Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (gluten free)

April 7, 2015April 7, 2015 lizellyn Sweets gluten free, Muffins

Who doesn’t want a little dessert without the guilt? Yes, it tastes good, too. I promise. I was joking on someone else’s blog the other day about healthy cake. Really, cake doesn’t need to be healthy, it just needs to taste spectacular. But if you prefer to start you day with something a bit healthier, this is a great choice. The main ingredient is almond flour, which is high in protein and gluten free. The second ingredient is oats, which is also gluten free and is healthier than white flour. And, NO SUGAR. It is sweetened with 3 ripe bananas and 2 TBLS of honey. A few dark chocolate chips is also a perk. Some say, a little dark chocolate each day is healthy. All in all, it is a no guilt, no gluten, very good muffin.

Recipe at

Banana Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins:

http://fitandhealthywithdebbie.blogspot.com/2012/09/banana-oatmeal-dark-chocolate-chip.html#.VSQiH7qeluF

See Related Posts:

Banana Crumb Muffins

Nutella Banana Bread

Nutella Brownies (gluten free)

March 31, 2015 lizellyn Sweets Brownies, gluten free

Easiest recipe ever – only 2 ingredients (4 eggs and 1 cup of Nutella, plus powdered sugar for garnish).

I used the recipe at www.highheelsandgrills.com.

However, I found the last step in the directions to be comical. It says “Can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week.” First of all, these hardly lasted one hour in my house. Second, any dessert recipe that says how to store it for a week I find puzzling. If it is a good recipe, why would it hang around that long? And if it isn’t any good and might last that long, perhaps it isn’t worth making. If you decide to make these, ignore the last step and enjoy the brownies!

Macaroon Madness

March 20, 2015March 23, 2015 lizellyn Sweets Cookie, French Macarons, gluten free, macaroon recipe

No, I didn’t say March Madness. This is not a post about NCAA basketball. I may not be crazy about basketball, but I definitely can get behind the idea of macaroons. I decided to bust out all my favorite macaroon recipes for a little comparison baking.

French Macarons (It is spelled with only one “o”). This is a little variation I did to coincide with spring. Most French macarons that I have seen have a similar color creme filling that matches the cookie part. Instead, I decided to make a yellow cookie with a pale blue, green, and pink buttercream in each sandwich cookie.

This is a very basic macaroon. Because it was St. Patrick’s Day, I dyed half the batch green. These were outstanding the first day I baked them. They seemed a little too moist the second day.

This was an older macaroon recipe that I adapted by adding 3/4 cup of melted chocolate. These tasted okay the first day, but after they rested one day they were absolutely fabulous. These were all eaten before the vanilla ones.

Bailey’s Chocolate Macaroon. Like the standard macaroons it is spelled with 2 O’s. The texture of the cookie portion reminds me of an italian cookie. If you like Bailey’s and chocolate ganache, you’ll love the filling.

Here are links to the recipes that I used:

Beth’s Foolproof French Macaron Recipe – YouTube

Baileys Chocolate Macaroons

Basic Macaroon Recipe:

1 egg white, 1 c. sweetened condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, & 16 oz shredded coconut; Bake in preheated oven on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 325 for 15-20 minutes (until golden brown). Allow to cool on pan for at least 10 minutes before removing.

Older Macaroon Recipe:

3/4 sugar, 2 1/2 c shredded coconut, 2 large egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 c melted chocolate chips; Bake in preheated oven on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 350 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool long enough that the macaroons can be removed by hand and not with a spatula.

See Related Posts:

Macaroon (not French Macaroon)

Whoopie Pies Are For All Occasions

Peanut Butter Fudge

March 1, 2015March 23, 2015 lizellyn more sweets Fudge, gluten free, Peanut Butter

Fudge is a deceptive dessert. It doesn’t look very special – simply cut into cubes of some sort. You can’t always tell whether it is soft or hard by just looking at it. But when it is perfectly smooth and the balance of flavor and sugar is ideal, fudge is heavenly. Tonight, it turned out superb. (Which was a good thing, because last week’s fudge was a disaster) Whether the fudge is yummy or nah, baking with my daughter is a heartwarming occasion.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

February 20, 2015March 23, 2015 lizellyn more sweets, Uncategorized Chocolate, gluten free

Chocolate and Peanut Butter is almost always a good thing. These are definitely good-to-eat treats. But what in the world is a buckeye?

Just what exactly is a buckeye and why is it Ohio State’s mascot?

“In preparation for Monday night’s national championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks(more on that in another story), it seems appropriate to clear the confusion up.

According to The Ohio State University’s athletics department website, a buckeye is “a small, shiny, dark brown nut with a light tan patch that comes from the official state tree of Ohio, the buckeye tree.”

According to folklore, the Buckeye resembles the eye of a deer and carrying one brings good luck. It has been the official Ohio State nickname since 1950, the website says, but it had been in common use for many years before that.”

See the full article at

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/what_exactly_is_a_buckeye_and.html

By Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on January 12, 2015 at 5:45 AM, updated January 12, 2015 at 9:06 AM

Peppermint Patties

February 11, 2015March 23, 2015 lizellyn more sweets Chocolate, gluten free

February 11, 2015 is National Peppermint Patty Day. The cool taste of peppermint seems fitting for a cool winter day. However, next year I think I would prefer to make this at Christmas time. I would top it with red and white chocolate. This is also a good recipe to add to a gluten free diet.