Munchies Archives | The Good Hearted Woman

Perfect Soft-Boiled Scotch Eggs (Air Fryer Recipe)

Scotch Eggs – crisp, savory sausage encasing creamy soft-boiled eggs – are quintessential British pub faire; perfect for brunching, munching, and picnicking. Now you can easily make perfect Scotch Eggs at home in your air fryer!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

What is a Scotch Egg?

In its most basic form, a Scotch egg is a soft or hard-boiled egg wrapped in ground sausage, then coated with bread crumbs and baked or deep fried.

Scotch eggs have a long history in London and beyond as a tidy, handheld snack item; perfect for pocketing and picnicking.

The origin of Scotch Eggs is as foggy as a cold morning on Loch Ness, but that’s about as close to Scotland as they come.

While it is generally agreed that Scotch Eggs originated in London, theories – dating back as early as mid-18th century – abound as to the actual genesis of these savory, protein-rich balls-o-breakfast. Claims have been linked to everything from Indian koftas to Scots Guards stationed at London’s Wellington Barracks. One particularly distressing account, from the Culinary Delights of Yorkshire, alleges they are a Yorkshire creation and were originally wrapped in fish paste rather than sausage meat. (Fish paste. That’s a hard No for me.)

Today in the UK, you can buy Scotch eggs everywhere from pubs to grocery stores to gas stations. In the US, Scotch eggs are known more as a Sunday brunch item and Renaissance faire staple. They can be found on British-style pub menus as well, usually offered with dipping sauces on the side.

Until recently, for those who eschew deep-frying at home, Scotch eggs have been reserved for once in a blue moon. However, with the dawn of air-frying, making them at home has never been easier.

How to Boil a Perfect Egg for Scotch Eggs

Personal preference dictates how long to boil your eggs. Mr B and I typically eat Scotch eggs for breakfast (or brunch) with a knife and fork, and prefer our eggs creamy and runny: a 6-minute egg is usually perfect for us. Simply increase your boiling time if you prefer a more solid center.

How to make a Perfect 6-Minute Egg

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Do not remove your eggs from the refrigerator until your water has boiled.)
Remove eggs from refrigerator and use a slotted spoon to carefully place them into boiling water. Do not crowd eggs in pan.
Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for EXACTLY 6 minutes. While eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath for the eggs in a large bowl.
After 6 minutes, use the slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in the prepared ice bath for 10 minutes to halt the cooking process.

Now you’re ready to cover the your eggs with sausage!

How Egg-Boiling Time Affects Scotch Eggs

Results of the eggy centers differ, depending upon how long you boil the eggs. A 6-minute Scotch egg is perfect for eating on a plate with a knife and fork. However, if you plan to pack your Scotch Egg for picnicking and eat it by hand (also perfectly acceptable!) you may want to increase the boiling time to somewhere between seven and nine minutes to avoid unwanted drips.

The Trickiest Step: How to Successfully Cover a Wobbly Soft-Boiled Egg with Sausage

••• Be sure to watch the demonstration in our Scotch Egg Video (at the bottom of the recipe card) to learn a simple technique for doing this step! •••

Covering soft, wobbly boiled eggs with sausage can be challenging, but it’s easier if you know a few simple tricks.

First, divide the sausage into 6 equal portions, each weighing 2⅓ ounces [66 grams].

I encourage you to use a kitchen scale for this step: the cooking times for this recipe are calculated based on using a specific type and amount of sausage. If you use too much or too little, or use a sausage with a different fat content, your cooking times may be different.

Roll each portion into a ball, and place in refrigerator.

TIP: Slightly wetting your hands before forming the balls will keep the sausage from sticking as much. You want damp hands, but not so wet that they are dripping.

GENTLY peel the prepared soft-boiled eggs. Six-minute eggs require a delicate hand; unlike hard-boiled eggs, the yolk inside is too soft to offer any resistance against the white while being peeled, so they will break if you are too rough taking off the shell.

Once the eggs are peeled, rinse each one and use a paper towel to carefully pat it dry. (Sausage sticks much more easily to a dry egg than it does a slippery, wet one.) When eggs are dried, set aside.

The eggs I used here were fresher than I had hoped: older eggs are easier to peel. When I make deviled eggs, gnarly eggs are a real concern; however, I don’t really worry about how the eggs look when making Scotch Eggs, because any rough spots will be covered up with sausage.

To cover an egg with sausage, start with one prepared egg and one cold sausage ball.

Place meatball in the center of a parchment square. Gently pat the meatball down until you have an oval that is about a 1/4-inch thick, and roughly 3 eggs long and 2 eggs wide.
Place the parchment square in your palm. Gently lay a cold, dry, soft-boiled egg on top of the sausage oval, with the ends of the egg perpendicular to the long sides of the oval.
Carefully pull the sausage away from the parchment as you wrap it around the egg. Continue until the sausage has completely released from the parchment and the egg is covered with sausage. I do this by folding the two sides into the middle, and them pressing the meat out to the sides. Don’t be too concerned about the oval being perfect; it’s just a starting point.
Pinch off the thick sausage points that will form at each end as the oval is sealed. Check the egg carefully for areas where the sausage may be too thin or too thick. Even them out using the sausage you pinched from the ends.
When the sausage appears to be distributed uniformly around the egg, gently pass the egg carefully from one hand to the other a couple of times, allowing the warmth of your palms to smooth the outside surface a bit and the gentle pressure to even out any bumps or rough spots on the surface.

Perfect Soft-Boiled Scotch Eggs (Air Fryer Recipe)

Scotch Eggs - crisp, savory sausage encasing creamy soft-boiled eggs - are quintessential British pub faire; perfect for brunching, munching, and picnicking. Now you can easily make perfect Scotch Eggs at home in your air fryer!

Prep Time28 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time40 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Breakfast or Brunch, Party Food

Cuisine: British

Keyword: air fryer, eggs

Servings:

Calories: 342kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

6 large eggs
1 pound Jimmy Dean Regular Pork Sausage or your favorite ground breakfast sausage; SEE INGREDIENT NOTES

Seasoned Flour [Bowl 1]

¼ cup Wondra
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Beaten Egg [Bowl 2]

1 large egg beaten

Breading Mix [Bowl 3]

1 cup Panko crumbs
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon chili powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

How to Make 6-Minute Soft-Boiled Eggs

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Remove cold eggs from refrigerator and use a slotted spoon to carefully place them into boiling water. Do not crowd eggs in pan.
Reduce heat and cover pan.
Simmer for EXACTLY 6 minutes.
While eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath for the eggs in a large bowl.
After 6 minutes, use the slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water.
Immediately submerge cooked eggs in the prepared ice bath for 10 minutes.
The purpose of this step is to halt the cooking process; vital to achieving creamy, runny Scotch Egg centers.

How to Successfully Apply the Sausage Cover

Divide the sausage into 6 equal portions, each weighing 2⅓ ounces [66 grams].
I strongly suggest using a kitchen scale for this step: the cooking times are based on using a specific type and amount of sausage. If you use too much or too little, or use a sausage with a different fat content, your cooking times may be different.
Roll each portion into a ball and place in refrigerator.
GENTLY peel the prepared soft-boiled eggs.
Patience is rewarded in the recipe. Six-minute eggs require a delicate hand; unlike hard-boiled eggs, the yolk inside is too soft to offer any resistance against the white while being peeled, so they will break if you are too rough taking off the shell.
Rinse each egg, and then use a paper towel to carefully pat it dry. Set aside.
Start with a COLD sausage ball, straight from the fridge.
Place meatball in the center of an 8x8 parchment square.
Gently pat the meatball down until you have an oval that is about a 1/4-inch thick, and roughly 3 eggs long and 2 eggs wide.
Place the parchment square in your palm.
Gently lay a cold, dry, soft-boiled egg on top of the sausage oval, with the ends of the egg perpendicular to the long sides of the oval.
Gently pull the sausage away from the parchment as you wrap it around the egg.
Continue until the sausage has completely released from the parchment and the egg is covered with sausage.
Removed the thick sausage points at each end.
Check the egg carefully for areas that might be too thin or too thick, and use the excess removed from the points to seal the edges and even out any thin spots.
When the sausage appears to be distributed uniformly around the egg, gently pass the egg carefully from one hand to the other a couple of times, allowing the warmth of your palms to smooth the outside surface a bit and the gentle pressure to even out any bumps or rough spots on the surface.
If the sausage is too sticky, wet your hands with cold water and then gently dry them. You don't want to use "wet" hands, but slightly damp hands will discourage the sausage from sticking to them.

Scotch Egg Breading

You will need three small bowls.
Bowl 1: Wondra & garlic powder. (Stir to combine.)
Bowl 2: Beaten egg.
Bowl 3: Panko crumbs, brown sugar, and chili powder.
Roll each sausage-covered egg in flour mixture [Bowl 1] and shake off excess, then dip in the beaten egg [Bowl 2], and finally roll in the Panko crumbs [Bowl 3].
When I finish rolling the eggs in the last bowl, I like to pass it carefully from one hand to the other a couple of times, to help form and structure the outside crust a bit; much like you would form a meatball, but exerting far less external pressure.
Place breaded eggs on a plate until you have enough done for one batch. (2-6 depending on the size of your air-fryer.).

Air Frying

Preheat air fryer at 380° for 10 minutes.
Set the scotch eggs on the bottom of your air fryer basket. Be sure to leave generous space around each one for air to circulate.
Air-fry eggs for 12 minutes, turning halfway through for more even browning.
See NOTES for alternate cooking times.
Serve alone, or with your favorite dipping sauce (i.e., Whole Grain Mustard, Sriracha-Mayo, or Honey-Mustard Sauce, etc.).

Video

Notes

Scotch Egg Cooking Times (Soft-cooked Center):

In all cases, follow instructions for 6-minute soft-boiled eggs, as shown above.

The cooking times listed here are based on using a specific size egg, and type and amount of pork sausage. If you change any of these factors, you may need to adjust your cooking times.

Once eggs are boiled and have had their 10-minute ice bath, you may [A] wrap and bread the scotch eggs immediately, [B] prepare them to be cooked up to 24 hours later, or [C] refrigerate the prepared eggs and wrap, bread, and fry them up to three days later.

A. For Eggs completely prepped right before Air-Frying [No Refrigeration], cook 12 minutes in a preheated air-fryer, turning once halfway through cooking.

B. For Eggs completely prepped and then refrigerated up to 24 hours before Air-Frying , cook 13 minutes in a preheated air-fryer, turning once halfway through cooking.

Note that prepping ahead of time will result in a slight change in the egg white's color (it will turn a bit gray), but has no affect on flavor or texture.

C. For Eggs boiled and refrigerated in shell, then wrapped and breaded right before air-frying] , cook 13 minutes in a preheated air-fryer, turning once halfway through cooking.

Always allow Scotch Eggs to stand for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Do you love your air fryer? Me too!! Have you tried our Crispy Sauerkraut Fritters? They’re amazing!

Ingredient Notes

Eggs

This recipe is based on using USDA large eggs [EU size M]. If you use different size eggs, the boiling and cooking times may need to be adjusted.

Jimmy Dean Sausage

The cooking times are based on using one pound of Jimmy Dean regular pork sausage. If you use more or less, or use a sausage with a different fat content, cooking times and/or temperatures may vary.

Wondra

Wondra is finely ground flour that has been pre-cooked and dried. Ultra-light, Wondra is lower in protein and gluten than all-purpose flour, which all translates into a light and crispy crust for fried foods.

You can use all-purpose flour in place of the Wondra in this recipe, but your results may not be as crispy.

Panko Breadcrumbs

The texture of panko makes it especially suited for fried food because it absorbs less oil than regular breadcrumbs, keeping food more crisp and crunchy. Panko crumbs brown up evenly and consistently, even in an air-fryer!

More Good Egg Recipes to Start Your Day!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

February 15 By Renée 28 Comments

Homemade flour tortillas are surprisingly easy to make! With just a simple list of ingredients and a few turns of the rolling pin, you can have warm, fresh, delicious homemade tortillas ready to serve in about a half an hour!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

It’s been more than twenty years since I had homemade tortillas for the first time, and the memory is as fresh as if it had happened yesterday.

I remember watching fascinated as our cousin Leah, the Mexican-born daughter of Christian missionaries, rolled out one tortilla after another in well-practiced rhythm, flour motes dancing with each turn of her pin.

In well-practiced rhythm, Leah rolled, flipped, turned, and fried each circle of dough with machine-like consistency; quickly building a stack of warm, floury flat-breads tall enough to feed our small army of children.

Soft, flavorful, and tender, Leah’s homemade flour tortillas made nearly every tortilla I’d eaten up until then taste like flattened papier-mâché. Watching her work was a moment of pure grace, and I remember feeling immense gratitude for her efforts.

If you have never made homemade tortillas, it’s high time that you do. And once you do, you will never go back to store-bought. (OK, maybe you will sometimes, for the convenience, but after these, those store-bought tortillas will never taste the same again.)

Now, here’s the biggest secret of all – homemade flour tortillas are surprisingly fast and easy to make!

How to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas

[For ingredient amounts and further instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.]

Mix together flour, salt, and baking powder. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix with your hands. Mix in a little water at a time with your hands until you have a soft dough.

The dough should be soft but not sticky. You can always add more flour if you need to. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed if the dough gets sticky.

Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic or cover with a towel. Let rest for about 20 minutes.

After the dough has rested, divide it into 2” balls (about the size of a golf ball).

Flatten a dough ball with your palm and dust each side with flour, then roll into a 5-6” circle. Turn and flip each tortilla a few times as you roll them out.

Heat a dry frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Do not grease or spray with cooking spray. Place a tortilla in the pan and cook until it bubbles a little – around 20-30 seconds. Flip it and cook the other side 20-30 seconds.

Place cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer, or inside a folded kitchen towel. The steam from the hot tortillas softens them.

Homemade Flour Tortillas | The Good Hearted Woman

Want to make an awesome tortilla warmer like the one in the picture above? Check out my Tortilla Warmer DIY tutorial here!

Homemade flour tortillas are Super Easy to make! Perfect for #TacoTuesday! So much better than store-bought, too! (Olive oil recipe - no lard or shortening)

5 from 12 votes

Homemade Flour Tortillas

With just a simple list of ingredients and a few turns of the rolling pin, you can have warm, fresh, delicious homemade tortillas ready to serve in just over half and hour.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Resting Time20 mins

Total Time50 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Bread, Dinner or Appetizer, Lunch

Keyword: flatbread

Servings: tortillas

Calories: 94kcal

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Rolling Pin

Ingredients

4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups warm water not HOT

Instructions

Mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix with your hands.
Mix in a little water at a time with your hands until you have a soft dough. (The dough should be soft but not sticky. You can always add more flour if you need to.) Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed if the dough gets sticky.
Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic or cover with a towel. Let rest for about 20 minutes. (This allows to gluten to rest.)
Divide dough into 2” balls (about the size of a golf ball). Flatten a dough ball with your palm and dust each side with flour, then roll into a 5-6” circle. Turn and flip each tortilla a few times as you roll them out. [See note]
Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Do not grease or spray with cooking spray. Place a tortilla in the pan and cook until it bubbles a little – around 20-30 seconds. Flip it and cook the other side 20-30 seconds.
Place cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer, or inside a folded kitchen towel. The steam from the hot tortillas softens them.

Notes

It takes about the same amount of time to roll out a tortilla as it does for to fry one, so after you roll the first few, it is easy to get into a rhythm of cooking one and rolling the next at the same time.

The cook time listed on this recipe is the collective time it will take to cook all of the tortillas. A single tortilla only takes about 1 minute to fry up.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

My flour tortilla recipe is an adaptation of “Flour Tortillas Diaz.” I love that it doesn’t call for lard or shortening, and the tortillas it makes are soft and pliable even after they have been sitting for some time.

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

POST UPDATED 2.15.2020 – This post was originally published June 30, 2014.

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn

November 24 By Renée 51 Comments

A treasured family recipe, Mary’s Sticky Popcorn is the best Soft Caramel Corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Today I am sharing a very special treat; one my girls grew up calling Sticky Popcorn (although it’s not sticky at all). This ridiculously easy caramel corn recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, and will completely turn your idea of caramel corn on its head!

But first, I want to tell you about Mary.

Mary with Cheryl’s daughter, Emily. Emily has kiddos of her own now!

Back when my oldest girls were little (before some were even born), we lived in a cul-de-sac, three doors down from my BFF Cheryl. Next to Cheryl lived a little woman named Mary, age 90ish. Mary lived on her own long past the time when most folks need to have more assistance, and I learned a lot by watching her.

Mary was able to stay independent for so long for two reasons: First, she lived next door to Cheryl and her family. (If you know them, that is all the explanation you need: they are amazing examples of loving and serving their neighbors.) Second, Mary learned to adapt.

My favorite example of Mary’s modifying life to meet her needs was her Christmas tree. Mary kept a fully decked Christmas tree year round. The tree was only about three or four feet tall, and it sat eleven months out of the year in her garage, protected by a white plastic garbage bag tied closed at the top of the tree.

Every December, Mary would ask someone would bring her tree in from the garage, sit it on a little table, and untie the twist-tie that held the bag closed. (One year, I was the someone who got to put up Mary’s tree. I felt so special!)

Once her tree was standing on its little table, Mary would carefully pull down the bag to reveal the tree already hanging with ornaments. Then she arranged the bag around the base like a tree skirt, and stand back to enjoy her beautiful decorations.

When the holidays were over, someone would go over to Mary’s, pull the bag back up to the top and tie it off, and then put her little tree back in the garage until the following Christmas.

Brilliant!

Which brings me back to Sticky Popcorn.

Every Christmas season, Mary would make her soft caramel corn recipe. As the buttery-sweet popcorn cooled, she formed it into popcorn balls, which she later handed out to the neighborhood kids for the holiday.

Normally, I don’t like popcorn balls at all. Never have. They are hard and stick to your teeth, and the popcorn in them is always gross. In fact, the first time one of my girls offered me a bite of Mary’s caramel corn, I turned her down.

But then I noticed that, as she ate it, there was no distinctive crunch-crunch-crunching and side-of–mouth biting going on, like there always was with typical rock-solid popcorn balls. Instead, my daughter was taking neat little bites and chewing them with satisfaction, making her way around the popcorn ball as if she was eating an ice cream cone.

So I snuck a little bite. And another. And then another. (Good thing she was just a toddler, or I would have never gotten away with that many bites!)

I soon discovered that Mary’s popcorn balls were different from any I had ever had, in all the best ways. The caramel was soft and didn’t stick to my teeth; the texture was smooth and buttery; and in addition to being easy to eat, the caramel popcorn itself was absolutely delicious!

As soon as I could, I asked Mary for the recipe and was floored by the simplicity of it – just five ingredients, including the popcorn!

I was soon making Mary’s caramel corn as a family treat almost weekly, although we dispensed with the “popcorn ball” model almost immediately. Now we always just eat it straight from the bowl. This caramel corn recipe – now a family tradition – is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it’s nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

Mostly, it’s just wonderful.

Mary has been gone for many years now, but every time I make Sticky Popcorn, I think of her. I asked Mary once what the best thing about getting old was, and I will never forget what she said:

By the time you get to be about 80, you can say anything you want to, because no matter what you say, people either think you’re wise or you’re crazy.

So now, my friends, I am passing this little bit of Mary’s wisdom onto you. Enjoy!

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | The Good Hearted Woman

4.5 from 2 votes

Best Ever Soft Caramel Popcorn

A treasured family recipe, Mary’s “Sticky Popcorn“ is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Snack, Treats

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel, popcorn

Servings: servings

Calories: 377kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Large, heavy saucepan

Ingredients

1 cup unpopped popcorn about 8 quarts popped
1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pop popcorn and set aside in an extra-large bowl or roasting pan.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients.
Stirring constantly, melt butter and heat mixture on medium until it reaches a full, rolling boil. (This is a boil that cannot be stirred down.)
Boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
If you are want to, you can check the temperature with a candy thermometer. It should read 200° F [94° C].
Note: This is the first time I have checked the temperature for this caramel, ever. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries! Just boil it for one minute, and you’ll be golden!
Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn.
Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.
Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn.
Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.
You need to do this step very quickly!
NOTE: My caramel got a little too cool because I was stopping the process to take pictures. If you watch the video, you can see that it is already getting stiff when I’m stirring the caramel in. If you do pour the caramel and stir it right away, without stopping in the middle to take a half a million pictures and video, it will stir in very smoothly.
Stir and mix to cool. Form into balls if desired.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Have you ever had Nuts & Bolts? It’s another one of our favorite snacks, especially around the holidays!

So just how good is this caramel corn, anyway?

Mr. B always says he doesn’t much like popcorn. Which must be why the first time I made Sticky Popcorn for him, he ate almost half a batch! All by himself!! Allow me to quote him: “This (nom-nom-nom) popcorn is (nom-nom) really (nom-nom) really (nom-nom-nom) delicious!

When I updated this post in 2019 with new process photos, more concise directions, and a how-to video. (Thanks for the music, Mr. B!) So of course, I had to make a batch of Mary’s caramel corn recipe for picture-taking purposes, right? Well, guess who ate more than half the batch by the time I got done editing images?

I’m not naming names, but his name rhymes with Mr. G.

Seriously, this stuff is really tasty, folks.

I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup.
Check it out for more great recipes!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

UPDATE: This post was first published December 10, 2013.

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam}

October 29 By Renée 26 Comments

Dress it up or dress it down, Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Jam always brings just the right amount of “fancy” to the party!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam} is a no-stress, easy-to-make appetizer and a total crowd-pleaser at any celebration.

Baked brie holds up well if it needs to be transported, and brings just the right amount of fancy to practically any occasion.

The “recipe” for this Baked Brie in Puff Pastry is nearly bulletproof. Here I’m sharing one of my favorite variations, Raspberry-Almond Bake Brie, but you can swap out the raspberry jam for any thick jam or preserve: orange marmalade, apricot preserves, and Marionberry jam are all great choices. Or how about fig spread or cranberry sauce to create a new holiday tradition?

Whatever jam you choose to enhance your baked brie, the process is the same.

How to Make Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Jam

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Defrost puff pastry according to direction.

2. Slice the brie wheel in half horizontally across the middle, so that you have two thin brie wheels.

3. Roll the almond paste into a circle slightly larger than the brie wheel and about 1/8-inch thick. Use the brie container to cut a round of almond paste the same size as the brie wheel. (If you don’t have a container, just cut a circle around the brie itself.)

4. Layer the almond paste circle in between the two brie circles.

5. With your palms, form a small ball with the leftover almond paste you cut away in Step 2. Roll it out so that it is 1/8-inch thick, and cut enough 1/4 strips to encircle the top of the brie wheel. Press them down to form a rim around the top of the brie wheel. (It doesn’t have to be pretty – this all gets covered up.)

This rim helps to contain and keep the jam in place during prep and cooking. Fill the recess with jam.

6. Place the prepared brie wheel in the center of one sheet of room temperature puff pastry. Gently pull the edges together at the top as if you were wrapping a package, and twist slightly to seal. Place the pastry covered brie on an ungreased glass pie dish, cookie sheet, or brie baker.

(My brie baker, as you may note from the images below, looks suspiciously like an oversized ashtray.)

7. Optional Step: Cut straight across the top-knot to flatten the top, and then add decorative shapes, as shown below. If you would prefer to just leave the top-knot as is, that works fine too. (For reference, I skipped this step on the brie shown on all the fruit and cheese tray pics in this post. It was just twisted and baked, as in Step 5.)

8. Whisk together egg white and one tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, apply an egg white wash to the entire pastry.

9. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

We like to serve puff pastry baked brie with apple slices and hearty, whole grain crackers.

Recipe Updated October 29, 2019 (Originally published December 18, 2014)

5 from 5 votes

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam}

This classic, four-ingredient Raspberry-Almond Baked Brie in Puff Pastry {i.e., Baked Brie with Jam } is super easy to make - and always a crowd-pleaser!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time50 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: appetizer, cheese, Holidays

Servings:

Calories: 164kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

7-8 ounce Brie Wheel
1 sheet Puff Pastry I use Pepperidge Farm
3 - 4 ounces almond paste See Note
1/4 - 1/3 cup thick raspberry jam
1 egg white gently whisked

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F [177°C]. Defrost puff pastry according to direction.
Slice the brie wheel in half horizontally across the middle, so that you have two thin brie wheels.
Roll the almond paste into a circle slightly larger than the brie wheel and about 1/8-inch thick.
Use the brie container to cut a round of almond paste the same size as the brie wheel.
If you don’t have a container, just cut a circle around the brie itself.
Layer the almond paste circle in between the two brie circles.
Form a small ball with the leftover almond paste you cut away in Step 2.
Roll it out so that it is 1/8-inch thick, and cut enough 1/4 strips to encircle the top of the brie wheel.
Press the strips down to form a rim around the top of the brie wheel. (It doesn’t have to be pretty – this all gets covered up.) This rim helps to contain and keep the jam in place during prep and cooking. Fill the recess with jam.
Place the prepared brie wheel in the center of one sheet of room temperature puff pastry.
Gently pull the edges together at the top as if you were wrapping a package, and twist slightly to seal.
Place the pastry covered brie on an ungreased glass pie dish, cookie sheet, or brie baker.
Optional Step: Cut straight across the top-knot to flatten the top, and then add decorative shapes, as shown below.
If you would prefer to just leave the top-knot as is, that works fine too.
For reference, I skipped this step on the brie shown on all the fruit and cheese tray pics in this post. It was just twisted and baked, as in Step 5.
Whisk together egg white and one tablespoon water.
Using a pastry brush, apply an egg white wash to the entire pastry.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve with whole grain crackers and sliced apples.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

More delicious GHW recipes to feed your pastry cravings:

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam} | The Good Hearted Woman

Baked Brie with Jam is perfect for any occasion, from uptown parties to outdoor gatherings.

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of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

August 21 By Renée 6 Comments

These delicious Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars will give them something hearty and healthy to start their day – no matter how fast they have to run for the bus!

7:54 a.m. – The typical time that our little Princess rolls her fanny out of bed to get ready for school.

8:03 a.m. – The time that the bus rolls up at the corner to carry the aforementioned Princess off to school. (It used to be 6:50 a.m.: things are better now.)

^{This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.}

Seven minutes. Em has an average of seven minutes – to get dressed, check her face, comb her hair, check her face again, maybe put on a little make-up, gather her school supplies that were supposed to be together the night before, grab her clarinet, hug her Mama and run out the door…

Breakfast? Most often, it is in her hand – because if she can’t hold it and eat it before she gets to the bus stop, it won’t get eaten. Because, heaven forbid should anyone know that she actually eats breakfast. (“It’s embarrassing.”) And somehow, no matter how early she gets up, it doesn’t change the amount of time she allots for eating breakfast. Thirteen-year old girls are weird.

Any Mama or Papa who has children who hop on a school bus has at least a few mornings when there isn’t time to sit down and eat anything. Some of us more than others, I’m sure, but we’ve all been there. So when you press something into their hands as they bolt out the door, you hope it’s something healthy and delicious (and NOT full of weird chemicals and preservatives) – something that will stick with them for the whole morning. Something that might even remind them that they are loved.

A few weeks ago, I threw a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, waved my magic spatula and came up with a new favorite – soft, healthy, hand-friendly oatmeal breakfast bars full of oatmeal and yumminess.

I like to wrap these breakfast bars individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before. They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.

[NOTE: This post has been updated. It was originally published in February 2014. Our little Princess leaves for college this fall!]

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe | Gluten-free, Dairy-free | The Good Hearted Woman

5 from 6 votes

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

These soft, hand-friendly oatmeal breakfast bars are gluten-free, dairy-free and full of oatmeal yumminess.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Keyword: Breakfast Bar Recipe, Breakfast Bars

Servings: Bars

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 large banana mashed
½ cup honey
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup ground almonds or ground flaxseed
1 Tbls ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger optional: I love ginger!
1 Tbls baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups almond milk

Optional Breakfast Bar Add-ins

¼ cup coconut
¼ cup golden raisins or craisins
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup anything else that sounds good ahem… chocolate chips, anyone?

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
Add in oats, ground almonds, ginger, baking powder, salt and and “optional additions” you choose, mix well with wet ingredients.
Pour in almond milk and stir combine. Set on counter for 15 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
Line a large jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spread mixture evenly over parchment paper.
Bake 1 hour, or until the top is slightly golden and it is “bouncy” to the touch. (Like a heavy quickbread.)
Cool and cut into 18 bars.
To store, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and then freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Notes

I like to wrap these individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before. They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.

NOTE: Nutritional analysis DOES NOT INCLUDE optional add-ins.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

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^{Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!}

Red Pepper Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses {Muhammara}

June 17 By Renée 24 Comments

Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses (Muhammara) is a versatile, savory-sweet dip that is delicious spread on pita, as a dip for veggies, or sauce for kabobs. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and… AMAZING!

Muhammara, or Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses, originated in Aleppo, Syria, and its principal ingredients traditionally include red peppers, ground walnuts, breadcrumbs, spices, and olive oil. However, this recipe – inspired by popular local pub fare – omits the bread crumbs, and instead uses roasted carrots to thicken and extend the dip. Not only do the carrots keep this delicious savory-sweet dip gluten-free, but they give it a wonderful creaminess and infuse an earthy sweetness as well.

^{This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.}
Every year, our town hosts the Portland Book Festival [formerly Wordstock], a week-long literary celebration with a mission: to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives. Some years back, my sister-friend Dottie and I attended the annual Poetry Slam together, and afterwards decided to stop for a little late night nosh at the adjacent Bagdad Pub.

Dottie and I ordered something called “Three Faces of Eve,” [super-fancy hummus plate] and sat down to rehash the slam, poet by poet.

Forty-five minutes later, still no hummus plate. When we finally got our waitress’s attention and she (let’s call her Alice) went to check on our order, only to return frantic and apologizing all over the place. Alice said she had no idea what happened but the kitchen never got our order.

“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” she asked us – at least seven times. In between apologizing, she kept up a steady train of chatter, trying so hard to be accommodating that it was driving us nuts. All either Dottie or I could think was, “It’s OK, we understand. Really. Just please stop talking.”

Finally, I told Alice what would really make me happy: I wanted the recipe for their roasted red pepper walnut dip. Which I love. LOVE. As in, I have been known to go to this pub solely for the walnut-pomegranate dip. (It is my favorite of Eve’s three faces.)

“Can you get the recipe for me?” I asked, smiling my best ‘you might just be able to salvage your tip’ smile.

“I dunno, but I’ll try.” She didn’t sound very confident, but it gave her something to do besides hover over us like a needy dragonfly.

Ten minutes later, Alice emerged from the back with a big grin, waving piece of white paper. My recipe! I was so happy I almost got misty. I had literally been wanting this recipe for years! I scanned it briefly before I returned to Dottie and our conversation, and it was a good thing I did! Because somewhere between the booth at the Bagdad and my front door, that little slip of paper completely disappeared.

Luckily, I have a knack for remembering printed text pretty well, so I wasn’t really panicked. I was pretty sure I had the complete list of ingredients memorized, including basic ratios. In the long run, losing it wasn’t entirely a bad thing, because it forced me to really work each this recipe out for myself, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results!

Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman

5 from 6 votes

Muhammara (Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses)

Inspired by the Walnut-Pomegranate Dip on the "Three Faces of Eve" Plate at McMenamins Bagdad Theater & Pub in Portland, Oregon.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: appetizer, dip

Servings: servings

Calories: 95kcal

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2" pieces
1 large red pepper cored, seeded, and cut into eighths
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 cup walnuts about 4 ounces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika or sumac
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp regular red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses plus more for garnish
2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 cup warm water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Roast Vegetables

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cover a baking sheet pan with a Silpat mat or parchment paper and spread the prepared vegetables out in a single layer. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Season vegetables lightly with kosher salt and ground cumin.
Roast vegetable in preheated oven for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once vegetables are cool, remove peel from red peppers.

Toast Walnuts

Heat walnuts in a dry, heavy skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, or until nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Walnuts burn easily in a skillet, so be sure to stir constantly to ensure even toasting until the nuts turn a rich, golden brown. Remove walnuts from skillet and set aside.

Prep Spices

In the same skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Turn off burner, add the cumin and paprika, and stir in hot oil until fragrant - just a few seconds. Allow to cool slightly.

Put it all together!

Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Serve with warm pita triangles, celery sticks, carrot sticks, or whatever makes you happy.

Notes

As with many things, the flavors in this dip benefit greatly by having a little time to blend. It can definitely be eaten immediately after making it, but If you are making this for a party, I strongly suggest doing so a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to mingle and come together. Serve cold or at room temperature.

If you prefer your dips a little chunkier, reserve one carrot and a handful of walnuts until after you have mostly pureed the mixture, then throw the reserve nuts and carrot in and pulse for a few times to combine.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip {Muhammara} is savory, sweet, smoky deliciousness! Spread on pita, dip in veggies, or sauce up kabobs! ?

Ingredient Notes:

Aleppo Peppers: Named after the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, Aleppo dried pepper flakes are traditionally used in Muhammara. Aleppo pepper flakes are about half as hot as crushed red chili flakes, and according to some, twice as flavorful. Aleppo pepper flakes can be found in specialty markets or online.
Carrots: Carrots are not a traditional ingredient in muhammara; however, this recipe uses carrots in place of breadcrumbs to thicken and extend the dip. For this recipe, I chose to roast the carrots before blending them into the dip, instead of simply boiling them as my original notes indicated. Not only do the roasted carrots pair perfectly with the walnut-pomegranate flavors to make this savory-sweet dip gluten-free, but they give it a wonderful creaminess as well.
Pomegranate Molasses: Probably the most unusual ingredient in this recipe, pomegranate molasses is a household staple in many Middle Eastern kitchens. It has a truly unique flavor, and can be used for glazes, salad dressings, and even barbecuing. You can find it at specialty stores or online. And before you even ask: no, here is no good substitute for it.

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to PIN and Print this recipe!

Originally Posted June 2013.1

Top 10 Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes

October 27 By Renée 23 Comments

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a savory seasonal treat, and super easy to make, too! We’ve collected 10 of the tastiest pumpkin seed recipes around to get you started! (Be sure to check our tips for easy pumpkin seed clean-up, too!)

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Pumpkin carving was always a BIG night for me. Dad would give me a piece of paper to work out the details on – mouth, eyes, nose – and then we would trace my drawing onto the front of the pumpkin.

With a few sheets of the Oregon Journal covering our kitchen table, Daddy would cut the top and pull it off, and then he and I would degut the pumpkin together while my mom watched. (She didn’t like the feel of pumpkin guts and left that part entirely to us.)

Then Dad would help me carve the face, letting me hold the knife and showing me how to carefully cut each angle and line, all the while entertaining me with a steady string of Halloween dad/teacher jokes. To illustrate:

What do ghosts put on their cereal?

Booberries!

What kind of pants do ghosts wear?

Boo-jeans.

What happens when a vampire goes out in the snow?

Frost-bite.

OK, that’s probably enough of that. Anyway, I remember being so excited when our Jack-o-lantern was done!

Mom would put some aluminum foil in the bottom of the pumpkin and set a white candle inside, and Dad used a long-handled match from our fireplace to reach down in and light the candle.

When the candle had been lit, Dad would put the lid on and dim the front room lights, and then we would all stand back and watch the candle dance inside.

That was the best, best, best part of Halloween.

The trick-or-treating was fine, and the candy was great too, but that moment when we lit our pumpkin – that was Magic!

Nowadays, a lot folks are painting their pumpkins or covering them with glitter and such, but not me. As long as I can manage it, there will be a Jack-o-Lantern on my porch – glowing warmly and filling the night air with the scent of warm pumpkin.

The scariest thing about Halloween “back in the day”? Trying to breathe under those masks! (Also, I was four or five in this picture, and I have no idea what motivated me to draw a beard on my Jack-o-lantern, but there it is.)

The Easiest Way to Separate & Clean Pumpkin Seeds

Before you can roast your pumpkin seeds, you need to separate them from the pumpkin pulp and clean them.

I used to cringe just thinking of having to clean off all those sticky seeds, until I learned this simple trick! Now, cleaning off the pumpkin seeds is a snap!

First, carve out your pumpkin. Remove the pulp and seeds together onto a clean baking tray.
Separate as much of the pulp as you can by hand. (“As much as you can” really means as long as you can stand it. For me, that’s about a minute. Pumpkin guts make my hands itch.)
Get a big bowl and fill it halfway with water.
Put the seeds into the water – pulp and all – and start squishing them around with your hands. The pulp will sink to the bottom, and the seeds will rise to the top. Easy peasy.

Top 10 Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes {+ Quick Tips for Easy Pumpkin Seed Clean-up!}

Top 10 Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a savory seasonal treat, and super easy to make, too! We've collected some of the tastiest pumpkin seed recipes around to get you started!

Photo Credit: www.flavourandsavour.com

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds make a healthy snack for a tailgate party, an addition to a cheese platter, or a garnish for soup or salad. Love spicy pepitas? These are mildly salty with a kick from chipotle peppers!

Photo Credit: livingsweetmoments.com

Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – don’t know what to do with the seeds after you carve that pumpkin? Create a healthy crunchy snack with the seeds. Easy and delish!

Photo Credit: www.sidewalkshoes.com

Sweet & Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

You are going to love the sweet and salty addictiveness of these Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

Photo Credit: www.nutmegnanny.com

Sweet Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

These sweet salty roasted pumpkin seeds are the perfect snack to make after carving pumpkins. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty and cinnamon flavor.

Photo Credit: www.perspectiveportions.com

Chocolate Lovers Roasted Seeds

Transform the seeds inside winter squashes into a crunchy snack with these cocoa roasted seeds.

Photo Credit: petersfoodadventures.com

Sweet Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

This sweet and spicy roasted pumpkin seed recipe is a delicious snack with amazing health benefits - Sweet Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Photo Credit: 4sonrus.com

Cajun Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds toasted to perfection with the perfect blend of bold Cajun spice and a solid savory with hints of paprika and Worcestershire.

Photo Credit: sugarspunrun.com

Sweet Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Sweetened pumpkin seeds roasted on the stovetop and coated in pumpkin spice (or cinnamon) and sugar!

Photo Credit: gardeninthekitchen.com

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds

These Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds are the most addicting snack of all times! The perfect balance between sweet, salty and crunchy madness!

Photo Credit: thisissogoodhome.com

Pumpkin Spiced Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

You can store these Pumpkin Spiced Pepitas in an air-tight container for up to a week, but they probably won’t last that long!

More Pumpkin Recipes on GHW

We love all those pumpkiny, fall flavors! Here are a few of our favorites:

Have you ever tried Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin? Overflowing with savory fruits, nuts, veggies, and whole grains and complete with pumpkin gravy, it makes the perfect vegetarian centerpiece for your holiday table.

Planning on doing some fall baking? Be sure to mix up a batch of our fresh Pumpkin Spice Mix. (It’s so easy to make!) And our easy-to-make Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones are truly scrumptious!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola

January 13 By Renée 6 Comments

Uncle David’s Hearty Vegan Granola recipe is an easy-to-make vegan, gluten-free, oil-free granola; slow-baked baked in natural sweeteners for deeply satisfying, delicious crunch.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

If you love starting your morning with a delicious bowl of whole-grain goodness, you are in the right place! This great-tasting, protein-rich vegan granola recipe is shared here courtesy of my sister’s Uncle David, faithful breakfast eater and lifelong vegan. Ever humble, Uncle David says,

I wish I could take the credit [for this recipe] but it is from a friend’s cookbook that is my favorite: Best Gourmet Recipes from Five Loaves Deli & Bakery by Neva Brackett. I use the recipe all the time and never tire of it. Best I’ve ever had. Enjoy!

Regardless of the source, recipes for granola – favorite breakfast cereal turned traveling-snack of hippies, West Coast hipsters, and aging boomers alike – are as numerous and varied as are the ingredients used to make them.

This recipe, however, stands out in a couple of significant ways: it contains no added fats, no sweets (i.e., carob, chocolate, candy-coated M&M’s and the like so often found in “trail mix” granola varieties) and is naturally vegan. Moreover, with just the right amount of sweetness and no more, it is a delicious, natural source of protein and complex carbohydrates.

The primary sweetener in this granola is pureed dates; which, I have to admit I thought sounded awful when I first read the recipe (I don’t like dates); however, going on my sister’s recommendation, I gave it a try. Wow! I am so glad I did! This is one granola recipe you will be making over and over.

Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola

Uncle David’s Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola recipe is an easy-to-make vegan, gluten-free, oil-free granola; slow-baked baked in natural sweeteners for deeply satisfying, delicious crunch.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time8 hrs

Total Time8 hrs 30 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Snacks

Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Dairy-free, Gluten-free

Servings:

Calories: 414kcal

Author: David Hardwick

Ingredients

2 cups pitted or chopped dates
1/2 cup walnuts roasted peanuts, or almonds
2 tablespoons of sesame tahini
1 1/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup honey or agave, or maple syrup
1 tablespoons vanilla
1 tablespoons molasses
1 tsp maple flavoring
3/4 tsp salt
42 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats about 14 cups
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, or more
1 - 2 cups slivered almonds coarsely chopped walnuts, and/or roasted peanuts roasted peanuts

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Breheat oven to 200°F [93°C]
Place dates and 1/2 cup nuts in blender. Add hot water, honey, vanilla, molasses, maple flavoring and salt.
Blend for about a minute until smooth.
Place the oats, coconut, and nuts in a roasting pan or very large mixing bowl.
Add blended mix to the oats in the large bowl and gently mix together with your hands.
Work the wet and dry mixtures together for several minutes until all the oats are all very evenly moistened and coated.
Place in large cake pans or cookie sheets, taking care not to pack or pat it down tightly. Keep it light and airy.
Place pans in oven at 200°F [93°C] for about 8-10 hours. (I usually use a spatula to turn the granola a couple of times during the baking process.)
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Start your morning with a delicious bowl of Uncle David's amazing whole-grain HEARTY VEGAN BREAKFAST GRANOLA

Ingredient Notes

HONEY: The use of honey is a hot-button of contention in the vegan community: some are fine with it, while others are vehemently opposed to its use. Uncle David is one of the former; however, if you avoid honey altogether, you can substitute agave 1:1 for the honey.
NUTS: I have literally never made this the same twice: I’m always mixing up the nut blend, or adding more coconut, or throwing something in when I have a handful leftover that I don’t know what else to do with.
OATS: Uncle David’s says, “Preferably Quaker or Three-Minute brand—avoid other and most bulk brands. They go to pieces and don’t make a tender, flaky granola“*
COCONUT: We loooove coconut in our house, so I always use at least 2 cups.**
TAHINI: If you don’t have tahini, peanut butter makes a fine substitute.

It is a good idea to use an oven thermometer to be sure your oven is really 200 degrees. We have found that ovens vary greatly and granola can easily burn if the temperature is too high. For really tender granola, use a convection oven!

BONUS IDEA! The first time I made this, while I was “testing” the puree, it occurred to me that is would make a fabulous fruit dip, and it did! All you need to do is mix the date puree (from step #1) 50/50 with plain yogurt, add an extra splash of vanilla, then serve it up with some fruit chunks. People will call you a genius!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Nuts & Bolts (The Original Chex Party Mix)

December 21 By Renée 33 Comments

Nuts & Bolts – The ORIGINAL Chex Party Mix! Long before you could buy Chex Mix at the grocery store, there was spicy, smokey, can’t-stop-eating-it Nuts & Bolts. Make a batch today!

Every year at Christmastime back when I was a child (just after the dinosaurs died) my mother’s best friend Mrs Houston would make a giant batch of Nuts & Bolts and give our family a big bag of it.

The problem with Mrs. Houston’s homemade Chex mix was, it didn’t matter how big the bag – there was never enough. Spicy, smokey, and perfectly seasoned, I could have crunched through handful after handful for breakfast, lunch, and late night snack and still not have had enough.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

All grown us and newly married, I got a hankering for my favorite holiday treat, so I made “Chex Mix” with the packet stuff. Once.

The premixed seasoning didn’t even compare: it was like craving a Dark Chocolate Raspberry 12-Layer Torte and instead getting a Hostess cupcake and a jar of jam. Luckily, Mrs Houston was still living at the time, so I asked her for the recipe and then guarded it like Charlie’s golden ticket.

Unfortunately, we had a few bumpy years, and amid all the moving, my little golden ticket got lost. I didn’t discover its disappearance, of course, until one holiday season when I decided to revive the old tradition and went looking for my Nuts & Bolts recipe. Lost. It was Lost.

I spent a couple of weeks silently panicking while I tried to piece together the ingredient list from fuzzy memories of batches past. After many batches of trial and error, Mrs Houston’s was recipe at last reclaimed, and now our holidays are once again filled with smoky, spicy, savory, snacking goodness.

Note that the recipe below makes a boatload and then some, so feel free to pare it down. (However, if you make the whole batch, you’ll have plenty to give away as gifts. Maybe.)

Nuts & Bolts - The Original Chex Party Mix | The Good Hearted Woman

5 from 9 votes

Nuts & Bolts {The Original Party Mix}

Nuts & Bolts is spicy, smokey, and perfectly seasoned - The ORIGINAL Chex Party Mix.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 15 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Snacks

Keyword: Christmas, Holidays

Servings:

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Renée ♥ Adapted from a recipe by Betty Houston

Equipment

Large Roasting Pan

Ingredients

1 - 14 ounce box Wheat Chex
1 - 12 ounce box Corn Chex
1 - 12 ounce box Rice Chex
1 -12 ounce box Cheerios about 12 cups
1 bag thin pretzels – the stick kind about a pound
2 cups nuts (your choice: peanuts, cashews, etc.)
1 1/2 cups butter
½ cup light olive oil
½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Take out the extra rack in your oven if you have one, and put the remaining rack on the bottom or next to the bottom level.
Preheat oven to 225°F | 110°C.
In a large paper grocery bag, mix cereals, pretzels and nuts together and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and oil together, and then blend in Worcestershire Sauce, Liquid Smoke, and hot sauce.
Slowly pour over mixture in the bag, shaking as you do to cover everything.
Sprinkle seasoned salt over everything, shut the top of the bag, and shake the heck out of it.

Roaster Pan Method:

Pour the mixture into a large (turkey) roaster pan. (It will barely fit.)
Place mixture in roaster pan into oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
Using oven mitts, carefully pour mixture into the large paper bag and shake a couple of times. Return mixture to roaster pan and return to oven.
Repeat 4 times, for a total baking time of 3 hours.

Paper Bag Method: (If you don't have a pan big enough.)

Roll the top of the bag down and place the whole thing on a large cookie sheet.
Place the bag on the cookie sheet into the preheated oven.
Make sure that the top of the bag is at least a few inches away from the top oven element.
Bake for three hours, shaking the bag every 30 minutes.

Notes

Baking times are very flexible. You can shake and mix it every 30-60 minutes and it will be fine. Just make sure to bake it for at least 3 hours.

To make things easier when using the paper bag method, I prepare two bags - one full and one empty. Then every half hour, I just take the hot mixture out of the oven on the cookie sheet, pour it from the full bag to the empty one on the counter, and then put the (new) full one back in the oven. That way, the mix at the very bottom gets stirred, and I never have a clump of mix that doesn't get stirred. If you do a half-batch, you can easily make it in a large roasting pan.

Nutrition

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Long before you could buy Chex Mix at the store, there was tasty, delicious, can't-stop-eating-it NUTS & BOLTS - The ORIGINAL Chex Party Mix! Make a batch today!

ADDITIONAL RECIPE NOTES

Most people use peanuts in this mixture, but Mr B doesn’t like them, so I use cashews instead.
Do not leave the Liquid Smoke out! (Did you know that Liquid smoke really is made from smoke? Yep. Chips or sawdust from hardwoods such as hickory or mesquite are burned at high temperatures, and particles of the smoke are collected in condensers. The resulting liquid is concentrated down for a stronger flavor.) Anyway, it lasts forever, so even if you never use it for anything else, you can keep it in the back of your seasoning shelf and pull it out every year just for this.
If there is a chance that vegetarians might be eating this, be sure to use a vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce.

Have you tried our Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam}? It’s a delicious addition to any holiday grazing table!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Spiced Sugared Cranberries

December 2 By Renée 9 Comments

Spiced Sugared Cranberries are a tart, sweet treat – perfect for holiday snacking, creating beautiful garnishes, or decking out everything from salads to desserts.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

When we started considering garnishes for our amazing Spice Cranberry Mule, I remembered seeing something about sugared cranberries and thought they would make a perfect choice. As usual though, I took it a step further.

Voilà! Spiced Sugared Cranberries!

Spiced Sugared Cranberries are an easy, festive addition to your holiday table. Make them ahead of time, and pull them out of the fridge whenever you need a little splash of color or a bit of a sweet-tart punch.

Have you tried our Blushin’ Russian, garnished here with Spiced Sugared Cranberries? This festive cocktail (and kid-friendly mocktail) is a beautiful, refreshing spin on a traditional Italian soda.

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

Spiced Sugared Cranberries

Spiced Sugared Cranberries are perfect for holiday snacking, creating beautiful garnishes, or decking out everything from salads to desserts.

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

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Course: Condiment

Keyword: Holidays

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1/4 cup Spiced Simple Syrup Recipe Below
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Line a baking pan with a silicone mat, aluminum foil or plastic wrap and set a wire cooling rack on top.
In a small bowl, toss one cup of cranberries in ¼ cup of the spiced simple syrup.
Remove with slotted spoon and place on wire rack.
Let cranberries set on the wire rack for at least an hour.
Place the granulated sugar in a medium bowl or Ziploc bag, and toss the sticky cranberries until well coated.
Refrigerate prepared cranberries for at least an hour before using.
Cranberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.

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Spiced Simple Syrup

A spiced simple syrup, perfect for adding a little something extra to your next lovely beverage.

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Condiment

Keyword: beverages

Servings: servings

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3-4 slices fresh ginger
4-5 cinnamon sticks
3 whole star anise
15 whole allspice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, star anise, and heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Bring mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.
Strain mixture through a fine sieve to remove spices from liquid.
Store refrigerated in a tightly sealed bottle or jar.

Notes

Simple syrups can be refrigerated for at least two weeks.

Nutrition

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If you love cranberries, be sure to check out these delicious recipes!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Scotch Eggs – crisp, savory sausage encasing creamy soft-boiled eggs – are quintessential British pub faire; perfect for brunching, munching, and picnicking. Now you can easily make perfect Scotch Eggs at home in your air fryer!

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What is a Scotch Egg?

How to Boil a Perfect Egg for Scotch Eggs

The Trickiest Step: How to Successfully Cover a Wobbly Soft-Boiled Egg with Sausage

Perfect Soft-Boiled Scotch Eggs (Air Fryer Recipe)

Equipment

Ingredients

Seasoned Flour [Bowl 1]

Beaten Egg [Bowl 2]

Breading Mix [Bowl 3]

Instructions

How to Make 6-Minute Soft-Boiled Eggs

How to Successfully Apply the Sausage Cover

Scotch Egg Breading

Air Frying

Video

Notes

Scotch Egg Cooking Times (Soft-cooked Center):

Nutrition

Ingredient Notes

Wondra

Panko Breadcrumbs

More Good Egg Recipes to Start Your Day!

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Homemade flour tortillas are surprisingly easy to make! With just a simple list of ingredients and a few turns of the rolling pin, you can have warm, fresh, delicious homemade tortillas ready to serve in about a half an hour!

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How to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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A treasured family recipe, Mary’s Sticky Popcorn is the best Soft Caramel Corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

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By the time you get to be about 80, you can say anything you want to, because no matter what you say, people either think you’re wise or you’re crazy.

Best Ever Soft Caramel Popcorn

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Have you ever had Nuts & Bolts? It’s another one of our favorite snacks, especially around the holidays!

So just how good is this caramel corn, anyway?

I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes!

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Dress it up or dress it down, Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Jam always brings just the right amount of “fancy” to the party!

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How to Make Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Jam

Recipe Updated October 29, 2019 (Originally published December 18, 2014)

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam}

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

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These delicious Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars will give them something hearty and healthy to start their day – no matter how fast they have to run for the bus!

7:54 a.m. – The typical time that our little Princess rolls her fanny out of bed to get ready for school.

8:03 a.m. – The time that the bus rolls up at the corner to carry the aforementioned Princess off to school. (It used to be 6:50 a.m.: things are better now.)

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Equipment

Ingredients

Optional Breakfast Bar Add-ins

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses (Muhammara) is a versatile, savory-sweet dip that is delicious spread on pita, as a dip for veggies, or sauce for kabobs. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and… AMAZING!

Muhammara (Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses)

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Roast Vegetables

Toast Walnuts

Prep Spices

Put it all together!

Notes

Nutrition

Ingredient Notes:

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THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup.
Check it out for more great recipes!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!