sunrise carrot muffins

well hello there. I've been a bad food blogger. I've baked and cooked and prepared many dishes that I've photographed then just not had the time to post on here. I know I know, it's like I'm hiding something for you. but these were so good I had to make time after my Sunday morning breakfast to share them with you.

for Christmas, dlb got me this amazing cookbook, Baking with Agave Nectar. ever since I read about it on 101 Cookbooks, I've been coveting it. I'm always on a mission to use less sugar and usually cut the amount of sugar in recipes, so the idea of baking with an alternative to sugar was so appealing to me. you can find agave nectar in the baking section near maple syrup and sugars in a natural foods store. I love it as an alternative to maple syrup on waffles or in place of honey in my oatmeal.

one of the main reasons I love this recipe is because of all of the nutritious things in it. fruits, nuts, veggies and spices, all packed into a wonderful vegan recipe that's just the right amount of sweet. you'll find them disappearing before the day is over.

Sunrise Carrot Muffins
adapted from Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano
makes 16 muffins

:: for muffins ::
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup dried mango, chopped into small pieces*
12 ounces firm silken tofu
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup agave nectar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated carrots {about 3 small carrots or one giant carrot}
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

* the original recipe called for raisins, but I have some amazing dried mangos that I brought back from a recent trip to the Philippines. so unless you can find really soft, plump dried mangos, I'd suggest using golden raisins or dried apricots.

• preheat the over to 350 degrees. line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
• stir together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. mix in the flaxseeds and dried fruit.
• place tofu, canola oil, agave nectar and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• add the tofu mixture to the flour mixture and combine well.
• fold in carrots, apple and walnuts.
• spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• remove from muffin pan and cool on a rack.

cherry wheat biscuits

being a big fan of breakfast, I'm always dreaming up new things that I can bake. yesterday, I bought the most amazing Vanilla Pear Butter. seriously, amazing. I couldn't keep myself out of it when I decided to pop it open for a taste. so last night I must have been dreaming about things I could plop a big dollop of it on because this morning I woke up with an idea in my head.
I've made these Whole Wheat Biscuits time and time again. I've cut them into circles and added seeds and spices on top, sliced them into squares and topped them with fresh honey butter, but until this morning I had not added anything to the dough. and now I'm already dreaming up plans of other additions, dates, ginger, white chocolate chips... the list could go on.
the hearts are for you, babe. :)
Cherry Wheat Biscuits
adapted from Ruth Ann, All Recipes

:: for biscuits ::

1 cup flour + additional flour for kneading and dusting
1 cup wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dried bing cherries, chopped

• mix flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large bowl
• cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs
• stir in milk
• stir in cherries and transfer to floured surface
• knead 8-10 times, with additional flour to create a soft dough. roll out 3/4" thick and cut biscuits into desired shape. repeat with scrap dough by rolling it out and cutting again.
• bake at 450 degrees for 10 mins or until golden.
• top with desired butter or honey. I enjoyed mine with Vanilla Pear Butter.

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sunday morning granola

good morning and welcome back from a nice long weekend. I hope everyone had a chance to relax and take full advantage of having three days off from work. I still worked... but, I also baked, and baked, and baked some more.
my favorite meal of the day is breakfast. during the week I eat oatmeal every morning with a combination of things mixed in it. this morning I had peaches, vanilla, and honey. however, while I love my oatmeal, my favorite thing about the weekend is being able to prepare a nice, big breakfast. pancakes, scones, biscuits, vegetarian breakfast sausage, fruit tarts... granola.
I've been on the quest for finding the perfect granola. I'm always a big fan of bulk store bought granola, and since it's easier than whipping up a big batch, I tend to stick to that. but making a big batch of the most tasty perfect delightful granola has always been on my mind. so I searched and searched until I found something that I felt was just right, and here it is:

Sunday Morning Granola
serve granola with milk or yogurt and sliced fresh fruit.
the recipe is totally adaptable. substitute any combination of nuts or dried fruits for a completely different experience.
makes about 6 cups

:: for granola ::
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup whole pecans, halved
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup pumpkins seeds
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tbsp honey
1 cup (packed) dried organic cherries, cut into quarters

• preheat oven to 300°F.
• mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl.
• melt butter with honey in heavy small saucepan over low heat. pour over granola mixture and toss well. spread out mixture on baking sheet.
• bake 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• add cherries; mix to separate any clumps. continue to bake until granola is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes longer. cool.
• can be made 2 weeks ahead. store airtight at room temperature.

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