Do the right thing…

Have tasty and healthy finally become friends??

On occasion I make something that even my sister-in-law would give to her kids! : )  These muffins are made with less sugar than typical muffins (I resisted the urge to add more!!) and rely more on the natural sweetness of the over ripe bananas and honey.  It may look like there are a lot of ingredients here but you can easily  measure out everything the night before and assemble in the morning to start your day out right.  Easy!!

Do the Right Thing Muffins

1 3/4 cups All purpose flour

2/3 cup Whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup almond flour ** (see tip below)

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds (or use 3/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts!  I only had almonds)

2T toasted sesame seeds

3/4 cup chopped dates or raisins

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

6T melted butter or oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk

2 Tablespoons honey

Streusel topping of your choice (what?  you don’t make big batches and store it in the freezer for occasions just like these??) OR other topping of choice: i.e. sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or coarse sugar (mmmm….sugar!)

Ingredients ready to do the right thing

Preheat oven to 375F.  Combine the first 11 ingredients (all the dry ingredients) in a large bowl, breaking up any brown sugar.  Combine the remaining ingredients in another small bowl.  Blend well to be sure no large pieces of banana remain.  I use an immersion blender to blend all the wet ingredients together at once.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend just until combined.   This is the key to creating more tender muffins–do not overmix!  Scoop into paper lined muffin pan

Uncensored topless muffins!

or free standing baking papers.  Top with topping if using.

Phew! Back to “G” rating!

Bake in preheated oven until a center of muffins test clean with a tooth pick.  Makes about 12 regular sized muffins.  These muffins can be frozen and are even tastier the next day.

Doing the right thing never tasted so good!! : )

Tips from A Cook:

Don’t have almond flour?  grind some sliced almonds with some of the dry ingredients (otherwise you may over process and end up with almond butter)

Make big batches of your favorite streusel topping and keep it in the freezer–always there when you need it : )

Use an ice cream scoop with a spring loaded handle to scoop muffin batter evenly into baking papers

 

Reward yourself…Fast!!

What are you waiting for??

Sometimes the simplest recipes yield the tastiest results.  So true in the case of meringues.  Simple ingredients, fast assembly, delicious eating.  Here is a quick weekday treat that can be ready to eat in 30 minutes flat!  They are not only great on their own, but can be sandwiched with chocolate, nutella or jam, made larger and flatter (don’t forget to adjust cooking time!) they make excellent ice cream sandwiches.  Many possibilities!!!  And you don’t need to use a stand mixer if you don’t have one.  These can easily be made by hand and give your arms a workout at the same time : )

Coconut Meringue Cookies

2 egg whites

2T sugar

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 cups shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Flaky salt for tops, optional

pinch of cream of tartar (optional--helpful if you are using pasteurized egg whites to help them whip well)

Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 325F.  In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites well until soft peaks begin to form.  Slowly add the granulated sugar (mix with cream of tartar if using) and whip until stiff peaks form.  Slowly and gently fold in the sifted powdered sugar, baking powder and salt.  Gently fold the coconut and vanilla into the meringue.  Scoop or spoon small mounds (about 1 tablespoon each) onto prepared baking sheet.  I fit 24 per sheet–meringues do not spread a lot.  Top with a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired.  Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until pale golden brown (centers will stay slightly chewy), longer if you desire a crisper cookie.  Meringues will crisp up upon cooling.

Variations:  add mini chocolate chips!!  Or dip in melted chocolate once cool, top with a toasted almond–just like the candy bar…but better!

Ready to eat!!

Tips from A Cook: 

Use a clean bowl when whipping whites.  Oil and grease can interfere with egg whites, affecting their ability to make a foam.

Did you break a bit of yolk into the whites?  Use half the broken shell to act a a scoop to pick it out of the white–your hands can’t capture it quite like the shell!!

Another nice thing about meringues–if they are not to your liking after cooking, you can re-dry them to make them crisper in the oven!  Just keep the oven temperature low or better yet, once the oven is reheated, you can turn it off and leave them in there overnight.