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Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

February 6, 2012 ·

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, I will be featuring a few chocolate recipes this week.   Of course a little breakfast chocolate is the perfect way to start off any week.  These muffins are more than just a little breakfast chocolate though.  They are chocolate on chocolate.  A chocolate muffin studded with chocolate chips topped with chocolate chips.  What could be better?  Well, they come in under 200 calories and are low fat – a true breakfast treat! 

The original recipe uses red wine vinegar and water, which I thought was intriguing.  Red wine vinegar in baked goods?  I had to try it!  I did, and it was good.  BUT…I have since revised the recipe to replace the vinegar/water with buttermilk.  Nothing compares to the flavor and texture that buttermilk gives to baked goods, and in these muffins that is no exception.  I also replaced some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat in order to bump up the nutrition level a bit.

For a little variety, it is fun to change up the chips with different flavors (peanut butter chips anyone?) but I always find myself coming back to the mini chocolate chips.  Mini chips give the illusion of more chocolate per bite since there are more bits throughout.  A little more for less kind of thing. 

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
  2. In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and egg.  Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
  4. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, gently folding until just combined.
  5. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups.  Sprinkle tops with remaning 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread

October 12, 2011 ·

Chili and cornbread is such a classic combination. On Monday I shared a delicious Black Bean Chili with Roasted Butternut Squash with you. Today I am sharing with you this amazing Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread that with our chili.  Of course, while I have made several cornbread recipes over the years, cornbread with sweet onions and cheddar is a version I did not have a recipe for…until now.

The first step in creating this recipe was to select a base, and for that I went to a very trusty source – the back of the cornmeal canister.  Their Easy Corn Bread was a perfect place to begin.  The rest was a little bit of guess work and crossed fingers.

Sauteed onions and cheddar cheese are the perfect additions that take this basic cornbread recipe to a whole new level. The poppy seeds sprinkled on top add a little visual appeal.  Mike has already requested I make this again.  There is no doubt this Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread will be making a regular appearance at our dinner table this chili season.

Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread
 
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Author:
Yields: 16 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • ¾ cup cornmeal
  • 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of salt (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (reserve 1 tablespoon for topping)
  • ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and saute until softened (about 5-7 minutes). Reserve 1 tablespoon for topping. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar and baking powder.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk milk, oil and egg until combined.
  5. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in onion and and cheese (do not over mix).
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle reserved onion and cheese and poppy seeds on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Adapted from back of Quaker corn meal canister

Filed Under: bread, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Brown Sugar Coconut Blueberry Muffins

September 23, 2011 ·

The hunt for tasty ways to use the remainder of our blueberries continues.  It’s not a bad problem to have, that’s for sure.  We have been happily enjoying Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, lots of blueberries in Greek yogurt, and many other treats.  But it was time to make something new.  I already have several blueberry muffin recipes that I love, but when I found a blueberry muffin recipe using brown sugar and buttermilk, I knew it would become an instant favorite.

While the recipe looked nearly perfect as-is, I decided to add a little twist and use coconut oil instead of canola oil.  This was my first time using coconut oil, but I had high hopes it would be the perfect addition to these muffins.

The coconut oil imparts a delicious coconut flavor to the muffins, which works beautifully with the tangy blueberries.  The muffins are incredibly moist as well.  Score for the coconut oil, and score for another fantastic recipe for blueberry muffins!

Brown Sugar Coconut Blueberry Muffins
 
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Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil (or canola oil)
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar, for topping
  • 2 teaspoons sweetened flaked coconut, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar and baking powder.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
  4. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
  5. Gently fold in blueberries.
  6. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a sprinkle of coconut.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Brown Sugar Coconut Blueberry Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/3 cup coconut oil (or canola oil)
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons brown sugar, for topping
2 teaspoons sweetened flaked coconut, for topping

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar and baking powder.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
  4. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
  5. Gently fold in blueberries.
  6. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups.  Top each muffin with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a sprinkle of coconut.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Babble

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Rosemary Parmesan Dipping Oil & Crisco Olive Oils

August 29, 2011 ·

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I got the opportunity to sample three olive oils from Crisco: Light Tasting, Pure and 100% Extra Virgin.  Since I use olive oil often, I was excited to give them a try.  But then I wondered…what would I possible do with these three olive oils?  What’s the difference? 

Well, thanks to the handy little labels on each bottle, Crisco answered that very question for me and then some.  Light Tasting is best for frying, baking and as an everyday cooking oil.  Pure is best for grilling, sauteing and marinades.  100% Extra Virgin is best for dipping, dressing and sauces.  To give a true test, I decided to remake a couple of old favorite recipes using Light Tasting and Pure, and to make a new recipe for you using 100% Extra Virgin.

Light Tasting

Since Crisco’s Light Tasting olive oil is great for baked goods, I decided to remake my Rosemary Cornbread, but this time as muffins.  The oil had little to no fragrance and was otherwise very nice to use.  The result?  These muffins were fantastic!  This was the best batch of Rosemary Cornbread yet, so I’m very pleased with the Light Tasting olive oil. 


Pure

Given that Crisco’s Pure olive oil is ideal for marinating and grilling, it will definitely be popular around this house.  I decided to remake Mustard Rosemary Chicken, but this time we grilled the marinated chicken breasts (i.e. not on skewers).  The result?  Delicious!  We both remarked about how this chicken was one of the best we’ve had.  Another score using Crisco’s Pure olive oil!


100% Extra Virgin

Crisco’s 100% Extra Virgin olive oil is best for dipping, so what better way to test this than by making a dipping oil.  This recipe was inspired by a little pamphlet that came with the oils.  Rosemary Parmesan Dipping Oil is simple, quick and easy to make, and tastes incredible!  Three for three…thanks Crisco!

Rosemary Parmesan Dipping Oil
Yields 4 servings

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, such as Crisco® 100 % Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced (or grated)
Pinch salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1-2 tablespoons grated or finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Crusty French or Italian Bread

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
  2. Pour into serving saucer(s) and add Parmesan cheese. 
  3. Serve with crusty bread. 

Adapted from Crisco pamphlet

Disclaimer: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was provided with a bottle of each of the above named Crisco olive oils for free.  The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.

Filed Under: appetizers, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

July 20, 2011 ·
Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins from Alida's Kitchen
Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins are a healthy muffin recipe made with buttermilk, brown sugar and topped with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips.  

When I boldly declared Whole Wheat  Peanut Butter Muffins as my favorite muffin of all time, Mike was not surprised in the least.  Not only do they have peanut butter, which I love, but they also have brown sugar and buttermilk, two of my favorite baking ingredients. Chocolate chips and chopped peanuts don’t hurt either. 🙂

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

Today I am sharing with you a muffin recipe that I thought was lost forever. Many years ago, I bought a bag of whole wheat flour, and featured on the back was a recipe for peanut butter muffins.  I decided to give the recipe a try and was blown away. The muffins tasted just like a peanut butter sandwich only in muffin form. They were incredible.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

Fast forward years later, after many moves, the recipe sadly got lost in the shuffle. Until now! I googled away and found my beloved recipe at A Tasteful Garden. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so immediately got to work.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

I decided to swap canola oil for butter and add chopped peanuts on top.  I also used mini chocolate chips.  I like that with small chips, it seems as though you get more chocolate per bite.  As with most quick breads made with whole wheat flour, these muffins are dense and hearty.  I find they are best enjoyed with a big glass of milk.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

These muffins are even better than I remembered, and now thankfully will never be lost again!

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins
 
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Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (optional)
  • ⅓ cup chopped peanuts, for topping (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin pan with cooking spray or muffin liners. Set aside.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Cream together the oil and brown sugar. Add the peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides of the bowl often to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
  4. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Add half of the buttermilk, mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and remaining buttermilk. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
  5. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if using. Bake until golden brown, 22-24 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from King Arthur Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins, found on A Tasteful Garden

Filed Under: breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,