Banana Coconut Muffins topped with Walnuts

My mother in law loves nuts.  I am pretty sure it is all nuts.  Whenever we go to a restaurant she always asks for nuts in her salad.  She also loves coconut.  I am pretty sure whenever she goes to Cold Stone or any self serving ice cream place she always picks coconut as her topping.

So for Mother's Day I wanted to make a muffin that she would enjoy.

Banana Coconut Muffins topped with Walnuts
Adapted from Amandeleine

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line 12 muffin cups
2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt together.
3.  Cream butter and sugar
4.  Add banana until combined.
5.  Add egg until combined.
6.  Add vanilla extract and coconut
7.  Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.  Do not over mix!
8.  Use a ice cream scooper to scoop batter into lined muffin cups.
9.  Top each muffin with chopped walnuts
10.  Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 23 minutes.

These muffins where nice and moist and full of banana flavor.  The in laws took quite a few home for morning coffee for the rest of the week.  Now we all know I am not a fan of coconut or nuts so I was more than happy to pack these little lovelies in a take out box.

This is Khloe the pup modeling her X-men shirt.  The pup does a natural look back.  Born model. 

Bake on friends!

XOXO

Banana Apple Raisin Cranberry Bread

So my banana apple raisin bread has become quite popular in my circle of family and friends. 

Since my mother in law loves dried fruit I decided to make it for Mother's Day Brunch.  Calm down!  Other items were served as well.  You didn't think the bread was the only item I served did you?

Banana, apple, raisin, cranberry bread
Adapted from Anncoo Journal

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon + 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 tablespoons milk 2% fat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup cranberries, dried
1 Fuji apple, grated
3 large bananas, mashed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini loaf pan
2.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Mix well and set aside.
3.  Combine eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, grated apple, and mashed bananas.  Mix well.
4.  Add in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.  Mix until combined.
5.  Add in raisins and dried cranberries.
6.  Pour into prepared baking pan.  Bake for about 45 minutes.

I am normally not a big fruit fan in my bread but there is something about this bread that is so yummy.  I think it's a good snacking bread.  Does it fall under fruit cake?  I am not quite sure.  Make it and let me know!

So Khloe the pup has a little issue when playing fetch.  Don't get me wrong, she is a awesome fetcher.  The problem is getting her to let go once she brings the ball back.  El Hubby and I have been working with her by giving her a treat to get her to let go of the ball.  It's working.  For now.  But who wouldn't do something for a treat?  If someone held up a mini snickers bar and asked me to "let go" I would do it.  Oh well.

Bake on friends!

XOXO

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This Mother's Day my family decided to do a late lunch.  My awesome godfather cooked, my mom and grandparents prepared fruit, and I made some sweets.  My family is easy.  We love food.  The only requirement is that it is good.

So since I was already bringing some muffins and bread from brunch to share (more on that later) El Hubby convinced me to make cookies.  He really had to twist my arm on this one.  With it being so hot lately it was hard to want to start up the oven.

But then I remembered that I had bags of Reese's mini peanut butter cups from the after Easter sale at Target.  Oh you know I hit up the candy aisle after the holiday.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Adapted from Mrs. Regueiro's Plate

Ingredients:
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (3.5) package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 bags Reese mini peanut butter cups unwrapped

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper
2.  Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
3.  Add pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4.  Whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt.
5.  Slowly add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just incorporated.  DO NOT OVER MIX!
6.  Fold in the mini peanut butter cups
7.  Using a cookies scooper, scoop 2 tablespoons cookie dough on prepared baking sheet.
8.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown.  Remove and place on cooling rack.

These cookies were amazing.  Just the right about of chocoate-EE-ness and oh the pieces of peanut butter cut is so yummy.  I will for sure be making these again.  These would be good sandwiching some ice cream.  Oh the possibilities ca be endless.  

The fur baby gave me lots of kisses for Mother's Day and that is all a fur mama could ask for.  That and maybe some snuggle time which I got a lot of too.

The pup spent the morning hanging out with my in laws for Mother's Day brunch and then off we went to have a late lunch with my extended family.  Khloe the pup had a very full day.  By the end of the night she was ready for bed.

Cookies make everything better. 

XOXO