Easter Banana Bread Muffins

This year, instead of the more traditional Easter Hot Cross Buns, I decided to make the King Arthur Flour Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread but in muffin form.

I do have a problem with this recipe, I have a hard time rationing it... hence turning it into muffins.  This also allowed me to try out a new muffin solution, instead of store bought wrappers, I used cut parchment paper.  (I love the rustic look.)  I changed the baking time to 30 minutes at 350.

In the past I have also replaced the butter in this recipe with sunflower oil.  Sunflower oil gives a great flavor to baked goods, however I have noticed that it decreases the baking time by a couple minutes.

Serve with chunky peanut butter...

Happy Easter!

Make-Your-Own Brownie Mix

The BF and I recently had a heated couples discussion about a personal problem of mine.  It would appear that I am something of a choc-aholic.  Often on the weekends I will make various baked chocolate goodies that I then freeze to have throughout the week as warmed up dessert wonderfulness.  (It's my reward for being an adult).

Unfortunately this has led to a diminished amount of freezer space and organization (hence the heated couples discussion) which ultimately led to me bringing a variety of baked goods to the office to share with hungry coworkers.  I've changed my tactic, I will now take over a part of the pantry, which is much larger than either of our freezers (yes we have two, one is dedicated to wild game).

This weekend I found a lovely little recipe from King Arthur Flour for Make-Your-Own Brownie Mix.  What a fun idea!  To have the simplicity of a box mix on hand, without all of the preservatives.

2 1/4 cups (16 ounces) sugar1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) Dutch-process  cocoa (we love our deep-dark Double- Dutch Cocoa)1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon espresso powder1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) King Arthur  Unbleached All-Purpose Flour2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips 

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together everything but the chocolate chips. If you’re using a stand mixer, let it mix on low speed for 5 minutes; it’s important to make sure everything is well combined, especially if you’re making a double batch of the mix. Stir in the chocolate chips at the end. 
Note: If you’re making a double batch, stir 2 cups of chips into each separately (rather than stirring 4 cups of chips into the entire batch). Scoop mix into an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Freya's Notes: She added a dash of cinnamon (I've read it helps controls sugar spikes), extra espresso powder, and 1/2 cup brown sugar, then decreased the white sugar to just 1 1/2 cups.