toddler truffles

Makes about 24 balls
recipe from gourmet mom on the go

you don't need to be a toddler to love this fudgy dessert. i love how there is no flour, just black beans.

ingredients:

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed*
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional) -- i used walnuts
1/4 cup (2 ounces) butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 c. cocoa powder
Pinch of kosher salt
2 eggs
sprinkles or powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray or butter an 8 by 8-inch pan; set aside.
In a large, deep bowl, combine the beans, sugars, nuts, butter, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Using a stick blender or food processor, start to work the ingredients around. When they are fully blended, add the eggs and blend to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until firm and the edges get slightly crisp. Cool and cut into small cubes or take a spoonful and roll into small balls in your palms. Dust with powdered sugar or sprinkles.
Store covered, up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Variations:
• Substitute white beans, pintos, or adzuki beans. They can be found in the ethnic aisle of your store. The texture and color may change, but the idea stays the same—a cake made of beans!
• Add a tablespoon of orange zest, try different kinds of chopped nuts, or add dried currants after blending for a chunkier texture.

*jessica's note: a 15 oz can equals 1 1/2 cups of cooked black beans. i cooked 3/4 c. dry black beans instead of using canned. it was a little more than what i needed so i made sure to measure 1 1/2 cups for the recipe.

pumpkin bread

i know pumpkin bread is made a lot around christmas time, but my little boy and i couldn't wait that long.

see, he's totally eyeing the bread while planning his next move.

i found this recipe on allrecipes.com, it makes 3 loaves or 6 mini loaves. i only have 4 small loaf pans so i use those plus a regular sized loaf pan. the original recipe can be found here as i made some minor adjustments.

pumpkin bread
adapted from allrecipes.com

• 3 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup applesauce
  
• 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 3 cups white sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
• 6 ounces dark chocolate chips
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and chocolate chips; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

peach bread

from allrecipes.com

3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups diced canned peaches, drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
*i also add 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Blend in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix just to combine. Stir in the peaches and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

applesauce and apple pie filling

here's something else i don't need to buy for a while -- applesauce! i have started using applesauce to replace oil in some of my baking recipes. my wonderful parents have a golden delicious apple tree and a red delicious apple tree and were more than happy to share their abundance. nothing beats free apples when you want to make applesauce, and i didn't even need to add any sugar the apples were so sweet. i use the guidelines on this website PYO canning for making the applesauce. if you want to can anything, check out that site!

it is recommended to use two different types of apples for the best flavor.

to make the pie filling, i first peeled the apples and then used my handy apple corer slicer. the apple slices were still too big, so i cut them in half. then, simmer 4 cups of apple cider with 2 cups of sugar. simmer the cider and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. then add all your apple slices and simmer for 3-5 minutes. add the apples to sterilized jars, then fill with the cider/sugar syrup, but leave a 1/2 inch head space. add the lids and process according to the directions for your altitude.

whole wheat applesauce pancakes

my little boy can't get enough of these mini pancakes.







since i just canned a bunch of applesauce, i wondered what i was going to do with it all. then i found a recipe for applesauce pancakes that inspired me to create this recipe. the problem i have with making whole wheat pancakes is that they never get fluffy enough for me. they end up thin and have little flavor. make this recipe and you will never go back to white flour pancakes again. these pancakes taste awesome! plus, you can feel good about eating a healthful breakfast that will keep you going until lunchtime.

whole wheat applesauce pancakes
serves 8

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2/3+ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon butter

in a small skillet, melt the butter. add the diced apples and saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes. in a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. make a well in the center and add the eggs, applesauce, lemon juice, and 2/3 cup milk, and vanilla. stir to combine. if the batter is too thick at this point, add more milk, a tablespoon or two at a time until desired consistency is reached. fold in the apples. cook on an oiled and heated skillet....i'm sure by now you know how to cook pancakes!

serve with maple syrup, or if you feel like a little taste of heaven, try this buttermilk syrup recipe and you will have caramel apple pancakes.

buttermilk syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla

add all ingredients but vanilla in a deep saucepan. bring to a boil. boil for five minutes. do not stir. remove from heat and add vanilla. great on pancakes, waffles, french toast, and ice cream.

couscous for breakfast

couscous is a small pasta that originates from morocco and northern algeria. it is used in a similar way our culture uses rice. i learned about couscous from some college roommates. i liked it, but never thought to buy it after i got married since mark isn't really into couscous. once my son was old enough to eat "people" food, i had an idea to give him couscous and surprisingly he liked it. this recipe is easy to make and doesn't take too much time.

i like the hodgson mill whole wheat couscous with milled flax seed & soy because it has 6g of fiber and 10g of protein per 1/3 cup serving. i've seen this brand at smiths.

breakfast couscous, serves 1 adult or 2 toddlers

1/2 cup water, juice, or milk*
1/3 cup couscous, plain
dash of cinnamon
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup blueberries, (i use frozen)
vanilla yogurt

1. in a small saucepan, bring the water, juice, or milk to a boil.
2. stir in the cinnamon, butter, and couscous.
3. remove the saucepan from heat, sprinkle on the frozen blueberries, and cover with a lid.
4. let sit for 5 minutes. serve with yogurt.

variations: add 1/4 cup diced dried fruit to the saucepan with the water, juice, or milk in step 1.

* never heat milk and juice together unless you want curdled milk.