Mix & Match Bread

Before I start, let's give credit where credit is due. This recipe is adapted from a Foodnetwork magazine I got a couple of years ago. I can't take credit. Although I have changed it just a little and the changes are what I post.  Enough of that let's start.

Ok oh so yummy, you mix and match to make the perfect quick bread or muffin that you are craving. It takes 3 steps. The base, the fruit, the add ins.

The Base:

Combine the dry ingredients

1 1/4 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp each baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda.
Now whisk the wet

2 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
Combine

The Fruit:
1 c of your chosen fruit. (pears, apples, or zucchini shredded and squeezed dry, banana mashed)

The Add Ins

Once all that is combined, it's time for the good stuff, the add ins. Mix in up to 1 1/2 cups of add ins, try nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, shredded coconut. You get the idea.

So the oven has to be at 350, if you are doing a loaf it takes about 55 minutes -1hr, mini loafs about 35-45 minutes, and muffins take about 30 minutes.

So I did a Banana loaf with chocolate chips, cranberries and walnuts.

Then I did some banana muffins, I switched out the vegetable oil for apple sauce, and did about 1/3 cup each of chocolate chips, coconut, and score bits, and about 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.

Give it a whirl, let me know what great combos you come up with. 

Another healthy cookie?

A friend of mine put me on a mission. I love it, a challenge. She tells me "my sister has a great quinoa cookie recipe, made without eggs, and with bananas, but she won't share it"... Consider it done! The rules; no eggs, no peanuts, no funky ingredients that wouldn't already be in the pantry. I thought no problem, then I quickly realized that most recipes not only had eggs, but quinoa flour. Not in the rules. So after taking bits and pieces from several different recipes I think I came up with something pretty good. Please note, these are not "I had a bad day I need something sweet" kind of cookie. These are premeditate cookies.

Without further ado,  Here to you Brenda (and anyone else who might want to try!)

Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa in water and a pinch of cinnamon. (don't over cook it will be too mushy, don't under cook you'll end up with little crunchy things in your cookies). Let cool

In a food processor I combined 2 bananas, 1/2 cup of butter, 3/4 cup of brown sugar and a splash of vanilla. Puree, it will be smooth and velvety.

Place it in a bowl and add 1 1/2cups of flour (whole wheat if you are feeling extra healthy), 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of baking powder, and 1/2 tsp of baking soda.

Stir to combine, try not to over mix or the cookies will be tough.

Add in 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1 cup of oats, 1 cup of add ins (like chocolate chips, cranberries etc..)

Bake at 375 for about 11-12 minutes.

Enjoy!

A Healthy - er cookie

Cutting out sweets for me is not an option. Sure I would like to loose the rest of this baby weight, yes I will work out, but under no circumstances can I give up my sweets.  What I will be doing is trying to put a healthy - er spin on some of the things I do eat. Now don't get me wrong, there is no healthy option for Nanaimo bars, but I did modify a great oatmeal cookie recipe to be pretty guilt free. 

So here is what you'll need:

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup room temperature butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract ( I prefer to use almond, but by all means use vanilla)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like to use the mini ones so the same amount seems to spread further)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

OK so being the lazy baker I am this is how I roll:

Start my combining the butter, sugars, eggs, and extract in a large bowl. 

Add the flours, flax seed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon on top. Mix it all together well. 

Then add the oats, chocolate chips and cranberries and mix it all together. 

Drop a tbsp of batter on a parchment lined baking sheet (easy clean up) leaving enough space for them to spread. 

And bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. 

Let them Cool on a wire wrack. 

The smaller you make them the more you can eat without feeling guilty!