Mmmmmuffins!

So I decided to get a break from my cookie baking and attempt to make something a little healthier, muffins!  Unfortunately I couldn't find my camera for a few days and therefore missed photographing any of the muffin making, but all of these recipes came from the blog How Sweet It Is. So this might be a little boring but if you are interested in muffins, read on!

First I made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins.  At least they had the words "chocolate chip cookie" in them so it wasn't a huge jump from what I have been spending my days making (and eating). They do taste a bit like cookies, but I felt much less guilty about eating them.

Then I decided to attempt to be even healthier and I made Very Berry Whole Wheat Muffins. I just used the PC Very Berry frozen fruit mixture that I had in the freezer and I also skipped the sugar on top of the muffins.  These muffins were a little too "wheaty" for me.  Have you ever gotten the whole wheat bread at Subway and noticed how strongly whole wheaty it tastes? Almost overpowering?  That is what these remind me of.  They were good but I'm not sure I would make them again, maybe with half whole wheat flour and half white.... we'll see.

Finally I made Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins.  These muffins have very little sugar in them, no eggs and no oil.  They are almost as healthy as you can get in terms of baked goods.  Most importantly, these are delicious!  Super moist and tasty! However, I am still very partial to the banana and chocolate combination so I will likely be reserving most of my over-ripe bananas for something involving chocolate chips!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk (any kind will do)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Add oats to a bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk. Let soak for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the first few steps of the muffins.

In a large bowl, combine egg and brown sugar and whisk until smooth and caramel in color. Add in vanilla and butter, whisking well. Try to smooth the batter as much as possible – there still may be some small butter chunks. Add flour, oat mixture, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix. Add remaining milk and combine until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Line a muffin tin with lines and pour about 1/4 cup batter into each line. Sprinkle the tops with raw turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with butter!

Very Berry Whole Wheat Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/2 cup strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup blueberries

1/4-1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raw turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add canola oil, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla, and eggs, and mix until combined. If your dough is very thick, add the rest of the milk. Fold in blueberries and strawberries. Top with a sprinkling of raw turbinado sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place muffin cups in muffin tins.

Mix sugar, applesauce, and egg until creamy and light yellow. Add bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until completely smooth. Fold in blueberries. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Top with course sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick poked in center muffin comes out clean.