Guest post By Megan Hoyt
Hello friends of Hildegard! Happy Feast Day! And when I say Feast Day, I don’t just mean a celebration of the life of St. Hildegard of Bingen. I also want to share some of my favorite Hildegard recipes so you can create your own feast at home today with your children.
Here is a hearty Hildegard breakfast you can start your Feast Day with – Spelt Porridge.
Many thanks to the kind folks at Marx Foods for this delicious recipe!Baked Spelt Porridge with Vanilla, Huckleberries & Maple Sugar
Though it looks like one, this isn’t sweet enough to be a dessert. Instead it’s an incredible breakfast that can be served hot or cold, with or without milk. Baking it in the oven rather than stirring it on the stove gives it a denser texture and frees you from the stove.
Drink Pairing: Strong Cup of French Press Coffee
Ingredients: Makes 6 Servings
1 cup Cracked Spelt Cereal
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 ½ cups Whole Milk
1 cup Water
1 tsp Tahitian Vanilla Extract (could substitute Bourbon Vanilla Extract)
1/3 cup Maple Sugar
1 pinch of Salt
1 tsp Orange Zest, microplaned or very finely minced
Sauce:
1 cup Wild Huckleberries (Fresh or Frozen)
¼ cup Maple Sugar
1 tsp Orange Zest
Optional: Micro Marigold Florets for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees & rub an 8×8 baking dish with butter.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the cracked spelt and toast it, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned.
3. Move the toasted spelt to a bowl and stir in the milk, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, vanilla extract, 1/3 cup of maple sugar, salt and water.
4. Pour the spelt mixture into the baking dish. Put the dish on a baking sheet or cookie sheet (just in case it bubbles over). Move the dish to the oven.
5. Bake for 35 minutes, then check the porridge – it will set up almost like a brownie when done.
6. While the porridge is baking, combine the huckleberries, remaining teaspoon of orange zest and the remaining ¼ cup of maple sugar in a small pot. Simmer until a thick sauce forms.
7. Serve hot or cold, with or without milk.
Note: This porridge can be frozen in the baking dish for later use. When you want to eat it, just move it to your refrigerator until thawed, then serve cold or reheated in the microwave.
Here is a recipe for Spelt Bread, if you are not a fan of porridge:
Spelt Bread
Ingredients (Original recipe makes 2 big loaves)
- 8 cups spelt flour
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 4 1/4 cups milk
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, mix together the spelt flour, sesame seeds, salt, molasses, baking soda and milk until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Placing a tin of the same size over the top of the loaf while baking gives it a lovely crust.
Hildegard believed these cookies would bring joy to the heart and energy and vitality to the body. Here is her recipe:
1 ½ cups butter or shortening
3 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
½ tsp salt
6 cups flour
2 ½ tsp cinnamon
2 ½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
1 cup ground or chopped almonds
1. Cream shortening or butter and sugar together.
Mix dry ingredients in another bowl.
Add to creamed mixture.
Mix thoroughly, kneading as necessary to mix all the flour.
Make into rolls, then refrigerate until cold.
Slice rolls into thin cookies.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Enjoy!
Megan Hoyt is the author of Hildegard’s Gift, recently released by Paraclete Press. Check out her website for more fun ways to celebrate Hildegard’s life and Feast Day, including her special coded alphabet and coloring sheets from the book.
“Spelt porridge, spelt bread and spelt coffee constitute the ideal breakfast.”
–Hildegard of Bingen
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