Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

The first time I made these was right before my daughter's fifth birthday. She has a summer birthday, so zucchini was abundant. After her third muffin she said, "MOM! Can I have these for my birthday cupcakes?" 

Muffins generally have enough sugar and oil/butter to make them delicious, though not super healthy. Substituting some wheat flour for white flour, decreasing the sugar a bit, and adding zucchini and applesauce keeps them plenty delicious, but tips the scales back a bit towards the healthy side. 
These muffins freeze well. And as mini muffins they make a great lunch box treat.  

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Adapted from In Erika’s Kitchen

3 eggs
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups zucchini, grated
⅓ cup applesauce 
2 cups white wheat flour
1 cup white flour (all purpose, unbleached)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, cocoa powder and vanilla.

Mix in the zucchini and applesauce.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Gently mix with a rubber spatula, being careful not to mix.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups about ¾ full.

Bake about 18 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven until the muffins spring back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean (about 10 minutes for mini muffins).

Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.  

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Chocolate (Whole Wheat) Pancakes

Right smack at the end of a lovely two week winter vacation, the winter of all winters hit Indianapolis.  Sunday was really a lovely day, watching 12 inches of snow fall.  We headed out to shovel the driveway right before dark and our kind neighbor stopped over with his snowblower to help us out.  Monday and Tuesday we got the polar vortex in all its glory: below zero temperatures with wind chill down to 30 below.  Schools were closed all week.  I did venture out to work and the grocery store on Thursday, but the roads were still terrible. 

The kids and I had plenty of indoor time, and I decided to resurrect this blog project.  This seemed like a cheerful post to lead off, as it is still quite gloomy out.  I first made these chocolate pancakes for Valentine's Day several years ago, and it remains a favorite breakfast treat of the girls.  I prefer the addition of chocolate chips to the pancake batter.  Go big or go home, right? 

We've tried a variety of toppings.  Whipped cream and strawberries/raspberries/blueberries...maybe a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel.  My new favorite topping is coconut cream.  I'll have to post that soon as it is so easy and delicious. 

The recipe calls for a small amount of coffee, which enriches the chocolate flavor.  But water can easily be substituted. 
 
Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes
From Alida's Kitchen

1 cup white wheat flour (or wheat pastry flour or white flour)

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 TB raw sugar (or granulated sugar)

½ tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup plus 2 TB buttermilk

2 TB brewed coffee (or water)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cooking spray

Fruit and whipped cream/coconut cream for topping

In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, coffee, vanilla and butter.

Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold until blended (there may be some lumps).  

Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.

Preheat non-stick skillet over medium and then spray with cooking spray.  Pour batter in skillet by the 1/4 cup-ful and cook until bubbles appear (about 3 minutes).  

Flip and cook on the other side until done (about 2-3 minutes).  

Repeat with remaining batter.  

Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

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Blueberry and Cream Cheese Muffins

Muffins are a favorite snack and breakfast food around here. Blueberry muffins are a high on the list, and I was looking forward to trying a muffin with a little extra something.

I started with a recipe for peach muffins with cream cheese. As delicious as that sounds, the blueberry/cream cheese combination was fantastic. The crumb was still light. The cream cheese filling and slightly crunchy topping offered a nice texture contrast.

I haven't been fond of the 100% whole wheat blueberry muffins that I've tried, but with the cream cheese filling and cinnamon sugar topping, I was able to get away with about 75% wheat flour.

Additional advice: make a double batch. These disappeared in no time.


Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Cinnamon sugar (for topping)

For the cream cheese filling:

6 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 TB sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.

In a separate medium bowl mix butter, egg, milk, and vanilla together.

Add the wet ingredients into flour mixture. Stir gently just until combined and don't over mix.

Carefully fold in the blueberries.

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, lemon zest, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup half way with batter. Add a small spoonful of the cream cheese filling (about 2 teaspoons) to each muffin cup, then add batter to cover the cream cheese filling.

Sprinkle each muffin with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 14-17 minutes. The muffins should just start to brown and toothpick will come out clean.

Cool on a rack and enjoy!

Yield: About 10 muffins

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

One Sunday morning we all woke up grumpy, and it was a dreary day besides. By 10 am I had sent everyone back to bed, including me. Then we started the day over with some lemon poppy seed muffins. I loved the bright lemon flavor, and the day definitely improved from there.

I included the instructions for the glaze, but they are fine without it too. And of course I used 1/2 wheat flour, 1/2 white, and decreased the sugar. Still delicious!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Adapted from Annie's Eats

For the muffins:
1 cup white wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 TB poppy seeds
1¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
2 TB fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt

Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.

Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in half the dry ingredients, then the yogurt, then the remainder of the dry ingredients, beating each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter into muffin tins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes for mini muffins, 16-18 minutes for regular muffins. (test muffins for doneness with a toothpick). Let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.

For the glaze:
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 TB fresh lemon juice

Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over each muffin while they are still warm.

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Granola Pancakes

It's been a weekend of great food.

Since I'm up too early this morning with my two year old, I'll start with breakfast.

On Friday night I was discussing ideas for Saturday breakfast with J. He mentioned granola pancakes that he recently had at a restaurant. Hmmm, as much as I love granola, I wasn't sure about granola pancakes. But it was a unique idea, so I decided to give it a try.

Holy Pancakes, Batman. They turned out fantastic! But they needed something besides plain old maple syrup.

How about Yogurt Maple Syrup?
I added a little pure maple syrup to plain yogurt and drizzled it over the pancakes. Topped with a few extra blueberries, and it was a Saturday morning breakfast dream!

I made these 100% whole wheat, but feel free to adjust the white flour/wheat flour ratio to your preference.
Granola Pancakes with Yogurt Maple Syrup

Adapted from Pancake Lovers

1 1/3 cup prepared granola
1 1/2 cups white wheat flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TB honey
2 cups plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/4 cup cooking oil (vegetable or canola)

Fresh blueberries

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients. Combine the wet and dry and stir just until combined.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a preheated griddle. Top each pancake with a handful of blueberries. Cook until bubbles start to pop on the pancake surface. Flip and cook about one more minute.

Keep pancakes in a warm oven (about 200 degrees) until you're ready to serve them. Top pancakes with yogurt syrup and more fresh blueberries.

Yield: About 12 pancakes

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Baked Oatmeal

Kitty (my two year old) starts every morning with "Mom, I'm super super super hungry!" Then she averages five 'breakfasts' before 11 am. So while she was plowing through her banana, egg and toast this morning, I threw together some baked oatmeal from Crumbs and Chaos. It was quick and delicious, even without any topping.
However, the original recipe calls for a cinnamon roll type frosting. I didn't have any cream cheese, but that didn't stop me from kicking it up a notch anyway. So I opted for the chocolate drizzle.
Why stop there? I added a little caramel sauce drizzle too.
But, if you'd prefer a healthier topping, try adding a little yogurt maple syrup.

However you eat it, healthy or otherwise, it's a delicious winter breakfast if you're super super super hungry.

Baked Oatmeal
From Crumbs and Chaos

1 cup regular oats

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

3 TB pure maple syrup

1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Divide the mixture into 3 small ramekins.

Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until center is set.

Serve warm as is, or drizzle with melted chocolate or caramel sauce!

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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

If you are looking for a fresh idea for Sunday brunch, or breakfast for dinner, look no further.

These pancakes are delightful! They have a fabulous texture and the lemon and blueberries are a great flavor combination. These will brighten your day!

On a personal note, Happy Birthday to my little brother Peter. Since you live across the country for me, this will have to be a virtual birthday breakfast.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce
From Two Peas and Their Pod

The blueberry sauce:

1 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 TB granulated sugar
2 TB water

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch.

In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce to a simmer and stir in lemon juice and cornstarch mixture.

Cook while stirring until the sauce thickens slightly.

Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

The pancakes:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white wheat flour
3 TB granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 TB canola oil

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, egg, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest, and canola oil.

Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until incorporated, being careful to not overmix.

Cook the pancakes in a hot, greased skillet.

Serve warm with blueberry sauce.

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Granola

It's fair to say I'm in love with this granola. It's easy to make, and makes the house smell so good. Better even than my fall Yankee candles.

I've made this recipe so many times and have perfected it...to my taste at least. It's a quadruple batch of the original recipe. It keeps great in a cereal storage container for about two weeks. I eat it over yogurt, as cereal, or make it into granola bars.

I'll include the single batch recipe below, if for some reason you don't want 17 cups of granola.

Large Batch:
14 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweeteened or sweetened
1 1/2 cup nuts (I usually use chopped pecans or sliced almonds)
3/4 cup brown sugar (add another 1/4 cup if you like it a little sweeter)
1 cup canola oil
2 1/2 TB cinnamon
4 TB honey
4 TB pure maple syrup
2 TB pure vanilla extract

In a very large bowl, stir together oats, coconut and nuts.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Pour the mixture from the small bowl over the oats mixture, and mix well with a wooden spoon. It will seem like there isn't enough wetness to coat all of those oats, but keep stirring, it will come together.

Bake on two large rimmed baking sheets in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add dried fruit after baking.

Store in an airtight container.

Small Batch:
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweeteened or sweetened
1/2 cup nuts (I usually use chopped pecans or sliced almonds)
2+ teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, stir together oats, coconut and nuts.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Pour the mixture from the small bowl over the oats mixture, and mix well with a wooden spoon.

Bake on large rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add dried fruit after baking.

Store in an airtight container.

The proportions are not exactly the same from the small batch to the large batch as I have tweaked it to my family's tastes.

Click to print this recipe.