Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I'm feeling indecisive today. I prepared these amazing muffins late this morning and I love more than one picture that I took. I've included them all. Please tell me which one you prefer.

I love banana and I love chocolate. A few weeks ago I made some stellar chocolate banana spring rolls. Today I made a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com. After reading through other people's suggestions, I had my game plan. I love that in this day & age you can do more than flip through a cookbook. I always read other people's comments and check out the photos they post so that I can make it as perfect as possible the first time. With this recipe I've adapted the ingredients, as I do with almost all the recipes I find. I cut out the oil and substituted in applesauce and yogurt. I've also combined AP flour with some whole wheat flour. I'm so glad I did because they are fantastic without all of the guilt.

My preschooler was so excited to try one that he actually asked me to take his picture with them. After he tried them he gave them the "thumbs up"!

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, or banana)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  
• 3 medium bananas (1/2 thinly sliced for garnish, 3 1/2 mashed)
  
• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla.

2. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.

3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

*This recipe yielded me 17 muffins.

Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-banana-muffins-2/detail.aspx

Becky's Favorite Banana Bread

Once upon a time, a former neighbor shared her banana bread recipe with me. I am thankful to Becky Jackson for providing me with the only banana bread recipe I'll ever use. This banana bread is so incredibly moist that it's hard to imagine someone would bake banana bread any other way. Her recipe includes suggestions for add-ins. I've prepared this recipe a time or two before and I've always added in chocolate chips (I use the mini kind). I've also tossed in toasted coconut. And one day I'll try nuts. If you enjoy a nice slice of banana bread, this one tops the one they sell at Starbucks. Simple to make and easy enough to freeze - if you can manage to get it in the freezer before someone eats it!

Enjoy!

Heat oven to 325F. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans.

Mix together in a med bowl:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, cream together:
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar

Add to butter/sugar:
* 2 eggs, slightly beaten
* 2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 bananas - I mash them with a potato masher or fork)
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1/2 cup light sour cream

Gently mix dry ingredients into wet - do not overmix.

Optional (add some, none, or all):
* 3/4 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips
* Toast 1 cup shredded coconut in a hot, ungreased frypan. Add 3/4 of coconut to batter, and sprinkle the rest on top of the loaves before baking.
* 3/4 cup raisins or dried berries

Fill pans 2/3 full. Bake about 60-70 min or until knife comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip & Toffee Cookie Dough Truffles

Being in my third trimester of pregnancy I find that I am often lacking energy. Two days ago I started to come down with a head cold, or is it a sinus infection, or maybe its just allergies. Whatever I have has got me zapped. But tonight I had a tiny bit of energy and instead of taking care of things that need to be taken care of (ie - sweeping, laundry, etc), I decided to use this burst of energy to try a new recipe. This one comes courteous of allrecipes.com. I stuck closely to the recipe and I was impressed with how this one turned out - visually. In terms of taste, you'd better be in the mood for sugar and have a tall glass of milk close by. I'm not really a "cookie dough" fan but this tastes like the real thing. Unlike real cookie dough, there are no eggs in this recipe. I can't imagine that my family will be able to eat the 46 pieces that I got out of this batch, so like me know if I have any takers!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toffee baking bits
• 1 pound chocolate confectioners' coating

Directions

1. Beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add flour, alternately with sweetened condensed milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips and toffee bits; mixing just enough to evenly combine.
2. Using a small cookie scoop, make 1-inch balls and place them on waxed paper lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Melt the chocolate coating in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Do not overheat or coating will scorch. Dip the dough balls in the chocolate coating, allowing any excess to drip off. Place on waxed-paper lined baking sheets and sprinkle the truffles with additional toffee pieces. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-truffles/detail.aspx

Cowboy Cookies

Even though I have a pinched shoulder and neck and would like nothing more than to be lying on a heating pad, I decided to try out a recipe from one of my Mother-in-Law's cookbooks.

"Cowboy Cookies" sound so cool, but in reality, they're basically oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. But, thinking ahead to a December Christmas Cookie Swap (even though it's still July), I decided to give this recipe a try.

It's so easy to make and they turned out so yummy. The recipe said it would make 60 cookies, but who wants a tsp-size cookie when you can have a tbsp-size cookie? I got 27 out of the batch.














Cowboy Cookies

makes 27

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheets.

2. Mixed flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

4. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until blended. Stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips, mixing well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be a bit crumbly.

5. Drop heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake until just firm around the edges but still soft to the touch in the center, about 15 minutes - less for softer cookies. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.