ISO Healthy-ish baked goods for a cafe.

[CanadianBakin']

A new cafe opened about 3 weeks ago and I bake all the muffins, scones, brownies, etc for the chef who runs it. She'd like to have one or two items that were a bit healthier and I'm wondering if you could please help me with ideas and tried and true recipes.

I began with a dried cherry, almond granola bar but they aren't selling. She's going to try putting out samples to get it in some mouths because they are very good.

I've tried a couple oatmeal scone recipes (note I said healthy-ish ) and haven't been sold on them yet. I have considered a rise and shine muffin but I'm hoping for a recipe that doesn't have quite as much prep.

Any ideas?

[gfron1]

I've been making these power bars which a modification of someone's recommendation from my Keeping weight on in the kitchen thread. At first they didn't sell, but when I changed the name from Power Bars to Gourmet Rice Krispie treats, they fly off the shelf. I like the recipe because it is infinitely adaptable to the seasons.

[Darienne]

I've been making these power bars which a modification of someone's recommendation from my Keeping weight on in the kitchen thread.  At first they didn't sell, but when I changed the name from Power Bars to Gourmet Rice Krispie treats, they fly off the shelf.  I like the recipe because it is infinitely adaptable to the seasons.

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Your recipe looks great and I am going to try it. DH and I do long road trips back and forth between Utah and East Central Ontario and I am always looking for things to eat which are yummy enough to preclude buying cr*p in desparation and still healthy enough to warrant eating them.

OK. What are liquor chestnuts? I can find chestnut liquor, but not liquor chestnuts. I suppose you could substitute what? for them.

Thanks.

[CanadianBakin']

I've been making these power bars which a modification of someone's recommendation from my Keeping weight on in the kitchen thread.  At first they didn't sell, but when I changed the name from Power Bars to Gourmet Rice Krispie treats, they fly off the shelf.  I like the recipe because it is infinitely adaptable to the seasons.

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Do they freeze? I forgot to mention that in my original post. It's a cafe within an office building so it doesn't have as high sales as a usual cafe. I'll be going in once every two or three weeks to stock their freezer and scones are the only thing baked fresh every morning.

[gfron1]

I haven't tried freezing them yet - they don't last. You take the syrup to soft ball so you might know better than I if it will freeze well under that circumstance. And the liquor chestnuts - again you can put in whatever you want. I just happen to have these chestnuts soaked in brandy that haven't sold in 3 years so I figured it was time to give them a new life.

[pastrygirl]

For oat scones, you can probably buy oat flour somewhere, or you can make your own by putting regular oatmeal/rolled oats in the food processor for several minutes until ground fine. I like about 20-25% oat flour, but you could do more (I think a cafe I worked at eons ago used 50/50 oat flour). They are good baked with a dollop of jam on top, or add the jam halfway through baking so it doesn't ooze all over.

Another bakery made a 10 grain, slightly sweet roll, with jam baked inside or not. Pretty crunchy-granola style, but a big seller in that location.

Are 'rise and shine' muffins the same as morning glory? Carrots, zucchini, pineapple, raisins, walnuts, kitchen sink? Yeah, you need a separate prep slave for those.

Jamie Oliver has a great pumpkin (butternut squash) muffin recipe on his website that I've been using, slightly modified. They are easy (if you have a food processor) and you could probably make them healthier.

I have a couple of granola bars on our picnic menus in the same vein as Rob's, using puffed rice (aka rice krispies), oatmeal, and either hazelnuts and prunes, peanut butter and chocolate chips, or dried pineapple and coconut. I use a little white chocolate thinned slightly with oil to help glue things together. I haven't tried freezing them, but they keep in the fridge at least a week.

Edited March 25, 2009 by pastrygirl (log)

[rooftop1000]

A few years ago I saw a piece on TV about a cafe on Long Island that was serving quiche made in muffin cups....was very cool

low carb, high protien, and still portable

tracey

[CaliPoutine]

morning glory muffins from the KA flour whole grain baking book.

I also love the maple oatmeal scones from CI. Not that healthy, but fantastic.

The latest issue of Cook's Country has a low-fat carrot cake that looks pretty good too.

[Just loafing]

Rise and Shine (carrot) muffins seem prep-heavy to do, but my assistant turns them out pretty quick. I by bags of mini-carrots so no peeling and we do them in the food processor. likewise apples which we don't peel. We do have frozen apples which we use in pies, so we could use those and save a little more time. (Product of Oregon, same price as whole apple, no peeling etc.) I'd love a recipe for an oatcake similar to Starbucks, but not so sweet. Susan

Edited March 29, 2009 by Just loafing (log)

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I have a granola bar there already and it's not selling well yet so I think I'll hold off on them for a bit.

Pastrygirl - I like the idea of grinding the oats. I might give that a try with my regular scones.

Cali - I haven't tried CI's oat scones yet or KA's morning glory (rise & shine) so I'll give those both a try. It's funny, at a coffee house I baked for in the past we tried selling those muffins as morning glory and no one bought them. Changed the name to rise & shine and we couldn't keep them in.

Just loafing - Good tips on cutting down prep time. I really don't like the flavour of mini carrots but it would definitely cut down time.

[prasantrin]

How about a cookie? In Winnipeg, Tall Grass Prairie's Folk Festival Cookies is a big seller every year, and they sell it at their stores now.

http://www.ciaowinnipeg.com/recipes/13_folkfest_cookie.php

[hansjoakim]

I can warmly recommend the bran muffin from Suas' "Advanced Bread and Pastry"! Finish them with a sprinkling of wheat bran, and they look like perfect "morning muffins". The recipe is based on buttermilk and canola oil, with a healthy dose of wheat germ and bran, as well as currants. Friberg also has some healthy-ish muffins (oat-honey and honey-bran muffins), but I haven't tried those yet. How about a cheese & herb scone or a savoury Irish soda bread divided in scone-like pieces?