Can I just say that I really love making new recipes, especially when they turn out well & taste really good. There's only one slight problem with this--I'm really, & I mean REALLY going to need to start working out & managing my diet better. The bright side, that just means more tasty GOOD, nutrient rich recipes to try. :)
Last weekend I had some bananas that were in desperate need of being used, but being so hot out (90* at 8am) I didn't really want to turn on the oven & the AC, so instead of banana bread, the over ripe bananas became Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I was pretty excited about the way they turned out, especially because I used NO recipe what-so-ever, just off the cuff. Bananas. Pancake mix. Cinnamon. Mini-Chocolate chips. Vanilla. YUM!
Make a pancake batter. Mash up a banana stir into batter. Add cinnamon, vanilla. Put in chocolate chips after it's on the griddle or else they just sink to the bottom.
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My nephew is spending a few nights with us on his visit down here. Yesterday was our first morning so I made up some Waffles. I used this recipe, but did some modifications. We ended up with Whole Wheat Waffles with Peach & Berry topping. YUM!
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbls sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp almond extract
Mix dry ingredients. Beat together wet ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon onto waffle iron.
We had left-overs & had them this morning, reheated in the toaster to get that nice crispy waffle-y crunch.
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Shortly after breakfast there was a request to bake some chocolate cupcakes...although it took until after dinner to actually get it done, we did it. Yes I'm somewhat crazy & allowed 3 children in my somewhat little kitchen to 'help' bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from this recipe)Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cupcakes
(18 cupcakes)
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp instant coffe
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp vanilla
12 Tbls butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chunks
Frosting (approximate measures here, I just whipped it up without measuring)
4 Tbls butter, softened
4 Tbls cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate & peanut butter chips & peanuts to garnish
Preheat oven 400* Line muffin tins with cupcake papers; spray with vegetable cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Measure cocoa and coffee in a medium bowl. Whisk in water to form a smooth thick paste. Stir in sour cream and vanilla; set aside. (The kids wanted to taste the chocolate at this point--LOL--I don't reccommend that, it doesn't taste like chocolate is expected to taste).
Starting and ending with dry ingredients, alternate adding chocolate mixture and flour, beating until each is thoroughly incorporated.
Melt the peanut butter in a medium bowl, add about 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate batter & stir until smooth. Add chocolate chunks.
Add peanut butter chips to the remaining chocolate batter.
(only 2 of the 3 kids, Grace was already kicked out of the kitchen by this time-for dumping things out on the counter/stove & trying to eat the flour mixture)
Fill each muffin cups about 1/3 full with chocolate batter. Using a two spoons, place about 1 spoonful of the peanut butter mixture into the center of each cupcake, pressing it into the center. Bake until fully cooked and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, let cupcakes stand a couple of minutes; turn onto a wire rack to cool.
For the frosting: Beat the butter & cream cheese together until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency, then add in melted chocolate & vanilla. Spread over each cupcake. Garnish with extra chips & nuts.
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