Flour · ish

While I like to try new recipes as much as possible, sometimes I crave certain things--and these cookies are among those cravings! I even miss the process of making them, because they are failproof and always so goooood! These taste like chocolate chip cookies with an extra bit of creaminess and a hint of coffee. They are perfect for gifts because they are unique! and more practically, they are pretty sturdy and stay soft for several days.


adapted from framed, from Baking with Julia


Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 T instant coffee powder (my favorite to bake with is nescafe's hazelnut!)
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 2 sticks butter, cut into chunks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 pound chocolate chips (I used dark and white chocolate chips, but chopped chocolate is awesome in these! just takes a little extra time)

Steps:

1. Whisk the flour, coffee, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
2. Beat the butter in a mixer until lightened. Add granulated sugar and beat for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until blended.
3. Turn mixer speed down and add flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add chocolate and mix until evenly blended in.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for several hours to overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Drop a heaping tablespoon full of dough onto sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Although I am always baking (butter and sugar galore), I am actually a huge health nut sometimes because of my parents' (mostly my dad's) influence. I tend to reduce the amount of butter and sugar for your arteries' sake! I know, I know--you are supposed to be exact in baking! But honestly, I just skim off a little from what the recipe calls for, without measuring...and nothing--ok, few things--have gone disastrously!

Here are two truly guilt-free recipes for muffins. If you make too many, you can always freeze them for a quick breakfast/snack. (We've been going through them too quickly to do so....) Both are worth trying, but I found the oatmeal ones a little dry, while the banana ones were really, really moist (oy, need a new word)!

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins
adapted from joythebaker
makes 12-15 muffins


Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups oats
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 T canola oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup blueberries (frozen worked well!)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine: flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. 
4. In a medium bowl, combine: applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil and egg.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and fold in wet mixture. Stir until just moist. 
6. Fold in blueberries. 
7. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
adapted from Handle the Heat (originally banana espresso chocolate chip muffins- but I couldn't find my espresso powder!)
makes ~a dozen muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (~ 4 bananas)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plain applesauce
• 1/4 cup milk (I used buttermilk!)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 t instant espresso powder (didn't have this, but bet they'd be bomb with it)
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t salt (I would decrease to 1/2 t next time)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (recommended: Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chips--so good I eat them out of the bag every day.) 

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together: mashed bananas, honey, sugar, applesauce, buttermilk, and egg.
3. Add flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda, and salt to banana mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. (I forgot to do this, so I just placed a few chocolate chips on top in the last 5 min of baking).
4. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.