Month: January 2014

Skinny Banana Blueberry Oats Muffins

Skinny Banana Blueberry Oats Muffins1
In the past week, I was just rummaging around and found out that the blog has only ONE muffin recipe posted(a great recipe but with REALLY hideous photos)! Whatt??!! How did THAT even happen? I was shocked and needed to change that pronto! Okay, I did post few skinny muffins recipes on my Facebook page before I started this blog but I haven’t been able to post them here. Of course, that is not an excuse. But you can check them out here, here and here!
I was delighted when I chanced upon these muffins on my favorite baking blog. They are skinny and totally healthy, right up my ally! Of course, they don’t taste healthy or skinny… In fact they are quite soft, moist and so dang fluffy!
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This recipe is a total bomb! It does not contain any oil or butter! Say what?!! YES… Mashed bananas and yogurt will do all the work here! Trust me, breakfast can not get better! I made quite a big batch for our small family of 2 and froze the extras and re-heated them in micro whenever the sugar cravings hit! They still tasted absolutely perfect. Instant gratification! 🙂
The recipe includes simple ingredients. Nothing fancy-schmancy! Plus, no mixer required! Takes just about 30 minutes start to finish! Such a phenomenal recipe I tell ya! The only change I made was throwing some oats for a bit of bite and texture. And of course, to make it healthier!
The batter will be quite thick so be gentle and do not over-mix, just until the flour pockets are gone. Over-mixing will result in hard and rubbery texture. Also, use super-ripe bananas for unbelievably sweet, moist and flavorful muffins. I could go on and on about them, but I’ll spare you now! Make them and see for yourself! 😉
Happy weekend you all!
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Serve warm with a knob of butter… Totally dee-vine!! 🙂
Skinny Banana Blueberry Oats Muffins
Yields: 15 muffins | Prep time: 15 minutes | Baking time: about 20 minutes
Ingredients:

  • 2 and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 large bananas)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup non fat yogurt
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 and 1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF. Spray 15 muffin tins with nonstick spray*. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Toss in oats. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix honey and brown sugar together into a thick paste. Stir in the mashed banana, yogurt, and beaten egg.
  4. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold it together. It will be thick. Add the milk slowly and continue to gently mix the ingredients together. Gently fold in the blueberries. Do not overmix the batter or you will get tough, dry muffins.
  5. Divide the batter equally between 15 muffin tins. Fill all the way to the top. Bake for 17-19 minutes until very lightly browned on edges or a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Allow muffin to cool completely before demoulding. Muffins stay fresh stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.
*Do not use cupcake-liners as muffins will stick to the liners.
Recipe source: Sallys Baking Addiction
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Inside-Out Double Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies ~ Whole Wheat & Eggfree!

Inside-Out Double Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies2

 

Hope the new year started on a wonderful note for you all! I am still trying to recover from the indulgent last week we had. But don’t worry, I am not here to talk about my new year resolutions or boring stuff like that 😉 I love how each new year allows us to have a clean, fresh slate giving us time to reflect upon the past and visualize the future.

I simply don’t believe in dieting. Too much of good things can’t ever be bad now, can it! Plus, I always feel that being fit is certainly not about following a restrictive diet but making a lifestyle choice. And I certainly believe in eating healthy which goes without saying as my blog-post titles almost always include healthy, skinny or light, more than you would like to see may be!

So this year is going to be all about being happy! (You can track my progress on my Instagram) Taking each day as it comes. You all know I am not much of a planner so this is all I am looking forward to this year. Umm, may be a bit more of travelling! 😉

 

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These cookies were developed in 2013 and I never got a chance to share them at that time. I knooow it’s a crime and hence I don’t want to keep this fabulous recipe from you anymore. So I am choosing to showcase these unbelievably soft and chewy chocolate cookies laced with chocolate chips and M&Ms as a first recipe post of 2014! They are perfectly thick and so puffy. With a pop of color too!

I have kept those of you in mind who are resolute to eat healthy this year. These cookies use whole wheat flour, brown sugar and date syrup. Of course, without compromising on taste. Oh, they are eggfree too! To make them vegan, you may replace butter with olive oil and replace regular milk with soy/almond milk. Best of all world indeed! You may use any or combination of your favorite chocolate chips. I would love to use white chocolate chips the next time around because of the brilliant visual effect it will create!

 

Inside-Out Double Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies3

 

Inside-Out Double Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies ~ Whole Wheat & Eggfree

Yields: Around 30 cookies | Prep time: 15 minutes | Chill time: 30-60 minutes | Bake time: 13 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp flax seed powder + 4 Tbsp water + 5 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup date syrup
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • lots n lots of M&Ms

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix together flax seed powder, water and milk. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, with the help of your electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy on a medium speed for about 1-2 minute. Beat in date syrup, vanilla extract and flax seed mixture.
  4. Fold in dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add 3 Tbsp of milk to form the dough. Fold in chocolate chips. Chill the dough in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  5. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Take about 2 Tbsp of dough, form it into a ball between your palms and flatten them. The cookies won’t spread much while baking so flatten how much ever thickness you like. Press M&Ms on the cookie dough. Bake them for 13 minutes. Let them cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them on cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will stay fresh for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container.

*For vegan version : Replace butter with olive oil and replace regular milk with soy/almond milk.

Inside-Out Double Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies4

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Happy New Year 2014!

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I couldn’t help but pop in to wish you all happiest 2014!

I thank you all for every like, comment, pingback, tweet or re-pin on Cook By Book this past year. So blessed to have you all in my life, really!! Keep the love coming!

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Have a sparkling 2014! 🙂

~Sent from my iPhone~

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