Hummingbird Muffins

After taking a week off of muffin Tuesday, the tradition lived on this week and the chosen muffin was Hummingbird muffins!  I love making these because they have so many different flavors and are very different than the other varieties that I make.  The recipe is adapted from an annies-eats post for Hummingbird Coffee Cake (http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/05/10/hummingbird-coffee-cake/), and I only made a few changes.  I chose to adapt it from a coffee cake into muffins so that I could control how much I actually made since I have no use for an entire coffee cake in my apartment!

Since the original recipe said it makes 16 servings, I quartered it and made 4 muffins.  The only other changes that I made were to use unsweetened applesauce instead of butter to make it a bit healthier, non-fat greek yogurt instead of low fat, and I omitted the glaze and opted to put the chopped pecans in the muffins instead.  Since it is in muffin form and not a cake, the timing in the oven was more experimental because I knew it would not need the 50 minutes that the cake needed, and it ended up taking about 20 minutes.

This is really one of my favorite muffins that I make.  I love the combination of banana, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, fresh pineapple and cinnamon, and even though it may seem like a lot of ingredients, the flavors work great together.  The muffin actually has a sort of buttery taste to it, which is amazing because there is absolutely no butter in them.  This variety is a lot more unique than the classic banana, blueberry or chocolate chip, and it is even more delicious!  When making these, you can choose to follow the original recipe a bit closer and include butter and the glaze, but I honestly don't think that you need to because they are great this way and a lot healthier!

Petite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Loaves

In my opinion, the best bread/muffin combination is banana and chocolate chip.  Banana bread is good on its own, but once you add chocolate chips it makes it that much better.  In January when I started my Muffin Tuesday tradition, I made a list of all the recipes I wanted to try, but the one staple missing was a healthy banana chocolate chip muffin recipe.  I had seen a recipe on Skinnytaste for Petite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Loaves, but I did not have a mini loaf pan and for some reason it didn't seem like it would be as good to me if I adapted the recipe for muffins.  So, after a few months passed and my sister kept looking at the recipe, she finally decided to cave in and buy a mini loaf  pan.  Once the pan arrived in the mail, I immediately made the loaves. 

What is great about these is that they are bigger than muffins, but the same amount of points on weight watchers (5)!  I halved the recipe (though my sister wishes I would've made eight) and pretty much made no other changes.  The recipe (http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/petite-chocolate-chip-banana-bread.html) has a lot of banana, flour, baking soda, salt, egg white, applesauce, vanilla, a little bit of butter, and chocolate chips.  I upped the amount of chocolate chips to 1 oz because it was the same amount of points when I put in the recipe to weight watchers, and who doesn't love more chocolate!  

When you put the batter into the pan, you can tell right away how big these are going to be!  They go into the oven at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, which is a bit torturous to wait for.  What makes it even harder is that the whole kitchen (and if you live in NYC, the whole apartment!) starts to smell like banana bread.  

These come out of the oven looking like perfect little banana bread loaves!  It looks even better than a muffin because you get your own personal loaf, and, lets be honest, who doesn't want their own banana bread!  These have such a strong banana flavor because that is the prominent ingredient, which is what I love.  The chocolate chips do not overwhelm the banana flavor because there are not many chocolate chips in the recipe, but you appreciate it more when you reach a chocolatey bite.

If you are a banana and/or chocolate lover, you should give this recipe a try.  You can play around with it and switch out the chocolate chips for nuts, or simply just make them as banana bread, though I do recommend keeping the chocolate chips.  They are really delicious and bigger than muffins, so they are more filling too!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Like I have said previously, I am generally not a fan of muffins with fruit in them (unless it is banana) because when I want a muffin I am looking for something sweet, not tart.  With that being said, these blueberry oatmeal muffins are pretty darn good!  I mean, I probably would not end up making them if they weren't my sisters favorites, but I still think they are delicious.  Again, the recipe is from skinnytaste.com (http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/03/insanely-good-blueberry-oatmeal-muffins.html), which is pretty much my go to blog for healthy recipes.

This recipe takes a little more time than my usual muffin recipes, but I wake up early enough that I don't mind waiting a bit longer for these.  First, you have to put the oats in a food processor and soak them in milk for a half hour.  I get pretty restless waiting for the 30 minutes to be up, but in the meantime I prep the other ingredients and preheat the oven.  Once the oats are soaked, it only takes about another 5 minutes to finish the mix and get them in the oven.  This is one of the only recipes that I don't need to substitute anything because it is already super healthy, and making any substitutes would probably taint the recipe.  Besides the oats, it has a very small amount of whole wheat flour to give them the muffin texture, and then it just has egg whites, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, a little bit of olive oil, applesauce, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and of course blueberries!  The muffin tins get filled pretty much to the top, but you don't have to worry about them spilling over because they don't really rise a lot in the oven.  Once the tins are filled, you just put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 22 minutes, and then they are ready to eat!

I prefer this recipe way more than the Honey Coconut Blueberry Bran Muffins that I previously blogged about, because while those muffins tasted healthy, these still have the sweetness that I look for in a muffin.  The combination of the oats with the brown sugar reminds me of a nice bowl of oatmeal, and the blueberries do a good job of breaking up the sweetness.  This recipe put my distaste for fruity muffins to the test, and ultimately I do enjoy these.  It is a nice change from what I usually make, and they feel healthier than some of my other muffin recipes.  If you are someone that likes blueberry muffins, I would give this recipe a try.  It is a bit different from a traditional blueberry muffin because of the oats, but it is still very delicious!

Nutella Banana Swirl Muffins

I have been counting down the days until I got to make this muffin again, because it is one of my ultimate favorites.  I never used to be a huge Nutella lover, but now I really don't know why!  It is SO good and I could probably eat it on anything.  When I was looking at different muffin recipes on Pinterest a few months ago, I found this gem: Nutella Banana Swirl Muffins (http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2013/01/nutella-banana-swirl-muffins/).  I love banana and I love Nutella, so to me this seemed like a no brainer!

From the recipe, I only made a few slight changes.  Instead of using vegetable oil, I used unsweetened applesauce, I omitted the chopped pecans, and I used an egg white instead of an egg (since I had to quarter the recipe, it was too difficult to use a quarter of an egg, and it was much easier to measure out the equivalent in egg whites).

After I made these for the first time, I knew that they would be on the remake list.  While the top of the muffin with the Nutella swirl was the star, the banana muffin on the bottom was still delicious.  I waited for the banana to get very ripe before baking it, so the banana flavor really came through.  When they first come out of the oven, the Nutella has a crunchy shell around it but is so soft and melty on the inside.  If you have any leftover after the first day like I always do, the Nutella on top loses the crunchiness and becomes soft, but it is still extremely delicious.  You can choose to eat these any way that you like, but I recommend eating the bottom part of the muffin and then saving the top for last!  The combination of the Nutella with the banana is spot on, and it really raises the bar from the classic banana chocolate chip combination.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Today, I woke up excited for muffin Tuesday because I got to make one of my favorites: Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal.  This muffin is from a recipe I found on Annies Eats (http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/05/17/peanut-butter-banana-oatmeal-muffins/), and I ended up quartering the recipe because the original makes 18 muffins.

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest and immediately repinned it because it has everything I love in it: peanut butter, banana, oats and brown sugar!  My first time making it, I was pleasantly surprised as to how moist and fluffy the muffin was.  Since I make them Tuesday mornings, I usually measure out the dry ingredients the night before and put them in a Ziploc bag so that there is one less step that I have to do in the morning.  My first time making these, however, I made the mistake of pre-measuring out the brown sugar and forgot that it would harden when exposed to the air like that.  So, that first batch had chunks of brown sugar (which actually was a delicious accident).  After making it through my rotation of muffin varieties, I was back to the beginning and made these again, this time holding off on measuring the brown sugar until the morning.  Having now made them correctly, I enjoyed the muffin that much more.  This morning was my third time making them, which is a testament to how much I like them.

The taste of peanut butter really comes through in the muffin, and the oats add a nice texture to them, while the brown sugar adds a hint of sweetness, as does the banana.  I do admit that the taste of banana is not as prominent since peanut butter has a stronger taste, but I love peanut butter so I don't mind.  Since my sister and I tend to have opposing tastes in muffins (we really can only agree on the fact that any muffin that has chocolate in it is our favorite), she has a different view of these.  Whereas I put the blueberry muffins last on my list and she puts them on the top, I put these towards the top of my list and she puts them at the bottom.  She still eats them and says that they are good, she just doesn't like them as much as some other varieties.  This could be due to the fact that she is not a huge peanut butter lover, so you really have to like peanut butter if you are going to like these.  

Regardless, this muffin variety will remain a staple on my rotation!  

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is that time of week again---Muffin Day!   Even though I try to keep the muffins on the healthier side,  sometimes you just need to start the morning out with some chocolate.  And chocolate can be healthy in limited quantities, right?  Well, I think so....

So, today I made Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins and  I used the recipe posted on emilybites.com (http://www.emilybites.com/2011/07/zucchini-chocolate-chip-muffins.html).  I have made these muffins before and wanted to remake them because the muffin base is really delicious, and the chocolate obviously makes them that much better.  I halved her recipe from 12 to 6, and then ultimately made 5 muffins because I follow weight watchers and after putting it into the recipe builder, each muffin was the same amount of points whether you made 5 or 6.  So I of course chose to make 5 and have them be a little bigger!  The only other slight change was using half whole wheat and half regular flour because I do not have white whole wheat flour in my apartment.

These muffins are really delicious, and the zucchini adds a nice touch because it makes the muffins a lot more moist.  You also don't even taste the zucchini, so don't let that scare you away from making these!  They also have some cinnamon, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, which helps makes the muffins more flavorful.  The best part of these though is of course the chocolate chips.  

I usually eat my muffin right when it comes out of the oven, so the chocolate is very warm and spreads more evenly throughout the muffin.  There is only 2 tbsp in the whole batch, but it is more than enough to give you that chocolate punch without it becoming too unhealthy.  If you are looking for a chocolate chip muffin recipe that is healthier than normal chocolate chip muffins, I would definitely recommend these.  The applesauce and zucchini that are in these muffins takes the place of any oil or butter that you would usually need for a muffin, and you can't even taste the zucchini.  So, before you immediately rule out making chocolate chip muffins because you think they are too unhealthy, try making these and you will be pleasantly surprised!

Donna Bell's Bake Shop

One of my favorite bakeries in NYC is Donna Bell's Bake Shop.  It is pretty new to the bakery scene in NYC, but it is up there with the best.  I actually interned there in the Fall of 2011 to help with PR and Marketing, which is how I was first introduced to their amazing baked goods.

They are a quintessential neighborhood bakery that you would expect to find in a small town, but they happen to be right near one of the busiest areas in the city, Times Square!  They specialize in southern style baked goods, drinks, and food items.  Some of their most popular items include their Lemon Bars, Drop Biscuits, Sweet Tea, Chicken and Dumplings, and their Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Since I worked there twice a week, I got a chance to try most of their items and can vouch for all of them!  My favorites were their cake slices (you get a huge slice and it is some of the best cake that I have ever had), brownies, lemon bars, biscuits (I seriously have never had biscuits as good as theirs), chicken & dumplings soup, mac and cheese, corn bread, cinnamon scones (tastes like a cross between a scone and a cinnamon roll), and their muffins.  Oh, and even their coffee is amazing!  I know the list is pretty long, but it is because everything is just that good.  I have never had anything there that I didn't like.

But, unfortunately for me, the location of the bakery is pretty much out of the way of anywhere that I go in the city, so I hadn't been back in over a year.  This morning, however, I decided to go back and pay them a visit.  I was immediately greeted with a beautiful display case of about 5 different muffin varieties, 3 different scones, warm biscuits, breakfast sandwiches, and hot coffee.  It was so difficult to choose one thing because there were so many baked goods that I wanted, but I had to limit myself to one item as to not completely sabotage my efforts to eat healthier.  So, I ultimately decided on my favorite muffin there- the Coconut Almond Muffin.  Not only is it my favorite of their muffins, but it is the best muffin that I have ever had, and that says a lot because I have had A LOT of muffins.

When I took my first bite, it was just as delicious as I remembered.  The top has an amazing crunch to it, and the inside is very fluffy and soft.  The almond flavor really comes through in every bite, and there is tons of coconut and almond slices in the actual muffin which makes it even more delicious.  Most muffins that I have had don't have the crunchiness on the top that you look for, but all of the muffins at Donna Bells have it.  I have tried their chocolate chip, banana pecan, peach, and blueberry bran varieties and they are all just as good.  I also got a cranberry muffin for my sister and she had the same reaction as me--she said the best part was the top because it is crunchy on the outside but so soft on the inside.  You can really tell that they are baked fresh and they care about what they are making (just as a side note, my sister was planning on saving it, but she finished it on the subway ride before she even made it to work, which is a testament to how good it was!)

Basically, if you are in the city you MUST go to Donna Bells!  It is on the corner of 49th Street and 8th Avenue, which is just walking distance from Central Park and Times Square!  It has a nice homey, neighborhood feel to it, and you will be able to find something for everyone.  A lot of the more famous bakeries in NYC have lost their edge and are just tourist attractions, but Donna Bells is the real deal.  

They have their menu posted online and it updates with their daily specials, so you should definitely check it out (www.donnabellsbakeshop.com).  They also have such an amazing story...it is owned by three best friends, one of whom is Pauley Perrette from NCIS.  The bakery is named after Pauley's mother, Donna Bell, and most of the original recipes were hers.

Oh, and if you are planning to visit (which you should be), I recommend going on the early side because the best things tend to sell out quickly!

Honey Coconut Blueberry Bran Muffins

Today is Tuesday, which in my apartment means muffin day!  Since about January, I have tried to make a new and healthy muffin/scone every week.  I use recipes that I found on skinnytaste.com, emilybites.com, and a bunch that I adapted off of Pinterest to make a bit healthier.  Most, if not all, of the muffins that I make have no butter and use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil to keep them moist and low in fat.   I usually limit the quantity of muffins that I make to 4 because even though they are healthier, they are still muffins and should be eaten in moderation.  After making a new kind of muffin every Tuesday for about 3 months, I finally got to the repeats and there are about 8 that made it onto the permanent list (including these)!

So, today was Honey Coconut Blueberry Bran Muffins.  Again, I found the recipe for these on skinnytaste.com (http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/08/honey-coconut-blueberry-bran-muffins.html).  I have to admit, I am not the biggest fan of fruit in muffins with the exception of bananas.  But, my sister love blueberries in muffins so I try to be a good roommate and make blueberry muffins once in a while.    That being said, I'm glad that I gave this recipe a shot because I really enjoy these muffins.  They are very hearty and filling, and have nice texture because of the blueberries, coconut, and chopped nuts.  They also have a significant amount of wheat bran which makes them more healthy!  The only real change I made from the skinnytaste recipes was to use pecans instead of walnuts, because I just love pecans.

To me, this muffin has the perfect balance of sweetness, moistness, and healthiness!  Adding the coconut and the chopped nuts adds another layer of taste to them, and the wheat bran makes them very fiberous (not sure if that is actually a word) and filling.  I highly recommend trying this recipe, even if you are skeptical about fruit muffins like I was!