the recent drop in temperatures here had me craving some hot chocolate and since it’s not something I normally have on hand, I had to take the diy route.
- diy hot chocolate - - 1/2 cup to 1 cup milk of choice - 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder - 1 T (or more) vanilla silk creamer or sweetener of choice - optional: 1/4 tsp coconut, mint, almond, vanilla extract
heat milk in microwave. add cocoa powder, creamer, optional extract and stir with spoon or frother til combined.
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup ground almond meal/flour [I used trader joes almond meal]
- 1/4 cup peanut flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 T pure vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- 1/3 cup light agave syrup
- 2 T honey almond butter
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 squares endangered species dark chocolate [chopped into mini pieces]
Mix wet ingredients into dry and bake at 350 F/175 C for 20-25 minutes. After baking, allow muffnies to set for a bit in the muffin tin (~10 mins), then move onto wire rack to finish cooling. Don’t leave in the muffin tin until completely cooled because moisture will build at the bottom. Best if stored in fridge once cooled.
They look like brownies on the top and are slightly dense, yet still uphold a partial muffin like texture towards the bottom. Plus the tiny endangered species chocolate pieces melt into the muffnies making them more chocolatey while the larger remaining pieces leave a yummy surprise when you bite in.
It’s perfectly delicious eaten on its own and just as delicious as a topping on some chocolatey overnight 20 minute oats.
Which is the way I’ve been enjoying the muffnies every morning.
I’m not going to lie, I totally think about this breakfast during my workout. Motivation to finish strong? I’ll take it!
Lately I just can’t go a morning without them. This morning I probably had one of my favorite ones yet and all it took was that one magical 1/2 tablespoon of peanut flour.
Peanut Butter-Chocolate-Rainer Cherry Smoothie
3/4 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
a couple frozen rainer cherries
9 ice cubes
1 serving chocolate protein powder (I use true vitality)
1/2 T peanut flour
1/8 t xanthan gum
I’m also on a baking roll. (Successful bakes are a whole other topic )
Every once in a while I catch the baking bug and it comes down to how much time and motivation I have.
Time was on my side the other day and I was craving muffin tops so I got baking.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I need a muffin top pan.
That way my muffin tops can look like this…
rather than this…
It’s a sad looking thing, isn’t it?
I had a brilliant plan to use an ice cream scoop to scoop out little mounds so that they would miraculously bake into fluffy little muffin tops.
Couldn’t have been more wrong. As usual.
Apparently runny batter spreads when baked. I’m sure the whole world knew that. Yet I thought for some reason mine wouldn’t.
But’s its all good, because in the end all baked goods taste the same whether they’re flat, puffy, or in muffin form.
And these turned out pretty tasty.
{Not So Much} Chocolate Muffin Top
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oat bran (or 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour if you don’t like the crunch of oat bran)
1/3 – 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup sucanat
2.5 T chia seeds
1/4 t sea salt
2 T dark cocoa powder
1.5 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
2 egg whites
*Mix all wet ingredients in a small bowl.
*Pour wet into dry and stir to combine.
*Place bowl in refrigerator for 10 mins.
*Meanwhile, preheat oven to 35o degrees.
* After 10 mins, scoop mixture out with ice cream scoop into whatever pan floats your boat
*My muffin took about 17-20 mins to bake while my {flat} muffin top took 10 mins.
These are best stored in the refrigerator or freezer. They’re just as great eaten straight out of the fridge, which I’ve been doing. Literally.
I don’t know how many times I catch myself standing in front of the fridge eating who knows what with the door ajar. I guess it’s a win-win. I get extra AC plus my hunger is satiated
What’s your favorite muffin flavor? - If I HAD to choose, I’d say I love a good classic blueberry muffin.
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