Modern Graham Gems

Last Updated on May 30, 2025 by Heather Reseck

Belief Bakery #18

This recipe was published in the May 11, 2024 issue of Guide magazine, a publication for children ages 10-14. It is number 18 in a series of 28 installments called “Belief Bakery,” which uses a hands-on cooking project to illustrate the 28 fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists.

This project is in collaboration with my husband, Greg Reseck, a retired educator specializing in project-based learning.

We emphasize the love of God and Biblical concepts and tie them into fun cooking projects with healthy plant-based recipes.

Gifts from God

Revelation describes two characteristics of God’s remnant people: they “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17)

Keeping the commandments means preserving God’s law. What is the testimony of Jesus? In Revelation 19:10 an angel told John, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Prophecy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, given to us so we can grow and become like Jesus. (Romans 12:6-7, Ephesians 4:11-13.) We profit from prophets that enhance our understanding of God’s love. But prophecy without love is worthless (1 Corinthians 13:2.)

The “spirit of prophecy” refers to the Holy Spirit inspiring prophets with special insights to help us better understand what God is like and how He wants us to live. It harmonizes with other Holy Spirit-inspired messages in God’s word (Isaiah 8:20.)

Does the “spirit of prophecy” occur after the Bible was written? Yes. In December 1844 a 17-year-old named Ellen began receiving visions with special insights. Over the next 69 years, she wrote over 100,000 pages, many of which are now included in more than 130 books.

Ellen White’s most popular book, Steps to Christ, presents the essentials of Christian living. She spoke her last public words in 1915 as she held the Bible in her uplifted hand, “I commend to you this Book.” 

Ellen White promoted a plant-based diet, long before it became accepted in the scientific community. She encouraged whole grains instead of the popular refined white flour.

For breakfast several times a week Ellen White ate “gems”, similar to mini muffins, made from graham flour, a whole wheat flour popularized by Sylvester Graham, the inventor of graham crackers. Instead of baking soda or baking powder as leavening, the expansion of air caused the cold batter to rise when poured into sizzling hot cast iron “gem pans” such as the antique ones pictured here.

Then they were baked in a hearth or oven fired by wood or coal.

In this cooking project, you’ll make a modern-day version of gems. This recipe is adapted from Science of Food and Cookery by H.S. Anderson, and published by Pacific Press in 1938.

Since you likely don’t have a cast iron gem pan, this recipe uses a muffin pan instead.

Before you begin

Adult supervision is recommended for inexperienced junior chefs.

1. Read through the recipe, variations, and tips.
2. Arrange to buy any ingredients that you need.

Safety:

• Uses the oven

Difficulty

• Easy

Steps to get ready to cook

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. Gather the equipment.
3. Gather the ingredients.

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Liquid measure
• 12-cup nonstick muffin pan
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk or spoon for stirring
• 2 oven mitts or pot holders
• Electric mixer
• Timer
• Paper towel
• Cooling rack

Ingredients

• 1½ cups milk or non-dairy milk
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Scant ½ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon oil, for oiling the pan

Instructions

1. Measure milk in a liquid measure. Pour into a mixing bowl.
2. Stir in oil, sugar and salt.
3. Gradually stir in whole wheat flour.
4. Gradually stir in all-purpose flour. Stir until no lumps remain.
5. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
6. Heat oven to 400°F. 
7. Pour ½ teaspoon oil into one muffin cup. Dab a paper towel in the oil and use it to spread a light coating of oil inside each cup of the muffin pan.
8. Place the empty muffin pan in the oven and heat for 5 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, remove the batter from the refrigerator.
10. Use an electric mixer to beat the batter on medium speed for 1 minute to incorporate air.
11. Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the hot pan from the oven and place it on a heat-proof surface.
12. Scoop a scant ¼-cup batter into each baking cup.
13. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.
14. Remove from the oven.
15. Place a wire rack on the counter. Turn the muffin pan upside down to transfer the gems. If the gems stick, use a plastic knife to pry them loose.
16. To eat, pull a gem apart with your fingers; top with jam. Or eat plain.
17. Store covered at room temperature for 1 day. Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage. 

Variation

• Gluten-Free Gems: Substitute gluten-free sorghum or brown rice flour for whole wheat flour. Substitute gluten-free baking flour containing xanthan gum for all-purpose flour.

Tips

• Plan ahead since the batter needs to chill for at least two hours before baking.
• To measure milk and other liquids accurately, use a liquid measuring cup. View from the side at eye level.
• To measure flour accurately, spoon flour into the measuring cup. Level it off with a straight edge such as the spoon handle.
• Gems will soften after they are stored. To make them crispier again, toast them on a baking pan in a toaster oven or 350°F. oven for about 5 minutes. 

Health Bite

Milling whole wheat kernels into white flour strips away the fiber-filled outer layer of bran and the nutrient-packed core called the germ. This refining process removes 20 nutrients, but only five are added back. For the best nutrition, choose whole wheat flour and other whole grains whenever you can.

Recipe Video