Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

This recipe came from Simple and Delicious Magazine. I actually found it sometime ago and had cut it out and put it in my "make someday when I get around to it" file. Well, I finally made it and am glad I did. Not only are the chocolate, but they are actually pretty healthy for you! The girls and I adored them and a friend I shared them with liked them so well, she even made them for her son's 2nd birthday- to keep things tasty but also healthy.



Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

* 32 Servings
* Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min./batch

Ingredients

* 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
* 1-3/4 cups packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup baking cocoa
* 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 egg whites
* 1 egg
* 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
* 1-3/4 cups fat-free milk
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites, egg, applesauce, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
* Coat muffin cups with cooking spray; fill three-fourths full with batter. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: 32 muffins.


Nutrition Facts: 1 muffin equals 161 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 7 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins published in Simple & Delicious January/February 2007, p45

French Bread

I love this recipe! I have been making it for years now and always have been pleased with the results. I made it the other day and used it for paninis (okay, they were really just glorified grilled cheese sandwiches- with turkey and bacon, but very good- especially with this bread!) By the by- did you know you could make panninis on your George Foreman grill? I also use the bread for wonderful garlic toast and french toast. My friend's little girl ate about 3 pieces in a row just cut off the loaf! One time I tried another recipe and threw it right out again. This one is the best! Enjoy!

Grandma Myler’s French Bread

The first time I made this, we were having company for dinner and Kenneth thought I had bought a loaf of fresh French bread at a bakery! It was gorgeous! This recipe also comes from our “Renaissance man” friend in Potsdam.

Makes 2 large or four smaller loaves

8 cups flour

4 tsp or 2 packages dry yeast

2 Tbsp sugar

3 tsp salt

3 cups warm water

2 Tbsp shortening

Mix 1/3 of the flour with the other dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix. Add another 1/3 of the flour and mix. Then mix in the rest of the flour to form a stiff batter. Knead 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let rise until doubled, about and hour.
To shape: roll into a rectangle with a rolling pin. Starting on a long edge, roll into a long loaf. Place on cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal. Let rise until doubled again, usually a little less time than the first rising. Just before baking, brush with beaten egg whites, sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired, and cut slits in each loaf.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

This was scrumdidiliumptious! The girls and I could not stop eating it! (Kenneth wasn't home at the time. Plus he has more self control than I do anyway.) Believe it or not I even made it healthier than the actual recipe. I will put those changes in red.

Sweet Potato Bread & Pineapple Butter

* Prep: 20 min. Bake: 50 min. + cooling

Ingredients

* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour + 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour)
* 1-1/2 cups sugar
* 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
* 1/2 cup canola oil (I used 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup oil)
* 1/3 cup water
*

BUTTER:
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained
(I didn't want to make so much and only had a portion of a can of pineapple in the fridge, so made much less. It was plenty for my loaf.)

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, potatoes, oil and water. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
* Transfer to a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
* In a small bowl, combine butter and pineapple. Serve with bread. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices) and 1 cup butter.

My new favorite food blog!

I have been on a hiatus with posting. Not because I haven't been trying new things, but because life has been so busy! We have had visitors (13 people in a little apartment is crazy!!) and I have not been getting on the computer much during the day. (I get too frustrated when the children interrupt me and I have decided it's better for me to spend time with them instead of spending unproductive time on the computer!) Anyway. I can save myself a whole lot of time and give you a whole lot of good recipes if I just share this blog I discovered with you. I have already made quite a few recipes from here and have loved them all and can't wait to try many more. It is amazing!!

here it is:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/

Here are a couple of pictures of what I have made from that website:

These are called Pizza bites, I think:
These are the Breadsticks (same dough as the above dish) very tasty. I did half savory and half sweet.


I have also made the Guacamole, the Lime Cilantro Dressing, the Pizza pockets (hot pockets) and the Lime Cilantro Pineapple Rice. All were definitely "Food of Good Report"!
(I replaced 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour in the hot pocket recipe dough and it was fantastic!)

I hope you all enjoy- I have and will continue to!