Salted Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

Sweet whole wheat muffins with a tender crumb and melty chocolate chips!  The salt on top is optional, but highly recommended as it brings out the chocolate - oh, and there is no butter or cow's milk; these are dairy free!

 

I am addicted to Foodgawker.

 

It is so fun to look through all the beautiful photos of creative food!  Anytime I need inspiration, I go there.  It promises quality pictures and a wide variety of recipes.  And there is no weeding through hundreds of the same recipe on Pinterest because it happens to be incredibly popular.  Don't get me wrong, I am also a major Pinterest junkie, but Foodgawker makes my little food blogger heart very happy.

 

I found this recipe from Pretty Simple Sweet and learned so much from her post!  She revealed all the secrets to a bakery style muffin.  And as you can tell, they work!

 

 

 

Go read the whole post (her photos are really pretty as well) but I will share the one trick that stood out to me.  It makes perfect sense and works like a charm! 

 

Want tall, domed muffins?  Begin baking them at a higher temperature and after a few minutes, lower it to the temperature. This way, the muffins rise quickly and the outside edges will set faster than the center, causing the muffin to have a peak.  Then, they can finish baking at the lower temperature so the edges don't get too brown.  I don't like flat muffins, I mean, that domed top is the best part!  Sometimes, I'll just eat the top part ... please tell me I'm not the only one.

 

 

Ah, yes, the top part.  That is straight kosher salt.  You could definitely use coarse sugar, we just never have it on hand.  And I love the way it looks on baked goods. 

 

If you aren't into the sweet and salty, omit it or use coarse sugar, I won't judge.  I bet it would amazing!  But I love getting the mini chocolate chips and the salt together.  It really brings out the chocolate and adds that addictive saltiness.  My family was split on this, so really, it is up to your personal preference.  It isn't the make it or break it ingredient, but it is what makes this recipe different. ;)

 

 

 

Thanks to canola (or coconut oil) and dairy free chocolate chips, these are friendly to any lactose intolerant diets.  Even better, you don't miss the dairy!  As far as chocolate chip muffins, this is my favorite recipe to date. 

 

Using mini chocolate chips spreads out the melty chocolate pockets on the inside of the muffin, making these extra delicious while warm. 

 

They are perfectly domed, with the crusty, bread reminiscent top that bakeries are known for. 

 

They are lightly sweetened, making them feel dessert worthy, when in reality, you could totally eat one for breakfast.  They're healthy, with only 2-1/2 tablespoons of oil between six hefty muffins, which are 100% whole wheat. 

 

And even though they are whole wheat, they aren't dry or flat. 

 

Finally, aren't they just about the prettiest things you've ever seen?

 

 

I might just be a tad bit obsessed.

Salted Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from Pretty Simple Sweet
Yield: 6 muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 egg
1/2 cup almond milk*
2-1/2 tablespoons canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips**

Topping (opt):
Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.  

Grease12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Add sugar.

In a medium bowl, mix the egg with the milk, oil and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be quite thick and lumpy. Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cups almost all the way to the top. Bake for 3 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 375F/190C and continue to bake for an additional 12-17 minutes (this is for standard size muffins. See post notes for jumbo and mini muffins baking times) until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

*If you aren't lactose intolerant, you can substitute regular cow's milk. 
**If you aren't lactose intolerant, you can substitute regular mini chocolate chips.

 

More muffins!  (I think they are my favorite thing to photograph)

 

Whole Wheat Fresh Cranberry Muffins (dairy free)

 

 

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Honey Gingerbread Muffins

 

 

Lemon Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins

 

 

40 Calorie Chocolate Muffin Cupcakes

 

 

 

Strawberry Lemon Pudding Bread (whole wheat, dairy free)

The Weather

0000 1st Sky

Universe 99999

To whomever it may concern,

My name is Mary Frances McNellis and I'm a high school junior.  I'm involved in sports, as are my brothers, and we really enjoy warm weather.  The recent temperatures of 75 were absolutely wonderful.  My athletic shorts haven't felt so loved since last year.  I was wondering if you could continue this stretch of spring weather for several more weeks?  It is March, and many people, including myself, have taken advantage of, and love, these warm temperatures.

I appreciate your time.  Thank you for considering this opportunity.

Mary Frances McNellis 

 

 

 

I've been writing letters to different businesses and people I would like to shadow this spring.  I never would've thought how difficult it would be!  Or maybe I'm just making things difficult.  I want to be formal, so they take me seriously, but at the same time, I don't want to sound like I want their job.  And I want to be personable.  It is a fine line and after more than a week of writing, having Mom rewrite it, then I rewrite it, then formatting, and more editing, they are finally printed and in the mail.  We'll see what happens!

 

 

But for reals, I am so excited about this warm weather!  Getting to wear athletic shorts again?  I know I will be sick of them by this July, but for now, I'm soaking it up.  Yesterday was super windy, so the volleyball tended to blow every direction, making it hard to practice.  If you are ever in the mood, try setting with a basketball.  Seriously, it works.  The basketball is heavy enough that nothing (except for a hurricane) is going to blow it off course.  And then today, it hit 80.  80 DEGREES!  Crazy, right?  But it was amazing, although being hot isn't the best.  It sure beats cold fingers and toes!  Being able to send everyone outside, without boots and snow pants, and gloves was the best. 

  

Another thing I love about warm weather is it means warm weather fruits are almost in season!  Like, strawberries, pineapples, blueberries, peaches, -> yes yes yes!  So, in honor of all that jazz, I made lemon strawberry bread.  Doesn't that sound amazing?

 

 

If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for pudding mix.  I love moist and soft things and since pudding mix guarentees those things, I enjoy tossing a box into whatever I'm baking.  This time, it happened to be bread.  If you haven't noticed, I also have a thing for bread.  But for the first time, I couldn't use Greek yogurt and I ALWAYS have used Greek yogurt.  It makes the bread (you guessed it!) moist and soft, and adds protein.  But since I couldn't use it this time, I turned to new recipe and added a couple things, including lemon pudding mix.  Some mixes aren't dairy free, so double check if that is a big deal.

 

Now, if you don't like the undercooked center in most quick breads, then you won't like this bread.  I'm giving you a fair warning, okay?  I hadn't planned on the pudding mix making the bread this soft, but it amazing!  And I personally am stuffing my face with it, but if that isn't your thing, omit the pudding mix, or find a different recipe. 

Now, if you DO like undercooked centers, then this is the bread for you.  The whole thing is on the verge of being categorized as undercooked.  Plus, the flavor combo of strawberries and lemon is bright and fresh and absolutely delicious.  My Mom especially liked this.  The lemon is really subtle and she admitted the strawberries paired with the lemons perfectly, even though she prefers her strawberries in fresh form and fresh form only.  If you want more lemon punch, add some lemon zest.

Letters in mail: check

Strawberries.: check
Lemon undertones: check

Moist and soft bread: check

Warm weather: pretty please!

 

 

 

Strawberry Lemon Pudding Loaf

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from Williams Sonoma

Yield: 12 servings

 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup +2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar 

1 (4 serving) package instant lemon pudding mix

1 tsp. baking powder 

1/4 tsp. baking soda  
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup canola oil 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 
1-1/4 cup strawberries, diced

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease loaf pan.
Combine flours, sugar, lemon pudding mix, powder, and soda.
In another bowl, beat eggs. 
Add lemon juice, almond milk, oil, and vanilla to eggs.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Fold in strawberries.
Pour into prepared pan.
Sprinkle reserved strawberries on top, if desired.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean or top is lightly browned.  *The back of my oven is hotter than the front, so I turned the bread half way through baking time.*
Let cool overnight before cutting and eating.

Fudgy Carrot Cake Cookies

 

Today's post is going to be short.

 

All you need to know will be summed up in the next 10 words.

 

Fudgy

 

Carrot Cake

 

Cookies

 

Whole Grain

 

Dairy Free

 

90 calories

 

 

These are amazing little cookies!  They are super soft, more so than my average cookie, which is why they earned the word fudgy in their title (an award usually given to brownies only!)

 

But they are still chewy, because we've got equal amounts of oats and whole wheat stirred in. 

 

And they are dairy free, because of two things.  One, coconut oil and applesauce in place of butter.  Two, enough cinnamon and spice to eliminate the need for baking chips.

 

Bam.

 

My whole family gave me so much flack over these.  I mean, you should have heard the fuss. 

 

"Don't tell me you are putting veggies in a dessert?  Seriously?"

 

Yes, seriously, because this doesn't taste like veggies.  This has 3/4 cup of brown sugar, relax.

 

And I'm not exaggerating when I say every single member of my family liked them.  From my Dad to my Mom to Luke to Abigail.  That is saying something.  You really don't taste the carrots, they just add moisture and texture.  What you do taste is the cinnamon.  And the chewy oats.  And that wonderful brown sugar.

 

Oh, and let us not forget that these cookies will not break the bank when it comes to your diet.

 

Note: I am not on a diet, but these recipes are most popular on Pinterest, so I make them.  Just for all my friends who will have questions after this goes live ;)

 

However, if you want a treat that will fill you up, satisfy your sweet tooth, and be ready in 30 minutes - all for 90 calories a cookie? 

 

Then this is for you.

 

 

 

Fudgy Carrot Cake Cookies (whole grain, dairy free)

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from Averie Cooks

Yield: 20-22 cookies

 

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3/4 cups brown sugar, packed

1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup carrots, grated, loosely packed

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease cookie sheet.

Whisk together melted coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla.

Beat in egg. 

Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and salt.

Add flour, stir until combined.

Add oats and carrots.

Scoop onto baking sheet and place baking sheet in freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove from freezer and flatten tops of cookies slightly.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Let cool before serving. 

 

Whole Wheat Fresh Cranberry Muffins (dairy free)

I've been baking muffins like crazy this week!  After several failed cinnamon roll recipes, I decided to stick with what I could do.  I can do muffins!  Better yet, I can do skinny muffins. But cinnamon rolls? … meh, we are still working on that.

These are the second or third batch of muffins I've made this week and these cranberry ones are the best.  And I mean, the best.

I've said this before, I'll say it again:  I will take muffins and sweet breads over cookies any day of the week.  There is something about quick breads and muffins that I just love.  The dense crumb, the moist bread, the fluffy middle - it is my happy place.

(Sprinkles are my happy place, too)

My first batch tasted great, but really dense.  I didn't have enough oil or baking powder to give the muffins that lighter crumb. 

This time around, everything was just right!  Everyone gave these 10 out of 10 ... except for those who didn't like cranberries.  They said the muffin itself was delicious, they just don't care for cranberries.  If you aren't the biggest fan of cranberries, feel free to sub blueberries, chocolate chips, or even raisins.  Whatever you use, these are the best 100% whole wheat muffins I've ever made.  And this combination of coconut oil, soy milk, and applesauce bakes up the most moist and tender muffins I've eaten.  So, these are not only the best 100% whole wheat muffins, I've ever had, these are the best dairy free muffins I've ever had.

 

They're the best ever - period.

 

I personally love the bright color of the cranberries, and the tartness they add.  They're so pretty and brighten any rushed morning, especially these grey snow days.  Trust me from experience, they make grab-and-go breakfasts easy and delicious.

Whole Wheat Fresh Cranberry Muffins (dairy free)

Recipe Source: Adapted from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-3/4 cup cranberries + 1/4 for topping (I used fresh cranberries, but frozen works well, too!)

Preheat oven to 375.
In a large microwave safe bowl, melt coconut oil. 
Stir in applesauce, milk, and vanilla.
Whisk in eggs.
Add sugar, stir until dissolved.
Add flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Stir until incorporated.
Chop cranberries in half and add to batter.  Fold in gently.
Divide batter between 12 greased muffin cups.
Press reserved 1/4 cup halved cranberries on to tops of muffins.
Bake for 25-27 minutes.
Let cool.

Notes: Freezer friendly!  And did I mention these muffins are the best ever? 

Fudgy & Skinny Red Velvet Brownies

Soooo, I just watched Frozen.

And now I'm listening to "Let It Go" and pinning pictures of Olaf every five minutes. 

(Wait, did I just say that out loud?)

I'll spare you my praises for the characters and plot line because really, just go watch it and save us all the trouble. But, I will say, I loved that Frozen realistically showed true love. Ana thought it was at first sight, but it couldn't be. It just can't happen. And I love that, finally, Disney reflected reality, but not as a kill joy, but as a teacher and motivator. Ana learned (among other things) that true love requres sacrifice and energy and time. 

(And now I'll stop - no spoilers)

 

Valentines Day is in two weeks and to be honest, I've never celebrated the holiday. (Feel free to speculate as to why …)  But my Dad always gets my mom a box of chocolates and roses, whether he is here at home or across the country on business.  It might be an inconvenience, but he doesn't act like it. Or, when he spends the night at hotels, they let him choose a water, or a trail mix, or whatever, to make your stay "the best it can be."  My dad doesn't like chocolate, but he always chooses the Toblerone and brings it home for Mom.  That's love.  I think, at least in my age group, love can get down played, especially in dating and especially during Valentine's.  Love requres sacrifice. Energy. Time. Not hand holding or flower buying. It's putting someone else before yourself and I'm grateful my parents have been an example of that. 

And, I love that Disney is beginning to promote that truth as well. Ana thought she knew who her true love was, because it was "love at first sight."  Guys, these brownies were love at first sight.  But they weren't love at first taste. I  told a friend how bummed I was because the texture was great, the color was what I wanted, but the flavor just wasn't … sweet, and brownies are supposed to be sweet. The original recipe had called for all honey as it's sweetener, and although I was hesitant, I did it. I was regretting it after my first bite. I wasn't going to blog these. I was going to redo them. But before that could happen, we had to finish the first pan. So, a day after making them, I cut myself a piece from the nearly untouched pan and flinched as I took a bite. But then, I realized, this tastes like a brownie!  This tastes good, like, really good!

 

These brownies are no light weights.  They are moist and thick and dense - and chocolatey sweet.  They're delicious!  But, they need time.  Don't eat them right out of the oven.  Give the yogurt and the cocoa and the honey a day to meet each other and like each other and trust me, these brownies will be your new love.

Even though these need time, they don't need sacrifice or energy.  They are only one bowl and have healthy ingredients that are easy to find!  Greek yogurt provides all the "fat" and adds most of the body and moisture.  These are also completely whole wheat!  Whole wheat things are supposed to be painfully heavy and dry.  Not these; thanks to the yogurt and honey, these are heavy, but in the fudgiest way possible.  Also, I only used a teaspoon of red food coloring, because that was all we had :) and they turned out somewhat red.  If you want a deeper color, just add more food coloring.  Whatever the shade, these brownies win top award!

 

Between Frozen and these brownies, I was reminded that real friendships need time and that basing my opinions on someone after just meeting them isn't the wisest idea, nor the most accurate.  It is hard for me to not judge someone based on their hair or one word they said in a conversation.  I need to give people time.  Their true colors will show eventually, they always do (ahem, Frozen) and then I can decide whether they are real friends or not.  Honestly, after I get to know someone, I usually have to take back my first opinion. 

 

Thank goodness these brownies don't need several weeks or even years to decide whether or not they are good!

Fudgy and Skinny Red Velvet Brownies
Recipe Source: Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Yield: 12-16 servings

Heaping 1 cup plain yogurt (greek or regular, nonfat or low fat) 

1 egg + 1 egg white 

1/2 cup milk ( I used low fat)

2/3 cup honey

3/4 cup whole wheat flour 

3/4 cup cocoa powder 

1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red food coloring

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (use sugar free chocolate chips to keep these refined sugar free)

Preheat oven to 350.
Whisk yogurt, egg and egg white, milk, and honey together. 
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir well.
Add red food coloring and stir until all the food coloring is incorporated.  (Add more if you want a deeper red.  But be careful; a little goes a long ways!)
Stir in chocolate chips.
Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Let cool and sit overnight. 
Enjoy!

Coconut Oil Strawberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are sweet, chewy, soft, and bursting with strawberries and white chocolate chips.  Pretty to look at, delicious to eat, and healthy to boot!  Oh, and did I mention they are mixed in only one bowl?  And that you don't have to chill the dough before baking??

 

I'm finally getting around to Valentine's Day food!

Strawberries are red,
Oats add the chew,
White chocolate and coconut oil,
These cookies rule!
 
(pretty legit, no?) 
I'm taking the liberty of calling these holiday treats because there is red in these cookies! 

 

 

These cookies are incredible.  My family gave them 10 out of 10, which is pretty good considering these are not your average cookie.  Thanks to some easy substitutions, this cookie is good for you!
I now have coconut oil!  I just got my newest jar.  It was on my Christmas list, but my secret santa had it defer to an iTunes giftcard (which I have been loving!)  This is the first recipe I've made with it.  Coconut oil really has no coconut flavor at all and subs 1:1 for oils and butters.  Also with the coconut oil, I used applesauce.  Applesauce can leave baked goods dry or tough or sometimes even crumbly, because it is wet, but not oily.  But because these cookies use all brown sugar (the more brown sugar, the chewier the cookie) and oats, they don't fall apart like some other applesauce cookies I've tried (either from being too moist or too dry)  There is enough coconut oil in these to balance the applesauce and make them taste buttery without the extra fat and calories.

I think the strawberries and white chocolate are so pretty together.  Not only are they a colorful couple, they taste incredible together!  I didn't count on the strawberries adding as much moisture as they did, so I did have to tack on a couple more minutes of baking time, but they were worth it.  (If you are using frozen, I would encourage you to quickly scoop your first batch onto the cookie sheet and then refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough while the first batch is baking, so that the strawberries don't bleed into the dough.  I didn't use fresh, but I assume you would want to do the same with them.)  The strawberries retain their juicy sweetness in the cookie and pair with the creamy white chocolate chips.  Between the oats, the strawberries, and the white chocolate chips, we've got a party for the tastebuds right here.  And one for your diet, because these are pretty darn good for desserts!  (if you are pointing to the sugar and white chocolate chips, I'm covering my ears and pretending not to hear.  what is a dessert without sugar???)

Then we've got the aforementioned oats.  Oats are a great source of fiber and add heartiness to just about anything!  They give a ton of texture to this cookie, so even though it is "lighter," you can still get your daily chew out of it.  I love textured cookies!  For even more stick with ya goodness, there is whole wheat flour hiding behind the strawberries and white chocolate.  I used half whole wheat, half white, but you can use all white if that is what you have on hand.  You can try all whole wheat, I don't know how it would turn out, but if you do, let me know!

 

 

For the sake of cleaning the pan, I made sure the diced strawberries were never at the bottom of the cookies.  Also, I pressed a few reserved white chocolate chips on top of the cookies before baking.  It only takes about a minute extra and you get eye-catching cookies AND more white chocolate!

 

I know Valentine's Day desserts are more formal (and I have one coming) but for a lower key meal, these make a fabulous, family pleaser dessert! 

 

Coconut Oil Strawberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Yield: 18 cookies

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup oats
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup diced strawberries (frozen is best)

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt your coconut oil.

Whisk in the applesauce, egg, and vanilla.  Make sure the egg is beaten in well.

Add in salt, flours, sugar, and baking soda. 

Stir in oats.

Add white chocolate chips and strawberries.

Using a two tablespoon cookie scoop, place cookies on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-13 minutes.

Let cool for five minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack.

Eat warm or let cool completely before serving.

 

Notes:  If you are using frozen strawberries, I would encourage you to quickly scoop your first batch onto the cookie sheet and then refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough while the first batch is baking, so that the strawberries don't bleed into the dough.  I didn't use fresh, but I assume you would want to do the same with them. 

{Whole Wheat} Caramel Dark Chocolate Chip Bagels

You are only eight ingredients away from homemade, from scratch caramel chocolate bagels that give Panera Bread a run for their money. 

 

Sundays are special days.

It is the Lord's day.

It is the last day of the weekend.

It is the day everyone is home.

It is the day we get bagels at church.

 

(and it is the day of my volleyball practices. All those things mentioned?  I really like Sundays)

Back to the bagels; a couple years ago, we had several gals from our church that worked at Panera Bread.  Panera Bread let them take all their leftover/old breads, bagels, desserts, etc., on Saturday and we've had Panera Bread and coffee every Sunday for many Sundays now.  My siblings always look forward to the bagels.  Oh, and the cookies.  But the chocolate chip bagels are very popular.

I decided to make them at home.  Originally, I was going to do salted caramel and coconut (it was one of my New Year's Resolutions) but after the salted chocolate and coconut popcorn, I decided two salt + coconut recipes in a row was a little too much.

So I added caramel.  

Total win.

 

 

I used Kraft's caramel bits, but I bet you could also chop up their caramels. The caramel bits soften throughout the baking and especially after being stored overnight.  The chocolate and caramel kind of melt into the bagel, spreading those flavors throughout the whole bagel. The texture is spot on; chewy edges and soft centers. When they tried these bagels, my family described them as having "excellent flavor and texture"  Guys, do you know how technical that is for them?  Usually I get a "mmff, good" or "it's sweet!"  I was even surprised at how authentic it was. Just like Panera.

I take that back. 

Even better.
 

 

{Whole Wheat} Caramel Dark Chocolate Chip Bagels
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from Heather's French Press
Yield: 8 bagels

1 package of active dry yeast

2 tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 cups of warm water

1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup caramel bits

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

 

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and let rest for five minutes. 

Mix together the salt and the flours. 

Add the yeast and the additional water to the flour mixture. 

Fold in the caramel and chocolate chips.

Knead until you have a soft and elastic dough, either by hand or using the dough hook of a stand mixer.  Cover the dough and let rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

After the dough has risen, divide the dough into 8 balls .

Press into the center of each ball forming a hole, and stretch to form the bagel shape.  Place on a cookie sheet and let rest 30 more minutes. 

Pre-heat the oven 425 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Boil the bagels - 1 or 2 at a time for 3 - 4 minutes.  (they will float to the top when ready)

Place on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes. 

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

January is really just the month for using up all those Christmas flavors. I"m making gingerbread an honorary member of the bowl season. It begin a couple days before Christmas and goes on until Monday. So these gingerbread cinnamon rolls are safe *whew*

Why is it, that every time there is a a bowl sheet contest, the person who cares the least does the best?  Abigail, my six year old sister, who, granted, does like football, but wouldn't know how to pick logically to save her life, was waaay ahead of all of us until last night? And that my dad and I, pretty football savvy people (ok, my dad is football savvy … I'm just competitive) are tied for fifth?  I bet my friends who just picked arbitrarily are whopping me. It always works that way. Ugh.

(Funny story; The Florida State Seminoles are playing the Auburn Tigers for the National Championship.  While Nathan was helping John Caleb pick his bowls, he asked him which one was his favorite.  John Caleb promptly responded, "The cinnamon rolls, of course!")

Anyways, as a consolation, I have these rolls. I had originally made three dozen of these for Christmas, but when plans changed and we were no longer hosting, these got to hang out in the freezer while we drove to Texas. I pulled these out, let then thaw and baked them.  The pan was licked clean. How could you resist buttery, ginger and cinnamon spiced, big fluffy cinnamon rolls?  (And these are 100% whole wheat ... Without sacrificing the fluffy factor ... Yeah, they're pretty cool ;)

The filling is where the gingerbread flavors shine.  There is molasses and cinnamon and ginger mixed in with the butter and then generously slathered onto the dough before baking.  It then melts into and around the dough, making sure these have gingerbread flavor.  It isn't overpowering, but you can definitely smell the ginger while the cinnamon rolls are baking!

Now, yeast can be scary.  Whoever thought the dark was scary has never experienced the panic that the yeast was messed up.  One of the first times I made yeasted bread, I called my best friend, frantically wondering what I needed to change in the recipe since I didn't have instant yeast, just active dry.  I was all ready to adjust the amounts of water and flour and salt, but she just laughed and told me she just subbed them equally. 

Really?  Really?!

Yeast isn't scary.  Really.  This dough is some of the easiest I have ever mixed together.  I remember how intimidated I was by cinnamon rolls and all the steps, but here it is broken down, easy peasy.

1. Mix the dough. 

2. Let rise.

3. Add remaining flour and knead.

4. Roll out and cover with gingerbread butter.

5. Cut and let rise.

6. Bake.

7. Enjoy.

Easy peasy. Really. 

I always use Red Star yeast and it has never let me down. It makes baking with yeast simple and leaves me with excellent breads. Every singe time. (I was not compensated to say that; it's just the truth!)

These aren't as fluffy as your average cinnamon roll, but they're still got fluff (that wasn't awkward at all) and are plenty soft.  The whole wheat makes them more filling and I definitely feel fuller faster (point for alliteration) when I eat these. But they're so good, it's hard to not eat seconds!

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life. Filling Adapted from Crazy for Crust

Yield: 2-1/2 dozen

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll Dough:

3-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup dry powdered milk

6 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon dough enhancer

2-1/2 tablespoons gluten

3 tablespoons Red Star active dry yeast

4 cups (more) whole wheat flour

Gingerbread Filling:

2 sticks butter

2 tablespoons molasses 

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon allspice 

1 tablespoons nutmeg

1-1/2 tablespoons ground ginger 

1/3 cup flour

If you have a Bosch bowl:

Layer first four ingredients for dough and pulse once or twice.  Add remaining ingredients, except for the four cups of whole wheat flour, and pulse until flour is completely moistened.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

Then, turn bowl on speed 1 and add the remaining four cups whole wheat flour slowly, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and the dough pulls together into a ball.

Add remaining four cups flour and turn bowl onto speed 1 for three or four minutes.  

Remove dough from bowl and cut into three equal sections. Roll each section into a rectangle. 

Take one of the rectangles and spread 1/3 of gingerbread filling evenly over the dough and roll up. Cut into 12 equal pieces (a bench cutter or floss work well)  Place cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, between 1-2 hours. 

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. 

Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 

To freeze: after placing cut cinnamon rolls in the pan, cover (make sure it is airtight) and store in freezer. When ready to use, remove from freezer and let thaw (mine took 4-6 hours) before baking. 

If kneading by hand:

Combine the dry powdered milk, 6 cups whole wheat flour, salt, dough enhancer, gluten, and yeast. Set aside. 

Heat the water, oil, and honey together in the microwave until the the mixture is hot to touch, 1-2 minutes.  Stir the water mixture into the powdered milk/flour mixture. Add the eggs. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for 15 minutes. 

Add in remaining four cups flour and knead again, for several minutes, until dough has an elastic consistency.

Remove dough from bowl and cut into three equal sections. Roll each section into a rectangle. 

Take one of the rectangles and spread 1/3 of gingerbread filling evenly over the dough and roll up. Cut into 12 equal pieces (a bench cutter or floss work well)  Place cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, between 1-2 hours. 

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. 

Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 

To freeze: after placing cut cinnamon rolls in the pan, cover (make sure it is airtight) and store in freezer. When ready to use, remove from freezer and let thaw (mine took 4-6 hours) before baking. 

Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Mint and Dark Chocolate Cookies

I've seen so many cookie recipes that had cream cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt in them and I have been dying to try it.

I've decided my "New Year's Resolutions" are going to be all recipes I need to make.  That is acceptable, right?

Cream cheese, etc. cookies were on the list. Now I can scratch them of.  First up: More homemade granolas.  Then, a a three layer cake.  And then, well, I think salted caramel + coconut would be good.  I'm not putting greek yogurt on the list, but I would like to do more with that.  You know what really needs to happen?  I have got to be more disciplined in responding to all your wonderful comments.  I was adding recipes to my recipe page (another thing I am TERRIBLE about keeping up with) and realized how many comments I didn't respond to.  I felt really bad!  So I'm going to reply as soon as possible instead of waiting to do it all at once.

Ok, back to the cookies.  Consuelo's recipe caught my eye, especially when she said her brother's couldn't tell a difference from this version to the real version!

Now, there are a couple things you should know about these cookies (besides the usual "they are amazing!")  They are uber soft.  They hold up well, but they are pretty moist, which I love, but if you are hard and crunchy cookie person, then you won't like these.  As you can tell, they stack fine, so they aren't falling apart, but if you don't plan on eating them in the next couple days after baking, freeze 'em, because they're too moist and soft to store for that long.  Read: mold - and that isn't the green we are going for!

But those green chocolate chips?  They are good!  They were part of a holiday chocolate chip mix, with mint chips and dark chocolate chips.  They were on sale and since mint and chocolate counts as a "classic" combo, I felt okay about posting them after Christmas.  Read: Yeah, I'm behind.  What else is new ;)

Oh, also, I'm going to grind my oats next time.  They didn't soften into the baked cookie as much as I thought they would and did add texture.  I was good with it, but my mom was convinced, I mean convinced it was coconut.  Just a warning if you don't like texture in your cookie. 

 

Overall, I really liked how they turned out!  They were soft, melt in your mouth, and sturdy enough to travel.  And they are completely whole wheat and have almost a cup of Greek yogurt, which means you can indulge your mint and chocolate craving without a problem. 

Update!!!  Okay, this might sound strange, and it probably is, but it works.  Freeze these cookies and eat them frozen.  I know, it sounds wrong, but it isn't!  Because these are so soft, they don't freeze solid, they are just firmer and a little denser.  They are delicious either way, but after trying a frozen one, I liked it better. 

They look exactly like regular cookies, and if you didn't know better, you would think they were made with all butter and white flour.  Finally, a healthy cookie that isn't no bake!  Thanks Consuelo!

 

Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Mint & Dark Chocolate Cookies
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from Honey and Figs Kitchen
Yield: 16 cookies

heaping 1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup oats (I would suggest grinding them if you don't like textured cookies)
scant 1/4 cup cornstarch
scant 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup mint and dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease cookie sheets

Beat butter, Greek yogurt, and egg together.  Add sugars and beat again.  Add flour, oats, cornstarch, powder, soda, and salt and stir until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
Let chill in freezer for 30 minutes or in refrigerator for several hours. 
Scoop chilled dough onto baking sheets.  Flatten cookies slightly.  Bake for 13-15 minutes.  Do not bake any longer than this!  Let cool on pans for five minutes before letting cookies cool completely on wire racks.  Store in air tight container or freeze.