*DATE OATMEAL BARS*

Date Oatmeal Bars are a wonderful treat anytime of the day.  Sweet and soft dates are sandwiched between not so buttery oat and flour mixture. They are easy to make, everyone will love them.

Since most of us eat way too much sugar in our diet, I try to use less sugar and more nutritious ingredients such as fruits, nuts and oat. My date bar recipe has these characteristics.  It  is a very nice alternative to have an easy  breakfast or snack instead of going into a fast food restaurant.

This dessert encourages us to prepare a simple meals from basic ingredients instead of expensive and less nutritious processed foods .I have tweaked the recipe as per my preference by omitting sugar in the filling and reduced the amount of butter used.  Really surprised to see that these bars were a great hit with my family.

I hope you will get to try these bars and enjoy them over and over again,

*DRY FRUIT SCONES*

Dry Fruit Scones are far from plain, they are lightly sweetened,  thick but soft and delicious.  Made with plain flour, butter, milk  with baking powder as a leavening agent, it is pretty quick to prepare.

Had dry fruit mix in my pantry so I  incorporated them in this recipe. These tender, buttery scones are nicely moist. It is almost the same method as preparing the pie crust. You can add pretty much anything to this basic recipe. Savory, sweet, fruity or rich, you name it, it would probably work in scones.

The key to a perfect scone is to make sure you don't overwork the dough, otherwise the result will be a hard doughy scone. They're good enough to eat on their own!

OATMEAL BANANA CAKE

A cake  for oatmeal lovers. This Oatmeal Banana Cake is super simple to prepare. It is slightly different from others you might have came across because my method requires no soaking of the oat.

With this cake I was able to avoid other desserts that had more sugar and  this cake requires no frosting too. I have sprinkled it with black sesame seeds but this is optional

By adding oat in your diet may help contribute to:

Reducing the risk of diabetes
Lowering cholesterol levels as part of healthy diet
Reducing risk of cardiovascular disease
Stabilizing blood sugar

BANANA OAT CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE

Banana Oat Chocolate Smoothies is fabulous when you want something sweet and chocolaty but very healthy too. A homemade smoothies is a great breakfast or as afternoon snack. It is full of vitamins and nutrients.

They are fast and easy to prepare. Smoothies are endlessly versatile and much cheaper than store bought, letting you use whatever fruit is in season or on offer.

I had used banana, oat and chocolate milk this time but if you're ellergic to milk, substitute it with fruit juice or non dairy milk.

Try this filling and guilt free treat to start the day!

BACK OF THE BAG OATMEAL ROLLS

I'm so inspired to bake my own bread after seeing those fluffy and wonderful bread on the net.

You know, how much I love rolled oat in baking. So decided to give these  Back of the Bag Oatmeal Rolls  a try. The dough is enough to make 16  moist, nutty flavored rolls or one delicious loaf of bread.

The honey in the dough adds a nice richness but you don;t actually taste it. As you can see, they turned  out awesome. My boy gobbled 3 of Back of the Bag Oatmeal Rolls  as soon as they were out of the oven.

SEMOLINA AND OATMEAL PANCAKE

When your everyday oatmeal breakfast becomes boring, mix it up with these  pancake!  You'll certainly love this savory pancake, packed with the nutrition of a bowl of oat  and semolina

Made with semolina and rolled oat, flavored with chopped onion, cilantro and sliced green/red chili, these pancake are easy to make, scrumptious to eat and a little healthier twist to a standard breakfast recipe.

SOFT BUTTER ROLLS

This roll is light and fluffy tasted so good  warm from the oven with butter spread on top.

It's  just a basic rolls but you can create a lot more from it.  The dough can also be shaped in many other ways, so use your imagination . These make awesome cinnamon rolls, crescent rolls,  filled buns or stuffed bread  too.

This is my all time favorite rolls.  These Soft Butter Rolls  make a perfect soft roll always!

EGG FREE FRENCH TOAST

Made this  Egg Free French Toast  for our breakfast today using pandan (screw pine leaves) flavored bread, which was perfect.

My family was super impressed, can't really tell that it was eggless. We loved it! I served them with brown sugar and banana slices. Actually the syrup was a left over from my Monkey Bread from scratch , diluted with few spoons of milk.

For other variation, you can add besan (chickpea flour) instead of cornflour and seasoned with ground black pepper and chopped cilantro for a savory  version.

To obtain a nice golden color, use low medium heat when frying the Egg Free French Toast.  If you are allergic to dairy product,  replace it with almond or soy milk instead.

ROLLED OAT SLICE

This healthy slice is such a hit in my household that I end up making it often.  Made with a minimum amount of fat and  low in sugar, this is definitely a healthier choice for breakfast or after school snack.

Obviously, they're so versatile, change up the raisin, use other dried fruit instead or add seeds of your choice also  use coconut oil  instead of melted butter. If don't drink regular milk, there are a lot of non dairy alternatives to choose from. You can buy milk made from  almond, rice or soy.

Full of natural goodness of oat without no artificial color or flavor and they are super easy to prepare.

BUTTERHORN ROLLS

This is not an ordinary throw together and bake recipe but the outcome is so much better than any regular yeast rolls. It requires some rolling,  shaping and brushing with butter before  allowing  it to  rise for an hour and half.

Though many are intimidated by making yeast dough, you will find this one soft and so easy to handle. I enjoy the work of kneading my dough by hand but  a  bread machine or  stand mixer will work just fine.

Buttery and delicious, these are perfect for upcoming holidays and special occasions.

As you can see from the photo, they are a bit smaller but you will get enough to feed a small family.

BUTTERHORN ROLLS
Yield   :  16 rolls

2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon instant yeast
3/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Extra butter for brushing

METHOD

Place flour and yeast in a mixing bowl.

Combine water, milk, sugar and salt in a separate bowl, stir well.

Now add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients, forms into soft dough using a mixer or by hand.

Transfer dough onto floured surface and knead by hand until smooth for 10 minutes.

Place dough onto greased bowl and covered bowl, let rise until double for 1.5 hours.

Punch dough down. Divide into 2 equal portions.  Roll out each portion 10 in circle. Brush with butter,  cut into 8 triangles. Roll up dough starting from the wide end.

Repeat rolling and cutting for the balance of the dough. Place dough  point side down onto baking sheet spacing evenly.

Cover rolls with clean kitchen towel, let sit for 45 minutes. Towards the end of rising time, preheat oven @ 180 C.

Bake rolls until golden for 15 minutes. Transfer onto rack to cool.

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LACHA PARATHA

A layered flat bread made with wheat flour. Made as per normal paratha dough, this bread requires an additional step to obtain its layering effect.

After it has been rolled out flat and thin, a small amount of oil to be applied on the surface before pleating it as you did for a fan.

This is my first attempt making them, its seems so easy and it involves a right technique and practice to get it right.

This recipe was great, my family enjoyed it very much, this will be a regular menu in our home!

BRAIDED TUNA BREAD

I bake yeast bread quite often because my family loves them.    My boy specially requested this Braided Tuna Bread for his breakfast.

It is a great bread to bring to potlucks or family gatherings.  Filled with tuna, you can also choose other stuffing of your choice.

If you have a bread machine, the process is even easier because the machine kneads the bread for you. But if don't have a BM, no worries! Good old fashioned kneading with your hand is perfect (it's a good workout).

Using a sweet dough,  this Braided Tuna Bread turned out soft and  buttery, however frozen bread dough may also be conveniently substituted by time pressed readers.

BINGKA LABU/ BAKED PUMPKIN CAKE GF

Bingka Labu (Baked Pumpkin Cake GF)  is a traditional recipe, often served during breakfast or as a tea time snack.  Normally made with wheat flour and coconut milk either steamed or baked without any leaving agents.

Here is my first attempt using gluten free flour ( rice flour and cornflour) and much lower sugar but you can also  use wheat flour.  After all, it doesn't effect the taste of this bite size kuih.

When preparing the pumpkin puree, don't discard the seeds, toast them in a microwave or oven and use it as a topping..

My family thought it was delicious and I'm so pleased with the result of my experiment.

ONION PANCAKE

These batter based  savory Onion Pancake are quick and convenient to make using simple ingredients commonly found in your kitchen.

This straight forward recipe  was comforting  and  can be consumed immediately after it has been prepared. I had used milk to obtain softer pancake but you can also  use water or other non dairy milk such as almond milk, rice milk. soy milk  to mix the batter.

Addition of onion makes this Onion Pancake  subtly sweet and  ideally goes well with a bowl of spicy gravy or chutney of your choice.

BANANA YEAST TARTLET

Bread baking  really makes my day. I had tried all sort of yeast bread but the most requested  was a sweet bread.

This time, making Banana Yeast Tartlet,  using  a yeast raised dough and filled with banana baked in muffin pan. Actually you can use any filling you like. Make sure to grease your muffin pan  or spray with non stick cooking spray for easy removal.

It is advisable to check after 15 minutes of baking since each  individual oven varies.  If the edges start turning golden brown, that is the right time to remove from the oven.

Banana Yeast Tartlet was  incredibly  good, addictive and  comforting! .

EGGLESS CUSTARD BUNS

My son and I really love  Eggless Custard  Buns.   These buns are rolled out just like you'd make dinner roll but slightly different style and filled with scrumptious egg free custard. 

If custard powder isn't available, you can substitute with cornflour and adding vanilla extract plus one or two drops of  yellow food coloring.

These delightful  Eggless Custard Buns will make your guests feel extra special but also it was economical to bake your own with  endless variations.

SAVORY BREAD PANCAKE

If you're bored having your bread with usual spread, it is time to try this savory and healthy pancake  made with bread slices and vegetables that are available from your own kitchen.

You can use water or milk to combine the ingredients. Most importantly,  the bottom part must be browned before flipping otherwise it tends to break.

I couldn't wait to share the recipe with you because it was really delicious.  Although they are favored mostly at breakfast, they can be served any time of the day with or without any sauce/chutney.

PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY ROLLS

I'm so excited to try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Rolls  or make up my own version. Instead of turning it into a loaf  incorporated with peanut butter and jelly, have shaped  them  into rolls,  filled with peanut butter and fruit jam.

Have so much fun baking this delicious combo. Actually you can fill  with anything including cream or butter. In every bite the rich  peanut butter flavor is complimented by delicate sweetness from the jam.

In order to get a perfect strips, have used a pizza cutter. It works like a charm.

NO BAKE ENERGY BALLS

These No Bake Energy Balls are delicious and more nutritious than anything you can buy from the stores.

Made with rolled oat with no added fat and wheat free too.  If you're using a soft pitted dates, soaking could be avoided.  Add a required amount of hot water to the oat mixture just to bind them. We didn't even use a blender, just chucked  it all  in a bowl and mixed by hand.

This is a basic recipe of no bake balls, be adventurous and create your own combination that suits your need.

FRUIT AND NUT BREAD & FOODBUZZ TOP 9

Begin the day a whole new way with breakfast on great-tasting fruit and nut bread. Made using yeast, it can be done with almost any combination of dried fruit and nuts. Whatever you have around, raisin, cranberries, apricot, cherries, pecan, hazelnuts, walnuts and many more.

The family just loved it and I think you should to.  There is really no reason not to make it. The first loaf vanished in the wink of an eye!