The Sweet Side of Ancient Grains, an exciting new cookbook from Erin Dooner that will show you how to use these ultra-healthy grains and flours in tasty, better-for-you desserts. With an introduction to such ingredients as teff, oat flour, emmer, and buckwheat, as well as a guide to the many recipes that are vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free, this is the perfect cookbook for anyone interested in baking with ancient grains, but the recipes will all work with standard whole wheat or even all-purpose flour as well—making them as versatile as they are delicious.
While not all of the recipes in this book are gluten free, the table of contents shows you which recipes are gluten free, dairy free, or vegan. You can also experiment with the recipes that are not gluten free, to try making them with gluten free flours.
The book is filled with beautiful photos of the completed recipes that will leave you wanting to try making a new one every time you look through it. Such recipes as Teff Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars; Quinoa Coconut Chocolate Cookies; Quinoa Molten Lava Cakes; and Oat Flour Plum Crumble will make your mouth water just reading them.
Here is an example of one of the recipes included in the book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES | READY IN: 55 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING | YIELD: 16 BARS
CREAM CHEESE LAYER:
8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar or raw sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
COOKIE CRUST AND TOPPING:
1⁄3 cup (75 grams) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar or raw sugar
2 tablespoons (40 grams) honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (188 grams) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (170 grams) semisweet -chocolate chips, divided
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on opposite ends.
Prepare the cream cheese layer. In a medium mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and salt. Once thoroughly combined, beat in the egg just until combined. Set aside.
Prepare the cookie crust and topping. In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter or coconut oil, sugar, honey, vanilla, and salt at medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly combined. It will be crumbly.
Reserve 2⁄3 cup (170 grams) of the dough and pat the remaining dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. It will be a very thin layer. Sprinkle 2⁄3 cup (113 grams) chocolate chips over the dough and gently press down. Spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the top of the chocolate chips. Stir in the remaining 1⁄3 cup (57 grams) chocolate chips to the remaining dough and evenly distribute the dough over the cheesecake layer.
Bake for 28 to 35 minutes or until the top cookie part has lightly browned. The bars will slightly puff up in the oven and fall back down after you take them out. Let the bars cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, and then using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares.
It’s important to cut the bars before refrigerating as they become quite hard. Chill the bars for 3 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Tip:
Just like with regular chocolate chip cookies, you can omit the chocolate chips and add other add-ins, such as nuts, dried fruit, or candy pieces.
This recipe is NOT gluten free, but I am sure you can replace the Whole Wheat Flour the author used in the original recipe with your favorite Gluten Free Flour blend to make this delicious recipe.
About the Author: Erin Dooner, the writer and photographer behind Texanerin Baking, began her blog in 2011 to share her healthier whole-grain dessert recipes. Since then, her work has been featured on the Huffington Post and Gourmet Live and in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Parade, and other online and print publications. Originally from Plano, Texas, Erin currently lives in Germany.
You can purchase The Sweet Side of Ancient Grains: Decadent Whole Grain Brownies, Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More
In stores on APRIL 20, 2015 ● 9781581572926 ● Paperback ● $19.95 ● 240pp
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