mini chocolate peppermint cupcakes (or are they brownies?!)

I've never understood the real difference between a chocolate cupcake and a brownie, but whatever.  I picked up some peppermint extract from Trader Joe's today and literally couldn't wait to add it to something chocolatey...so there you go.

mini chocolate cupcakes/brownies
active time: 8 mins | bake time: 12 mins | yields: 6-8 mini cupcakes (or I'd guess 3-4 regular-sized ones)
adapted from here (they've got a legit-looking chocolate frosting recipe o'er there)
ingredients
6 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar***
3 teaspoons cocoa powder***
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon (dash) salt 
4 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon applesauce
1/8 teaspoon (dash) vanilla extract***
1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)***
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees.  spray mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside.
whisk all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. 
in a second small bowl, combine the wet ingredients. 
add the mixed dry ingredients to the wet and stir well until combined. 
divide batter between six muffing tin cups and sprinkle with chocolate chips. (next time, I'd mix some into the batter too so there's melty chocolate throughout)
bake for 12 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. 
remove from muffin tins and allow to cool before frosting (or don't frost them, like me!  those melty chocolate chips are enough).

these came out chocolatey and light.  they weren't overly sweet.  the chocolate chips on top helped take this from meh to pretty good.  

*** future modifications

I'd consider adding another tablespoon of sugar and another teaspoon of cocoa powder, and will definitely be doubling the amounts of the extracts in the future.

potential twists

add coconut, sliced banana (fresh or chips), peanut butter, chopped nuts, dried berries or serve with ice cream...

funfetti cupcakes (small batch-style)

because, duh: funfetti.  and cupcakes.

funfetti cupcakes
adapted from here (in fact, go look at those awesome pics cuz my recipe doesn't have one and hers are real pretty)

active time: 5 minutes | cook time: 8-15 minutes | yields: 2 regular-sized cupcakes or 6 mini cupcakes
ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon skim milk
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sprinkles
non-stick cooking spray

directions
preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  set aside.
beat the canola oil, applesauce, egg, milk, vanilla extract, and sugar together.
mix in the flour and baking powder.
add the sprinkles. stir just to combine evenly - don’t overstir!
pour into prepared muffin tin.
bake for about 8-10 minutes for mini cupcakes or 15-18 minutes for regular-sized cupcakes, or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean.
cool, frost, and enjoy.

note
I like to bake my minis for 8 minutes, then turn the (toaster) oven off and crack the door for about 5 minutes, then open it all the way until cool.

pumpkin-spiced mini muffins

I've been on the hunt for a mini muffin tin for months.  months.  have you seen the limitless options of what you can make in (and on) those things?!

with fall creeping in quickly here in the Midwest, I finally pulled the trigger this week.  I'm a nerd and was so pumped to find a tin that fits in our counter-top toaster oven.  I have a strong sense that this thing will see a lot of work on Sunday mornings this fall and winter.

these were supposed to be more like cake-style donut holes, but mine ended up as straight muffins.  good ones, too.

pumpkin-spiced mini muffins
adapted from here and here
active time: 20 mins | cook time: 12 mins | yield: 24-28 mini muffins 
ingredients
for muffins
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ginger + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

for spiced sugar topping 
(these are approximations only - modify as you'd like.  bonus: if you make too much, you can use the spiced sugar in morning coffee)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

directions
preheat oven to 350F. lightly grease two mini muffin tins with butter or cooking spray.  set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar (work out those clumps), melted butter, and vanilla.

sift in baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flours. mix until just combined. 

using a tablespoon, drop batter into preparted muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (12 on the nose for me!).  let cool in tins for 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.

just before serving, mix sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a ramekin or shallow bowl.  dip one muffin's top into melted butter and use it to apply some butter to another's top, like a sponge brush.  this will help avoid dripping butter into your cinnamon sugar and getting clumps.  roll the tops of the muffins in the spiced sugar mixture.

note
if you plan to store these in a plastic baggie or any sort of storage container, don't add the spiced sugar topping until you're ready to eat them.  the sugar 'melt' under the humidity and make a mess of things.

homemade (and way cheap!) granola

add this to some greek yogurt or ice cream.  or a spoon.

homemade granola
adapted from too many recipes to bother linking
makes about 3 cups (a quart-sized ziploc)
active time: 15-20 minutes / cooling time: 30 minutes / totally done in: 1 hour
ingredients
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
1/2 cup sliced/chopped nuts/seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc)
1/4 cup dried sweetened coconut (A: you could leave this out altogether [lookin' at you, Summer]; B: I'd rather use unsweetened coconut but can't find that stuff anywhere)
sprinkle o' cinnamon

directions
spread oats on baking sheet and toast under broiler, stirring occasionally.  keep a close eye on them so they don't burn!  remove from oven and set aside.  turn off broiler.

if using raw nuts/seeds, toast 'em in a dry pan over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.  I chose to do this separately from the oats so the nut/seed oils wouldn't mix in with the oats and possibly sog things up.

at this point, I scooped the toasted oats and nuts/seeds into a giant liquid measuring cup so it'd be easier to dump them into the skillet later.  this was a really good move, since attempting to pour the oats from a giant rectangular pan into a much smaller circular one would have been certain disaster.

in a medium skillet, melt butter.  add honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt, cook for 1 minute.  add toasted oats and nuts/seeds, cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  mix in dried fruit and coconut, cook 1 minute more.

spray baking sheet lightly with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.  spread granola evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon.  throw the whole thing back on the top rack of the still-warm oven for 15 to 30 minutes to get everything nice and crunchy.

remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before shovelling into your face or a plastic bag for storage.  

next time: 
- since the coconut was sweetened and raisins are pretty sweet on their own, I'd probably cut back the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon.  if I'd used just cranberries, I'd leave the brown sugar measure at 2 tablespoons
- I'd stir it around a little less after it comes out of the oven to leave some bigger chunks intact

(faux) banana ice cream

just do it.

(faux) banana ice cream
ingredients
ripe banana(s)
a freezer
about 8 hours

directions
slice a ripe banana into coins. 
freeze ‘em solid. 
throw the chunks in a food processor and hit go, scraping down the sides periodically and adding a splash of milk if needs loosening. 

there you are, Peeeter.

its crazy, and comes together really suddenly. some good mix ins (I recommend blending 'em in, then popping the whole thing in the freezer for a few minutes, since the other ingredients'll bring down the temp of the ice cream and make it melt): peanut butter, frozen strawberries, chocolate chips…the options are endless.  I like mine best top with something crunchy, like crumbled homemade kind bars.

rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins

we tend to overbuy bananas.  so we get ambitious, whatever.  at 19¢ apiece, I don't let 'em go to waste.  this is a tweak of one of my previously-posted recipes.  there's booze in this, so I'm obviously pleased.


rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins
adapted from here and adding a twist to my own concoction born here
prep time: 20 minutes |  cook time: 18-20 minutes  |  yields: 18 muffins

ingredients for rum-roasted bananas:

3 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons dark rum


ingredients for muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (from above)


directions for rum-roasted bananas:
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. peel the bananas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.  sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and rum.  wrap loosely (but securely, or you'll get a mess!) and roast in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  allow to cool.


note: do yourself a favor here and spoon into a little dish all the goop that the 'nanas'll be swimming in.  use it as a topping right when you serve these muffins and you'll be cooler than an American Gladiator in the mid-90s.  it doesn't appear to set up/harden much, so it probably isn't the best to use for muffins to be stored.


directions for the muffins:
while bananas cool, crank oven heat up to 400 degrees F.


combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.


in a separate small bowl, mash bananas.


in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.


line muffin tin(s) with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray.  fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.  turn out onto wire rack for cooling.


optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.

berry compote-topped mini cheesecakes

whoa.  these are awesome.


whenever I make something and take my first bite, the sentence I utter usually starts with "next time, I'll ___".  we're all our own biggest critic, right?  to be honest, I can think of few instances in which I didn't find something I wished I'd done differently.  these cheesecakes currently top my don't-you-dare-touch-this-recipe-it's-perfect list.


berry compote-topped mini cheesecakes
adapted from here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 25 minutes | yields: 6 cupcake-sized cheesecakes
ingredients

for the graham cracker crusts
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted


for the mini cheesecakes 
1 (8 ounce) package light/reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature


for the berry compote
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, anything goes!)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest


directions
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. grease a 6 cup muffin pan, or line with paper cupcake liners.


in a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter with a fork until combined. measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing down firmly. bake for 5 minutes, then remove to cool.


while the mini crusts cool slightly, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. mix in the egg and whisk until smooth.


pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full.  bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes. cool completely in pan before removing. refrigerate until ready to serve.


just before serving, remove cheesecakes from refrigerator and remove paper liners.  bring a small saucepan to medium heat, add berries, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.  heat slowly, squishing some berries with the back of a spoon.  once the berries have released about half of their juices, add remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.  spoon compote over chilled cheesecakes, top with sliced almonds and serve.

strawberry lemonade bars

it seems that every summer, I get on a super lemon kick.  all lemon, all the time.  thanks to a recent Costco visit, our freezer subsists solely of frozen strawberries, so I've been looking for uses.  on an unseasonably cold and rainy day a while back, I itched for some sunshine in edible form, and these guys were born.


strawberry lemonade bars
for the oatmeal-pretzel crust
adapted from here
prep time: 5 minutes | cook time: 10-12 minutes | cooling time: 20 minutes
ingredients
1 cup finely crushed pretzels
1 cup slightly crushed quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted


for the bars
adapted from here
prep time: 15 minutes | cook time: XX minutes | yields: 9 2x2-inch bars
ingredients
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup liquid honey
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup strawberry juice and pulp (from about 2 1/2 cups frozen berries, thawed)




directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  pulse preztels in a food processor until they resemble graham cracker crumbs.  dump into a small bowl and set aside.  separately, pulse oatmeal slightly, just to break up some of the big bits - don't grind it up too much: chunks now = sugary buttery crunchy chunks later.  add melted butter and sugar, stir to combine.  spread in 8x8-inch pan that has been coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper, working crust up the sides of the pan.  bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.  let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.




((note: this is a ton of butter, right?  I think you could probably get away with about 1/2-2/3 of the amount, but I'll report what I did this time around.  next time though, I'll use way less so I'll feel way less guilty housing a whole pan...alone.))


while your crust cools slightly, puree thawed berries in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender.  measure and set aside approximately 1 cup puree/juice.


in a large bowl, whisk together eggs and flour until no lumps remain.  add honey (warm the honey just slightly if it’s solid), lemon zest and freshly-squeezed juice.  whisk together until smooth.  finally, add in the strawberry puree and whisk together again.


pour the mixture over the slightly-cooled crust and place in 350 degree F oven.  bake 28-30 minutes until the filling is set (the very center may still wiggle a little, but will set completely as it cools).


remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares (or eating directly from the pan).  store remaining bars (yeah, right) in the refrigerator, in the pan covered in plastic wrap.


optional
dust with powdered sugar just prior to serving