Banana Chocolate Chip Baked "Donut Holes"

One great memory I have of my childhood were all the homemade treats my mom made for us as kids.  There was nothing better than walking through the door to the scent of homemade cookies or a fresh batch of muffins.  Any troubles that may have happened at either school or work were immediately forgotten to the promise of a warm baked good in your belly.

Lately I've been trying to offer the same thing to my kids.  The cheers alone when I announce what will be coming out of the oven soon make it all worth it.  These mini banana muffins, or should I say "donut holes" were a particular hit.  I call them donut holes because the original recipe is actually of a baked donut, but since I don't have the right pan for that, this is what we did instead.  Since it's meant to be a baked donut, they are a bit denser and chewier than a traditional cakey muffin.  They are also a snap to make, and use Greek yogurt, adding more protein and less fat.

Banana Chocolate Chip Baked "Donut Holes"
Adapted from Janie's Kitchen

Ingredients

1 cup Mashed Ripe Banana (Roughly 2 small bananas)
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt 
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter (Melted)
2 Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 cups White Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips


Topping (If Desired)
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tb Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325.

Using the electric mixer with whisk attachment, add mashed banana, sugar and Greek yogurt.  Mix until incorporated.

Add melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract, and mix.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the batter and mix until just incorporated.  Do not overmix.

Using a spatula, fold in chocolate chips.  With a spoon, scoop batter into sprayed mini muffin cups.  Fill until 3/4 full.

Either sprinkle cinnamon sugar on before baking, or dip in melted butter and dip in cinnamon sugar AFTER baking.  I did the first to save on calories, although I have no doubt that the latter choice is amazing.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until mini muffin is slightly springy and golden brown.

Energy Bites

Energy. Somehow there was a cosmic transfer providing my kids with endless energy, leaving me with little.

However, lately I've been working hard to conserve and produce as much energy as I can. I've been going to bed earlier, exercising regularly, drinking green tea and taking my vitamins. But, sometimes the weather is rainy, or my day is extra busy, and despite my best efforts I still hit that 2pm slump.

That's when you know you need a pick-me-up. I found these little energy bites on Pinterest. They were very quick to make and can be made tons of different ways. I made mine with almond butter and honey, and while I like almond butter, I think they would have been a lot better with salted peanut butter. I also wouldn't have used as much honey. You can add or subtract whatever nuts, grains, seeds or chocolate that you'd like. If you don't like it one way, be sure to try it another.




Energy Bites
From Fooddoodles.com

makes approximately 2 dozen depending on size

Ingredients

1/2 C nut butter(almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or any other nut or seed butter. Anything will work here, but I would prefer peanut butter)
1/4-1/3 C honey(I believe brown rice syrup would also work. I�m not sure of thinner sweeteners such as maple syrup and agave though as they may not hold together as well)
1 C old fashioned rolled oats(you can toast for a nuttier flavor at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes)
1 C shredded unsweetened coconut(you can substitute any dry ingredients for this, wheat bran or germ, oat bran, some ground flax seed(I wouldn�t recommending using an entire cup!), any kind of ground nuts or seeds. For a cookie dough type bite try adding a few tablespoon of your favorite whole grain flour)
1-2 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt if using a natural nut butter with no added salt
1-2 tsp your favorite spices or spice combinations (optional) I used about 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 C other addins(any kind of whole or roughly chopped nuts or seeds, dried fruit, good quality chocolate chips, etc)

Directions

In a large bowl add the nut butter, honey or other sweetener, vanilla and salt if needed. Use less vanilla if yours is very strong or more if you really enjoy the vanilla flavor and don�t buy an alcohol based kind. If all your ingredients are room temperature you should be able to stir to combine. If this is difficult you can warm in the microwave for a few seconds or even place the bowl in an inch or two hot water for a few minutes to soften everything. Once this is combined add the remaining ingredients.

In this case I used almond butter and for my addins I used equal parts sesame seeds, poppy seeds and mini chocolate chips. Mix well. Once it�s all combined place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Then remove from the fridge, scoop out some dough and roll into a ball. I find it�s much easier, and works better to squeeze the handful together to compact it and then roll it into a ball.

If yours are too sticky you can considering adding more dry ingredients into them or rolling them in something like ground nuts, coconut, etc so they aren�t as sticky. Place the balls in an airtight container either in the fridge or freezer for quick and easy snacks.

Berries and Chocolate

Growing up with my parents meant learning how to say thank you. You say thank you when someone passes you the broccoli at the table, you send a thank you card when given a gift, and when someone goes out of their way to really do something nice, you say thank you in style, like this platter of berries and chocolate.


My mom really wanted to say thank you to a local dental office after they went above and beyond to beautify her smile. We put our heads together and decided on a platter of fruit and chocolate. Costco had a gorgeous selection of Rainier cherries, strawberries and blackberries, so we went with those. We then set to work making Funfetti cakeballs, raspberry cheesecake bites, and Ghiradhelli brownie bites (from the boxed mix).

It turned out to be a really fun platter to deliver, and it was definitely a crowd pleaser. You could do something like this for a shower, a party, or a fun way to surprise a loved one. And of course, it's a wonderful way to say thank you!

Watermelon Cake Balls

I know a lot of you food bloggers are already doing this, but you've got to check out pinterest.com. It's a really fun website full of ideas, and ways to file and bookmark your ideas for others to see. I've found a ton of great ideas, including these little babies.







I so wish I could have gotten a better picture of these, but when you're away from home and out of your element it doesn't always work out. The kids and I made these cake balls and they were as delicious as they were cute. I needed to hurry and post these because it's not too late, there's still two weeks left of summer, right? :)



Watermelon Cake Balls



Ingredients



1 strawberry cake mix, prepared according to directions

1 tub strawberry frosting, or vanilla frosting, colored red

1-1 1/2 chocolate chips

1 bag white almond bark

1 bad green chocolate melts (I like Wilton the best) or white chocolate colored green (be sure to add coloring BEFORE you melt it, otherwise the chocolate will seize)



Directions



Crumble cake mix into a large bowl. Add entire tub of frosting and chocolate chips, mix until completely combined. Roll into balls the size of a bouncy ball. Freeze for at least a half hour. Lay out a long sheet of wax paper on the counter. Melt your white chocolate (I usually melt the chocolate a third of the bag at a time). Using a spoon, completely dip the cake ball in chocolate, tapping off excess. Dry on wax paper. Repeat the same steps with green chocolate. Allow to dry and eat, after everyone admires the cuteness of course. :)

Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

How did you all enjoy the long weekend? I love Memorial Day weekend. Not only does it give us an opportunity to think of those that have fought for our country, but it also feels like the perfect kickoff to summer! My little boy turned four yesterday, which gave us even more of a reason to celebrate with lots of food, friends, and WATER! Our winter-white skin is paying the price now, but it was so worth it.

These cookies were actually made by my husband, who, I've decided, probably needs more recognition on my blog then I give him. We make a good pair, I love to cook, and he loves to bake. It's a hobby I didn't expect him to have, but we haven't had to buy bread in almost a year, so I'm not complaining! The fun thing about having a husband who bakes is that he doesn't get scared easily, he's attacked some pretty involved recipes that I wouldn't dare try.

The funny things about these cookies is that my chocolate loving husband didn't even care for them. But I, who doesn't crave chocolate often, loved them! I thought they were rich, chewy and delicious. I had a really hard time stopping at one. It's probably a good thing that I'm not a huge baker, otherwise these would be in stock at all times!

Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies
America's Test Kitchen Baking Book

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee (I omitted this)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
16 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, and coffee together until the coffee is dissolved.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in the melted chocolate, about 30 seconds.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chips until incorporated. Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp until the consistency is scoopable and fudge-like, about 30 minutes.

4. Working with 3 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. (The cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone.)

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough using a cooled, freshly lined baking sheet.

False Alarm! Gonna Celebrate with Some Cookies!

If you could see me right now, I would look a bit like this!
,


Why? Because life went ahead and handed me a complete freebie today. When I woke up this morning, my beloved camera wasn't working, and the prognosis was not looking good. And my other equally beloved point-and-shoot camera (along with three months worth of pictures) was lost, hopelessly lost, trust me, I had called and looked EVERYWHERE. There was heartbreak, there were tears, and there may have also been irrational ebay bidding, along with ebay panic, and then utter ebay relief to find that i had been outbid at the last minute.

But then miracles happened, and not one, but BOTH of my cameras were restored to me by the end of the day. There was relief, there were more tears (so I love my cameras okay), and then there were cookies. How else does a foodie celebrate if not with food? Thank you all for your sweet comments at my post below, but I can't even tell you how happy I am to not have to take a break after all!



I found these gems at Gina's Skinny Taste, a wonderful blog with light recipes, especially conducive to those doing Weight Watchers. Now I'm all about cooking and eating healthy, but when it comes to dessert, I'm a purist. I don't think dessert should be messed with, just eat the dang brownie! But if you were to serve me these cookies without ever mentioning that they were light, I don't think I'd ever know. They're chewy, they're sweet, they are loaded with chocolate and my whole family LOVED them! Like a good girl, I had two, but I could have eaten these babies all night. Check out the recipe here!


Don't you love the plate? My parents sent it for my birthday a few days ago, I think I should be allowed to use it for at least a month, don't you? :)

Breakfast Cookies

As I've mentioned in the past, I'm not much of a breakfast person. Nothing sounds worse to me first thing in the morning then eating. Luckily for my kids, my husband loves breakfast. Being the baker-man that he is, my kids are always enjoying waffles, pancakes and cinnamon rolls. So when he took off to Texas for two weeks, I had to step it up in the morning and take on the role of the fun breakfast maker.



Imagine how much fun I had greeting my kids first thing in the morning with the phrase "I'm making cookies for breakfast!" Yeah that's right, mom can be cool too! But these aren't regular cookies, they're packed with banana, peanut butter, wheat germ and dried fruit. For good measure I threw some chocolate chips in there, because, well, you know. They're fluffy and have more of a cake-like texture, but they're so delicious and go great with milk. So go ahead, make cookies for breakfast!



Breakfast Cookies
By Food.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup wheat germ
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins or 1 cup other dried fruit
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine peanut butter and butter and beat on medium with an electric mixer.

3. Add brown sugar; beat until combined.

4. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined.

5. Add banana, baking soda & salt; beat until combined.

6. Add flour & wheat germ, a little at a time, and beat until combined.

7. Stir in rolled oats, dried fruit and chocolate chips (if using) by hand.

Per Cookie: 170 cal, 7g fat, 23g carb, 2g fiber, 4g prot

Creamy Hot Chocolate

I honestly don't know if anything is more rewarding then a cup of hot cocoa after a cold day outside. I remember deliberately playing in the snow as a kid, my cheeks and nose getting cold and rosy, knowing that it was all going to be topped off with a steamy, rich cup of hot chocolate.


I still love hot chocolate, but what I don't like is that powdery stuff trying to front as hot chocolate. Let's face it, you could shovel heaps of that sweetened dirt into your cup, it just doesn't cut it. I need the real thing.

My husband is actually the one that found this recipe. This is the real stuff folks, thick, creamy, chocolatey goodness that will make you feel like a kid again. You'll jump in a big pile of snow just to get a cup!


Creamy Hot Chocolate
Found on Allrecipes

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Directions

Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

A Very Bloggy Christmas

Initially I didn't plan to do this, I was just going to start fresh for the new year. But I just don't feel right about letting these wonderful treats go without giving credit and thanks to the bloggers who posted them.

I basically found all of my baking and treat ideas from the blogosphere this year, and while I didn't get to make near as many things as I would have liked, what I did make turned out ah-mazing! Here are some of the reasons my pants no longer fit :)




I absolutely could not go an entire Christmas season without making my all time favorite Christmas cookie, the Peanut Butter Blossom! So quick and easy, and when I say easy, I mean easy to stuff about ten down my throat at once! I know this recipe isn't much of a secret, but I always visit my aunts cookie blog, Sugarbliss for the recipe every year. Thanks Rebecca!




I found this sweet Holiday Chex Mix on Cooking with Cristine. Look at those adorable homemade Santa hats! So simply made by dipping bugles into red or cherry chocolate, and then into white for the trim. This was a pretty and delicious treat to pass out to friends. Thanks Cristine!




When I found these Creme-de-Menthe bars on Joanne's blog, Eats Well with Others, my oven was still broken and I could barely stand to wait to make this. Rich chocolatey brownies, with a creamy, minty, butter cream center, and a shell-like chocolate finish to this brownies from heaven, made for a very happy Teresa. No one else in my family is big into the mint-chocolate combo (crazies!) so I ate half the pan, and the other half is in the freezer just biding their time until I decide to cheat on my New Year's diet. Oh Joanne, how I love these bars!





And last, but certainly not least, Peppermint Thumbprint Cookie Cups from Barbara Bakes. Okay, so I did cheat a bit by just adding kisses instead of "thumbprinting" them, but I guarantee that either way you make them, you'll love them! Thanks so much Barbara!

And thanks to Blogland for providing us with SO many Christmas goodies, stories and heartfelt wishes. Even if I didn't make your treats, rest assured I imagined their smells and tastes and enjoyed a bit of the season with you! Enjoy the rest of your break and Happy New Year!

Banana Chip Muffins

I really think those bears have the right idea.

Every winter, after eating a few fantastic Thanksgiving feasts, they hunker down in their cozy caves, wrapped in their plush fur coats, and dream away the winter.


I want in on that. Especially early in the morning when there aren't enough layers in the world to combat that freezing cold wind while dropping my daughter off at school. And then there are days like today, where, barring high-tech warming devices, it might actually be impossible to warm up. Even my fuzzy socks are failing me today. And to think, I used to constantly fight with mom to even wear a coat in the winter!

Well, since I don't get to hibernate like a bear, baked goods like these will definitely help me get through the cold cold days of winter. I grew up on these muffins, and after losing the recipe my mom gave me, I was convinced that any old banana chocolate chip recipe would suffice. WRONG. I actually tried quite a few different recipes, but soon realized that I wasn't going to be satisfied until I had the ones that reminded me of home.

These are everything a good banana muffin should be, moist, flavorful, and rich, but not too sweet. They are also a total snap to whip together, no mixer needed, just a good wooden spoon. Next time you have a few bananas ready to turn, give these a try. And stay warm out there friends!


Banana Chip Muffins
Provided Sweetly by My Mom

Ingredients

1 3/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c choc chips
1 egg
1/4 c oil
1/4 c milk
3 mashed bananas

Directions

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

Beat egg until frothy. Mix in oil, milk and bananas. Pour into the flour mixture. Stir to moisten.

Bake @ 400* for 20-25 minutes.
Yummy!

Monster Cookies

My oven is broken, and it won't be fixed for a week. I. AM. DYING. Not only does it hamper my ability to cook regular meals for my family, but it's also broken during the biggest baking season of the year! If you listen very carefully, you'll hear my waistline sigh in relief. However it's being completely drowned out by my heart, soul and stomach, who are screaming in bitter protest. I'm not a huge baker, but this time of year I live for it. Lord, give me the strength to last the week.

Dramatics aside, I have to share with you one of my favorite cookies. The first time I tried these I was at my cousin's house. She keeps the dough, frozen in ready made blobs, ready to throw in the oven, how genius is that! I ate one fresh out of the oven, closed my eyes and sighed that it was the best cookie I had ever eaten. That hasn't changed, which is why it's a surprise to me that it's taken this long to make them again. This was actually a product of having way too many leftover M&M's from Halloween. These cookies seriously have everything in them, peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate, raisins, no wonder they're my favorite!

Sigh, I'd like to post this recipe in honor of my broken oven, I can't wait to be reunited!

Monster C0okies
Paula Deen

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.