Kid Bites: Healthy Morning Muffins

In our household, cereal is not the usual breakfast option for us. We have a box waiting for those hurried mornings, but generally we like to have something a bit more substantial to start out our days.


Muffins are just the thing. They are quick and easy to throw together and can be customized to suit anyone's tastes rather effortlessly. When I make muffins for the kids (hubbie included), I like to healthify it as best I can while still making them appealing to all. Substitutions such as whole wheat flour are key in this process as well as reducing sugar quantities. They key is to tantalize taste buds with an abundance of textures and flavors. This involves sprinkling a dash of demerara sugar on the tops of the muffins for an added crunch or adding nuts and a handful of chocolate chunks, raisins, or other dried fruit.

 



A lot of sniffing is involved when cooking with kids...

Additionally, the muffins I make involve no mixer or other kitchen appliance except, of course, the oven, so my children are free to lend a helping hand. This muffin recipe is so easy, my son did all the prep himself with the exception of chopping the chocolate. Throwing in a handful of chocolate chips would have been a suitable task for him, but I generally use a higher quality chocolate that is not available in chocolate chip form.

Children tend to get a bit whisk-happy which may lead to a tougher muffin, so make sure to keep an eye out for overmixing. My son has learned to fold batter like a pro, so this was not a problem and the resulting muffins were tender and fluffy on the inside with a slight crunch from the sugar on the top. We kept the add-ins to just 1/4 cup of chocolate chunks.

When baking with kids, waiting for the oven to work its magic can be tough for children anticipating their delicious treats. This recipe was fantastic in that it only took 18 minutes in the oven. These were for standard-sized muffins. If you bake up a batch of one-bite, poppable mini muffins, it will take even less time!

Waiting for fresh-from-the-oven muffins can be hard for a little munchkin...

I think he handled it well...!

With school starting this week, I'm sure finding one of these in their lunchbox to munch on as a healthy dessert component to their lunches would put a smile on almost any child's face!

I think they liked them... I only have two kids and a hubby and these are the wrappers they left behind!

My sweet pup's "I love you PLUS I'm utterly adorable.. may I please have a nibble?" face.. It's hard to say no.

Healthy Morning Muffins
By: Leelabean

Makes 12 standard muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 to 3/4 c sugar (1/2 c was sufficient for our family)
1 large egg
1 c buttermilk
1/3 c canola oil
2 t vanilla extract
3 T milk
1/4 to 1/2 c chocolate chunks, nuts or dried fruit chunks
demarara sugar, to top the muffins

Set your oven to 400F and place an oven rack in the center position of the oven. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line it with wrappers.
In one bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. In another bowl, whisk the sugar, egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, and milk together until uniform in consistency.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold them together being careful not to overmix the batter. Then fold in your add-ins. You can toss your add-ins in a little flour to coat before adding them to the batter, so that they stay suspended in your muffins during baking and do not all end up at the bottom of the muffins.
Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. Top the batter with a sprinkling of demerara sugar and bake them for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let them cool for about 10 minutes and then enjoy. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Better-For-You Baking

Do you remember my post about a black bean brownie sometime in July 2011? After the copious amounts of baking brought on by, among other things, the start of this baking blog, I felt the need to "lighten up" some of my creations. I mean let's face it... I'm not going to stop baking, so I have to adapt it so as to ensure a level of healthfulness for myself and my family. Enter the black bean brownie.

The first time I made these, they was devoured within a few hours. I had made a half batch just to test it out, and although these are called brownies, I'd make sure to inform the eager taste testers, especially the grown ups, that they are black bean brownies, a healthy alternative to the real deal. Thankfully, any food item (broccoli, perhaps? I have to give that a try) in the form of dessert is excitedly welcomed by my kids, though I guess some kids would be better off without that candid mention. Although it was a successful swap-out for the caloric heaviness and fatty decadence of an authentic brownie (truly, nothing can replace that), I felt it could use a lititle jazzing-up to add some interest and textural contrast to it.
We all know about those fabulous brownies with cheesecake swirl incorporated, right? Well, what better way to add some pizazz to these otherwise simple black bean brownies? The result, I am happy to report, was an ooey-gooey, creamy, and let's not forget, healthy delight...!
I must admit,  I enjoyed them far better after they had been cooled in the refrigerator. The cold creaminess of the cheesecake swirl hit the spot. I suggest you do the same. :-)

I highly recommend you to try this recipe. I have a massive sweet tooth, and I used the lesser amounts of the sugar in the recipe and it was the right amount for me, but you decide what works for you! It is dessert, after all..!

 This brownie is great if you have kids and want to up their fiber and protein or if you are on a gluten-free diet or are trying to eat less of those evil carbs (as I am)... :-) Quite honestly, you don't have to prescribe to any of the above criteria to try these brownies... They are simply a healthy variation of a dessert classic.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies with Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl
(Brownie recipe adapted by allrecipes.com)

For the brownies:
1 15.5 oz can of black beans, well rinsed and drained
3 eggs
2 T canola oil
1/4 c cocoa (I used Hershey's Cocoa Powder)
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 c sugar (or sugar substitute), depending on the size of your sweet tooth
1 t baking powder
1/2 t instant coffee or espresso granules
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

For the swirl:
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c peanut butter
1/3 to 1/2 c sugar (or sugar substitute), again depending on the size of your sweet tooth
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1/8 t salt
2 T milk

1/4 c mini chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended)

Prepare an 8"x8" square ban with parchment lining leaving an overhang on two opposite sides of the pan for easy removal of the brownies later. In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the brownies. Blend on high until all the ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth. Ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. Pour the batter into your prepared 8"x8" square pan.
In a mixer, combine all the cheesecake swirl ingredients and blend until well incorporated and smooth. Drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake batter randomly onto the unbaked brownies. Take a butter knife and swirl to your heart's content. Remember that the more you swirl, the less "swirl" will be apparent in the outcome. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips over the top. Bake at 350F for around 35-40 minutes or until the brownies are set. Let them cool in the pan completely. Then remove the brownies from the pan and cut as desired. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.