Chocolate Walnut Brownie Biscotti

Given how much I like chocolate and walnuts together, it’s somewhat surprising that I haven’t yet shared a biscotti recipe featuring this classic brownie combination. When I noticed the omission last week, I started experimenting, and here are the results. Though not chewy or gooey like their namesake, brown sugar makes these a little softer …

Sweet Potato Muffins

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 fiber …

Triple Sesame Bagels

Though not particularly easy, baking bagels at home is not as difficult as you might think. One of the biggest incentives for us is that it’s less expensive to make them at home than to buy them at a local bakery. Another is that we can customize them to suit ourselves, mixing and matching flavors, …

12:02 Mocha Muffins

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 Devilishly-Dark …

Country Oat Bread

Here’s another creation from Matt, the master of hand-formed loaves at our house. The bread machine version is a snap to make, but the braided loaf looks ten times better. Wholesome and slightly sweet, this mild bread is great for showcasing preserves or sandwich toppings. Vital wheat gluten aids with the rising process, so adding …

Cherry Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

We’re fortunate to have access to dried cherries in bulk here in Michigan, and we take advantage of that on a regular basis, using them in everything from oatmeal to turkey stuffing. Since dried cherries go so well with almonds and with chocolate, it makes sense to bring all three together in one cookie. Despite …

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

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 be …

Shamrock Smoothie

I never thought I would do this. Seriously. My mom tried to get my brother and I to try some sort of zucchini drink passed off as “Tiger’s Milk” when we were kids. It was not a successful trial, and I never forgot it (obviously). So now, decades later, I find myself subjecting my children …