| |||||
 |  I’ve been using mangoes in smoothies a lot this summer. Seeing one on the fridge shelf next to some fresh blueberries made me think it was time to run some baking experiments, despite the heat wave we’ve had in Michigan this month. (Without central air, we tend to opt for oven-free options in July [click headline for more -- or photo in Facebook]  I’ve tried combining peanut butter, banana and cocoa in tea breads several times but haven’t had any luck so far. Using any two of these ingredients together typically makes for a winning combination, but for some strange reason, using all three at once just doesn’t taste right. I still haven’t unraveled that mystery, but [click headline for more -- or photo in Facebook]  Muffin cakes? Yup. Muffin cakes. When you load a “muffin” with chocolate chips and frosting, you can’t really call it a muffin anymore. And since these have more sugar than any of my other muffin recipes—plus the frosting option—they definitely qualify as cake. That being said, they still have about half as much sugar [click headline for more -- or photo in Facebook]  These muffins are incredibly moist, dense and tender. Packed with flavor, fruit, vegetables, fiber and nutrients, they are an excellent way to start the day, and thanks to the availability of fresh or frozen butternut squash in most large supermarkets, you can enjoy them any time of year. If you can’t find squash—or don’t [click headline for more -- or photo in Facebook]  Chock full of nutrients, these rich-but-not-too-sweet treats are excellent at breakfast, lunch or snack time. Best of all, they’re so flavorful that kids (and adults) won’t even realize they’re getting a good dose of fruits, veggies and whole grains with every one. In fact, one muffin has about 5 grams of protein, 15% DV [click headline for more -- or photo in Facebook]  Here’s another rendition of muffins featuring chocolate, coffee, whole grains and “disguised” fruit. This time I skipped the veggies and stuck with fruit that you’re more likely to have on hand. Since bananas and applesauce are sweet already, this recipe doesn’t require as much sugar as 12:01 Mocha Muffins, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins or [click headline for more -- or photo in Facebook]  As a mom, I love delivering high-powered veggies and whole grains to my kids via such tempting packages. Pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber and vitamin A, which helps promote healthy vision, bones, teeth and skin. If you’re going to serve a kid-friendly dessert, why not make something irresistible that also happens to [click headline for more -- or photo in Facebook] | ||||
Original Content and Images Copyright © Liesl K. Bohan and Matthew Bohan 2009-2012. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. | |||||
