To bake boldly is to push limits; to wonder, and then try out new possibilities; and to believe–to know–that baked goods don’t need to be made from refined sugar, white flour and poor-quality fats to taste great. Baking with more healthful ingredients is easy to do, whether you bake once a year or every week, and you will achieve consistently good results when you use them. In this first installment of Bold Baking we’ll focus on using whole-grain flours to make both sweet and savory baked goods. As time goes on, we’ll consider other aspects of bold baking like using natural sweeteners and high-quality fats.

The Problems With Refined White Flour

There is no trick to using refined white flour to make light and tender baked goods; it handles these jobs effortlessly. But there is something else white flour does in the process. It creates inflammation inside of us by pushing blood sugar up in a dramatic spike and then plummeting it down again. This is a roller-coaster effect we should avoid because our most devastating diseases, including cancer, are often preceded by years of subtle internal inflammation. Blood sugar spikes happen whether we use white flour in sweetened baked goods or in savory baked foods like biscuits, breads and pizza dough. Another problem with white flour is that it has been stripped of  nutrients, so rather than label it a food ingredient, we might think of it as a “tool” we can use to lift baked goods, and to lighten their flavor and texture, but only when nothing else will do.

Why Whole-Grain Flours Are Better

There are many varieties of whole-grain flour that we can use for baking, and all are nutritious and flavorful. While there are some baked goods that can handle a transition to all whole-grain flour, others will not. But even a portion of whole-grain flour added to a recipe will lessen its impact on blood sugar in a meaningful way, minimizing the roller-coaster effect. In addition, substituting at least some whole-grain flour makes baked goods less flimsy and more substantive, while adding flavor and complexity. The whole grain flours I have used most successfully are barley flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, whole-wheat bread flour, whole-wheat pastry flour and rye flour. Read the complete post »

These small cupcakes taste intensely of chocolate without being overly sweet. They take little time to make and both adults and children enjoy them. When you look at the ingredient list, you’ll see how easy bold baking can be: The chocolate is dark; the cupcakes are sweetened only by dates and maple syrup; and the flour is whole-wheat.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ounce fine-quality (70%) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped (check for pits)
3 tablespoons Grade-B maple syrup
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch fine sea salt
2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons virgin organic coconut oil or butter

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Place the cocoa powder and chocolate pieces into the bowl of a food processor.

3. In a small saucepan, bring the water and dates just to a boil. Remove them from the heat and let cool for a moment. Then add the dates and water to the food processor and pulse once to combine. Uncover the food processor and let the mixture cool for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the maple syrup, egg, vanilla, baking soda and sea salt and puree until smooth. Then add the flour and pulse until just mixed. Gently finish mixing with a rubber spatula and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.

5. While the mixture is resting, liberally oil a 12-cup mini-muffin tin with coconut oil (or butter). The oil is an ingredient in the cupcakes as well as a lubricant that prevents the cupcakes from sticking, so don’t worry if there seems to be an ample amount in each cup.

6. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups and bake, rotating once, for about 20 minutes (the tops should be firm to the touch). Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for about 10 minutes.

7. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool slightly. These are nice served gently warm, though the cupcakes keep for one day, covered, at room temperature.

Copyright 2010, Ellen Arian, Ellen’s Food & Soul