One of the earliest cultivated grains is spelt. It’s been around for more than 5,000 years and is related to modern-day wheat. I love the melt-in-your-mouth texture that spelt lends to baked goods. If your batter is a bit on the liquidy side, it’s OK to add an extra tablespoon or so of the flour to the recipe.
What we made:
SPELT PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CRUMB BARS
3/4 cup whole-spelt flour or whole-wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted natural peanut butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, raw sugar or coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup berry jam
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on opposite ends.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter and butter at medium speed until no streaks of butter remain, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sugar and honey and continue beating until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined.
Reserve 2/3 cup of the mixture for the topping and set aside. Evenly pat the remaining dough onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam over the dough and evenly distribute walnut-sized pieces of the reserved topping over the jam. It won’t completely cover the jam.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the topping has lightly browned. Remove the bars from the oven and cool completely. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Our assessment: These crumb bars would be a great choice for a picnic, cookout or family reunion — kids and adults will love them. In particular, peanut butter lovers will appreciate the intense flavor. At work several of my colleagues said these bars would go great with a cup of coffee. I agree, but also think they'd be wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Do note that spelt contains gluten, so it's not a good choice for anyone sensitive to gluten or suffering from celiac disease.
From the book: "The Sweet Side of Ancient Grains: Decadent Whole Grain Brownies, Cakes Cookies, Pies, and More" by Erin Dooner; 214 pages, $19.95. Published by Countryman, 2015.
What you get: If you're not familiar with ancient grains, this collection of recipes is a great introduction. Recipes call for teff, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, einkorn, emmer and spelt, as well as whole wheat. Many recipes are vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free.
In her own words: "It's true that a whole-grain dessert is still a dessert and should be consumed in moderation, but my philosophy is why not use whole grain if you can't detect a difference in taste or texture? If you have family members who won't eat whole-grain pasta or bread, this book is for you."
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