Greek Yogurt Banana Chocolate Muffins

These are very moist and tasty, great for breakfast if you like having chocolate that early.  I took these to work and they were a big hit.  I will make them again for sure.
adapted from here

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour or plain white flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup miniature dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 large egg
1/2 cup vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1 cup extremely ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Generously coat a muffin tin with cooking spray and then dust the cavities with cocoa powder. These muffins stick to muffin liners so I do not recommend using them.
3. Remove 1 tablespoon of the 1 cup of flour.
4. In a small bowl, toss together the remaining flour (after removing 1 tablespoon from the 1 cup), cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and both types of chocolate chips. Stir.
5. Make sure your bananas are at their very ripest (black skins are best; see post to speed up the ripening process if not all the way ripe.) Remove the skins and mash the bananas extremely well.
6. In another bowl, briskly whisk together the egg and Greek yogurt. Stir in the melted coconut oil (slightly cooled, but measure in it's melted state),vanilla extract, brown sugar, and the extremely ripe mashed bananas.
7. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Over-mixing results in denser muffins.
8. Separate the batter evenly among the 12 cavities or fill up 9-10 for extra large muffins.
9. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin.
10. Allow to cool and then remove from the muffin tin. (Use a butterknife to cut around the edges and help pull them out!)
11. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
12. When ready to enjoy a muffin, microwave for 15-20 seconds. Spread with peanut butter if desired!

Thanks for taking time to stop by, have a great week and always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things you L♥ve.

Donna

Fresh Apple Bundt cake

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
3 cups peeled  chopped apple (use your favorite baking apples, I used pink lady

1 overripe banana

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch (12 cup) round bundt pan. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon until well combined. Fold in the pecans, coconut and apples. Batter will be thick. Spread batter evenly into prepared cake pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a long wooden pick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert pan on wire rack until cake drops out. You might want to tap the bottom of the pan with a knife a few times to loosen the cake and make sure it came out in one piece. Slice and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the time to do ALL the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Apple bundt cake

This is a great cake.  I didn't do the glaze on this cake I just used powdered sugar.  Was delicious.  Give it a try.  Would be great for a brunch or just for coffee and cake time.

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice (regular or fresh)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and finely diced sweet apples (about 4 medium apples)

FOR THE GLAZE:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄3 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Thoroughly grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with Crisco and lightly flour it.

With an electric mixer, beat the 2 cups sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth. Add the orange juice and mix well. 

Sift together the flour, salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat well. Add the vanilla. 

Stir in the walnuts and apples, until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cake plate.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
Combine the 6 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and buttermilk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, until it thickens slightly and begins to turn light brown. Take off the heat. 

Using a toothpick, punch 15 or 20 holes in the top of the cake and pour the glaze over the cake. Let the cake set and cool before serving. 

Store the cake in an airtight cake carrier in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things you L♥ve.
Donna

Banana Carrot Oreo Muffins with crumb topping

This is such a quick easy recipe and it's made in one bowl, how great is that!  It's always best to use banana's that are really ripe, but if you only have fresh you can pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds and they'll mush right up.  I always keep banana's in the freezer just in case I have to make something quick.

350° makes 11 regular size muffins or one loaf pan.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 large egg
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg
1/4 allspice
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 over ripe bananas
1 carrot shredded
5 or 6 oreo cookies smashed or ground up
** optional nuts and raisins**

crumb topping
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1./2 al flour
4 TBL melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
extra powdered sugar if you want to sprinkle on top when cooled.


Preheat oven 360° and line muffin tin or spray really well.  Same if you're using a loaf pan
cooking time for muffins 16-202 minutes   loaf   55-65 minutes  both done when toothpick inserted comes out clean.

In large bowl mash banana's then add oil and carrots.  Mix .. Add egg, vanilla, and sugar, mix with a spatula.  Stir in dry ingredients and oreos.  Add the nuts and raisins now if you're going to put them in.  Make the crumb topping.  Use a large ice cream scoop and fill muffin tins, they will rise nicely.  Put the crumb topping on before you bake.  Bake at 350° for about 16-20 minutes cool and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the Time to do ALL the things You Love.
Donna

spiced mini bundt carrot cakes

I made these for a friend who just loves carrot cake.  I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and low and behold it was a WW recipe.  I changed it a bit and I must say they really are yummy.  Just the right size for a little snack and also good to not overdo.

Ingredients:  my changes in red

1 cup AP flour *can use white whole wheat*
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup sugar
1 apple diced and made into applesauce with magic bullet and little water
2 large eggs *room temp*

• 1/2 tsp Allspice
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Cloves, ground
• 3/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt

1/3 cup light sour cream
2 TBL coconut oil
2 cups shredded carrots
1/3 cup golden raisins **optional**
***2 tsp vanilla*** I forgot this and they are still great

Directions:
Preheat oven 350°, spray mini bundt pans with cooking spray, or you could use muffin tins if you don't have these.  *makes 12*

Combine dry ingredients and set aside
Shred carrots
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar. applesauce,  sour cream, coconut oil and the vanilla if you use it. .  Stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just coated - do not over-mix. Finally, fold in grated carrots and raisins.

Fill Bundt pan with batter ( flat to the top of each). Bake for 30 minutes or until testing stick comes out clean and Bundts spring back

Let stand in Bundt pan for 5 to 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack.
Gently twist each Bundt and remove to cool on the wire rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar or if you not watching your weight put cream cheese frosting on them!  :)


These freeze well, just wrap individually, when you want a treat just defrost and enjoy.  They will stay fresh up to 2 months in freezer.

Lemon Honey Mini Muffins

Was trying to think of something quick and easy to make for work and came up with these.  They go together very quickly and are really tasty.  Next time I will maybe try them with poppy seeds and then again with blueberries and also cranberries.

I made these in my mini rectangle muffin tin, they are so cute.  I sprayed it very well and they just popped right out.

Serves 12 and one regular size muffin..



Honey Lemon Muffins 

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 c. honey

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/4 c. light stick butter, melted

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

Drizzle:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

lemon juice
drizzle of honey

additional grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, honey, lemon juice, butter and lemon peel. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened.

Coat muffin cups with cooking spray. Fill half full. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon peel until drizzling consistency. Drizzle over muffins.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.
Donna