QT Cakes

mini banana muffins

I continue to look for healthy, easy, fast recipes that I can make for my daughter.  She’s crazy about bananas and this recipe is delicious as well as simple.  No fancy ingredients, unless you count whole wheat flour as fancy.

Banana Mini Muffins | yields 18-20 muffins

1 medium egg

1/3 cup packed soft light brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large, very ripe banana

1/4 c sunflower or canola oil

2/3 c whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions | preheat oven to 350° F

Line mini muffin pans with liners or spray with cooking spray

• Mix egg and sugar: Crack the egg into a large bowl, then add the brown sugar

• Whisk together:  Add the vanilla extract and beat together until thick

• Mash the banana and add to egg mixture. I use a potato masher (the kind you use to make mash potatoes)

• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Or whisk together which is what I do to save time.

• Stir together dry and wet ingredients until just combined.

• Fill the liners (2/3 full) and back 12-14 minutes until risen and firm.

• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Quinoa Pumpkin Muffins

As Johnny’s Po’ Boys says, “Even my failures are edible.”

I slightly over baked the large version of these muffins, but the mini version were great.  My daughter managed to shove half of the muffin in her mouth at once.  That’s the universal sign that they were good.

I got this recipe suggestion from my friend Elizabeth whose son, Daniel is just a little older than Quinn.  This recipe yield 6 large muffins and 24 mini-muffins.  Or 12 large or 48 mini-muffins. We both love the fact there is quinoa in these muffins for a little extra protein.  Here’s the original from Bob’s Red Mill.  My alternations below:

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins

• 4 Tbsp Canola oil
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (the original recipe requires 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour which I didn’t have.  But I did have regular whole wheat and cake flours)
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 5/8 cup light brown sugar (or 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
• 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 3/4 cup cooked* Quinoa Organic Grain
• 2 large Eggs
• 3/4 cup Unsweetened Canned Pumpkin
• 1/2 cup Low-Fat Buttermilk (well shaken)
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds (Raw Shelled – I omitted for the mini version)

Directions

Place a rack in the center and preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the cooked quinoa, separating the grains with a fork to distribute them evenly. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Gradually stir the liquid into the dry ingredients just until the flour is incorporated. It’s fine if the batter is slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter among muffin cups. (Each should be about 3/4 full.) Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sunflower seeds on top of each muffin. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 18 minutes for mini muffins. Recipe suggestion 30 to 35 minutes for regular sized muffins, but I found it to be too long.  I’d probably check at 22-25 minutes. Set the tins on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and remove the muffins. Eat warm or cool directly on the rack. If not eating the same day, freeze for up to 3 months.

*NOTE: To cook Quinoa, bring 2 cups water to boil. Stir in 1 cup Quinoa and reduce heat to medium/low. Cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with fork and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

I cooked extra quinoa for dinner (sauted with onions and grated carrots with some cumin and orange juice).  And also froze some for another batch of muffins – to make later.

Mini Zucchini Carrot muffins

I’m starting off 2011 as a new mom – figuring out what to feed my 23 month old daughter as snacks.  Trying to avoid the default cheerios and goldfish crackers every time.  Although she loves fruits and vegetables, if I can squeeze more in – I will.  I found a recipe that I altered (removing the nuts and dried fruit and added some whole wheat flour) for a healthier mini snack for my daughter.  Here’s the post that I used as a guide.  You can freeze these for up to 3 months.  Another plus, as I can whip up a large batch right before I return to work.

Zucchini Carrot Mini Muffins

1/2 c. brown sugar  ( I thought these were still too sweet.  I’ll reduce it down to 1/3 c to see if the texture changes much)

2 T canola oil

big pinch of kosher salt

1 lg. egg

1 c. zucchini, grated

1 c. carrots, grated

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to  375 degrees F and lightly spray min- muffin pans.

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, oil, salt, and egg.  Add the zucchini, carrot and mix well.  In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and fold them into the wet mixture, working the batter only just until all ingredients are moistened.  Divide the batter evenly into the cups (I used a scoop) and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center is removed clean, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to sit in the cups about 5 minutes before turning out on a baking rack to cool completely.

Yield: 28 mini muffins.

ANOTHER NOTE:

I used a food processor to grate the carrots and zucchini.  I had extra which I mixed together and made veggie fritters.  Mixed one egg, 2 tbs of flour, seasoned and about 1/2 cup of grated veggies.  Used the same scoop to dole out the fritters.  Fried in a non-stick pan sprayed with cooking spray.