Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

I really can't picture myself making muffins without oatmeal these days. Truthfully, I never pictured myself being a muffin maker, but here I am! Making muffins…

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cups flour
2 Cups oats
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 Tsp vanilla
2 Tsp baking powder
1 3/4 Tsp baking soda
3/4 Tsp cinnamon
2 Eggs
1 Cup of bananas (frozen and defrosted)
1/4 Cup butter
Pinch of salt.

Directions:
Cream butter with sugar, add vanilla, mashed bananas, eggs then combine with dry ingredients. Add about 1/4 cup worth of mixture to paper cups in muffin tins and bake 18-22 minutes at 325.

It's like the best banana bread you ever ate, shaped like a muffin, in your mouth!

Semi-Milk Chocolate Brownies

As requested I have posted this variation of my brownie recipe (adapted from Anna Olson's Triple Chocolate Brownie recipe).

Ingredients:
2 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 Cup of butter
1 Tsp vanilla
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup flour
3 Eggs
Pinch of salt
1 Cup milk chocolate chip pits

Direction:
Melt semi-sweet chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Take off heat and add vanilla, salt, sugar - mix. Add flour and mix then one egg at a  time and mix. Lastly add the milk chocolate and empty on parchment paper in a  rectangular cake dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 325. Normally I do 38.

PS. If you serve with a plate of fruit you won't feel as bad about eating 3!

Eggnog Pancakes!

I would double this batch!

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

2 Cups eggnog

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1Ttbsp (15 mL) sugar

1 Tsp  baking soda

Directions:

Cook over medium heat in a  non cook skillet. Wait until slightly bubbly then flip! You'll get it eventually - making pancakes isn't really something you learn by reading directions.

This was christmas breakfast! Served with a homemade apple-pear sauce, Quebec Maple syrup from a family-friend's farm and local sausage. Yummers. 

The Best Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

The secret ingredient is cinnamon!

Ingredients:

½ Cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ Cup sugar

½ Cup brown sugar

2 Eggs

1 Tsp vanilla extract

½ Cup peanut Kraft smooth peanut butter

1 ½ Cup all purpose flour

1 Tsp baking soda

1/2 Tsp cinnamon

¼ Tsp salt

Adapted from an Anna Olson recipe.

Directions:
Rolls dough into small balls and place on parchment paper. Press down gently with a fork once (first dipped in flour to reduce sticking to the dough). Bake for 10-12 minutes on parchment paper

depending on the size.

Eggnog Cookies

Better late than never! And these are so worth a try! First time making them… even though I'm not a HUGE eggnog fanatic the spices were so nice.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 Cups of flour
2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp of cinnamon
1/2 Tsp of nutmeg
1/2 White Sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup butter
1/2 Cup eggnog
2 Large egg yolks.

Directions:
Combine sugar with butter and cream. Add vanilla, egg yolks, eggnog and blend.
Mix dry ingreedients separately then combine.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes (Until buttons are golden). I just put some plops of dough on parchment paper to give it a rustic feel and topped with pieces of pecans.

Plated with my double chocolate butterscotch brownies.

Candied Ginger Brownies

Adapted from the classic Anna Olsen "Triple Chocolate Brownies Recipe" - My hero!

2 Cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 Cup butter
1 Tsp vanilla
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Flour
3 Eggs
1/2 Candied ginger chopped to chip pit size
1/2 Cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
In a double boiler melt chocolate and butter over medium heat. Take off heat and add vanilla, sugar then flour and then eggs (hopefully it's not so hot now). Then add the additional cup of ingredients as you chose to flavour your brownies: White chocolate and Candied ginger

Bake at 325 in a rectangle cake dish on parchment paper for 35 - 40 mins.

Rice Krispie Christmas Balls

Tastes like childhood in your mouth and fun for all ages!

4 Cups of marshmallows
6 Cups of rice kris pies
3 Tbsp of butter

Do I need to explain? Melt marshmallow and butter together then combine with rice krispies. I didn't have an oven available to me at the time so I did it in the microwave (45 seconds at a time and mix for three rounds).

Fill bowls with different colour sprinkles and have at'er!

Ho ho ho….