One-Bowl Carrot Apple Muffins

Hi! It's me. Long time no post, huh? It's no coincidence that I published my last recipe two weeks prior to birthing my first child, and for the past 17 months....I've been a bit busy. I still use this site frequently to look up past tried and true favorites, and I hope you do too. I'm trying to get back into the recipe sharing game (I've made so many wonderful new dishes during the pandemic) but my posts here on out will likely be sporadic and less aesthetically pleasing—let's call this Kvell in the Kitchen, Toddler Edition, shall we?

I wanted to make my grand re-entry with these One-Bowl Carrot Apple Muffins, a recipe I've made countless times in the past year. They initially caught my eye as an easy way to sneak vegetables into my baby's diet, but I quickly fell in love with their versatile snacking quality and consume them just as frequently as the tot. These muffins satisfy the sweet-tooth itch despite a quite healthy ingredient list, chock full of whole grains (flour, oats) healthy fats (olive oil, almond flour, walnuts) and ample fruits and veggies (in addition to namesake apple and carrot, try pear, parsnip, or sweet potato). I usually smear on Greek yogurt to add some protein, but including pea protein powder right into the batter would check that box, too.

I'm going to wrap up this post now (toddler edition, remember?) but I'm so glad to be back. See you soon!

One-Bowl Carrot Apple Muffins (adapted from Minimalist Baker. Changes including reducing sugar, increasing fruit and veggie proportions, and subbing real egg for flax)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs 

1/4 c olive oil

1/3 c mashed very ripe banana

1/4 c maple syrup 

3/4 c finely grated apple

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2  heaping cups (packed) grated carrot/parsnip/sweet potato

2/3 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup almond meal

1 heaping cup gluten-free* or whole wheat** flour

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional, for topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Prepare muffin tin with liners or lightly grease them.

3. To eggs, add mashed banana, maple syrup, and olive oil and whisk to combine. Next add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and whisk to combine.

4. Add almond milk, grated apple and grated carrot/parsnip/sweet potato and stir. Add oats, almond meal, and flour and stir.

5. Divide evenly among 12 muffin tins, filling them all the way up to the top, and top with crushed walnuts (optional).

6. Bake for 32-36 minutes (20-22 if using regular flour), or until deep golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

7. Store in a covered container or bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, then freeze. 

*Bob's Mills makes really good gluten-free flour mixes that I use sometimes not because I want to avoid gluten, but because the bean flours have a really interesting and complex flavor—and add some protein. 

**If using whole wheat flour, the muffins will bake much faster—cook for only 20 min and check by inserting a knife for doneness. 

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

I’ve had “make zucchini-banana protein muffins” on my to-do list, unchecked, for two weeks. Every time I venture into the fridge, I imagine the two requisite oblong squashes looking up at me expectantly, crestfallen when I summarily close the door in their face. I want to make them, I really do. What is it about the start of fall that demands a heavily spiced cucurbita loaf? But my craving are invariably met with a timely excuse. Yesterday I didn’t want to scrub the muffin pan, today I don’t have time to wait for them to cook. If only goodwill and an obstinate appetite could conjure my zucchini bread; no whisk, spatula, or oven required. “I don’t even need the whole thing—just a bite, one taste!” I bargain pleadingly with my fantastical bread, as my courgettes judge my laziness harshly from inside their temperature-controlled bin.

 Alas, I must’ve done something that pleased the craving gods, because lo and behold, I stumbled across Zucchini Bread Oatmeal. Are you familiar with the Food52 List called “Genius Recipes?” This brilliant baking hack belongs at top. Here, all the key elements of a loaf of zucchini bread are added to simple stovetop oats—zucchini, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla—then stirred continuously in sweet, velvety coconut milk (soy milk or almond milk make great alternatives). Chia seeds give the porridge a thick, pudding-esque texture, so you don’t feel like you are eating oatmeal so much as the just-shy-of-cooked-through inside of a muffin. Cue the Pinkberry toppings bar please, because what you spoon on top matters almost as much as the pot's contents. I chose coconut chips, pecans, and chopped dates, which added delightful sweetness and crunch to the gooey porridge. Chocolate shavings, raisins, and a drizzle of honey are other great options. I take collagen peptides, so in went those too; if you are looking for a protein boost, try swirling in a spoonful of pea protein or, at the end so it doesn’t curdle, Greek yogurt.


While I reveled in the luxuriousness of my dessert-for-breakfast, I thought of all the other treats I could hack with this formula. Carrot cake, banana bread, pumpkin loafs—all excellent contenders for the stovetop miracle. A big batch of this 10-minute single bowl whip-up will keep for a few days, just add a splash of milk before heating it in the microwave. Shocking to no one, I ate a double portion in one sitting.

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal (from Oh She Glows)
Makes 2 generous bowls

Ingredients
For the oatmeal:
1 14-oz can light coconut milk (or 1¾ cup almond or soy milk)
2/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed finely grated zucchini (1 medium)
2 Tbsp chia seeds
½ to 1 tsp cinnamon, to taste
Dash of ground nutmeg
1½ Tbsp pure maple syrup or 1 large ripe banana, mashed
Small pinch fine sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping suggestions:
Chopped pecans
Raisins or chopped pitted dates
Maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar
Cinnamon
Shaved dark chocolate

Hemp hearts

Coconut flakes

Directions:
1. Add all of the oatmeal ingredients except for the vanilla to a medium pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Adjust spices and sweetener to taste, if desired.
3. Divide the oatmeal into bowls and top with your desired toppings. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, add the leftovers to a small pot along with a splash of coconut milk. Stir and heat over medium until heated through. 

Rosemary Orange Zucchini Bread

If it's even possible to get zoodeled out, I have on more option for you to use up the farmers markets' seemingly endless zucchini supply. A loaf for late-summer loafing, try this Rosemary Orange Zucchini Bread: a truly delightful, savory twist on the beloved baked good.

We all know what to expect in a standard dessert bread—eggs, sugar, flour, and butter or oil lay the foundation for the added shredded veggie of choice; an appurtenance of nuts and/or chocolate chips are always well-received. As if to counteract the presence of produce, these breads are generally cloyingly sweet—a firm reminder that despite the presence of nutrition, this bread is meant to serve your sweet tooth.

All that changes with this recipe.  After halving the sugar, adding wholesome nutty flax seed and whole wheat flour, and using heart-healthy olive oil and yogurt to ensure proper moistness, I was left with a perfectly versatile bread: sumptuous enough for dessert, yet also hearty enough for breakfast or snack without going into a sugar coma—or the associated guilt.  Food 52 (are you familiar with this site? If not, check it out—it's my go-to cooking blog for likeminded kitchen enthusiasts; and the community is fantastic) describes it the best: "a rosemary and orange-scented loaf cake that feels both indulgent and virtuous."

Oh, it does. The rosemary, pointedly sophisticated outside of its usual Thanksgiving milieu, balances the earthy zucchini wonderfully; a pleasing savory opposition against sunny orange juice and zest. You can hardly taste the olive oil, but the barely there hint of grassiness is just right. This loaf is truly best describes as the sum of its parts; individually, the ingredients are slightly curious. But it works, ebulliently hearty and delicious—and freezes well too!

Rosemary Orange Zucchini Bread (adapted from Food52)

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

2 large eggs + 1 flaxseed egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal stirred with 3 tbsp water)

1/2 cup of plain yogurt (preferably low-fat)

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 cup of sugar*

2 cups of zucchini; shredded

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary; finely minced

Zest of one orange (preferably Valencia)

Juice from 3/4 of the orange 

3 cups of flour (I used 2/3 whole wheat; 1/3 white)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of toasted pecans; chopped

*I eliminated 3/4 cup of additional sugar from the original recipe. This cut may be drastic for some, so if you are sugar-inclined, add 1/4 cup more (you can taste the batter as you go.)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans and set them aside.

2. In a large bowl beat the eggs (plus flaxseed egg). Mix in the yogurt, oil, and sugar. Then mix in the shredded zucchini, rosemary, orange zest, and orange juice. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add toasted nuts.

5. Once the batter is well combined divide it evenly between the two loaf pans.

6. Bake the loaves for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Start testing if the loaves are done at 45 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that until a tester, such as a knife, comes out clean.)

7. Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes inside the loaf pan before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve plain, or with your favorite jam.

Perfect Pumpkin Apple Bread

This Perfect Pumpkin Apple Bread recipe is an autumn orchard’s dream come true. Utilizing the whole hog (aka both the apple trees and the pumpkin patch), this bread combines the best fall has to offer. Whether or not you bake this bread after a day at the orchard, fall will feel ubiquitously present in every bite.

I’m excited to share my photos from last weekend’s apple picking excursion with you. The day was so sunny and beautiful, fall foliage was (almost) at its peak, and the smell of cinnamon spiced apple cider donuts permeated the gentle breeze in the air. It couldn’t be more perfect. Like this bread!

The reason I added the qualifier “perfect” to this recipe is not because its the best pumpkin bread you’ll EVER have in your life. Rather, this recipe is simply reliable. A quick Google search for “pumpkin bread” will yield so many varying results that it’s impossible to avoid option overload and it’s ensuing anxiety. Which one to make?!? Make this one. It’s great.

While clearly more of a cook than a baker, I’ve made this bread more times than I can count. (Someone I like happens to like it very much.) Hailing from Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet, its credentials speak for itself, but I’ll point out the highlights. A simple strudel topping adds a cake-like feel to the bread, which is richly spiced with delicious hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Dotted cooked apples will create a melt-in-your-mouth effect when you catch one in a bite, but these little gems serve a second purpose in addition to gustatory pleasure: they make the bread’s interior extremely moist, erasing the always-disapointing possibility of a dry pumpkin loaf. (To ensure uniform moistness, you can try grating the apples into the batter rather than adding cubes.)

I have adjusted some of the ingredient amounts from the original recipe. After baking this bread dozens of times, I can assuredly say that there’s WAY too much sugar in the printed version, whole-wheat flour can substitute white to add health without compromising the taste, and up to half of the oil can easily be substituted for applesauce. Maintaining the bread’s integrity but adding some nutrition—a pretty good upgrade for this lovable autumn loaf. 

Perfect Pumpkin Apple Bread (adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)
Makes 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

For topping:

1 Tbs all-purpose or whole-wheat flour

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbs unsalted butter, softened

For bread:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

¾  tsp salt

2 tsps baking soda

1 ½ tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground allspice

1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin

½  cup canola oil

¼ cup apple sauce

1 ¼ cups sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 McIntosh or Empire apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups)

Directions:

1. Make the topping. Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with fingertips.
2. Make the bread. Preheat oven to 350, and butter two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice into a medium bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in apples.
3. Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly on each loaf. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, for about 50-60 minutes. Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes.

Chocolate Walnut Espresso Loaf

Happy Valentines Day! What are you doing to celebrate this year?  I hope it's something wonderful. I love the idea of a holiday celebrating love. Plus, it's the only day of the year where excessive consumption of chocolate and wine is deemed perfectly acceptable for everyone.

And speaking of chocolate and wine...our two favorite Valentines Day indulgences revert back to their natural roots in this Chocolate Walnut Espresso Loaf, utilizing cocoa powder and grapeseed oil for a health(ier) chocolate treat that's just as rich and decadent as the name suggests. (Obviously, to fit the occasion!) The cocoa and expresso powder are bitter and raw, but thickened by the creamy yogurt. Sugar is not overpowering here, a seriously welcomed relief if you've spent the day stuffing your face on drugstore candy (guilty as charged.) Best of all, since the chocolate loaf is lightened in fat but packs a caffeine punch, it makes a great breakfast option in addition to an afternoon pick-me-up or post-dinner sweet treat.

The outside crumb is firm and crunchy, thanks to a generous smattering of toasted walnuts, giving way to an impossibly dense, moist center. The bitterness is almost startling—begging to slice off another piece to make sure—but as I mentioned before, the absence of saccharine overmuch pleasant and comforting. It's kind of like a sophisticated mocha brownie bread. Oh Chocolate Walnut Espresso Loaf...will you be my valentine?

I've already delved into cocoa powder's fruitful flavanoids in my other chocolate recipes, but grapeseed oil is new to both this blog, and to me.  When grapes are pressed to make wine, the grape seeds become separated from the grapes. Upon grinding, the seeds release an oil that contain fatty compounds, proteins, vitamin E and our friends the flavonoids. One kind, OCPs (oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes, say that 5 times fast) is an especially health-touting antioxidant.

Grapeseed oil is often found in recipes that require a high cooking temperature thanks to its high "smoke point", meaning it resists releasing free radicals (a known cancer risk) during cooking at extremely high heat levels. While grapeseed oil does contain both heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, don't throw out that olive and canola oil just yet. It's omega-6 content is almost double its omega-3 (the healthier of the two), plus it's high polysaturated fat content means that while it lowers LDL (bad cholesterol), it may lower good cholesterol too.

Chocolate Walnut Espresso Loaf (from Serious Eats)
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) all purpose flour (I used 1/3 whole wheat; 2/3 white)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Grease an 8- by 4-inch loaf pan with oil and lightly dust with flour, knocking out any excess. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until smooth. Add grapeseed oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Add dry ingredients to bowl and whisk until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup walnuts.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle remaining walnuts over top of cake. Bake until top is dry and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Sources:

"Grape Seed." University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Marie, Joanne. "Grape Seed Oil Health Benefits." SF Gate. San Francisco Chronicle, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Sacks, Frank, Dr. "Ask the Expert: Omega-3 Fatty Acids." The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Pumpkin Crunch Muffin Bites

For me, fall is marked not by the cooler weather and changing leaves but rather the return of Starbuck's pumpkin spiced latte. I literally jumped for joy when I learned that Hershey's is making pumpkin chocolate kisses. I just LOVE pumpkin. Soups, stews, treats, pie...pumpkin everything! My local supermarket was having a sale on organic pumpkin puree, so I am fully stocked for the next month.  Therefore, I hereby officially debut my fall 2012 obsession with these Pumpkin Crunch Muffin Bites.

I explored cakes, loaves, breads, puddings, and cupcakes, but settled on muffin bites for my pumpkin baked treat. My rationale was twofold: 1, as a girl I like all things mini because they are cute, and 2, I have portion control issues, and if I had a baked a loaf of pumpkin bread I probably would've eaten it, sliver by sliver, in one day. [Insert stomachache here]. So! These muffin bites are perfect because I can pop one into my mouth for a sweet pumpkin treat after lunch and dinner every day for two weeks. 

Mollie Katzen describes these as tasting like "an entire holiday season." They do. The ginger spice and orange peel are what differentiate this recipe from other traditional pumpkin muffins: the ginger contributes a spicy biting undertone, like a gingersnap, and the orange peel adds a slight citrusy bitterness that prevents an overly saccharine sweet. These zesty ingredients complement the mild pumpkin well.

Wanting to incorporate another element to complete my mini-treat, I added a granola topping for its signature crunch and the much-loved oat pumpkin combination. I've provided a granola recipe below, but feel free to use any store bought brand (Trader Joes and Kashi make pumpkin themed ones, and Bear Naked is always good too.)

No worries if you don't want to splurge on the extra tools (and time) required to make these muffins "mini", you can easily bake them full size too! I've included directions for both below.

Pumpkin Crunch Muffin Bites
Yield: 25 mini muffins; 8-10 regular muffins

Ingredients
For Muffins:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used all wholewheat, but feel free to do a half and half mixture too. Also, the original recipe called for 2 cups flour but I thought that was way too much and used less to maintain the appropriate consistency)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice or pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup canned organic pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted or vegetable oil (I used 2 tbsp canola oil and 2 tbsp applesauce. Use a 1:1 ratio to replace some of the fat with applesauce for a healthier muffin, but not the whole thing or else consistency will be off.)

For Granola Topping:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 cup ground flax seed
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
pinch salt
1 tbsp maple syrup 
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tbs melted butter or canola oil
1/8 cup chopped pecans


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking pan with mini muffin cups and lightly spray with nonstick spray. (If making regular sized muffins, spray 8 standard-sized muffin cups, and preheat oven to 400 degrees).
2. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, spices, granulated sugar, and orange zest in a medium-sized bowl, and stir until well blended. Crumble in the brown sugar, and mix with a fork and/or your fingers until thoroughly combined.
3. Measure the pumpkin into a second medium-sized bowl. Add the egg, milk, vanilla, and cooled butter or oil/applesauce and beat with a fork or a whisk until well blended.
4. Slowly pour this mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spoon or a rubber spatula from the bottom of the bowl until you have a uniform batter. Don't overmix.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. For a serious time and energy saver, spoon the batter into a plastic bag, sealing tightly, and cut off the bottom corner of the plastic bag, leaving a 2 millimeter hole. Then, similarly to frosting a cake, carefully squeeze 1 dollop of batter through the hole into each mini muffin cup. If making regular sized muffins, fill tins with batter using 2 spoons: One to scoop up the batter and the other to push it into the cup.
6. Prepare granola topping by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled granola. Press granola lightly into batter.
7. Bake for 15 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for regular sized muffins) or until lightly browned on top, and a toothpick inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove each muffin from the pan, and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Muffins can be stored in covered containers or resealable plastic bags. .