Easy Strawberry Banana Muffins (With Yogurt)

I am always looking for great recipes to try. With a picky toddler on hand finding ways to get her to eat more fruits and veggies can be tricky.  For example, Buggy loves her banana's but can be picky with certain strawberry items. I had some Stoneyfield Strawberry Banana yogurt that she wouldn't eat and I didn't want it to go to waste. My favorite is strawberry banana but I thought I would try and use them in a recipe if I could and try and expand her pallet just a bit. I found this super easy banana recipe and modified it just a tad. I used whole wheat flour and the muffins were so moist.

This recipe is super simple and a great way to get your little one to help. Perfect for Sunday morning family time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour  (I used whole wheat)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 toddler size container of Stoneyfield strawberry banana yogurt (you can use any kind you want or use applesauce)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, beat together banana, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in the yogurt 
5. Stir banana mixture into flour until just combined. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

I don’t have a sweet tooth but I do love to bake and try out new recipes and variations of old time favorites. I’m not sure which magazine I found the recipe in as I had ripped out the recipe page and it’s been on my fridge for a while now and finally decided to make them. They were really good and very easy to make. Buggy had so much fun helping Mami make them. We didn’t put hershey kisses on all of them because as a typical 3 year old, she usually leaves half of what she’s eating laying around and the dogs will grab any opportunity to grab her left overs and we can’t have that with a diabetic dog in the house.

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter-whatever your preference is
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a large baking sheet.
3. Combine the peanut butter, 1 cup sugar replacement, the egg, and vanilla, and mix well
4. Roll the dough into balls and place on greased baking sheet 
5. Use a fork for a crisscross design on each cookie – optional.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle with sugar –optional
7. Cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese Frosting

I love Fall. It’s my favorite season. The cool weather, the changing of the leaves and best of all it’s pumpkin season. I love pumpkin anything and will try as many recipes as I can.

I’m not exactly sure where I found this recipe since I ripped it out of a magazine some time ago – maybe Parent’s magazine-but not sure. Anyway, the girls and I made these cupcakes a few days ago and they were a big hit. They came out super moist and were so good you couldn’t eat just one. I topped them off with cream cheese frosting but you can use any kind or just leave them plain.  Make sure you save a few for breakfast. They are just as delicious the second time around with a nice hot cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Allow butter to soften
2. Place the FIRST FIVE ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter and remaining ingredients
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until just combined
5. Pour into greased muffin cups 3/4 full
6. Bake for 20 minutes
7. Cool, Frost and Serve

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the four ingredients, beat for 1 to 2 minutes until fluffy

Now admit it, you’re dying to try these cupcakes aren’t you?

Irene

Leprechaun Hat Cookies

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. I have been looking for some St. Patrick’s Day recipes when I came across these cute little hat’s on the Betty Crocker site.

PREP/TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 15 min

INGREDIENTS

1 pouch Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

1/4 teaspoon Betty Crocker® green gel food color

24 large marshmallows

24 small (1-inch) chewy chocolate candies

12 small green gumdrops

• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms. Roll dough in 24 (1-inch) balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place 2 inches apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately place marshmallow on each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In microwavable bowl, microwave frosting on High 30 seconds. Stir; frosting should be a thick spoonable glaze. Stir food color into frosting, adding more if needed to achieve desired color. Spoon warm frosting over each cookie, coating completely and allowing excess to drip off. Let stand 20 minutes to set.
• Roll chocolate candies into ropes. Flatten with rolling pin into 1/8-inch-thick ribbons. Cut into strips with scissors to resemble hat bands; arrange around base of marshmallow on each cookie. Cut gumdrops crosswise in half (reshaping as needed). Press cut side onto hat band. Lift cookies onto serving platter with pancake turner, leaving excess frosting behind. Store in airtight container

TIP:

You can use chocolate chip cookie mix for the sugar cookie mix.

Credit: Betty Crocker