Breakfast is a very important meal, and I always make sure I have a substantial, well-balanced breakfast. Often my breakfast consists of a bowl of cereal with fruit, a piece of toast with peanut butter, and a glass of milk. Sometimes, I'll have a hard-boiled egg for protein instead of peanut butter. I always have whole wheat toast of course, often homemade, and some kind of multi-grain cereal. There are several store-bought cereals I really like, and they are certainly convenient, but because I love baking and making everything I can homemade, I decided to try making my own cereal. I searched on the internet, and found many granola recipes, which I have made before, but I wanted a little something different. I came across this easy recipe for bran flakes.
1/2 cup natural bran
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup finely ground nuts
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup water
In a mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Add the wet. Divide dough in two, roll out each piece between two pieces of parchment paper into a long rectangle (about the size of your cookie sheet), as thin as it can go. Try to roll the dough evenly, but if some spots are almost translucent and some a bit thicker, it is fine. Place dough on the bottom piece of parchment on a baking sheet and bake at 350◦F for 10 minutes, checking every minute after five minutes as it burns easily (bake the dough in two batches if your oven is small). Let cool, then break into bite-size pieces with your hands (like store-bought bran flakes would be). Place pieces (from both batches) on one parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 275◦F for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Cool, then store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for two weeks.
This cereal recipe is actually so incredibly easy and quick to make, I think I will always have homemade cereal on hand at my house now. The only complaint I have is that the batch is not nearly big enough, as the cereal does store well for two weeks, and I am sure it could be frozen too. The recipe would probably double or even triple well, but I would have to bake every batch individually given the size of my oven. Here is a useful suggestion, when breaking the large pieces up, divide the portions into smaller pieces, stack them together, and rip four or so at once, it saves a lot of time and energy and works just as well. And don't worry too much about the size, just make them whatever you prefer.
I found these bran flakes tasted better than store-bought. They were not quite as "branny" as the packaged ones, but I prefer them this way. If you like your bran flakes really branny, just use more bran and less whole wheat flour. I also really like the addition of ground nuts to the bran flakes. It adds some nice crunch, extra flavor, and extra nutrients. The original recipe suggested ground walnuts or pecans, but I used almonds because that is what I found. These bran flakes contain just the right amount of sweetness, and just enough salt for flavor without being too salty. I usually eat my cereal dry, with fruit but no milk (I know, strange), so I don't know how crunchy these bran flakes stay in milk, but if you like a lot of crunch, simply bake them longer. These bran flakes are definitely a nutritious and delicious addition to any breakfast!
No comments:
Post a Comment