Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm going to be completely honest.  I've got no clue what to write about this post.  At this point I've probably written and then erased four different beginnings.  Sorry?  Though delicious, I've got no sentimental connection to these muffins, and nothing weird happened while baking them.  In fact, as my recipes go these guys are pretty darn normal.  Maybe that's it.  I've got no clue what to write when I actually make something that's not weird.

Forgive me if this is somewhat boring, but I've got to find some way to use up the space between pictures.

Soooo... muffins!  Muffins with sweet banana and melty chocolate chips.  Muffins that, providing you're a frozen banana hoarder like myself, you probably have every ingredient for in your kitchen already.  Muffins that no one will ever be able to tell are non fat, whole wheat, and healthy.  That's the best type of muffins.

Make them, eat them, and then freeze any leftovers for later snacking (although i doubt they'll be any because these muffins are delicious).  It really is that simple folks.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 3/4 cup spelt flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup mashed banana (3 large bananas)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup greek yogurt
• 1/3 egg whites (2 egg whites)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 2 muffins tins (you'll need all of one and one or two cups on the other).  Mix together flours, baking soda,  and salt in a large bowl.  In another bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients except chocolate chips.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until a smooth batter forms.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Scoop about 1/4 cup batter into prepared muffins tins.  You should get 12-14 muffins.  Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 muffins, until muffins are firm and a toothpick comes out clean (except for melted chocolate).  Store muffins in an airtight container for 3 days before freezing the leftovers.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Apple Currant Bran Muffins

Zucchini Raisin Muffins

You know what's weird?  I'm crazy about putting weird stuff in my desserts, but when it comes to vegetables that are commonly used in sweets (zucchini, carrots, etc), the recipes on this blog are seriously lacking.

I'm 90% sure the absence of carrot cake and/or zucchini bread has to do with my aversion to grating vegetables.  It's just so annoying.  If I had that handy-dandy shredding blade for a food processor then everything would be super easy, but I lost that thing so now I'm stuck doing everything by hand.

It really throws a damper in dessert baking.

But anyway, with zucchini in abundance this time of year, I decided to suck it up and make some zucchini muffins.  And... they were really yummy!

It's been a while since I posted a recipe that's specifically meant for breakfast (as supposed to a dessert that's healthy enough for breakfast, I mean), so I'm glad to present you with some muffins that will definitely spice up your mornings.

Things you should know about these muffins:

• They're hard-core muffins.  They're not petite little muffins that won't keep you full.  Nope, these guys are whole wheat, dense, and packed with zucchini and raisins.
• This isn't one of those recipe where you can't believe it's healthy.  After all, you've got whole wheat flour staring you in the face.  Instead, this recipe is one that makes you rethink how delicious healthy can taste.  Like "Oh my god, even though these are whole wheat and have a vegetable in them, they taste super duper good!"
• Just 24 hours after making these muffins, only 4 were left.  They. Were. Devoured!
• Minimal vegetable grating is required.  Yay!!

Basically, this is an awesome use for zucchini and you should make these muffins this instant.

Zucchini Raisin Muffins

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, drained of excess liquid
• 4 egg whites (12 tbsp if using egg whites from a carton)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a muffin tin.  Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In another bowl, combine zucchini, egg whites, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until a thick batter forms.  Do not overmix.  Gently mix in raisins until incorporated.  Distribute batter between grased muffin tins untiul all batter has been used.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until muffins have browned and a toothpick comes out clean.  Store in fridge.  Recipe makes 10-12 muffins. 

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Mini Carrot Cake for One

Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Banana Frosting

It's Sunday, tomorrows Monday, and do you know what will make your Monday like a billion times better?  This cake.

Early last week I got back from vacation.  It was a great break from normal life, and I loved lounging around outside without a care in the world.  The only problem was that at the place we were vacationing, it was significantly harder to bake, and even harder than that to take decent pictures.  I did bake one thing during the trip, but by the time we arrived home, I was itching to get back in the kitchen.

Naturally, the first thing I made had to be spectacular.

And what's more spectacular than a gorgeous Chocolate Layer Cake?  Not much, I can tell you that.

I took my Chocolate Beet Cake recipe, and modified it so that it didn't use beets. I added in some banana as well.  Once that was baking I made a quick frosting out of tofu, banana, and peanut butter.  Gah, so good!

If you decide to make this, which you totally should, I can guarantee that you won't be able to tell at all that this cake is healthy.  Nope, it looks and tastes like anything from a bakery, without the butter, without the oil, and without the multiple cups of sugar.

Yay!  How's that for a great start to the day?

Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Banana Frosting
For Cake:

• 1 1/4 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch/flour (or cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt (don't skip)
• 1 3/4 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup egg whites
• 2/3 cup date paste
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 banana, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla

For Frosting:

• 1 package shelf stable tofu (can buy ar trader joes or online as Mori-nu tofu)
• 2 large bananas
• 2 tbsp salted peanut butter (if you don't use salted, add some salt)
• 1 tsp vanilla

For Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 2 8-in circle pans, and line a muffin tin with 3-5 cupcake liners.
2. Combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, arrowroot, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt) in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix together remaining ingredients for cake.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
4. Fill both greased 8-in circle pans a little less than 3/4 full with batter.  Distribute the extra batter betweem prepared cupcake liners for some extra cupcakes
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.  The cupcakes may require a bit less baking time.
6. Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pan completely.

For Frosting + Preparing Cake:

1. Place tofu, bananas, peanut butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until completely smooth, with no banana or tofu clumps remaining.  It may look thin, but thats ok as the frosting will firm up once it's on the cake.
2. Prepare serving dish for cake (keep in mind that the cake must be stored in the fridge).  Once (8-in) cakes have cooled completely, flip one of them onto the prepared serving dish.  Spread a layer of frosting on top.
3. Carefuly flip the other cake out of the pan and on top of the layer of frosting.  Use remaining frosting to cover the outside of the cake.  Again, it may seem thin, but it will firm up in the fridge.
4. Place cake in fridge until serving time.  When it's time to serve, cut into 8-10 pieces and garnish with chocolate chips or chunks.  Extra cupcakes can be eaten with another frosting of choice (I don't reccommend eating them plain, because it won't be quite sweet enough without a frosting)
5. Store leftovers in fridge.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Chocolate Beet Layer Cake - another great recipe for chocolate cake!

Cookie Dough Whoopie Pies

I just put Cookie Dough in your Whoopie Pie.  You can thank me later.

Question:

What do you do when you've made six batches of Cookie Dough and find that your family won't eat another spoonful?

Answer:

Eat it all yourself.  Make freakishly good Whoopie Pies so your family gets jealous and begs for a bite.

Yes, I really was faced with the situation above.  Though there's no doubt my family loves my Cookie Dough recipe, after having it literally five times in a row, they refused to eat another bite.

But then I turned the leftovers into a Whoopie Pie filling and, just like that, problem solved.

Whoopie Pies have always been some of my most successful recipes and this Cookie Dough variation is no exception.  Rich chocolate cake, with creamy cookie dough sandwiched in the middle.  Everyone in the house gobbled these up in less than one day.

They really are that good.

Cookie Dough Whoopie Pies
Cake:
• ¼ cup soy, almond, or low fat milk
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup spelt flour
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• ¼ cup applesauce
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp water
Filling:
• about ½ cup Healthy Cookie Dough (can be made ahead of time)
• 2 ½ tbsp soy, almond, or low fat milk

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix together ¼ cup milk and vinegar in a small bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients for cake.  Add milk mixture, applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup, and water, and mix again until a smooth batter forms.  Use a teaspoon measure to drop circles of batter onto a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet.  Bake for 6-7 minutes, until batter has set.  Place ingredients for filling in a bowl, and mix together until mixture is spreadable and smooth.  Spread a layer of Cookie Dough filling on top of each baked cake, and top with another cake.  Store whoopie pies in fridge.

Please believe me when I say that these are one of the best desserts I've ever made.  You don't want to miss out!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Yogurt Filling

Date Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls used to be my favorite.  As in, more than chocolate cake, more than candy bars, and more than just about any other dessert you can think of.

It was partly about the smell, partly about the taste, and a whole lot about the ooey gooey filling and the super soft, fluffy bread.  And those times when you get to eat it while it's still warm?  Don't even get me started!

A little while ago, I decided it was high time for me to create a "health-ified" Cinnamon Roll recipe.  After some rising, some kneading, and some a lot of eating, I knew I had created a winning dish.

First of all though, I want to make it clear that this recipe will not yield a classic Cinnamon Roll.  Instead, this recipe will yield a Cinnamon Roll that's low fat, low sugar, and actually acceptable for breakfast.   A Date Cinnamon Roll, if you will.

The filling for these guys is 100% butter and oil free.  The yummy gooey-ness that still remains is because of the maple syrup and dates used.  Yummm...

The bread part of these rolls is part whole wheat and all delicious.  I will admit it's a bit denser than you may be used to, but this isn't a bad thing at all.  It actually makes the rolls a ton more filling!

If you don't believe me, just give the recipe a try for yourself.  It may look complicated, but I promise it's much easier than it sounds.

Date Cinnamon Rolls
Bread:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 2 tbsp lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp dry active yeast
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cup spelt flour

Filling:

• 6 dates, pitted
• 2 tbsp soaking liquid (see below for clarification)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• optional: 1 tsp orange zest

Instructions:

1. Stir together milk, oil, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat to lukewarm.  
2. Place lukewarm water in a small bowl and pour yeast on top.  Let sit 5 minutes.
3. Stir yeast/water mixture into lukewarm milk mixture.  Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Beat in half of flour (you can start with whole wheat or spelt) with an electric mixer or by hand.  Continue adding flour until a soft dough forms.  You may not use the entire amount of flour listed above.
5. Let dough rest 10 minutes before kneading well.  After kneading, let rest another 10 minutes.  
6. Grease a large bowl, place dough inside, and cover with a damp cloth.  Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
7. Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into a 12inx10in rectangle.  
8. Place dates in small bowl.  Cover with water, and let sit at least 5 minutes.  Transfer dates to another bowl, but don't get rid of soaking liquid because you will use some as part of the filling.
9. Add remaining filling ingredients to bowl with dates.  Fork mash until mixture is mostly smooth and spreadable.
10. Spread filling evenly onto rolled out dough.  Roll up tightly like a jelly roll and slice into 12 pieces.  
11. Place each slice in a greased 9 in round pan.  Cover and let rise another hour.
12. Preheat oven to 350F.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until slightly browned.  If possible, serve while still warm.  Recipe makes 12 Cinnamon Rolls.

Sunday morning breakfast?  Sounds great to me!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:  

Date Sweetened Nutella

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Does anyone remember those dunk or no dunk commericals for Oreo Cakesters?

• Personally, the choice was a no brainer for me.  Maybe it has something to do with my dislike of milk, but I was always on the no dunk side of things.  Cake + milk just doesn't work.  Doesn't.

I'm on the no dunk side (but not the no eat side!) for these guys, too.  I think they're probably pretty similar to Oreo Cakesters (I've never had a Cakester, so I can't be sure), but better because they're healthy - with no funky ingredients - and because they have a peanut butter filling.  Peanut butter beats vanilla every time in my book.

The cake part of these is purely chocolate.  It's like an oreo cookie, only with more cake than crunch.

Though the cake part of these dessert sandwiches is definitely delicious, I think it's the peanut butter filling that really steals the show.  It's a bit different than you may be expecting (more of a tart flavor), but once you get used to it, it is downright addicting.  You may even skip some of the chocolate cakes and just eat it off a spoon.

Just don't dunk any in milk.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Cake:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup extra dark/special dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 3 tbsp raisin puree
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Filling:

• 1 cup plain yogurt (greek is best, but others should work
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (note:  You may want a stronger peanut butter flavor.  If so, add 1 or 2 more tablespoons peanut butter.  Taste the filling to check)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For Cakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place oats in a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder.  Process until broken down into small pieces, but not a fine flour.  You want it to be like a course oat flour.
3. Mix together all dry ingredients (including ground oats) in large bowl.
4. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.  Pour wet into dry and mix until a batter forms.
5. Drop 1 tsp of batter at a time onto a lined or greased baking sheet.  Bake for 6-7 minutes.
6. Once done, let cakes cool a few minutes before attempting to remove from pan.

For Filling:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (a blender may also work, but I haven't tried).  Blend until  well combined and creamy.
2. Spread a bit of filling on one piece of cake and top with another.  Repeat until all cakes have been used.  Depending on how thick you spread the filling, there may be some leftover.  I recommend you eat it :)
3. Recipe makes around 20 sandwiches.  Store leftovers in fridge.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bites

Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

You read that right.  Caramel stuffed.

Remember that Date Caramel from way back when?  Well today it's making another appearance. This time, stuffed into the middle of a chocolate chip cookie.

Mmmmmm...

So here's the scoop.  These cookies arent quite your classic ones. Despite the fact that they're stuffed with a date "caramel", they're also a bit in the cakey side of things.  But, don't let it scare you.  I normally don't like cakey cookies, but thought these were delicious.  I suppose it's something about the sweet middle and humongous size that really draws you in.

Bigger is always better.

Oh, yeah, and these are also six year old approved.  How many healthy cookies do you know that can pull that off?  I gave one to my younger sisters friend, and she gobbled it up, even coming back for another.  Score!

My opinion on the matter:  If a picky little kid likes them, you're practically guatenteed to!  Make them!

Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3/4 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp water or milk
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• around 2 tbsp Date Caramel

In a large bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk together honey, sugar, vanilla, egg whites, oil, and liquid of choice.  Add wet ingredients to try and mix well until a cookie dough forms.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Scoop dough into a plastic bag and chill overnight, or for at least 3 hours.  The next day, preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with a no stick mat or parchment paper.  Remove dough from bag.

Take about 1 tsp of dough and flatten it into a circle shape.

Drop about 1/4 tsp of caramel in the middle of the cookie dough circle

Place another flattened piece of cookie dough on top.

Smooth it out around the edges, so that it looks like the picture below.

Repeat until all dough has been used, and place each circle on the lined baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes.  Let cookies cool a couple minutes on baking sheet before tranferring to a cooling rack.  Recipe makes 10 big cookies.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Cookie Dough Hearts

Ginger Oatmeal Cookie Sanwiches with Creamy Yogurt Filling

'Tis the season for cookies.  Lots and lots of them!

I love how during the holiday season you can walk into almost any party and see plates and plates of wonderfully unique cookies.

I may not sample every kind at each party I visit, but I sure do love looking at the huge spreads.  They provide so much inspiration for future recipe creations.  For example, there's this salted chocolate cookie that my friend makes and I've been meaning to create a "clean" version for, like, forever.  I just keep forgetting to ask for the recipe so I know what the salt to chocolate ratio is.

Today, however, I have a different clean Christmas cookie to share.  And it comes in the form of a cookie sandwich.  And you know what that means... you get TWO cookies, but get to count it as only one.  Therefore, you get double the cookies for the same amount of guilt.  And because these cookies are relatively good for you, that amount of guilt it almost nothing.

How awesome is that?

You know what's even more awesome?  The flavor of the cookie itself.

It's like a gingersnap, crossed with an oatmeal cookie, crossed with a whoopie pie.

Ummmm... hello.  Incredible, right?  Give 'em a try!

Ginger Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches with Creamy Yogurt Filling

For Cookies:

• 2 tbsp flaxseeds, ground
• 1 egg white
• 1 banana
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 4 tbsp molasses
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp applesauce

For Filling:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• about 1 tsp water

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flax and egg white.  Set aside.  Microwave banana for about 45 seconds, then mash in a large bowl.  Add in remaining cookie ingredients.  Mix well until a thick dough is formed.
3. Drop dough by rounded tsp onto 1 or 2 greased baking sheets.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove cookies for oven and press down so that they form cookie shapes instead of balls.  Bake for another 3 minutes.  Take out of oven and let cool.
4. In a cereal bowl, stir together yogurt, cream cheese, and vanilla extract (ingredients from filling section).  In a ramekin (or other small dish), combine the brown sugar and water.  Let it sit for a couple minutes.  After that time, add it to the yogurt mixture and mix again to combine. 
5. Take 1 cookie, and spread it with a thin layer of the yogurt filling.  Top with another cookie. Repeat until no cookies remain, or there is only 1 left over.  Store cookies in fridge.  They also freeze well.

Enjoy!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Pumpkin Raisin Baked Oatmeal Bars