Cookbook: Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie Muffins

Believe it or not, I never used to be a big fan of pumpkin pie. I always found it a bit too sweet and mushy for my taste. So, at holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving or Christmas, I usually opted for apple pie or any other kind of dessert. However, this year I've been on a big pumpkin kick—pumpkin tea, pumpkin ale, pumpkin cookies, and yes...chocolate chip pumpkin pie muffins :) I found this recipe on Pinterest about a month ago, and have already made them three times! I made this latest batch for a Friendsgiving my roommates and I are going to this weekend and doubled the recipe to make about 20 muffins. I'm a big fan of "healthy" baking, so these muffins are low in sugar and dairy-free (minus the chocolate chips—which are optional but highly recommended). So far, they've been a hit with all my friends and are pretty addictive. I may or may not have finished like four in one sitting the last time I made them–this is not recommended.

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie Muffins

(adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup oatmeal

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin (I used Libby's—the classic)

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

⅔ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

⅓ cup unsweetened all-natural applesauce

½ ripe banana, mashed

½ cup chocolate chips (add more or less based on preference)

Extra oatmeal, for sprinkling on muffins

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375-400 degrees (my oven is really old, so I had it set to 400 degrees) and line your muffin tin with 10-12 paper or foil baking cups.

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt) together.

In a separate, larger bowl combine the other ingredients (pumpkin, brown sugar, beaten egg whites, almond milk, applesauce, and mashed banana) and stir until you have a smooth mixture.

Slowly add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill each muffin cup ¾ full so that each is even and sprinkle a tiny bit of oatmeal on top of each muffin. However, for a larger muffin top, fill them all the way up–this will yield about 10 muffins instead of 12.

 Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean.

These muffins are best served warm and stay fresh for a few days. Just to warn you, they have a pumpkin pie-like texture, so don't expect "normal" fluffy muffins. Enjoy!

Cookbook: Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

After living in Ireland for four months, I became rather fond of scones. Seriously...people in Ireland LOVE their scones and they quickly became part of my daily diet (hello double chin) while I was there. When I came back home, I found myself still craving scones but couldn't find a place where they made them like in Ireland. So, to combat my cravings, I began pinning a bunch of different scone recipes with the plan to eventually bake them all. Well, last night, in an attempt to avoid studying, I had the sudden urge to bake and decided to use this recipe that I had pinned on my food board quite a while ago. While they weren't exactly like the ones back in Cork (I still don't know how they did it...) I would defintely say they came in a close second!

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

(adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1/4 cup brown

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp chilled butter (must be cold) cut into small pieces

3/4 cup chocolate chips

cooking spray

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 tbsp brown sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° and spray baking sheet with cooking spray

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk

Slowly mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt

Chop up the butter into very small pieces, and blend into the mixture

(this is tricky...the original recipe said to use a pastry blender, but I just stirred it really well)

Once the mixture is moist, gently fold in the chocolate chips

In the bowl, lightly knead the mixture four times with floured hands

Transfer the dough onto your greased cookie sheet and form the dough into a 9-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick

Using a knife, cut dough into 12 wedges all the way through

(I had trouble with this, but do your best even though the dough will be sticky!)

Brush egg white over dough and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven.

Enjoy! These scones taste best when they are warm...and WARNING: they. are. addictive.

Cookbook: Nutella & Banana Stuffed French Toast

For some reason, I had an overwhelming desire to make french toast this weekend. But not just any french toast—Nutella and banana stuffed french toast. This breakfast dish was a big hit with Andrew (we both have a bit of a sweet tooth) and would also be perfect for a cute Valentine's Day brunch ♥

Nutella & Banana Stuffed French Toast 

(adapted from Just a Taste)

Ingredients:

8 thick slices of bread (I used Van de Camp's "French Toast")

about ¼ cup Nutella hazelnut spread

2 ripe bananas

¾ cup low-fat milk

4 brown eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons cinnamon

a dash of salt

butter, for frying

maple syrup (if desired) for serving

Directions:

Heat griddle/frying pan over medium heat, and melt butter for frying

Take two pieces of bread and lightly spread Nutella on each piece

Place sliced banana pieces on one piece of bread, and put the two pieces together to create a sandwich

(repeat this three more times until you have four french toast "sandwiches")

Beat four eggs in a large bowl and add milk, cinnamon, and salt

Place each sandwich in the batter and allow each side to soak for about 10 seconds

Place the batter-soaked sandwich on the griddle and cook each side for about 3 minutes, or until the egg batter is fully cooked. To reduce burning, flip the french toast occasionally!

Serve with extra banana slices and maple syrup if desired

Enjoy a delicious (and very sweet) breakfast :)

Cookbook: Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The other day, I looked at my food shelf and noticed an extremely ripe banana I had completely forgotten about. Suddenly, I had the random urge to bake and searched for a recipe where I could use my ripe banana (ripe bananas are the best for baking). First, I was inspired by this pin of delicious Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins. However, I realized my apartment doesn't have a muffin pan...so I decided to make cookies instead! This recipe is my own little creation, inspired by this muffin recipe as well as this cookie recipe. The cookies are thick and almost scone-like...so don't expect "normal" cookies to come out at the end :)

P.S. Clearly I have a thing for bananas, oatmeal, and chocolate chips...because my last (and only other) cookbook post was for banana oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup quick-cooking oats (I used McCann's Irish Oatmeal)

1 very ripe banana, cut in 1-inch pieces and mashed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

4 heaping tablespoons of Trader Joe's "Vanana" yogurt

(you can substitute for plain vanilla too!)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons honey

(you can add less or more based on how sweet you want the cookies to be)

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and set out a large cookie sheet covered in baking spray.

Mix all ingredients together, until the batter is well combined. Normally recipes tell you to mix certain things first, but I honestly just threw everything in the bowl and they turned out fine :)

Drop 2-3 inch wide spoonfuls of the batter on to the cookie sheets. Make sure the spoonfuls are about 2 centimeters thick.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven and then bake for about 13-16 minutes, depending on the desired crunchiness of the cookies. You'll know they are ready when the top of the cookies are firm, and nothing shows up on a fork if you pierce them.

Enjoy! These cookies are best when they are warm!

Cookbook: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ever since I came across this pin on Pinterest, I had been dreaming about making (and eating) these healthy and delicious oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes—two very good things in one place! So last Saturday, Andrew and I decided to make some breakfast together and adapt our own (and slightly less vegan) version of this pancake recipe from the Minimalist Baker. 

Ingredients

1 ripe medium banana

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

a pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon almond butter

1 Tablespoon canola oil

3 Tablespoons almond milk

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup flour

3 Tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

(I tried to use less...but Andrew added in the third tablespoon!)

Instructions

Preheat a skillet to medium heat or about 300-325 degrees.

Mash your very ripe banana with baking powder.

Add egg, oil, salt, vanilla, almond butter, almond milk and stir.

Stir in oats and flour until just combined.

Sprinkle in chocolate chips and fold gently.

Scoop scant 1/4 cup measurements onto lightly greased griddle.

Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side – until golden brown.

Serve with syrup (organic maple for Andrew, Aunt Jemima's sugary goodness for me)

And...voilà! The recipe made eight small pancakes that we split, and they tasted great with and without the syrup. The banana also gave them a yummy and moist texture, and next time I might even add another half since I love bananas so much ♥

P.S. Since Andrew and I will be living in an apartment together this fall, you might see more cookbook posts as we start (attempting) to learn how to cook together!

Have a great weekend :)