Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

In my last co-op basket from www.bountifulbaskets.org, I got a lot of bananas.  I decided to use up a few bananas with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins.  The muffins turned out delicious with the soft, fluffy consistency of a cupcake.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used 3 small bananas)
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt, mashed banana and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Overall

These muffins are the perfect breakfast on the go or snack or even dessert.  And with everything on hand, they’re very affordable to make.

Frugality

I had everything for these muffins on-hand.  It doesn’t get more frugal than that!

Look Forward To

I have some tomatoes and spinach to use.

Chocolate Cake

This was a recipe I found online for chocolate cake and an accompanying chocolate frosting.  It turned out moist and delicious with great texture and simple to make.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
• 4 ½  cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 ¼ cups baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½  cup milk

 

Directions

1.   In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Overall

This was a delicious recipe for simple chocolate cake from scratch and a perfect frosting match!  I will be making this again. 

Frugality

I had all the ingredients for this cake and frosting on hand so this recipe was virtually free.  J

Look Forward To

I bought the ingredients to make baked pasta for tomorrow night.

Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies

I found this recipe on http://blog.e-mealz.com/2011/10/4-ingredient-nutella-cookies/.  The only change I made was I added half a bag of chocolate chips and added a second egg.  These are simple to make and taste good.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies

Ingredients

¨            1 cup nutella

¨            2 eggs

¨            ½ bag chocolate chips

¨            1 cup flour

¨            ½ cup sugar

 

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.   Place everything in the mixer and mix until well blended.

3.   Form into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet with a few inches in between the balls.

4.   Use the bottom of glass or jar to press down on cookies.

5.   Bake 8 minutes, cool on wired rack before storing.

Overall

These cookies are just the right combination of soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.  Very easy to make and delicious.  I will be making these again.

Frugality

The nutella was $3 and everything else was on hand. 

Look Forward To

I still have a broccoli to use and there’s a shopping trip in my near future.

Brown Sugar Cookies

When my husband brought this recipe to my attention, he swore it was amazing.  So I made it and he was right.  These cookies are delicious and easy to make. 

Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

¨            ¾ cup brown sugar

¨            ¼ sugar

¨            1/3 c butter softened

¨            2 eggs

¨            A splash of vanilla

¨            ½ teaspoon cinnamon

¨            2 cups bisquick

¨            ½ cup chopped nuts

 

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.   In mixer, combine sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon until mixed well.

3.   Add bisquick  and nuts. 

4.   Scoop tablespoons of batter on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.-Should make about 15 cookies.

5.   Cook for about 18-20 minutes. 

Overall

Very easy cookie to make and delicious.

Frugality

All of the ingredients in this recipe were on-hand in my pantry.  This baker’s dozen was virtually free.

Look Forward To

I still have a broccoli, a cauliflower, some red and green bell peppers, a head of iceberg lettuce, 12 plums and 6 nectarines…

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on www.allrecipes.com.  I made some adjustments and this is what I came up with.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• ½ cup melted milk chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips.

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave ½ cup of chocolate chips until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.
2. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients:  sugar, cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and 1 cup chocolate chips
3. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and chocolate; beat well. Stir in the dry ingredient mixture. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.
5. Allow loaves to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan.

Overall

This was simply delicious….the best bread I’ve ever made in fact.  It reminds me of cake!

Frugality

The zucchini was on sale at Sprouts for $0.88, the chocolate chips were $2 from Target and everything else was on hand.

Bananas Foster

So I’m at home staring at bunch of bananas from my co-op basket.  So anyways I have more bananas that I could eat in a week and I’m craving something sweet, when it dawns on me that I probably have everything I need to make bananas foster.  Only I’m wrong because when I look up recipes it calls for dark rum and walnuts both which I do not have.  So I read around a bit and realize I can use Baileys (which I do have) and pecans and here is the recipe I ended up with.

Bananas Foster

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons bailey’s
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
• 1/4 cup halved pecans
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

 

 

Directions

1. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, baileys, vanilla and cinnamon. Mixture will heat up quickly so make sure to have everything measured out.  
2. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and pecans in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream.

Overall

This recipe was delicious and exactly what I was looking for.  It was smooth and creamy with little tiny crisps of sugar.  Tastes just like the bananas foster I enjoyed at a top notch restaurant.  Will definitely make this again with no changes.

Frugality

The bananas were from my co-op basket this week so they cost me about $0.80.  The ice cream was $3 for a half gallon from Fresh and Easy, the pecans were left over from the brie recipe I made this weekend and everything else was on hand.  This whole dessert could serve 4 and costs only $3.80.  Great deal!