Mango Banana Coconut Muffins

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Kelley

mango banana coconut muffins

Often muffins you buy at a coffee shop or bakery are full of sugar and preservatives, and taste more like dessert rather than breakfast.  This recipe uses a few easy substitutes like whole wheat flour, mashed banana and coconut oil instead of butter, fresh mango instead of sugary dried fruit, and skim milk rather than full fat.  The addition of oats makes these muffins a bit more dense, and more filling.  The coconut oil gives them a nice tropical sent while baking in the oven – kind of reminded me of vacation!  A perfect breakfast treat to enjoy with your cup of coffee on the porch one morning.  We’ve had some pretty warm days here in the Midwest this past week, so it already feels like summer.  But if you haven’t had that warm weather come your way yet, these muffins will at least put you in a summer state of mind!

Head over to Seasonal Potluck today to check out the recipe!

For more mango recipes, or to link up your own, make sure you visit our MANGO page!

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Browned Butter Bourbon Spice Cookies

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Kelley

browned butter bourbon spice cookies

I made these cookies for a Kentucky derby themed birthday party we had for my husband a couple of weeks ago.  I am always that person who makes too much food, so of course I didn’t think cake was enough for all these people!  The cookies were a big hit though, so I’m glad I made them.  You can never go wrong with browned butter in my book.  That golden color and nutty flavor is a perfect addition to both sweet and savory recipes.  It definitely gives your final product an added depth.  And it smells wonderful while browning!

Browned Butter Bourbon Spice Cookies, adapted from bake your day

12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned (*see below) & cooled
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. Bourbon

directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together until blended. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the sugars, along with the cooled brown butter and, using a paddle attachment, mix until well-blended. It won’t be creamy like a normal cookie batter. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until combined. With the mixer on low sweet, add the bourbon and mix until it is distributed.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are just done on the edges.

Cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

*For instructions and pictures on how to brown butter, click here.

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Low-Fat Pumpkin Banana Oat Bread and My First Mother’s Day

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Kelley

pumpkin banana oat bread

I hope all you moms out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day!  I know I enjoyed time with my baby and our families.  It was a bit chilly here in Chicagoland for May, but at least the sun was shining!  We spent the day with both sides of the family and the little munchkin got to spend time with all the Moms in his life.

photo 1

photo 2

danny & macy

 

And how can I not add a food photo into this scene?  A pistachio layer cake with lemon curd and white chocolate milk crumb.  Mmmmmm.  Yes, I used Mother’s Day as an excuse to make another cake out of this cookbook.

 

momofuku milk bar pistachio layer cake

Okay, I know it’s not pumpkin season.  But how many of you have a lonely can of pumpkin puree sitting in the back of your pantry?  I am in pantry clean-out mode, and I’m determined to get things organized.

I’ve been making a ton of random recipes using half bags of nuts, grains, dried fruit, etc.  Things like pastas, salads and granola or bars are great ways to use up a lot of random ingredients you’ve had sitting around.  I’ve also realized that making your own baby food is a great way to used up things in the pantry.  1/4 of pasta or rice is the perfect amount to make a couple of meals for baby, whereas it would probably go unused in your pantry for months otherwise!  Also consider adding things like (cooked) dried fruits, coconut milk, beans and low-sodium stocks to your baby’s food.

Low-fat Pumpkin Banana Oat Bread, adapted from Joy the Baker

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp canola or grapeseed oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 medium egg whites, beaten
2 large bananas, ripe
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients including the oats and cinnamon.

In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add pumpkin puree, oil and whole egg and mix thoroughly.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.  Batter will be fairly thick.

In a medium sized bowl, with an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until medium stiff peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the batter in three additions.

Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes.

 

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