Fix Me A Snack

A friend of mine special-ordered this recipe. I hope it provides a happy home for all of her overripe bananas.

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup mashed ripe banana (from two medium bananas)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 10 seconds. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the egg, banana, oil, honey, buttermilk and vanilla. Make sure that the honey is dissolved and not hiding out anywhere in a big clump. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and fold them in gently.

Pour batter into a greased muffin tin. Fill the cups 3/4 full. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the biggest muffin comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep-time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 23 minutes

Note: My friend tested these out for me and told me that mini muffins only take 13 minutes to bake. Oh, and she said they have earned a place in her recipe box! Yippee!

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I remeber being shocked the last time I looked at the nutrition information on a carton of heavy cream. I’ve blocked out the details though. And I comfort myself with the fact that kids need something like 30% of their calories from fat.  Build that brain with this truly delicious snack.

1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pint fresh blueberries (approximately 2 cups)

Chill metal bowl and metal whisk by placing them in the freezer for a few minutes. Remove bowl and whisk from freezer. Put cream, syrup and lemon juice in bowl and whip with whisk (standing or hand-held electric mixer is easiest) until the cream forms soft peaks.

In ramekins or small bowls, layer a large dollop of the whipped cream, 1/4 cup of the blueberries, and a small dollop of the whipped cream. Top with a few extra berries. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

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1 cup plain greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon zest, chopped fine
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (approximately 1/2 of a lemon)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

In a small bowl, mix yogurt, zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Fold in blueberries. Divide between 4 ramekins or small bowls and top with a few additional blueberries. Serve.

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Pie is always a lovely idea, but I never seem to find the energy (or bravery) to make one, especially just for a snack! So instead, I’ve done my best to create an extremely quick and  healthy alternative.  I love this crust so much that I created a cookie recipe based that is very similiar.

Crust:
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1/3 cup pecan halves
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cold

Topping:
1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries (approximately 3 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

For the crusts, put the walnuts, pecans, oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for a 5-10 seconds until the texture is crumb-like. Chop the cold butter into large chunks and add to the food processor bowl. Cut the butter into the nut mixture pulsing for 5-10 seconds until the butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles large rough crumbs. Do not over process. The occasional larger chunk of butter is not a problem.

Divide a heaping 1/4 cup of the crust mixture between 8 ramekins. Press the crust down into the ramekins and up the sides with your fingers starting from the center. Rest assured, any holes or imperfections will be taken care of during baking or covered by the berries.

Bake crusts on the center rack for 10-15 minutes or until edges start to turn brown. Allow the ramekins to cool before serving.

While the crusts are baking, put blueberries, lemon juice, maple syrup and cinnamon in a bowl. With a fork, mash the berries partially so they begin to release their juices.

Once the ramekins are cool, top each crust with a scant 1/3 cup of the mashed blueberries and finish with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 “pies”.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10-15 minutes

Note: Can be made ahead of time. Store the crust and berries seperately in the refrigerator. If possible, remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

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This recipe is the result of many many trials that resulted in total bombs, i.e. fruit soup. This recipe is either a very thick soup or a light pudding; either way it’s a nutritious and delicious snack.

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Position strainer over bowl and pour blueberry mixture through strainer, stirring occasionally to move things along. Discard contents of strainer.

Pour strained blueberry mixture into small bowls or ramkins. Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Serve topped with whipped cream.

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My kid came up with the name. She comes up with a good many of the names actually, or at least makes serious contributions to the brainstorming sessions we have in the kitchen while stuffing our faces.

A whole english muffin could  be used instead of bread slices, but cutting out the bread rounds takes very little time and is oh so cute. This recipe is also an easy opportunity for kids to have a big role in preparation.

1/3 cup fresh blueberries
3 slices whole grain bread
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Wash berries and gently pat dry with a towel. Set aside to dry further.

Cut bread into 2″ rounds with cookie cutter or shot glass. Each slice should yield 3-4 rounds. Arrange rounds on ungreased baking sheet and set aside.

In small bowl, mix together yogurt, sugar, and lemon juice. Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of yogurt mixture onto each of the bread rounds. Top with 1-3 blueberries depending on size of berries.

Bake for 5-8 minutes or until edges are golden and berries are starting to burst. Allow to cool for 2 minutes (blueberries can retain heat and be too hot for young children – when in doubt, cool longer). Transfer to plates with spatula and serve.

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