Weekend Muffins II

Second weekend muffin recipe coming your way...

Orange Chia Seed Muffins!

These are very different from my first installment (yesterday's post).  While the pumpkin double ginger muffins are hearty and filling, these orange chia seed muffins are light and airy.  They are dainty, if you will while yesterday's muffins are heavy, but in the best way possible :)  So depending on which kind of muffin you prefer, you can't go wrong picking either of these muffin variations.

I made some changes to this recipe as well...

1. I used 2/3 C sugar instead of 1 C
2. I substituted 2 flax eggs to make these vegan, as well as
3. substituting almond milk for cow's milk

FYI: My batch made 14 muffins and they baked for 18 minutes.  I left off the streusel toppping.

Here is the recipe.      

Weekend Muffins

I will be featuring two out of this world muffin recipes this weekend.  The first is double ginger pumpkin muffins.  If you love ginger like I do, you'll adore these muffins.  Pumpkin, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, AND candied ginger really make these muffins pop.  They smell amazing and taste even better.  But what I really love about these muffins is that one batch equals 18 muffins!  So I had plenty to send to school with my son all week and my daughter and I snacked on one or two every day after lunch.  These are filling, hearty and don't require any slathering but if you must, I would recommend cookie butter, cream cheese, or plain butter.  Warmed up in the microwave is my favorite way to eat these muffins.  If you don't care for candied ginger, butterscotch chips would be the perfect substitution.    

I made some changes to the original recipe...

1. I added a little less than 1 C brown sugar
2. I combined 1/2 C oil with 1/2 C applesauce in place of a full cup of oil
3. I used 1/4 t ground ginger since I did not have fresh ginger on hand

FYI: My muffins baked for 17 minutes.  I did not sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Here is the recipe.  

Glazed Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

Due to their crumbly texture and very subtle lime flavor, I thought it best to dunk them in a quick glaze.  Just stir together 1/2 C powdered sugar with the zest and juice of 1/2 a lime.  Give your cookies a lime sugar bath, put them on a foil lined cookie sheet, and then place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the glaze to harden completely.  This bumps up their lime flavor and moistens their dry texture.  Perfection :)       

Here is the recipe.

My All-Time Favorite Chocolate Muffins

I am obsessed with these muffins!

Here is the recipe:

1/4 C + 2 T blood orange olive oil
2 flax eggs
1 C almond milk
1/3 C fat free sour cream
2 t vanilla extract
2/3 C sugar

Whisk in large bowl.  Add:

2 C flour
2 t baking powder
2/3 C cocoa powder
1/2 t salt

Stir to combine.  Let batter sit for 1 hour on the counter.  When hour is up, use an ice cream scoop to portion into muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Makes 16 muffins.

Oatmeal Mondays

My kids love this baked oatmeal!  I think it may be the addition of chocolate chips but who knows?!

Here is the recipe:

Funky Monkey Baked Oatmeal

3 medium bananas, mashed
2 eggs, whisked
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 t baking powder
1/4 C peanut butter
2 C milk
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 C oats
1/3 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 C chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into a greased, 9 inch square pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut into 12 bars and enjoy warm, room temperature, or cold.    

Cake Fridays

These might be the best homemade buttermilk pancakes I've made/eaten thus far.  They are so light and delicate with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon flavor.  These were a huge hit with my family.  Make them this weekend for your hungry out of town guests here for the 4th.  They will love you for it :)

Here is the recipe.

My Chocolate Cookies

If you like a crispy cookie on the outside with a chewy center on the inside, you are going to adore these gems.  This is an original recipe I developed one afternoon because I was craving chocolate cookies.  I used chocolate instant pudding to steer clear of any bitterness that adding cocoa powder might impart on these cookies.  I wanted these to be sweet in a milk chocolate kind of way.  The mix-ins I chose were determined by what I had in my pantry! Two mini Twix, two mini Kit Kats, and a few handfuls of chocolate coins to equal two thirds of a cup.  The caramel from the Twix oozed out of the cookies, the Kit Kats added a crispiness to every bite and the chocolate coins melted into each cookie during baking.  Any mix-ins will work as long as it equals at least 2/3 C.  If you want these to be really chocolatey, you could add 1 C semi sweet chocolate chips or 1 C dark chocolate chunks.  Yum!

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

1 stick soft butter
2/3 C sugar

Cream in mixer, 2 minutes.

Add:

1 t vanilla extract
1 egg

Mix well.

Add:

1 C flour
1/2 C instant chocolate pudding
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Mix well.  Stir in 2/3 C mix-ins of choice.  Using a small ice cream scoop, place mounds of dough onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.  Let cookies cool on baking sheets 5-10 minutes then place on wire racks to cool completely.