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Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

August 5, 2011 ·
Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins {Alida's Kitchen}

My maternal grandmother was incredible in the kitchen and notorious for her baking.  She always had a vast array of ‘Grandma Goodies’ on hand, which certainly pleased her lucky grandchildren!  She knew everyone’s favorite goodie (granted it was near impossible to choose just one) and loved to make sure those favorites were always available.  One of my favorite goodies was a peanut butter rice krispie treat she made.  Much to my delight, she once told me it was okay to have one for breakfast.  “It has cereal after all!” is what she told me.  Who was I to argue with such reason!  I tried using that rationale to convince my parents, but it didn’t quite go over the way I hoped.  I found myself faced with yet another bowl of cereal for breakfast.

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins {Alida's Kitchen}

My grandma was a wise woman and definitely on to something, if you ask me.  I think she would support me wholeheartedly today, because I am going to tell you IT’S OKAY TO HAVE CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST!

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins {Alida's Kitchen}

Chocolate in the form of Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins, that is!  After all they are made with banana, peanut butter and whole wheat!  I think individually each would be reason enough to forego your everyday cereal in favor of these muffins. Together, there is no excuse really.

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins {Alida's Kitchen}

These muffins are phenomenal.  Chocolate and clove are a genius combination.  The spices, along with the banana, take this muffin from a chocolaty dessert to a chocolate spice muffin.  Combined with the peanut butter, it becomes the perfect breakfast muffin.  My grandma would have definitely approved of this!

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins
 
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Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup mashed ripe banana (approximately 2 large bananas)
  • ⅓ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)
  • 8 tablespoons natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners or by spraying with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt (if using), cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk mashed bananas and yogurt until smooth. Whisk in the egg, sugar, oil and vanilla until well blended. Add the flour mixture and fold gently until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
  4. Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with the batter. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of peanut butte into the center of each cup. Evenly divide remaining batter to cover the peanut butter.
  5. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Christina Marsigliese and Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, 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: , , , , , , , ,

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

July 15, 2011 ·

Have I told you lately that I love summer produce? Because I do!  This weekend we are planning a visit to our local farm to pick up several pounds of blueberries.  I am so excited! While we love to eat plain blueberries by the handful, I have a long list of great recipes using blueberries that I can’t wait to share with you!

So in honor, and anticipation, of our future blueberry windfall, I would like to share with you my favorite blueberry muffin recipe.

Years ago, I was flipping through a Bon Apetit magazine, and this recipe for blueberry muffins caught my eye. It just so happened to be an advertisement for Pam Cooking Spray – go figure!

Now I know that I promised you a break from yogurt recipes, and well…I stuck to that for over a week. It would simply not be fair to keep this recipe from you any longer. These muffins rock!

The beauty of using yogurt in baked goods means that you can use less oil/butter, which makes them a healthier option.  These muffins also contain oats, which provide a little texture that goes well with the juicy blueberries. And what more can I say about the blueberry-lemon combination – it just works.

Over the years, I have made these muffins using different types of flours and yogurts.  This time, I made them using whole wheat pastry flour and Greek yogurt.  These muffins are just as delicious using all-purpose flour and/or regular yogurt, so use what you have or go crazy and try something different!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins
 
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Author:
Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked
  • ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or regular plain nonfat yogurt)
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare 12-cup regular muffin pan with cooking spray or liners.
  2. Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, oil, egg and vanilla.
  3. Pour yogurt mixture into center of dry ingredients; stir until just blended. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries and lemon zest. (Note: batter is thick)
  4. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups. Bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove from muffin pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Notes
Adapted from a Pam Cooking Spray Advertisement found in Bon Apetit magazine

 

 

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes | alidaskitchen.com

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

July 6, 2011 ·
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are made with whole wheat flour, studded with blueberries and a bright flavor from the lemon. These are a wonderful breakfast treat!
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes | alidaskitchen.com

Recently, my favorite (well,…only) pancake turner met an early and unfortunate demise.  Let’s just say the combination of a very hot pan, quesadillas sticking to said pan and a non-silicone turner resulted in a slightly melted pancake turner (and a slightly not pleased Alida).  Now I am armed and dangerous with a fancy silicone pancake turner, ready to take on the world…of pancakes!

What better way to christen this handy new tool than by making ricotta pancakes.  Ricotta pancakes are delicate to flip, so they’re sure to put this new device to the test.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes | alidaskitchen.com

Not just any ricotta pancake recipe would do, however.  It was time to liven up my go-to ricotta pancake recipe from Everyday Food.  First I swapped lemon zest for the orange zest, and whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour.  I then decided to add vanilla and blueberries to the recipe.

The result was fabulous!  We thought they were perfect without any topping, though you could add a little confectioners’ sugar or maple syrup, if desired.  While these pancakes are easy to make, the batter is quite thick, thus requiring a few extra minutes to cook and extra care when flipping. In the end, it is all worth it – trust me!
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes | alidaskitchen.com
Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
 
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Author:
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • cooking spray
  • confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl. whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, grated lemon zest and vanilla extract.
  2. Fold in flour until just combined; add blueberries, gently mixing until combined.
  3. Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-low heat. Add batter, using a scant ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate.
  4. Serve hot, with confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, if desired.
  Adapted from Everyday Food
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes | alidaskitchen.com
Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins

June 29, 2011 ·
Strawberry Yogurt Muffins | alidaskitchen.com

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins are an easy, healthy muffin recipe made with lots of fresh strawberries and Greek yogurt.  

After picking up 8 pounds of strawberries from a local farm, I noticed these were the most perfect strawberries I have ever seen.  They had a perfect shape, a perfect stem and were a deep red throughout (no white inside these berries).  My husband wondered what I could possibly do with 8 pounds of strawberries?  Spend a LOT of time experimenting in the kitchen, that’s what!

In fact, I was thinking 8 pounds might not even be enough.  I eat strawberries on my plain Greek yogurt every day.  My son eats strawberries by the fistful.  There is also a long list of goodies that I want to make with strawberries…hmm.

For the longest time, I have been searching high and low for the perfect strawberry muffin recipe.  I was inspired by this recipe for Strawberry Bread on Cate’s World Kitchen.  I love that Cate uses yogurt, a good dose of vanilla, and this recipe uses more actual strawberries than other recipes I found.  From the original recipe, I reduced the amount of sugar and used plain nonfat Greek yogurt.   The recipe below is written accordingly.

These muffins smelled incredible while baking in the oven.  It was hard to resist digging in while they cooled, but I knew they would be worth the wait.  And worth the wait they were indeed!  They are moist, delicious and have bits of sweet strawberries in every bite.  We are definitely going to make another trip to the farm to pick up more strawberries, and I will definitely be making more of these muffins!

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins
 
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Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1½ cups strawberries, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease 12 muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture and gently mix until combined (Be careful not to over mix). Gently fold in strawberries.
  4. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to wire rack and let cool completely.

Adapted from Cate’s World Kitchen

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins | alidaskitchen.com

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

June 20, 2011 ·

With a toddler, pancakes are a huge hit in this house. They’re easy to make ahead and a good finger food for my boy, Adam. Instead of a basic buttermilk pancake recipe, I wanted to find a nutritious protein-packed pancake recipe.  Cottage Cheese Pancakes sounded perfect!

Not only are these Cottage Cheese Pancakes delicious, they smell amazing when cooking on the griddle.  It reminded me of a doughnut or a funnel cake.  But fortunately, these pancakes are a lot healthier than those greasy treats!  They freeze really well too, which makes it easy to have healthy, delicious pancakes on hand at all times!

Adam absolutely LOVES these Cottage Cheese Pancakes, and they have become a household staple. 

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Yields 20 pancakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
Cooking spray (or oil) for the pan

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.  Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla and honey until blended.  Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
  3. Preheat nonstick skillet over medium heat (about 325 degrees) and spray with cooking spray. 
  4. Pour batter by the heaping tablespoonful and cook until bubbles start to form and batter looks set at the edges (about 3 minutes).  Flip and cook until set (about 2-3 minutes).

Tip:  These pancakes freeze really well.  I let them cool to room temperature. Then place a waxed paper square between each pancake, wrapped in plastic wrap (or a plastic bag) and then a freezer bag.  I typically bag then in groups of 6-8 so it’s easy to pull out a few portions at a time.

    Adapted from Weelicious

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

    Tomato Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese

    June 13, 2011 ·

    After taking a bite of this frittata, my husband sat for a minute and then said ‘Goat cheese is great, when done in the right way.’  Uh oh…and while I couldn’t agree more, I do know he’s not as fond of goat cheese as I am.  Fortunately he followed that up by saying ‘This way was definitely the right way!’ and quickly cleaned his plate!

    Goat cheese is definitely an ingredient that makes a statement.  Too much can ruin a dish.  Just the right amount can take an ordinary dish and make it extraordinary.

    So is the case with this frittata.  Goat cheese is the perfect complement to liven up the sauteed vegetables and eggs.  I reduced the amount of goat cheese from the original recipe, as I found it a bit overpowering.  I was a little generous when measuring the leeks because I love the subtle flavor and beautiful color.  Since I had large grape tomatoes, I halved them, and they still burst with each bite.  Beating the egg whites gives this frittata a souffle-like quality that just melts in your mouth. 

    The result is an exquisit blast of flavors in a light and airy frittata.   

    Tomato and Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese
    Yields 4 servings

    3 teaspoons olive oil
    2 1/4 cups sliced leeks
    coarse salt and ground pepper
    1 cup grape tomatoes
    6 egg whites
    4 egg yolks
    3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium. Add leeks ; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cover; cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cover; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.
    2. In another bowl, beat 6 egg whites with salt and pepper to stiff peaks. Whisk in 4 egg yolks.
    3. Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Add eggs; sprinkle with vegetables and goat cheese. Cook over medium until sides are dry, 3 minutes. Transfer to oven; bake until eggs are set, about 15 to 20 minutes.
    Adapted from Everyday Food
    Filed Under: breakfast, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

    Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

    June 6, 2011 ·

    Raspberry season is upon us with a plethera of delicious berries to do with as we wish.

    And I wish for Raspberry White Chocolate muffins.  Seriously.  I have been waiting all year for raspberry season just so I could make them.

    These muffins are definitely one of those muffins.  The kind of muffins that feel like dessert for breakfast…and well….it kind of is.  But there’s fruit, so it’s totally legit.

    Raspberry and white chocolate are such a classic combination.  The juicy raspberries burst in your mouth and the white chocolate chips provide a nice texture.  The cream cheese gives the batter a sticky consistency, resulting in beautiful, rustic-looking muffins.  Enjoy!
    Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins
     
    Print
    Yields: 12 muffins
    Ingredients
    • 1 package (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 cup fresh raspberries
    • ½ cup white chocolate chips
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
    3. Combine the flour and baking powder.
    4. Add dry ingredients to the cream cheese mixture until just blended. Stir in chips. Gently fold in raspberries.
    5. Distribute batter evenly amongst 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

     

    Slightly adapted from Taste of Home: Cupcakes & Muffins

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

    Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

    May 26, 2011 ·

    Welcome to Alida’s Kitchen!  For my inaugural post, I am sharing with you a tasty crustless quiche recipe made with a few simple ingredients.  It is so easy to put together!  The cheddar cheese really adds a nice flavor to this egg dish, and broccoli adds great texture.  My husband and I enjoyed this quiche for dinner with a side salad (and leftovers made for great lunches the next day!), although it would be excellent for a brunch or anytime really. 
     

    Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
    Adapted from Everyday Food

    10 oz. frozen broccoli florets
    6 large eggs
    1/2 cup fat free half and half
    1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    Ground pepper
    3/4 cup (3 ounces) cheddar cheese
    Cooking spray

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch pie dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
    2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add broccoli; cook 1 minute.  Drain well; transfer to a cutting board and blot dry with paper towels.  Chop coarsely.
    3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half and nutmeg.  Add ground pepper to taste.  Stir in broccoli and cheese.
    4. Pour broccoli mixture into pie plate and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

    Yields 4 servings

    Thank you for visiting Alida’s Kitchen.  Have a happy day!

    Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,