One of the joys of the Days of Unleavened Bread is preparing treats that we rarely make during other times of the year. As an aid to your joy, we are publishing a collection of recipes in this year’s Living Church News—hopefully you will find something new to try!
Of course, there is no requirement to bake your own bread, and you can also find appropriate unleavened bread items at many grocery stores. After a few minutes of reading labels, you take your choices to the cashier, and you have unleavened bread to remind you of lessons of these special days. However, when feasible, preparing recipes ourselves also highlights and enhances the pleasure and delight of God’s ways in a way that commercial products cannot, and usually adds the extra benefits of sharing with and serving others.
This year in Charlotte, taking the admonitions of Titus 2 as their inspiration, older women and the young women participating in the Living Education–Charlotte program paired up to prepare an assortment of unleavened bread recipes. Enticing aromas emanated from the kitchens in their homes, in the Living Ed dorm, and in the Headquarters building, and for days, volunteer tasters “just happened” to come by! All the women personally enjoyed and benefited from the time spent working together, and a couple dozen unleavened recipes were tested. Some of them are included in this collection.
We are physical creatures, and God sometimes commands us to do physical things to help us learn spiritual lessons. Mindful and purposeful actions enrich our thoughts and lives as we prepare for and observe these spring Festivals. And, in this season, we also experience the benefit of eating the results!
May you find pleasure in preparing, sharing, and eating these breads, just as we did! Of course, all of us should keep principles of healthful foods in mind, both to honor the temple of the Holy Spirit and to do our part in maintaining health in a world that often sickens us. However, these are personal decisions that need to accommodate individual needs, options, and budgets. We presume everyone will adapt these recipes to fit their personal needs. Some of the ladies and Living Education students experimented with different ingredients, and some of those experiments are reflected in these recipes.
We hope that this will be a most inspiring, encouraging, and joyous Festival season for all of you! And may the food we enjoy during these days remind us to take in the true unleavened bread of sincerity and truth as we observe the Festivals God has designed for our blessing.
Breads
Fruit N’ Nut Bread
1/3 cup melted butter
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 or 3)
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup orange juice
1 egg, beaten
2 cups rolled oats
¼ cup chopped nuts
¼ cup chopped dates
¼ cup chopped apricots or cranberries
¼ cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350° F. Melt butter and set aside to cool. Mix flour and salt in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix bananas, honey, orange juice, egg, and melted butter. Add to dry ingredients and blend just until flour is dampened. Stir in oats and rest of ingredients. Pour into a well-greased and floured shiny loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. (Lower the temperature if using a dark or glass pan.)
Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to rack. For easier slicing, wrap in foil and store overnight. Delicious toasted.
Almond Bread
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
¾ cup oil or butter
1 small bag slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Combine sugar, eggs, and 1 cup flour. Mix well and add oil or butter. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into two bread pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans. Slice as needed.
Cheese, Onion, and Garlic Unleavened Bread
½ cup softened butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Mix cheese and butter. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. (Can be covered and frozen for up to 48 hours.)
Bake at 400° F until set and golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.
Southern Cornbread
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup shortening
1 cup milk
Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients together then stir into dry ingredients. Pour into muffin tins and bake at 425° F for 20–25 minutes.
Cottage Cheese Rolls
2 cups flour
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup soft butter
½ teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients well. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to firm. Divide dough into four pieces. Roll each into a circle and cut each circle into eight wedges. Beginning at wide end, roll each wedge into a crescent. Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. If desired, glaze with drizzled honey or powdered sugar thinned with milk. Makes 4 dozen.
Crackers and Flatbreads
Cheese Napoleons
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup oil
4 tablespoons milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Mix flour and salt. Slowly add oil, tossing mixture with fork. Add milk and cheese and stir until dough clings together. If too dry, add a little more milk. With hands, press into a large cookie sheet with edges. Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares. Bake for 15 minutes at 425° F or until lightly browned.
Unleavened Bread with Oats
1 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
3 cups flour
3 ½ cups rolled oats
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Melt butter in water. Add flour, rolled oats, sugar, and salt. Mix well and pat into greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes.
Cinnamon Raisin Flatbread
Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free
1 ¼ cups water
¾ cup chickpea flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 375° F and line a 9” x 9” pan with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. The consistency should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Pour mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with extra cinnamon.
Bake for 30–35 minutes or until sides begin to brown and the top is all cracked. Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes before lifting out of the pan. Cut into serving pieces.
Unleavened Bread with Cornmeal
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup warm water (or more)
Mix dry ingredients together and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the warm water. If dough is very stiff, add a little more water. Chill dough. Roll as thinly as you like and cut into 2” squares. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375° F. If dough is rolled paper-thin, the crackers bake in about five minutes. They will be lightly brown. If dough is rolled to be thicker, the baked product will not brown much and will be softer, which makes better sandwiches, especially when pieces are cut larger.
Nelda’s Unleavened Bread
2 ½ cups flour (and more as needed)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ cup butter
1 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients together. Melt butter and mix with milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Work in more flour as needed to be able to roll the dough out to approximately ¼” to ½”. Cut with biscuit cutter or a knife. Bake at 350° F on greased cookie sheet until brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. These are very good for making sandwiches.
Cheese Crackers
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups grated cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
10 tablespoons milk
Mix and roll very thin. Cut into squares and bake on greased pan for 10 minutes at 350° F. These burn easily, so watch closely.
Cheesy Things
2 cups flour
2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups aged cheddar
1 cup soft butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper (optional)
Combine all ingredients and shape into balls. Place on cookie sheet and press lightly. Bake at 350° F for 15–20 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes about five dozen.
Cheddar Crisps
1 3/4 cups flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ cup cold water
Sift dry ingredients and cut in butter. Use a fork to stir in cheese. Add vinegar and water and mix until mixture forms a soft ball. Refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat oven to 375° F and grease large cookie sheet. Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll each into a circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Bake until brown, about 10 minutes.
Corn Crackers
2 cups water
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ cups cornmeal
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coconut
1 teaspoon salt
Blend wet ingredients in bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Pour into greased pan (batter will be ¼” deep). Bake at 375° F for 45 minutes or until done. Cut while hot.
Cookies and Bars
Whole Food Cakes
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped dates
¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup honey
¼ cup oil or melted butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sunflower seeds
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup coconut
Soak fruit in orange juice and honey for 20 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into soaked fruit mixture. Tightly pack into firm balls 2–2 ½ inches in diameter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten to 3” in diameter. Bake at 300° F for around 20 minutes. Do not brown.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup quick rolled oats
¾ cup whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup honey
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325° F. In one bowl, mix rolled oats, flour, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk oil and vanilla together, then egg, and then honey. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until it has just come together (don’t overmix). Drop by tablespoonfuls onto oiled baking sheet. The cookies won’t spread much. Bake in preheated oven for about 12–13 minutes, or until edges have just started to brown.
Unbaked Chocolate Cookies
2 cups coconut sugar
¼ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
3 cups rolled oats
½ cup nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine first four ingredients and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla, rolled oats, and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool.
Coconut-Date Balls (Unbaked)
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup butter
8 oz. dates, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups crisp rice cereal
½ cup chopped walnuts
Flaked coconut
Mix dates, butter, and eggs and boil for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, cereal, and nuts. Cool slightly. Form into balls and roll in coconut.
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Set baking sheet aside for now, but clear space in the freezer so that you can put the mixture portions there later to freeze.
Whisk together peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut flour, and cocoa in a bowl, then use a rubber spatula to fold together until completely mixed and thickened. Scoop and drop peanut butter portions onto prepared baking sheet. Set pan in freezer to chill for 20–30 minutes, until somewhat firm. Remove from freezer and roll portions into balls.
No-Bake Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Balls
Dry ingredients:
¾ cup unsweetened coconut shreds or flakes
¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup chocolate chips or raisins
Optional:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Wet ingredients:
¾ cup organic peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
In a medium-sized bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. (For a smoother consistency, use a food processor to make the dough.) Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop to scoop portions, wet your hands and roll portions between your palms to form balls. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Unleavened Oatmeal Bar Cookies
Cookies:
1 1/3 cups butter
2 cups coconut sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup nuts, raisins, or dates
Chocolate Icing:
1 tablespoon melted butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup maple syrup
Cookies: Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in rolled oats. Add flour gradually, then add nuts or dried fruit. Press evenly into a 12” x 24” rimmed cookie sheet. Bake 20–25 minutes at 350° F. While baking, prepare icing.
Icing: Melt butter in a cup or small mixing bowl and use a fork to mix in the cocoa. Then add maple syrup. Drizzle over hot cookie bars, as soon as they come out of the oven. Cut into individual bars.
Gluten-free Chocolate Icebox Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup coconut or date sugar
1 egg
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
3 cups any combination of gluten-free flours
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
Combine flours, xanthan gum, and salt. Beat egg, add milk and vanilla. Cream butter and sugar and add melted chocolate. Add the wet and dry ingredients alternately, working until a smooth dough is formed. Divide dough into halves and mold into two logs about two inches in diameter. Roll cookie logs in waxed paper and chill in refrigerator until firm. (Or freeze them for later use.) When ready to bake, slice logs about 1/8” thick and bake at 350° F for about 12 minutes.
Scotch Shortbread
4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup coconut sugar
2 cups soft butter
(For a gluten-free version, substitute 2 cups of brown rice flour, 2 cups of any other gluten-free flour, and 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum in place of the 4 cups of white whole wheat flour. These items replace “flour” in the instructions below.)
Mix flour and sugar together and cut in butter. Work and knead dough lightly with floured hands. Shape into a roll and cut into two or three parts. Using the palms of your hands, flatten into rounds and bake in round pans at 325° F for one hour. It burns easily, so watch closely.
Unleavened Brownies
½ cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
¾ cup flour
½ cup chopped nuts
Melt chocolate and butter together and let cool. Add vanilla and sugar and mix well, then add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. Add flour. Fold in nuts. Bake in greased 8” x 8” pan at 350° F for 30 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
Lemon Bars
Crust:
¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 egg (at room temperature)
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup packed fine almond flour
3 tablespoons coconut flour
¼ teaspoon salt
Filling:
Zest from 1 lemon
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2–4 lemons)
½ cup honey
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon coconut flour, sifted (or substitute tapioca flour or arrowroot flour)
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease an 8” x 8” baking dish with butter or oil. (A glass pan is not recommended, as it may cause the bottom of the crust to burn.)
To make crust: In a medium bowl, add coconut oil, coconut sugar, egg, and almond extract. Mix together until smooth. Add in almond flour, coconut flour, and salt. Mix again until dough forms. Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool for two minutes.
While crust bakes, prepare filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, eggs, egg yolk and coconut flour. Pour over warm crust. Bake for 18–25 minutes or until filling is set and no longer jiggles. Cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to firm up bars. To serve, use a sharp knife to cut into 12 bars.
Chinese Chews
Flour mixture:
2 cups organic unbleached pastry flour
2 tablespoons palm sugar
½ cup soft butter
Egg mixture:
1 ½ cups palm sugar
2 eggs
Toppings:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Work flour mixture ingredients like pie crust. Press into the bottom of a greased 9” × 13” pan. Bake at 375° F for 10–15 minutes. While this is baking, prepare the egg mixture by mixing the 1 ½ cups of palm sugar and the two eggs, adding one egg at a time. Once the flour mixture is out of the oven, pour the egg mixture over the hot, baked crust. Over this, spread the chopped nuts, coconut, and vanilla extract. Bake for 25–30 more minutes. Cool before cutting into squares
Desserts
Flourless Chocolate Cake
8 large eggs
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
1 cup butter, cut into ½” pieces
¼ cup strong coffee
Adjust oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 325° F. Grease an 8” springform pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
Beat the eggs at medium speed until doubled in volume, about five minutes.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler until smooth and completely melted. Add the coffee to the melted chocolate and butter.
Fold the egg mixture, one-third at a time, into the chocolate mixture, until completely blended.
Pour the batter into prepared springform pan and smooth the surface. Set it into a roasting pan on the oven rack and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the edges of the cake are just beginning to set, a thin glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on the surface, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center of the cake registers 140° F, about 22–25 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath and set on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight for flavors to mellow.
Berry Crisp
Filling:
4 cups mixed fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) or enough to fill your baking dish three-quarters full
½ to 1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ to 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crisp:
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup almond meal
½ cup butter, softened
Rinse berries, dry on paper towels. Toss berries with lemon juice and fill baking dish ¾ full. Zest lemon over berries. In separate bowl, mix butter, almond meal, and sugar with your hands. Crumble loosely over berries. (Should be enough dough for two small-to-medium-sized baking dishes.) Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes. It will be juicy and is best eaten warm. (Apples can be substituted for berries to make an apple crisp, which will not be as juicy.) Serve with cream or with Lemon Crème Fresh.
Lemon Crème Fresh
4 oz. crème fresh
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Mix all until well blended. Serve over fruit crisp.
Apple Surprise
4–5 large tart apples, diced
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup palm sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups organic unbleached pastry flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped nuts
Mix apples, sugar, and cinnamon and place in a 9”x13” baking dish. Beat together remaining ingredients until smooth. Spread over apples. Can add water if it is too thick to spread easily. (Option: can use brandy or other liquid to thin the flour mixture.) Do not mix with the apples. Bake 35–40 minutes at 350° F. Serve with ice cream.
Apple Crisp
8 cups sliced apples
3/4 cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped nuts
Place fruit in greased 9” x 13” baking dish. Mix flour, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl and cut in butter. Stir in rolled oats and nuts. Spread mixture over fruit. Bake at 350° F for 60 minutes.
