Brownie Muffins

Here is your swapportunity to take advantage of my new recipe with only 3 ingredients!

I can’t believe it has been a month since my last post, I guess summer gets the best of us and before we know it…the dreaded BACK TO SCHOOL! Yay for me, boo for them 😀

Ok, back to my recipe, you are not going to want to ignore this one! I found this from Hungry Girl and I am always looking for new ways to swap high fats for good fats and so on. I recently tried those black bean brownies you see everywhere…ya that is SO not for me (or anyone else in the house!) THESE my friends….you are going to LOVE. You know that saying you won’t miss a thing when you are subbing an ingredient for another? Well it is so true here! I promise, you will never make these the “regular” way again! The best part is the calorie count for one of these is 143 calories and 3 grams of fat! You can’t beat that for a moist, fluffy, chocolaty brownie treat! 

Count down with me…3, 2, 1…here we go!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Box Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
• 1 Can Libby’s Pumpkin Puree (15 oz can)
• 1 tbsp. Nestles Chocolate Chips, divided

DIRECTIONS -Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Mix together cake mix and pumpkin puree until well combined.
2. Add about 2 tbsp. mix into muffin liners and top with a few mini chocolate chips.
3. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and let cool before devouring + enjoy!
5. Press the STAPLES easy button 😀

 

If you liked this recipe, you will love these:

• Dark Chocolate Coconut Banana Cake Bites
• Chocolate Chip Nutella Banana Bread
• Ultimate S’mores Bread

 

Browned Butter Strawberry Eggnog Pancakes

That ah-ha moment when you serve this at the breakfast table will be all the redemption you need. Once they taste the fluffy, sweet & tartness of these pancakes they will not know there is a hidden secret ingredient PACKED full of nutrients, Chia Seeds. 

1. Chia seeds carry the omega-3 fats our bodies need.
2. Chia seeds have more omega-3’s than salmon and they also contain a fat called omega-6. Both of these “good” fats help regenerate cells in our bodies and regulate processes of our bodies. Our bodies themselves do not make these fats and that is why it is essential to eat them daily.
3. They have 11 grams of fiber per ounce! That is 42% of your recommended daily allotment in just 1 ounce. 
4. Chia seeds are full of calcium too, 3 times MORE than skim milk!

I could go on about all the benefits, but I think you get the idea. Eggnog is one of my favorite drinks this time of year, I have yet to make my own, but I try to put it into everything during the season it is around. My husband absolutely HATES the stuff, so I am limited somewhat. BUT since he is at work, I am playing in the kitchen, shakin’ my groove thang to Dominic the Donkey (no I’m not Italian) and drinking my coffee! There is nothing better today…

These pancakes and nutritious, sweet, tart and beautiful to look at. They are easy to make ahead and refrigerate for Christmas morning. All you have to do is get up and cook them while listening to some relaxing Christmas Music or some soothing jazz!

This recipe yields approximately 16-18 pancakes give or take. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour
7 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1.5 cups eggnog
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten & room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoons strawberry jam (I use my homemade jam, use a good quality one for this recipe)
3 teaspoons Chia Seeds
Butter for cooking with

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; then sift again into another bowl. The second sifting creates a fluffier pancake.
2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, beat the eggs and add vanilla and pinch of cinnamon to it.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggnog, milk, egg mixture; mix until combined (no need to over do it)
4. Add strawberry jam and Chia seeds and stir until just combined.
5. Heat 1-2 teaspoons of butter in skillet and brown it, if you want the method for browned butter click here.
6. Once browned and ready to go add 1/4 cup of batter to skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides. Wipe out pan after each batch with a paper towel adding fresh butter to the pan for the new batch. Repeat until desired number of pancakes are reached.
7. Drench or drizzle your strawberry jam over the top. I heat mine up for about 30 seconds in the microwave prior to the pancakes being completed.
8. Garnish with some cranberries or blueberries or strawberries.

Nutritional information cited from Dr. Oz

This recipe was shared at Wicked Good Wednesday & Manic Monday.

Related articles

• Swedish pancakes (sugarandspicebaking.com)
• No Santa Cookies This Year…Eggnog Rum Bread (sweetheatchefs.com)
• {Pumpkin} Streusel Pancakes (cleaneatingintexas.wordpress.com)
• Gingerbread pancakes help create holiday spirit (triblive.com)

Mini Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts + BONUS Recipe

DOUGHNUTS…anyone else feel like Homer Simpson when thinking of doughnuts? I do! And for that reason I stay my distance from the beasts that like to make my thighs bigger! My mom recently gave me a mini doughnut pan and I was like, REALLY mom? Are ya kidding me? This is the LAST thing I need.

After several hours of research online and seeing that there were some good recipes out there for them, I decided to give it a go. I mean they can’t be to bad, 1) they are baked, 2) they are tiny! Well, and after all it is: “All Things Pumpkin” here at Sweet Heat Chefs this week, so why not go for the gusto and make them Pumpkin doughnuts right?! Ok, let’s not be silly, we all know I can’t make much without chocolate being in it (yes that is the sweet tooth jabbering away at my inner self). So with regard to that I have included a BONUS recipe for that very inner self!

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups canned pumpkin pie mix
1.5 cups granulated sugar, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature and scrambled
1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature (make sure it is in liquid form)
1/4 cup applesauce, room temperature OR sour cream OR non fat greek yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour + 2 tablespoons

Topping

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine everything except the flour, and beat until smooth.

Add the flour and mix until combined.

Pipe batter into mini-doughnut pans. Fill them just a little over half full. Aren’t they super cute?

Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. When touched they should spring back and not be doughy. The smell is heavenly!

Remove from pans and place on baking rack to cool. While still warm, but not hot, place a few at a time in bowl with your cinnamon & sugar mixture and coat lightly. Yes this step is needed. I saw lots of recipes with a more refined topping and drizzle, this is the best option. It give a little sweetness and changes the entire flavor in lieu of leaving the doughnut plain. Try it, eat one without first, then toss in this mixture…YOU’LL SEE!!

Makes approximate 4 dozen depending on size AND how quickly you devour the baby doughnuts before anyone notices because they are school and work…wait what?

A little plug for my favorite coffee maker Keurig my hubby Mr. Sweet Heat Chefs, my mom and mom-in law bought me for my birthday this year. This Coconut Mocha coffee is the BOMB with these doughnuts! WINK

Alternative ideas for the doughnuts are:

Add mini chocolate chips on top of batter after filling and drizzle with melted chocolate chips for topping

Add 1/2 teaspoon chopped pecans/walnuts to batter and drizzle with this:

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (mix together until sugar is dissolved) and top that with crushed pecans/walnuts.

Woah, wait a minute…SECOND RECIPE DOUBLE

TAKE FOR FRIDAY MADNESS!!

Mini Chocolate Espresso Doughnuts

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp plain yogurt
¼ cup milk
1 egg
3 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp vanilla extract
2 tblsp instant espresso, in hot water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and wet ingredients in another mixing bowl.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet slowly stirring to incorporate evenly.
4. Fill doughnut pan with batter almost full and not overflowing
5. Bake for about 7 minutes. When touched they should spring back and not be doughy.
6. Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips in a baggie (30 seconds) with 1 teaspoon of shortening and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. OPTIONAL: You could add espresso in with the chocolate chips while melting. Just make sure you dissolve it in hot water first.
7. Cut tip off end of baggie and drizzle over doughnuts

Banana Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream – Gluten & Dairy Free, Indulge!

Day #3 of All things pumpkin continue here at Sweet Heat Chefs. I know a lot of families have issues with allergies and slowly there are recipes surfacing for alternative options. It is nice to have a quick, healthy alternative to a store purchased ice cream. This is so easy, it is a shame to even call it a recipe, but not many people realize ice cream DOES NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT have to go into an ice cream maker, nor does it have to contain dairy. TWO INGREDIENTS people 2, AND 3, if you are like me and have to have chocolate atop everything! Eating healthier is not hard to do and takes little to no effort for this recipe. 

Kids LOVE to help with this. Get a plastic knife and have them peel and slice up the bananas, then place in a zip-lock and put in freezer! They have just made 1/2 of the ice cream! When kids are a part of what you are doing in the kitchen, they are that much more likely to eat what has been made. Even if it is only a bite, that is a triumph!

Makes 4 servings using 2 scoops per serving

INGREDIENTS

3 Bananas, sliced and frozen
2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie from a can
dark chocolate chips, optional

DIRECTIONS

Freeze banana slices for about 1 hour

Remove from freezer and place in food processor with pumpkin pie. Mix until thoroughly blended.

Place in a freezer safe container and re-freeze for another 1-3 hours until desired consistency is achieved  I like mine on the softer side, so mine was in there for 1.5 hours.

Scoop into a bowl and sprinkle a few dark chocolate chips on top!

2 YEAR-OLD KID TESTED AND APPROVED!

Featured at: Foodie Friends Friday

 

Swirly Pumpkin Brownies

Day #2 of all things pumpkin at Sweet Heat Chefs!

Who doesn’t love brownies? My daughter, Jasmine’s favorite thing to make are brownies, usually from a box though. I decided to try my hand at home-made brownies and well with FALL officially here and all, why not mess with the best of both worlds and add some pumpkin to the mix?! The result is a dense chocolatey ooey gooey creamy pumpkin mass of goodness, yes I said all that! You won’t believe me until you try the ridiculously rich brownies you are about to see here!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup dark chocolate chips
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9″x 9″ cake pan with nonstick spray.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chocolate and remove from heat. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth.
• In a large bowl add eggs, sugar and vanilla and in a smaller bowl add flour, baking powder and salt.
• In the large bowl beat mixture for 3-4 minutes, until thick.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt mixture slowly and beat just until combined.

• Take about 2 cups of the batter into the smaller bowl that had the dry ingredients and add in the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir until well combined.

Dump melted chocolate into the remaining batter (without pumpkin) and spread a little more than half of the batter into the prepared pan.

Top the brownie mixture with 3/4 of the pumpkin batter and smooth over top.

Top pumpkin mixture with remainder of brownie batter

Using a tablespoon, dollop 9 spoonfuls of  remaining pumpkin mixture on top of brownies.

Using a skewer or knife swirl the pumpkin dollops through the first layer of brownie batter creating a swirly/marbled effect.

Bake for 40 minutes, until just set and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Makes 16 brownies.

Featured on Foodie Friends Friday!

Baked Cheesy Sweet Potato Cakes

INGREDIENTS

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh and chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

If you are looking for a way t build muscle in your arm, try this recipe. NO JOKE grating these sweet potatoes with a grated is a great work out! I am always look for new ways to get my kiddos to eat veggies, if you follow my blog then you know this already, and if not then you probably are the same with your own kids unless you have UBER awesome kids that eat their veggies. I was blessed with 5 kids, but 5 kids that DON’T eat or like veggies! So….I came across this recipe that looked and sounded good. How can one go wrong with cheese anyway. Not just any cheese Parmesan cheese at that. Only 1 oz of this cheese and you are at 11 grams of protein and contain the bone building nutrients calcium and phosphorus. Combine that with the sweet potatoes Vitamin C content and I’ll take it! Now you aren’t going to tell the little kiddos how awesome this snack is, you just indulge them with the fact it is “cool” looking with the brightly orange color and tell them it is full of cheese. You can also talk them off the ledge by telling them this is a new Halloween recipe you are trying! That’s it, nothing more and they will be happy to try it and continue asking for more.

This baked sweet potato cake when you bite into it has a nice savory crisp to it, you immediately taste the nutty Parmesan cheese and then the rosemary hits your taste buds like a final explosion of flavor. I found this recipe from a sweet blog called Carrots and ‘N’ Cake. I didn’t really change the recipe too much it is that good! Here is all you need to know to get started!

Preheat oven to 425. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Spray rack with non-stick spray. Make sure you don’t skip this step or you will have this…

…and you will be trying to gnaw off the little bits of deliciousness while trying not to burn your mouth…wait what? No I didn’t do that! Ok, so back to our regularly scheduled programming, where was I…?

Peel sweet potatoes and shred them using a cheese grater.

Squeeze the moisture from the sweet potatoes. I used a kitchen towel and put 1 handful in the towel at a tie and gave it a twist until all potatoes were free of moisture.  The moisture keeps the crisps from getting crispy in the oven, so make sure you don’t skip this step.

Add Parmesan cheese

add egg whites

add rosemary, salt and pepper

Take a foil lined cookie sheet and spray with non stick cooking spray. Place 2 cooling racks on top (make sure they are sprayed unless you don’t mind gnawing). Take a scoop of the sweet potato mixture and create a pancake in the palm of your hand. Press firmly to create as flat of a pancake you can and place on rack. Repeat until  rack is full.

Top with a little pinch of shredded parmesan cheese and pop in the oven for 30 minutes or until crispy.

When you bite into the warm sweet potato crisp you immediately taste the rosemary and then the nutty flavor of the Parmesan hits you. It is a low-fat no guilt treat that is baked and you can feel good about eating more than one!

shown on Foodie Friends Friday!

 

Easy Granola Bars – Gluten Free

 

Looking for a quick snack that will keep in the refrigerator and still be good in a few days…is also good for you…AND gluten free? I came across a Fruit and Nut Energy Bar from a good foodie friend of mine over at Mia’s Domain. This woman is like the queen of food. She makes the best stuff and is such an inspiration. I always look to her page for inspiration and ideas!

If you haven’t been to her page, I URGE you to go check it out, but not before you’ve read my recipe 😀 I used her recipe and turned her energy bar in to a granola bar.

Crisp oats and dried fruit make this such a delight to bite into. the sweetness of the maple syrup and the dark chocolate chips are a surprise for your taste buds as it hits them after the initial bite of the fruit. This is a great go to snack and for kids rushing out the door who don’t have time for breakfast…well this is good as any breakfast for them and it will keep them full longer with all the goodies inside! Hearty, healthy, and gluten-free, can’t go wrong!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup ground flax seeds (1/2 cup whole)

1 cup chia seeds (1/2 cup)

2 cups apple cinnamon quick cooking oats

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup dried cranberries/blueberries/cherries

1 cup diced almonds

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup crunchy salted peanut butter

1 cup pure maple syrup or honey (used 1/2 & 1/2)

zest of 1 orange

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine all dry ingredients

Melt peanut butter and add maple syrup or honey  to it and add to dry ingredients. Mix well until no dry ingredients remain.

Pour into a non-stick 16 by 12 inch cookie sheet pan. Use a rolling-pin to spread the mixture into an even layer. (See Mia is a genius!)

Grind sea salt over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 

Cornbread Toaster Bites

This is it…all the ingredients needed for this recipe, only 9 of them! Love easy, love convenient, love quick & YUMMY!

Do you remember the days when your mom was making homemade cornbread and as it was baking away in the oven and the odor of that sweet corn traveled through the house and made its way to your room? You emerge from under a pile of clothes that has been strewn about your room for weeks even though your mom has asked you to pick it up every time she walks by, to see what was for dinner. I love cornbread in many things and with many things. Now that the weather is getting cooler I can’t think of anything better than to get cooking on finding a new use for them.

I have had cornbread for lunch and dinner…how about breakfast? I can’t remember a breakfast that I have had that included fresh-baked cornbread. The vest part about this recipe is it is quick to assemble and a quick bake for the morning. You can get up throw everything together and bake. When you make you can eat it right as it is out of the oven with melting butter and drizzled honey and a few sprigs of freshly toasted rosemary leaves! You will not be able to stop at 1 piece!

Since this makes an entire sheet pan, you most likely will have left overs. Pop these in the toaster in the morning and repeat the process of butter, honey and rosemary. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea and you are in sweet cornbread bliss.

NOTE TO SELF: If possible get a plate, put your feet up and zen out!

INGREDIENT LIST

1 stick butter, melted
1/2 c + 2 T sugar
2 eggs
1.5 t vanilla
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 c + 2 T cornmeal
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1 c milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. and
In a medium-sized bowl mix together the melted butter & sugar.

Stir in the eggs and vanilla.

Add the baking powder, cornmeal, flour & salt. Mix until everything is moistened. 

Add milk & mix until smooth

Line a 10″ x 15″ baking sheet with 1/2″ sides with foils and a piece of parchment paper. Spray a little non stick cooking spray on the parchment and throw a small handful of cornmeal over the top (this is optional) Pour your batter onto the parchment paper and spread it out over the entire sheet, getting it in each corner. If the mixture is uneven just give the cookie sheet a couple shakes to even it out.

Bake for about 25 minutes. The edges should be brown & pulling away from the side of the pan & the top should be set and not jiggly.

Allow to rest in the pan 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into. This helps keep the shape you want for making the taster bites. Using a sharp knife cut into individual pieces. 

Store the toaster bites in plastic wrap or in a re-sealable bag in the refrigerator. For longer storage keep them in freezer bags in the freezer.

 

 

Shown on Foodie Friends Friday!

Fake Out Parmesan & Rosemary Biscuits

These are the best quick go to fake out biscuits you can have. You have a dinner for some guests and you’re in a hurry, these taste like you made them home-made and they are super quick. TIP: Get rid of the packaging and you can claim them as your own! the crunchy rosemary and its earthy flavor mixed with the freshly grated parmesan with its nutty sharp flavor all go together so well. You won’t even need butter on these!

INGREDIENTS

1 can Pillsbury biscuit dough (any kind)
2-3 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup fresh grates Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. and cook biscuits for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Place biscuits on a foil lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and cut 1 leaf of the rosemary on top. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Take 1 whole leaf of rosemary and place in the middle of biscuit. Repeat until all biscuits are done.

Contest – American Family Makin’ The Bacon!

 

Please take a moment out of your already busy day and vote for my daughter, Jasmine and I; Sweet Heat Chefs in this fun contest we entered. My daughter is giddy with delight at all the support we have received so far. Voting is once per every 24 hours (once per day) My daughter would absolutely be beside herself if we won (ok me too :D) If you have Facebook, you are already 98% of the way there!!  Feel free to share with your friends and family as well to get the word out!! Thank you everyone!!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE