Tag: Recipes

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins

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Do not despair, these muffins are another way to use up bananas that have gone to the dark side. Besides making these muffins soft and squishy, bananas bump up the nutritional factor of Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins. Peanut butter makes them more protein-dense, and Nutella adds that one-of-a-kind flavor. These beauties exit the oven perfectly domed, swirled, and once topped with Nutella drizzle, the muffins will disappear in minutes.


Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins (makes 12)

4 overripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup Nutella

*Optional: 1/4 cup Nutella to drizzle on top

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin pan with non-stick baking spray.
2. With an electric mixer, beat together the bananas and peanut butter.
3. Mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
5. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until a batter forms.
6. Scoop out 1 cup of the batter and set aside.
7. To the big bowl of batter, mix in the Nutella until the batter is uniformly brown (be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly).
8. Distribute brown batter into muffin cups evenly.
9. Add a dollop of the light brown batter set aside to each muffin cup, and swirl with a toothpick.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. *Microwave Nutella for about 15 seconds and drizzle over muffins.

 

Flourless Chocolate Muffins

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These ultra-rich, fudge-y Flourless Chocolate Muffins are the epitome for chocolate lovers. Without flour, their middle is moist and slightly sunken, reminiscent of a brownie undercooked on purpose. Every bite silky smooth, this recipe is great for gluten-free guests and those searching for a stand-out Passover dessert.

Flourless Chocolate Muffins (makes 12)

Muffins:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

Glaze:
1/2 semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup

To make muffins:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat butter and chocolate until butter is melted and chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. (You can also do this over a burner set at a very low heat).
3. Transfer melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl and stir in sugar, salt, and vanilla.
4. Add eggs, beating briefly until smooth.
5. Add cocoa powder and mix just to combine.
6. With an ice-cream scoop, distribute batter to muffin cups.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. (The top will have formed a crust and an inserted knife comes out clean. It’s ok if they are slightly sunken in the middle).
8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

To make glaze:
1. Place chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in a 1-cup microwavable measuring cup. 2. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until chocolate chips can be stirred smooth.
3. Drizzle glaze over each muffin.

Hot Chocolate Cookie Muffins

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Feeling festive now that every radio sings some sort of merry jingle? Reminiscing about the warm cup of hot chocolate waiting for your return from sledding down the driveway? Remember that attempt to make a good-looking snowman with your mittens clipped to your winter coat?

Almost too cute to eat, these Hot Chocolate Cookie Muffins taste like Christmas! On a cake plate, they look picturesque, and their flavors capture the wintery holiday with sugar cookie bottoms, candy-cane handles, chocolate fudge fillings, and melted marshmallows.

If you decide to make these off-season, or in honor of another holiday, switch the “holiday sprinkles” with a color of your choice. You could also use the loops of pretzels as handles.

Hot Chocolate Cookie Muffins (makes 12)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sprinkles

Fudge Filling:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

You will also need:
12 candy canes (make sure you have more than 12, some may break)
tiny marshmallows
1 Tbsp white chocolate chips (melted)

Make Cookie-Muffin Base:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. With a hand mixer, cream together sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla, sour cream, salt and baking soda and mix thoroughly.
3. Add flour and mix until smooth and flour is absorbed (texture will be dough-like).
4. Add 2-3 Tbsp sprinkles and mix until just combined.
5. With an ice cream scoop, distribute dough evenly in each muffin cup.
6. Bake for 20 minutes (make sure they don’t get too brown at the end, if they start to brown too much, take them out).
7. Immediately after taking muffin pan out, use a teaspoon measuring spoon to push into the middle of each muffin, creating a space for the fudge filling. (Do not push through the muffin completely).
8. Let cool in the pan 10-15 minutes, then, run a knife along the sides to pop them out.

Make the Fudge Filling:
9. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and condensed milk. Melt by microwaving in 1 minute increments before stirring.
10. Add vanilla and stir until smooth.

Assemble Muffins:
11. Cut the rounded part of off of the candy canes and adhere them to the side of each muffin with melted white chocolate.
12. Fill each cavity with fudge and put several tiny marshmallows on top.

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

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One of the best smells of my childhood was the scent of my strawberry shortcake doll. These muffins come close.

Full of fresh strawberries and topped with a sugar crust, they have all of the flavor and richness of the classic strawberry shortcake.

Nostalgic and delicious, here’s an excuse to have cake for breakfast, guilt-free.
Add a pat of butter…yum.

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins (makes 12)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
1 egg
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups diced fresh strawberries (large or small, to your liking)
Confectioners sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Cut in the cold butter with two knives until it is in small pea-size pieces.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, vanilla and cream.
4. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir with a spoon just until blended.
5. Gently mix in the diced strawberries.
6. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center will have moist or no crumbs.
8. Cool completely in the pan before removing, as muffins are very soft while warm.
9. Once muffins are cooled, sprinkle tops with confectioners sugar.

Avocado Brownie Muffins

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Whether life’s simple pleasures include avocado is up for debate, but fudge and brownies are first on the list, and this muffin combines both while concealing the debatable fruit.

Dark chocolate and fudgy mousse come together with avocado in this incredibly decadent muffin that tastes like a brownie. In addition to being velvety smooth, this recipe just so happens to be grain-free and dairy-free.

The pureed avocado adds a creamy texture without influencing the taste.

If you ever make a muffin, this is the one to make.

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Avocado Brownie Muffins (makes 12)

2 large ripe avocado, mashed (about 2 cups) 
2 eggs 
2 tsp vanilla 
1 Tbsp water 
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (equivalent to 1/2 cup melted chocolate)
1 cup + 1 Tbsp cocoa powder 
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda 
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat your oven to 355°F.
2. Grease muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree avocado with eggs, vanilla and water until smooth.
4. In a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup, melt chocolate in 30 second increments until smooth.
5. Add melted chocolate to avocado mixture and mix through.
6. Add cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.
7. If mixture is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water and combine.
8. With an ice cream scoop, spoon mixture into muffin pan. Smooth out tops (optional).
9. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
10. Allow muffins to cool for 4 minutes before removing them from the pan. Chill in the fridge.

*Notes:
These will last in the refrigerator for a few days (and are even better after a day or two). They keep in the freezer for months.