Thursday 20 February 2014

Two layer Lactation Brownies!




These double layer brownies are so yummy! Even if you aren't nursing, they are healthy, gooey and oh so good! I baked a batch of these for Amy and her house guests tried them......loved! Amy attests to the effectiveness of these delicious brownies!


Consume a minimum of 1,800 calories a day and drink at least 6 glasses of fluids while you are lactating. If you're currently dieting, it could be decreasing your milk production. Unsurprisingly, what you eat has a big impact on the quality and quantity of the milk produced.



Layered ooey goey Lactation Brownies!


Oatmeal Layer: 
2 1/2 c. Red Mill Rolled Hot Cereal whole grain with flax meal or 2 1/2 cups steel cut oats and 2 tsp flax meal
1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. almond flour (all purpose flour works too)
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) of unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp brewers yeast
1 tsp salt
Add all of the dry ingredients to a food processor. Pulse while streaming in the melted butter until it reaches a crumbly consistency. 


Press entire mixture into the bottom of a well-greased, 9x13 baking pan. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 


Brownie Layer 

3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. almond meal ( all purpose flour can be substituted)
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( I use Pernigotti available at William Sonoma or Amazon)
2 tbsp brewers yeast
2 tbsp flax meal
2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter
11 oz bittersweet chocolate (I use Guittard, Callebaut or Schraffenberger)
1 1/2 c white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
5 eggs - must be room temperature, whipped with whisk or fork
2 tsp vanilla extract
Toasted slivered almonds

Combine the flour, salt, cocoa powder, brewers yeast and flax meal and set side. 

In this picture see the cooked 1st layer, the melted chocolate and addition of sugar.

In a double boiler, melt the butter and the chocolate together until smooth. Add all of the sugar and incorporate well. Remove from heat and let it come to room temperature (you just don't want it so hot that it will cook the eggs). Add the eggs slowly and whisk into the mixture in intervals. Add the vanilla.

Carefully fold the dry ingredients in until just barely incorporated (don't over mix). 
 
Pour over the oatmeal layer and bake for 35-40 minutes in a conventional oven, turning half way through. Bake 20-25 minutes in a convection oven, no turning. Remove when a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs, but not wet. 

*almonds are also lactogenic so I implemented almond flour in both layers and sprinkled sliced almonds on top.


More Lactation Recipes

Lactating Pumpkin Spice Muffins with cream cheese frosting -Amazing!!

Lactating Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Lactation Muffins 

Other Foods known to increase milk supply-

Fennel Seeds: Studies have found that fennel seeds increase milk supply. Some doctors also say that fennel seeds help prevent colic in your baby. Fennel is made into a tea helps constipation. They are rich in vitamin C, they are a good mouth freshener and aid digestion. Fennel seeds can be added to vegetables, desserts and made into a tea. For tea just use a teaspoon full in a cup of hot water, allow to steep and drink, if you can chew the seeds as well.

Almonds, cashews, oatmeal, carrots, green papaya, sesame seeds, red lentils, garlic, ginger root, Cumin seeds and good old H20. You should drink 10-12 glasses of water per day.

Oils and butter- Certain fats from oils and butter are healthy. Oils like olive oil, flaxseed oil and sesame oil are healthier and are believed to aid breastfeeding. Butter, coconut oil and ghee, when consumed in moderation, can boost energy. Use them to cook or just drizzle some over your salads. 

Try to get as much rest as possible. If your body is tired it won't have the energy to produce milk properly. Catch up on your sleep during the day, if you are up a lot at night.

Try to relax- getting used to your new life as a mommy can be stressful at times. Stress is known to affect the let down reflex that secretes milk and even milk production. So for your sake and your babies, try to relax. Ask for help from family members with cleaning and cooking or if possible hire help.

Consult your doctor about using prescription or herbal supplements to increase breast milk. Herbs that work well include fenugreek, blessed thistle and red raspberry.  

We are enjoying the last few days here in Cottage 4 at Jamaica Inn. We so love it here, our three weeks goes much to quickly. We miss our Jamaica family and friends, but, look forward to coming back every year. The photo below taken from our veranda in the early morning. The water is so clear, you can see the sting rays and other colorful fish swimming, it is so relaxing...........

21 comments:

  1. I passed this along to my daughter-in-law, she is making them today. Thanks and love your photography. Sandy

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    1. Thank you for commenting! Everyone loves this recipe, whether they are lactating or not! Cheers!JJ

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  2. My sister loves these lactative brownies. I made them , wrapped them and had her put in her freezer. She has one a day, has seen her milk production improve and loves the treat. Thank you! Mary

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    1. Great!! My daughter-in-law swears they have improved her milk supply as well! thanks for commenting! Cheers! JJ

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  3. I made these for myself and love them. My husband had two, then worried about his lactation:-) LOL Sue

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    1. What a fun guy with a sense of humor!! I am so happy you love them! Thank you for commenting! Cheers! JJ

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  4. Hi! Was wondering if I could substitute brewer's yeast (due to personal reasons) for anything else? Could I just leave out brewers yeast from the recipe? I am afraid the brownies won't rise when baked though... Would appreciate your help, thanks! :)

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    1. I found a web site that deals with substuting or leaving out the Brewers yeast. http://community.babycenter.com/post/a22834991/question_about_lactation_cookies I can't find any substitutions for the Brewers yeast, however you can leave it out. Cheers! JJ

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  5. Hi Joan, I don't really get what you meant by "bake for 35-40mins in an oven, TURNING HALF WAY THROUGH." After that you mentioned "bake 20-25mins, NO TURNING."

    Question 1. How to turn?
    Question 2. Do I do both, or either one?

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    1. Hi Zo'an!! First thanks for commenting! In a convection oven there is no need to rotate the pan as a convection oven has even heat throughout because of the fans. What I mean by turning is to turn the pan around or rotate so that the front of the baking dish is now in back. You would do this if you have a conventional oven to help it cook evenly. I hope you enjoy the recipe, my daughter just loved them!!

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    2. Hi Joan. Yes I do enjoy the recipe! In fact I'm doing my second one right now! Everyone who has tried totally love it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My milk supply has gone up too.

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  6. I am happy to hear of your success!! Thank you for your response!

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  7. These are delicious and really help with lactation.

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    1. Thanks for commenting! Happy I could help! I have a new recipe coming right after Halloween 2016! Cheers! JJ

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  8. Can I use a 11x7 in pan? How many minutes will I have to bake the cookies?

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    1. I haven't used that size pan for these. The layering would be thin, not sure it would work.

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  9. Okay,i totally messed up these directions, it's hard to read and too advanced for my baking skills....I give up

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    1. The pumpkin muffins are pretty straight forward. Try that recipe! Thanks for commenting! Cheers! JJ

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  10. So sorry, this recipe does have a few techniques in it. I will try to publish a simple lactation recipe.

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  11. What can be used to substitute the wheat flour? I was just wondering if I can make them without going to the grocery store since i have everything else. Thank you :)

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    1. Yes, you can substitute white flour at a ratio of 1 cup of white flour for 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. Thanks for commenting! Cheers! JJ

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