Paleo Banana & Chocolate Chip Muffins (but I call them cupcakes)

I really enjoy treats, but I enjoy them more, when they are made from WHOLE ingredients. I've slowly made the move to consuming more Paleo desserts, and this banana muffin/cupcake is so moist and is a perfect replica of the regular "white flour" version....that I had to include it on my own blog.

I took this recipe straight from http://paleomg.com/banana-nut-chocolate-chip-muffins/

so, I give all the credit to Juli Bauer for her amazing Paleo blog. Go check it out!

Ingredients:

• 3 bananas, mashed with a fork

• 3 eggs, whisked

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ cup smooth almond butter

• ¼ cup coconut flour

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• pinch of salt

• ½ cup chopped walnuts (I actually Omit these when I cook mine)

• ½ cup 72% Eating Evolved Baking Chocolate, chopped into pieces (or other chocolate chips you like)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add eggs, maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla extract and mix together.
3. Then add coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder and a pinch of salt and mix well.
4. Lastly, fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop batter into 9 cups of a silicone muffin pan.
6. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool before removing from silicone pan.

Special thanks and credits given to: http://paleomg.com/banana-nut-chocolate-chip-muffins/

Paleo Raspberry Almond Muffins garnished with Cacao chocolate

When Josh and I were in Utah, my mother in law made these AWESOME muffins! 

They are paleo-style muffins and are dairy and grain free. 

I've made them ever since Christmas and my boys LOVE these 'cupcakes'

This recipe makes 12 muffins (cupcake size)

Ingredients:

1 C. Almond Flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

3 eggs, whisked

1 cup fresh ground almond butter (you can use organic too)

1/3 C. raw honey

1/3 C. slivered almonds (I actually don't use them in mine, but it adds a great crunch)

1/3 C. Coconut Oil, melted

1 C. fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried
Dark chocolate chips, for garnishing

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, set aside.

Mix eggs, almond butter, honey, almonds, almond extract, and coconut oil together in another medium bowl. Combine with dry ingredients and mix together.

FOLD in fresh raspberries.

Scoop batter evenly into 10-12 muffin cups (lightly greased with coconut oil or lined with a paper muffin liners)

I garnish my muffins with a few dark chocolate chips and just place them on TOP of the batter and slightly press into the batter.

Bake for about 15-20 min. REALLY watch your muffins to be sure they DO NOT overcook.

Enjoy!
I love these because they don't leave me feeling heavy and taste delicious!
My boys love them because they are soft  like cake and have a very nutty taste!

Good old fashioned Brownies

I found the super yummy old fashioned brownie recipe online and I was so excited when I found it!  These are the brownies I remember as a kid...the best brownies EVER!

Ingredients:
2 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Cocoa powder
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter (softened)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.  Beat together the eggs, vanilla, and butter in a mixing bowl.  Add in flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and walnuts.  

Mix all ingredients together well, then pour brownie mixture into the lightly greased baking pan.  Bake for 25 min. (or until the toothpick comes out dry).

Frosting Directions:
1/4 c. Cocoa powder

3 c. powder sugar

1/4 c. butter (softened)

1/4 c. milk (I used whole milk)

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Allow the brownies to cool.  Then frost as desired and ENJOY!

Oven baked S'mores

We no longer need to go Camping to enjoy a s'mores treat!!! My mom found this recipe on Facebook, and I've made it a few times. It's quick, easy, delicious, and a perfect little treat for any special occasion.

7 graham crackers, finely crushed
12 large marsh mellows cut in half
1/4 cup powder sugar
6 TBS melted butter
4 Bars of milk chocolate candy (Break 2 of the bars into their rectangles
Mini Cupcake Pan

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place graham crackers in large resealable plastic bag, finely crush, then pour into a mixing bowl.  Add powder sugar and melted butter.
3. Using a spoon, place a scoop of graham cracker mixture into mini cupcake pan (DO NOT PUT CUPCAKE LINERS IN THE PAN)
4. Using a small icecream scooper, a ball scoop, a clean golf ball, or a spoon; press down the crumbs to form a little graham cracker cup.

 5. Bake in the over 4-5 min. or until each cup is bubbling from the butter
6. Take out the cupcake pan, place a rectangle piece of chocolate in each cup and place a marsh mellow on top of the chocolate piece.

 7. Return to oven for 1-2 min. to allow chocolate to melt and marsh mellows to soften. Take out of the oven, let cool, remove from cupcake tin, and place on cooling racks

8. Melt the other two chocolate bars.  Once melted, dip the top of each s'more into the melted chocolate.  Let stand for 40-60 min. to allow chocolate to harden.

ENJOY!!!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

If you are in the mood for an EASY yet DELICIOUS Mint Chocolate Cupcake, here's a great recipe for you.  Plus, it's surprising a light chocolatey minty flavor, which satisfies that chocolate craving.

1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Package Keebler Grasshopper Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.  Mix the chocolate cake mix as directed on the box and set aside.  Place a Grasshopper Cookie in the bottom of each cupcake tin.  Then pour the chocolate cake mix in each cupcake tin.

Bake in the oven as directed on the cake box.  Use a toothpick to poke into the middle of a cupcake.  If toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are fully cooked.  Take the cupcakes out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack.

Frost and ENJOY!!!!

 Frosting Recipe:
1 Carton Real Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Powder Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla extract
(*red food coloring was added in this pic)

Directions:
Add all ingrediants into a glass or metal bowl.
Beat whipping cream until it turns into a fluffy whipped texture.

"Firework" Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

I call these "Firework" treats because they make a great 4th of July treat!

This recipe is just a slight SPIN on the classic Rice Krispie treat.

Ingredients:

6 c. Rice Krispie cereal

20 oreo cookies, chopped

8 c. mini marshmallows

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 bag ghirardelli white chocolate chips

(not pictured: colored M&M's)

Coarsely chop the oreos and place in LARGE bowl with cereal. Set aside.

In large saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter and 8 cups mini marshmallows together.

Stir constantly.

Melt completely together.

Pour in cereal and oreos into large saucepan.
Stir and combine.

Pour in ANY type of colored M&M.
(I used 4th of July colors)

Combine.

Pour into greased 9x13 casserole pan.

Use a buttered spatula to press and form into pan.
Pour addt'l M&M's on top.

Melt white chocolate in a double boiler.
Place 3/4 cup water into pot. Bring to a light simmer.
THE WATER IN THE POT SHOULD NEVER BOIL.
White chocolate is VERY sensitive and only needs a light simmer (from the water below) to melt.

Stir constantly.

...and VOILA...Melted white chocolate!

This is the consistency you will want.

Drizzle chocolate over Oreo rice krispie treats.

Let the chocolate set up and then cut into 24-32 bars depending on how big or small you want them.

Enjoy!
We're off to a 4th of July BBQ and I hope you are too!!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I always thought you had to have special "melting" chocolate to do this wonderful dessert. 

 Nope. You just need a double boiler and some good Ghirardelli chocolate.

So....here is one EASY peezy strawberry dessert.

Ingredients:

-Bag of chocolate

-Strawberries--Rinse them and FULLY DRY THEM!! 

I don't have an official double boiler, so this is my makeshift one.

Put about 3/4 C. water into the pot.
Bring to a light boil.

Pour entire bag of chocolate chips in bowl.
Stir constantly while water in pot is still boiling.

This process should take place rather fast.
As soon as the chocolate is fully melted, turn the heat off.
(It will stay warm enough for you to cover all your fruit)

Cover your fruit!

Place on parchment paper OR foil.

The best results are this:
Place in fridge for a few min., then let them come to room temperature and consume.
Placing them in the fridge will harden the chocolate shell faster (which isn't a bad thing)
but if left in fridge too long then the strawberries underneath will start leaking juices.

So we like to eat the strawberries really fresh after we have them dipped.

ENJOY!

Dark Chocolate Cake

This is my husbands FAVORITE cake!

After I completed my first NPC competition, this is the first thing I wanted to make. 

Not only because I've deprived my own husband from having it (due to my lack of willpower with a gorgeous chocolate cake in the house) 

but because I wanted to sink my teeth INTO something really decadent.

So, I wanted to share the "Dark Chocolate" joy with you.

Ingredient List:

2 cups Sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 cup BOILING water

Put all dry (first 6 ingredients) ingredients in a bowl.
Mix well.

Grease and Flour two 9-in. round baking pans

Prepare the boiling water.
1 Cup. water on medium-high heat (by the time it's boiling, you'll be ready to add it)

Add eggs and milk.
Mix.

Add vegetable oil and 2 tsp. vanilla
Mix with a medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Add 1 C. boiling water and stir.

Batter should be runny.

Pour equally into 2 prepared pans.

Put in 350 degree oven for 30-35 min or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 min in pans.

Shave off rounded top (if you want to) with a long, serrated knife.

Remove from pans to wire racks.
Cool Completely.
Then, prepare dark chocolate frosting.

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Ingredients:

6 tbsp. ROOM TEMPERATURE butter

2 2/3 Cups powdered sugar

1/2 Cup cocoa powder

1/3 C. milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

 FIRST, in a small bowl, beat the butter until creamy.

Then add the powdered sugar and cocoa over the butter.
Beat well.
Then add in milk and vanilla.

Beat with an electric mixer.
DONE.

Frost the top of one cake.
Place other round on top.

Frost Entire cake and sit back and relax with smooth, creamy bites of a rich and delicious cake.
 Incredible.

Recipe adapted from: Hershey's 100th anniversary chocolate cooking book, Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.