Category: Breakfast

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Apple Peanut Butter Muffins

Sarah

A few weeks ago on a lovely Sunday afternoon, Ben and I took a trip to Anderson Orchard with some friends from church. We had a great time picking apples [Ben climbed the trees to get the best ones!], eating yummy apple cobbler from the concession stand, and just spending time with friends, of course.

Our apples were a mixture of Jonathan, Jonagold, Red Delicious [totally different off the tree than the boring, overly waxed hotel lobby variety], and possibly some others. We just wandered the row We just love apples… you can never have too many!

Except honeycrisp. I’m the weirdo who doesn’t like honeycrisp.

But back to the apple orchard… Aside from the peck of apples we picked [about 10 pounds], we also bought a half peck in the farm store that was pre-picked. So we came home with close to 15 pounds of apples… only some are shown below… this was when our bag wasn’t full yet.

Soon after getting home from the orchard, we made a big batch of crock pot chunky applesauce. I had big plans to bake and bake and bake lots of apple deliciousness. Then I got busy with my thesis, then I got a cold. Excuses, excuses. So I just ate tons of sliced apples with gobs of creamy natural peanut butter. Yum, yum. Then comes Friday night.

Being the exciting couple that we are, Ben and I went running after he came home from work then made some stellar black bean quesadillas for dinner. We cleaned the apartment, did laundry, carted a bunch of Goodwill donations to the car, and watched some Parenthood, Netflix style [I’m a season behind–no spoilers please!]. Then at 10:30 pm, I decided I needed to bake. NEEDED TO BAKE. It was like, a necessity. I wasn’t sure what to make, but it was too late to wait for butter to soften so muffins it was!

Ben retreated into his video game room [aka the guest bedroom] while I made a mess in the kitchen, eventually emerging with these amazing treats of joy. Yes, that’s their actual name. Well, it should be.

Apple Peanut Butter Muffins are a great spiced muffin–the perfect combination of warm fall spices [cinnamon! apple cider!] as well as a nod to the quintessential healthy snack combination [apples and peanut butter]. I cannot even begin to express my feelings about these muffins. I just cannot stop eating them and savoring each chunk of apple that dots the light and fluffy muffin.

Wait–light and fluffy, you say? To keep something peanut butter flavored light and fluffy, I had to reach deep into the pantry for a solution. In the past, I have found that adding straight-up peanut butter to muffin batter usually renders them a bit dense. So, I decided to use peanut butter chips instead. And let me just be so bold as to say that this was a fabulous decision! To mimic the peanut butter burst enjoyed when dipping an apple slice in peanut butter, I clustered the peanut butter chips in the center of the muffin. However, if you want to share the love, feel free to mix the chips into the batter. I’m sure that would be great too!

I thought the best way to enjoy these muffins was with a fresh dab of natural peanut butter on top, but Ben would completely disagree. He’s just weird though. 🙂 I say more is better. Enjoy!

Apple Peanut Butter Muffins [heavily adapted from an Apple Muffin recipe I wrote down from a friend/roommate/someone a long time ago and didn’t credit…sorry!]

click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 cups apples [cored, peeled, diced into 1/2 inch cubes]
  • 3/4 cup apple cider
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 egg
  • ~1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well with cooking spray.

In a large bowl stir together flours, sugars, baking powder, and cinnamon. Reserve 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients, then toss with diced apples.

Next, whisk together cider, oil, and egg. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Fold in apples.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons batter into muffin liners, then top with 5 or 6 peanut butter chips. Fill the rest of the way with batter.

Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean [be careful not to land an apple instead!].

Time: 30 minutes [10 minutes active]

Yield: 12-14.

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

No Bake Tropical Energy Bites

Sarah

So, as you guys know, I’ve been furiously writing away on my thesis for the past few weeks. I worked on it before, but I took a break from my campus jobs to really focus. That helped… but you wanna know what really helped? These awesome, tropical little bites of energy! Enjoying a treat full of coconut, apricot, mango, and white chocolate makes the tedious just a lil bit better!

So many good things could be said about these little treats. I think the most important thing about them [besides their fun flavors!] is that they are little! I’ve always loved cute little things like these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins [sorry about the photo, I reallllllllly need to update the pic of these muffins for the blog] or way back in the day [circa 5th grade], those mini poptarts. Anyone remember them? My favorite flavor was grape or wildberry or something like that… they were so small you couldn’t put them in the toaster, and I used to beg my mom to let me eat them on the way to the bus stop. No idea why, but she never liked the idea because then it meant I couldn’t brush my teeth after eating. I thought that was the dumbestexcuseeverughmomnooooooo! Now, I wouldn’t really dream of eating poptarts, especially not on the way to the bus stop, because I’m obsessed with brushing my teeth. Go figure.

Well, these energy bites are most assuredly not mini poptarts, but they are just as tasty [if not more so!!]. These energy bites are sweet, filling, and a snap to throw together. They literally take 5 minutes to stir together and another 5-10 to shape. Add in some downtime in the middle to chill [perhaps during your favorite TV show? Or while reading a “scholarly” article…sigh.], and you’re ready to go.

I stored them in the fridge and loved taking the first gloriously cold, slightly sticky bite. Indulgent and delightful, I say. [Ben ate them in one bite and just said yum.] Whatever you say, just be sure to make them soon. I wish I had more right now! Anyone wanna send me a care package? 🙂

No Bake Tropical Energy Bites [inspired by these energy bites]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup coconut flakes [I used sweetened but unsweetened would work too]
  • 1/3 cup dried apricots, diced
  • 1/3 cup dried mango, diced
  • 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil [melt on low heat in the microwave to bring to liquid consistency for easier stirring]
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together oats, coconut, apricots, mango, and white chocolate chips. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together honey, oil, and extracts. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir to combine.

Let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up, then roll into heaping tablespoon-sized balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week [if they last that long] and enjoy!

Time: 45 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: about 2 dozen bites.

Breakfast, Pancakes, Recipes

Peaches and Cream Pancakes

Sarah

There’s nothing I love more than a perfectly cooked pancake. Except maybe a perfectly ripe piece of fruit. And right now, the fruit that is absolutely perfect from my farmer’s market is peaches! Are peaches? I’m sure my grammar expert of a husband will correct me in the comments, and if he doesn’t then I’ll know that he didn’t read this post today. Which might happen since he has training at work this week. Anyways, onto the yummies!

As I said, peaches are perfectly ripe and juicy right now, so what better way to enjoy them for breakfast than in these scrumptious and easy Peaches and Cream Pancakes? The secret to these light and fluffy p’cakes, as they’re sometimes referred to in our house [yes, we’re 4] is room temperature milk and eggs, lots of baking powder, and butter, not oil for the fat. Yes, I said fat. They’re panCAKES so it’s to be expected. 🙂 And it’s only 3 tablespoons, not too bad at all.

Flavoring these lovely pancakes is a generous amount of sweet chopped peaches and tangy, spicy crystallized ginger–not too much, just enough to make an impact. If you love ginger, feel free to increase the amount, but we felt that 1 teaspoon was just right. These pancakes are definitely a welcome alternative to traditional summer blueberry, strawberry, insert any other berry here pancakes.

Don’t forget about the cream! My cream of choice was velvety, luscious vanilla yogurt [Dannon All Natural Vanilla is my favorite]. I eat yogurt as my “syrup” on pancakes pretty regularlly, and love how the creaminess adds some natural sweetness to the pancakes without all the added sugar of syrup [though real maple syrup has it’s place too!].

Ben preferred whipped cream on his pancakes. Though as he pointed out to me, leftovers were consumed with yogurt… and next time, he wants a double [triple?] dose of peaches by trying peach yogurt instead of vanilla. Craaaaazy!

These pancakes are the perfect summertime breakfast. I know I’ve used the word “perfect” about seven times in this post, but I hardly think that’s excessive. Peaches and Cream Pancakes are just so perfect and amazing and I wish I had some right about now! Enjoy!

Peaches and Cream Pancakes [adapted from my Go-To Pancakes]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • sprinkle of salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup skim milk, at room temperature
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled [can sub oil too]
  • oil for cooking
  • 2 peaches, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon crystallized ginger, chopped
  • vanilla yogurt or whipped cream for serving

Directions:

Preheat skillet over medium heat.

In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center. Measure out milk in a measuring cup and then add egg. Beat gently with a fork. Add [cooled] butter and stir again. Pour liquid ingredients into well of dry ingredients, then stir gently to combine. Add half of the chopped peaches and all the ginger, then stir again. Don’t worry if batter is lumpy.

Pour batter onto hot skillet in 1/4 cup increments. Cook for a couple minutes on the first side until bubbles form, then flip and cook on other side until golden brown. Keep warm on a dinner plate covered with an aluminum foil tent until all are prepared, then serve with vanilla yogurt or whipped cream and additional chopped peaches.

Note: It is not 100% necessary to let milk and egg come to room temperature, but it yields better results. Recipe can be easily doubled with good results!

Time: 30 minutes [plus additional time to let milk and egg come to room temperature].

Yield: 12-14 pancakes.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Brown Sugar Squash Muffins

Sarah

So, I kind of have a thing for muffins. They’re just so simple to make… leaving plenty of time to watch yet another episode of Make It Or Break It on Netflix. Muffins make such a convenient and [semi-healthy] snack. In a little over two years blogging, I have 11 other recipes posted here and a zillion others that are in the queue. Seriously! But enough about other recipes and muffins’ benefits. That’s boring. But these Brown Sugar Squash Muffins? They aren’t so boring.

These muffins are absolutely delicious! They’re stuffed with good things like grated yellow squash, applesauce, and mashed banana. The flavor of the yellow squash, for good or for ill, is drowned out by the applesauce and banana, so what’s left is a pillowy soft and light treat to make your day just a little bit better. The sweet fruity flavor is accentuated by the molasses-y, spicy flavor created by the welcoming combination of brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice [cannot WAIT for fall!]. Yum. Plus, if things weren’t good enough already… I topped them with a crumbly streusel to fancy them up a bit. Eeeeek! So. Good!

In the future, I can definitely see tossing in some dried cranberries, chopped apples, or nuts to add a little more texture, but they were amazing as-is and don’t really need that to succeed. Nope, we loved them and I hope you do too! I can’t wait til lunch–I have one waiting in my lunchbox! 🙂

Brown Sugar Squash Muffins [adapted from Parenting Miracles]
click to print

Ingredients:

for muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup summer squash, shredded
  • 1 large ripe banana, mashed

for streusel

  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, applesauce, milk, yogurt, eggs, squash, and banana. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then spoon into prepared pan.

Next, make streusel. Mix together oats, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Add melted butter and toss until mixture makes coarse crumbs. Spoon on top of muffin batter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 24 muffins.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Strawberry Muffins

Sarah

Yesterday I posted an awesome recipe for Strawberry Muffins over at Today’s Housewife.

UPDATE [5/31/13]: Recipe is now here on The Pajama Chef!

Be sure to check it out–they are incredible! Hope you have a fun weekend… I hope to recover from this not-so-fun late summer cold [hence the reason this wasn’t posted yesterday…sigh.]. 🙂