife, slice the loaves into 1/8-inch thin slices. This can be a little challenging, but do your best. I've found that it helps to chill the baked bread before cutting. Arrange the slices on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 50-60 minutes until dark golden and crisp, flipping the slices and rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Start checking them at around 40 minutes to make sure they don't overbake and get bitter. 

Yields: 70-80 crisps

Chewy Trail Mix Cookies

Last week I was trying to decide what I should bake to have on hand for a quick grab and go breakfast. Breakfast cookies had been on my mind lately, so I decided to just go for it. I've been eyeing recipes for a while, and have a bunch of them pinned, but so far I hadn't got around to making any. There are so many different routes you can go with a breakfast cookie and I had been having difficulty deciding which recipe to use. I finally settled on these chewy trail mix cookies. They looked hearty and filling and were full of all sorts of good things like any trail mix should be. 

I'm glad that in the end I went with this recipe because it sure was a winner. The oats and nuts come together to form a delicious base that is filled with coconut, chocolate, seeds and dried fruit. A little brown sugar and honey for sweetness, and butter for flavor are all held together with some nut butter and an egg. They baked up thick and chewy just as I was hoping they would. An quick and easy breakfast that I can feel pretty good eating on those busy weekday mornings. 

I adapted the original recipe a little to work for me and they still turned out great. The original recipe was both vegan and gluten free, my version is neither but it would easy to go back and make the appropriate adjustment if this is something you are looking for. If you use gluten free oats they still would be gluten free, and replacing the egg with a flax egg and the butter with coconut oil as in the original recipe is a easy way to get them back into vegan territory. So as you can see, the recipe is pretty forgiving and adaptable. 

The add ins can also be adjusted to fit your tastes. Any type of seed, nut, chocolate, dried fruit, etc. could be used in this recipe. It really just depends on what you like and what you have in your pantry. As long as you aim to keep the volume of filling approximately the same as what is written I think they will turn out just fine. So play around with it, use what you like and make them your own!

Chewy Trail Mix Cookies
Adapted from Oh She Glows
Ingredients
Dry

• 1 cup (80 grams) old fashioned rolled oats, blended into oat flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour (I used 2 ounces almonds ground in the food processor)
• 1/2 cup (40 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped or thinly sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons (15 grams) shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 tablespoons (30 grams) mini dark chocolate chips (or finely chopped chocolate)
• 2 tablespoons (20 grams) sunflower seeds
• 3-4 tablespoon (28 grams) dried cranberries
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Wet

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (64 grams) raw almond or peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. In another medium sized bowl, stir together the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Add the wet mixture on top of the dry mixture and stir well until combined. 

Form the dough into small balls, rolling them between your palms until smooth. Place on prepared cookie sheet. (I made 12 total, they were approximately 50 grams each.) 

Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes until light golden brown on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack until completely cool. 

Calories: 231 calories each for 12 cookies

Broccoli Kale Pesto

I know there are a lot of broccoli stem haters out there. Honestly, I'm not one of them, I've found that as long as the tough outside layer is cut off at least a little bit that they roast up quite well. However, I've come up with a new use for them, and if you are in the broccoli stem hater camp this one is for you. 

For this broccoli kale pesto I took all the stems from one bunch of broccoli, boiled them up until nice and soft, and processed them with some kale and garlic to make a vibrant, healthy, and delicious spread or sauce. I thought the broccoli flavor was quite mild so if that worries you, have no fear. The combination of the broccoli with the kale was a perfect match. The kale brightened up the color of the pesto, and the combo of the two veggies helped mellow the flavors of both resulting in a nicely balanced sauce. With the punch of the raw garlic added in as well, this sauce turned into a beautiful, healthy and delicious way to amp up a sandwich, a batch of eggs, or a bowl of pasta. It is super versatile and really can be used in just about anything you might possibly imagine. 

Like most pestos and other sauces, this recipe is very versatile. If you want to add more kale, go for it, most broccoli, why not? Not a fan of raw garlic, try roasting some up before you throw it in. I used sunflower seeds to add some nuttiness, but any other nut would work too, almonds, walnuts, whatever you might have. I didn't have much cheese when I made this but I would love to try adding some salty parmesan, a handful of feta, or my favorite - creamy and delicious goat cheese. I don't think any of these various combinations can be bad. Broccoli is definitely going on the shopping list very soon. 

Broccoli Kale Pesto

Ingredients

• Stems from 1 head broccoli
• 3-4 stalks Kale
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• Lemon juice from half a large lemon
• Salt, to taste
• Sunflower seeds
• Olive oil, 2-4 tablespoons

Directions

Boil broccoli stems in salted water until very tender, 20-30, drain any leftover water.

Add broccoli to the food processor along with the kale, garlic lemon juice, some salt and the sunflower seeds. Pulse a few times to coursely chop. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream until the mixture turns into a smooth sauce with your desired consistency. It's not an exact science, just do what looks and tastes good to you. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally as needed. Taste, and add more salt if needed.