Whole Grain Coffee Cake

"Sweet, moist cake, topped with a crunchy nut crust..."

... melts in your mouth. The kitchen is dark, house quiet, and outside the light of dawn is cresting the horizon. The reassuring sound of freshly percolating coffee is met by its delicious aroma. Its time to wake up! Be grateful for a new day, the beauty of it, the preciousness of each life in your family. Pour yourself a cup of hot coffee, give the Lord your thanks, and take a deep breath to settle your heart before the hustle-bustle begins.

Draw your hibernating bears out of their dens with the aroma of freshly made coffee cake wafting through the house. If you're going to treat your family and your self to a sweet breakfast, you might as well be getting some wholesome nutrition. They don't have to be empty calories- make them count! So often I have been lured into having a piece of that coffee cake that looks so beautiful and light, and then immediately disappointed when it winds up tasting like an overly dry, puffed up, pasty, pointless thing. Not so with this! Meet the day with a smile (and moist crumbs) on your face.

Coffee Cake

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup splenda (1/2 cup brown sugar)

1/4 cup egg, or 1 egg

1/2 cup skim milk

1 large apple, cored, sliced

Pecan Crust

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup cane sugar, or brown sugar

1 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp oats

2 Tbsp heart healthy butter spread

1/2 cup pecans

preheat oven to 350, lightly coat baking pan of choice

*this makes two beautiful mini cakes, or one nice bundt

1. Start with pecan crust: Combine cinnamon, sugar, 1 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp oats, butter spread and nuts in blender or food processor and pulse until chunky. Pour into bottom of pan.

2. Rinse blender. Set aside to dry slightly.

3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. In blender/food processor, add egg white, milk, and apple, and sugar. Puree until apple chunks are gone or close to it. (nobody will mind an apple chunk here and there)

5. Combine wet apple mixture to dry flour. Stir to incorporate. Pour cake batter over top of nut mixture.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back to touch.

7. Let cool, and invert over platter. Nuts will be on top...

Makes 16 small servings, or 8 wedges. Enjoy!

*For the above recipe, 1/16 of cake: 77 calories, 1/8 of cake: 152 calories

** For a more decadent cake, double the pecan topping.

For that cake: 1/16 cake is 110 calories, 1/8 cake is 220 calories

Ginger Bread

Spicy, aromatic, warm gingerbread with a hot cup of tea...

What is it about fresh baked gingerbread that warms you from the inside out? Most people wait until winter holidays before they pull their gingerbread recipes out, but, I think its worth a nod year round. This bread isn't overly sweet, but with fresh, natural, and wholesome ingredients, it makes a yummy breakfast when paired with a hot beverage, or a nice after dinner sweet when paired with something lemon.

Gingered bread

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites (1/2 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup brown sugar (or agave)

1 apple, diced (or applesauce)

1/2 inch think piece fresh ginger, chopped (more if you love it)

preheat oven to 350

1. Stir together first six ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Put water, egg whites, molasses, sugar, apple chunks, and ginger in a blender or food processor. Puree, increasing speed until high, until smooth, about a minute.

3. Pour wet mixture into dry, folding in gently. If adding crystalized ginger for extra punch, fold in now.

4. Pour batter in greased 8x8 pan. Also, you can use a loaf pan or two mini (6x2) cake rounds

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 servings

per serving:

98 cal

2 g fiber

10 g sugar

*Serve with a drizzle of lemon glaze, lemon curd, lemon sorbet, vanilla ice cream, or sweetened yogurt and fresh berries.

• White whole wheat flour is both white and a whole wheat- it is not enriched, bleached, or brommated. This kind of flour is made from a different kind of wheat. Normal whole wheat flour is made from hard red winter wheat; this kind is made from white wheat grains. White whole wheat boasts the same nutrients as the other whole wheat, but has a lighter texture, less carbs, and more fiber, making it a great baking alternative.
• Molasses is a by-product of making refined sugar. Ever wonder where all the nutrients and minerals go when sugar cane is processed and refined into the white stuff? Molasses! It is high in iron, copper, manganese, potassium, and magnesium.
• Ginger has been used forever for its many health benefits, such as a cure for upset tummies and nausea (hello first trimester of pregnancy), a digestion aid, an immune system aid, and an anti-inflammatory.