Granola Brownie Bundt #BundtBakers

When you are looking for a dessert you can also eat for breakfast, consider this granola brownie Bundt! It’s full of good stuff like dried cranberries, toasted almonds and crunchy granola, in a thick brownie batter.

My favorite granola used to be available here in Dubai before my nearby supermarket was bought out by another big chain. Unlike my other favorite cereal (Post Spoon-size Honey Nut Shredded Wheat) which has been discontinued, the Quaker granola is still available in two places I travel to regularly. So, depending on baggage allowance, I usually come home with two or three boxes. The cardboard part goes in the recycle bin and the bags of cereal inside get popped in the deep freezer so the almonds won’t turn rancid. The granola stays fresh for months, perfect no matter how long it takes me to eat it all.

Since we found out we were moving, I’ve been trying to eat it more often but I still have a bag and a quarter to get through and only a couple of weeks left in Dubai.

Fortunately my efforts to use up the contents of my freezer and cupboards were aided by our Bundt Bakers’ host, Felice of All That's Left Are The Crumbs. She chose Breakfast Cereals as our theme/ingredient of choice. Along with the granola, I used dried cranberries and almonds, also from the freezer. It was a good day.

Granola Brownie Bundt

I adapted this recipe from one on the King Arthur flour website for brownie bars kingarthurflour.com/recipes/granola-brownie-bars-recipe and baked it in a 6-cup Bundt pan.

Ingredients
1 cup or 125g flour, plus extra for the pan
1/4 cup or 22g extra dark cocoa (I use Hershey’s Special Dark.)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the pan
1 cup or 200g brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup or 100g granola
1/2 cup or 70g dried cranberries (no sugar added, preferably)
1/2 cup or 65g chopped almonds, toasted in a dry pan

Optional for decorating:
3-4 tablespoon Nutella, warmed in microwave
Extra toasted almonds, dried cranberries and granola

Method
Preheat the oven to 325°F and 163°C. Prepare your 6-cup Bundt pan by buttering and flouring it.

Measure your flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and set it aside. In another large mixing bowl, use a mixer or electric beater to beat together the butter and sugar until they are fluffy.

Add the first egg and beat well.

Add the second egg and beat well again.

Pour in the vanilla and beat again.

Use a flour sifter or strainer to sift half of the dry ingredients into the batter.

Beat well to combine. Sift the other half in and beat well again.

Fold in the granola, dried cranberries and toasted chopped almonds.

Spoon the thick batter into your prepared Bundt pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn the brownie Bundt out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

After it was cool, I wanted to decorate mine so I warmed a few tablespoons of Nutella with a quick couple of zaps in the microwave, then used a pastry brush to apply it to the Bundt. I drizzled some on the top of the cake and then sprinkled the top with almonds, cranberries and granola. You can, of course, eat this granola brownie Bundt plain as well.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to this month's host, Felice of All That's Left Are The Crumbs for the great theme and her behind the scenes work. Check out all the fun Breakfast Cereal Bundts we've baked for you today!

• Breakfast Mini Bundts from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cinnamon Frosted Flakes Bundt Cake from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Granola Brownie Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Grape-Nuts Bundt Cake from Passion Kneaded
• Honeycomb Cereal Bundt Cake from Patty's Cake
• Mixed Cereal Upside Down Pineapple Bundt from Sneha's Recipe
• Oatmeal Bundtlets with Granola Topping from Sweet Sensations

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin this Granola Brownie Bundt!

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Mexican Cornbread Waffles #BreadBakers

Mexican cornbread waffles are super cheesy and spicy, the perfect breakfast or dinner any day of the week. Cooking the batter in a waffle iron gives it the most wonderful golden crunchy exterior.

Years ago, when were living in Kuala Lumpur and our internet connection was still dial up, my elder daughter was systematically searching for and baking cornbread recipes, looking for the perfect one. While each was edible, she deemed none of them perfect. She was old enough to be in the kitchen on her own so I wasn’t aware of her quest until she was already few recipes into the project. “Just email your grandmother,” I said. “She makes the best cornbread.”

And that was true, until I met my friend, Sheila, when we moved to Cairo back in 2013. My mom still makes the best classic cornbread but Sheila turned up at some social event with a pan of the best cheesy cornbread I’d ever eaten. It was packed with sharp cheddar cheese, onions AND peppers. The third secret ingredient was creamed corn. Game changer! Most importantly, Sheila is a sweetheart so she willingly shared the recipe.

Mexican Cornbread Waffles

Since then, I’ve baked that batter a number of times, once even putting it in bacon cup muffins. I can’t even tell you how good it was baked in crispy bacon! I knew that batter, with a few small adjustments, would make awesome waffles as well. I was not wrong.

Ingredients - for 10 waffles
1 cup or 180g yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup or 32g flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon double acting baking powder
1 cup or 226g sour cream
1 1/4 cups or 330g creamed corn
2 large eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml canola oil, plus extra for greasing the waffle iron
1 medium onion
2-4 jalapeño peppers and/or chili peppers
10 1/2 oz or 300g extra sharp cheddar, grated

Optional for serving:
Your favorite chili con carne: Check out two of mine here and here.
Thinly sliced onions
Grated sharp cheddar
Sliced jalapeños

Method
Chop your onion and your peppers finely. Mix the yellow cornmeal, flour, salt baking soda and baking powder together in a large bowl.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together the sour cream, creamed corn, eggs and oil. Add in the chopped peppers and onion. Stir well.

Fold your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients until just mixed.

Now add in the grated cheddar and stir well until combined.

Heat your waffle iron and brush the interior with a little oil to grease.

Bake the batter according to manufacturer’s instructions, being careful not to over fill the waffle iron. I like to leave mine in for a little longer after the little “ready” light comes on to get crunchier edges.

Serve as is, I’m telling you, they are fabulous even plain.

Or top with a couple of spoons of chili con carne and garnish with more cheese, onions and jalapeño slices.

Enjoy!

This month my Bread Bakers group is sharing cheesy bread recipes at the instigation of our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. Make sure to check them all out!

• Brazilian Cheese Bread by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Buttermilk Cheddar Quick Bread by Food Above Gold
• Caramelized Onion and Cheese Bread by Ambrosia
• Cheddar Beer Bread Rolls by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheese Babka by Passion Kneaded
• Easy Cheesy Pull Apart Rolls by I Camp In My Kitchen
• Irish Cheddar Scone with Scallions by Baking Sense
• Mexican Cornbread Waffles by Food Lust People Love
• Mini Chilli Cheese Parathas by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Pancakes Huancaina by The Schizo Chef
• Spicy Cheese Bread by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Stuffed Mini Cheese Chicken Burger Buns by Sneha's Recipe
• Wholemeal Cheese Bombs by Cook with Renu
• Vanilla-Mascarpone Popovers by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Kalo Prama - Cypriot Semolina Cake #BakingBloggers

Kalo prama, καλό πράγμα in the original Greek, translates as “good stuff.” I can assure you that this Cypriot semolina cake is indeed very good stuff! The batter is easy and a lemon syrup adds even more flavor and a delightful stickiness that makes it hard to stop with just one slice.

Years and years ago, when I was in university, one of my best friends was a brilliant dark-haired girl with the widest smile and a wicked laugh. She was from Cyprus, a place I was completely unfamiliar with. Her small island nation was in still in upheaval after being invaded by Turkish forces in the mid-1970s, so she had been sent to study in the United States.

I’ve thought about her often over the years, especially just a couple of years ago when I planned a trip to Cyprus for a family holiday. I searched the student records at the University of Texas to see if I could find her whole name but without much luck. It is one of my deepest regrets that we lost touch.

While there is still a physical border between the Turkish held northeast and the Greek southwest, Cyprus is finally safe to visit. It is possible to cross over but we stayed on the Greek side in a gorgeous multilevel house built into a cliff, with a fabulous view of the sea. By day we explored the tourist sites, visited grocery stores and roadside stands (my favorite thing to do no matter where I go!) and in the evening we cooked tasty local ingredients for suppers at home and enjoyed the pool and view.

This special cake was on all the lunch menus, in all the local restaurants.

Kalo Prama or Cypriot Semolina Cake

I must confess: The pistachios are not traditional. Most recipes call for blanched almonds to decorate kalo prama. I’ve been trying to use the contents of my freezer and I could not resist adding the colorful pistachios instead of plain white almonds that I would have had to go out and buy. By all means use almonds if you have them. My recipe is adapted from one at SBS.au.

Ingredients
For the cake batter:
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup or 185g fine semolina
1 cup or 125g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten

For the syrup:
1 cup or 200g sugar
1/3 cup or 90ml water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Optional to decorate: blanched almonds or pistachio slivers

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line a loaf pan with baking parchment.

To make the cake batter, whisk the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.

Add in the semolina, flour, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Finally, beat in the eggs until completely combined.

Spoon the batter into your prepared baking pan and smooth out the top.

Top with almonds or slivered pistachios, if desired.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup by warming all of the ingredients in a small pot, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

As I was researching recipes, I came across this piece of advice from the Greek Food Alchemist: “Another big tip when adding syrup to a Greek or Cypriot dessert is to always have one cold. So if your cake is hot your syrup should be cold and vice versa. If both are hot then the dessert will crumble before your eyes beyond salvation (based on personal experience!)”

When your cake is finished baking, pour a little cool syrup over the hot cake. Once it has soaked in, add a bit more and wait for it to soak in. Repeat until all of the syrup is absorbed.

Leave to cool completely, then slice to serve.

Enjoy!

This month my Baking Blogger friends are sharing Greek, Cypriot or Turkish recipes. Make sure you check them all out! Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.

• Alevropita (Greek Thin-Batter Feta Pie) from Tara's Multicultural Table 
• Apricot Sekerpare (Turkish Thumbprint Cookies) from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Baked Kabak Mücver from Sneha's Recipe 
• Bougatsa from Simply Inspired Meals 
• Cypriot Lamb Tavas from Pandemonium Noshery 
• Flaounes (Cypriot Cheese Pastries) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Kalo Prama - Cypriot Semolina Cake from Food Lust People Love 
• Kreatopita from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Sekerpare from The Schizo Chef  
• Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagels) from Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• Tiropita (Greek cheese pastries) from Caroline's Cooking

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

Pin this Kalo Prama - Cypriot Semolina Cake! 

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