Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Whole Wheat Sweets

One of the best ways to introduce whole wheat foods to your family is by making treats utilizing whole wheat flour. Here are a few delicious recipes to try:

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Bars
1/2 c butter or margarine
1 c oil
2 c brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 c whole wheat flour
2 c quick oats
1 c nuts
1 c chocolate chips

Cream together margarine, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Place in 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Snickerdoodles
1 c shortening, butter or margarine
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 T sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cream together 1 1/2 c sugar and shortening. Add eggs and beat well. Combine flour, cream of tartar, salt and soda. Add to sugar mixture and mix well. Roll into approximately 1 inch balls. Combine 2 T sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough balls in cinnamon/sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Slightly flatten. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 c softened butter
1 c peanut butter
1 1/4 c honey
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Blend butter until smooth. Add peanut butter and blend again. Add honey and blend again. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Roll into balls and put onto ungreased cookie sheet. Use a fork dipped in cold water to flatten and make a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes on the top rack of the oven. Remove from pan immediately and cool.

Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake

For the topping:
3 T whole wheat flour
3 T all purpose flour
3 T unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 c chopped pecans
1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar

For the cake:
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 c lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 c granulated sugar
8 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 1/3 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9X13 inch cake pan. Make the topping: Combine the two flours in a medium size bowl. Cut in the butter with a knife, then blend with a pastry blender until the butter is totally incorporated into the flour. Add the cinnamon, pecans, and brown sugar, mixing well with your fingers. Set aside.

Make the cake: Combine the two flours with the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside. Place the two sugars with the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Add the egg and continue to beat until light. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with three batches of the buttermilk. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter. Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. Serves 12.

Whole Wheat Applesauce Cake
2 c wheat flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp cocoa
1 c applesauce
1/2 c oil

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Add applesauce and oil ad beat well. Pour into ungreased angel food cake pan or 9X13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Frost your favorite icing or serve hot with whipped cream.

Source: Traverse Mountain 1st Ward Pantry Cookbook