Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Muffins

Today is a special day, not only because I’m sharing whole wheat chocolate banana muffins on the blog, but also because I realized that I missed Living Lou’s first birthday last week! It was on the 9th, but I’m interrupting the regular Meatless Monday program for this very special occasion.

I can’t believe the site is a year old - it’s so exciting! It’s been a crazy, hectic year but I can’t imagine it without Living Lou and the amazing food blogging community.

When I started this blog I was a 17 year old, guitar playing, film loving, high school junior, trying to find an outlet as exam stress built up. Today, I’m still that same soccer playing, muffin loving girl but, I’m now 18, and a high school senior. This past year has been absolutely wild, you’ve seen me host a Royal Wedding Brunch, celebrate many Meatless Mondays, and embrace baking with prune puree and soon enough you’ll see me take on my fear of baking with yeast.

Most people like to celebrate their blog’s anniversary with cupcakes or cake, but you know me and muffins are my absolute favourite, so I’m celebrating our anniversary with these Healthy Banana Chocolate Muffins. You’re probably thinking, “Who celebrates with something healthy?!” well, truth be told, you would never know that these are healthy.

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Muffins (makes 12 muffins)
Recipe adapted from: Handle the Heat

Ingredients

3 mashed bananas
1/3 cup prune puree
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a muffin tin with baking cups. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, prune puree, egg and sugars. Add flours, cocoa powder, flaxseed meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix lightly with a rubber spatula and fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Store muffins in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days. Although, they probably won’t last that long.

Well, Happy 1st Birthday Living Lou and enjoy these healthy, whole wheat chocolate banana muffins.

- Lou

Healthy Pancakes

With so much going on in the world right now, today seems like the perfect day for pancakes, or breakfast for dinner. Such a simple dinner means you will have time to read up on the news, or tune in to your local news station. What a historic weekend we have experienced, two events which will be forever remembered.

I think that breakfast for dinner has to be one of the most loved meals, there’s just something about eating eggs, bacon and pancakes for dinner that is just so special. Today I’m sharing with you one of the best pancake recipes I have ever made. These pancakes are not only sweet and fluffy, but healthy too. Finely grated carrot adds to the sweetness and gives them a nice colour and flavor, the cinnamon is just the cherry on top. You would never know these were whole wheat pancakes with flax and bran unless I told you.

Healthy Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup finely grated carrot
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup bran flakes*
1/4 tbsp ground flaxmeal*
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup milk
2 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp brown sugar
butter for frying pancakes (2-4 tbsp)

*If you do not have flaxmeal or bran just add another 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
Directions

Whisk all the dry ingredients except brown sugar together in a medium bowl.

In another bowl, combine carrot, milk, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until combined.

On a griddle or frying pan over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp of butter. Depending on the size of your pancakes fry in batches. Flipping over once bubbles began to appear on the uncooked side of a pancake. Flip over and cook for another minute.

Serve warm with maple syrup.

Wrap up this historic weekend and begin your week with tasty, healthy pancakes.

- Lou

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Are these - gasp - whole wheat, banana, chocolate chip waffles with peanut butter whipped cream? That must be a lucky guess, because that is exactly what they are.

Take it in ladies and gentlemen, I think it's safe to say that the stars have aligned.

I love waffles, in fact, my waffle maker was the first kitchen appliance that I called my own. My parents gave me my wonderful waffle maker for Christmas when I was twelve or thirteen. It was a wonderful gift; I think I almost cried. That's slightly embarrassing ... I also had a dream about it once, is that embarrassing too?

I blame the waffles, they make me do weird things.

After many years (5 or so...) of making waffles, I finally concocted these bad boys with a certain friend of mine. You may remember her, she's a good baker, (meringues, or peanut butter cups anyone?) and she has a similar, bizarre passion for waffles. That's why we're friends.

Alright, enough chit chat, let's get to the main event.

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles (yields 6-8 large waffles)
Recipe adapted from: Pancakes & Waffles by Lou Seibert Pappas

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp honey
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
1 banana, sliced
1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat waffle iron.

Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer or hand mixer until soft, glossy peaks form.

In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients - egg yolks, honey, milk, butter, canola oil and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and carefully fold in the egg whites. Slice the banana into slices and then cut those slices in half. This creates "banana pockets" when you bite into the waffles. Mix in the banana and chocolate chips to the batter.

Using a ladle, ladle the batter into the waffle iron and cook until desired doneness, about 4 minutes for golden waffles.

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream
2 heaping tsp smooth peanut butter
1 tsp granulate sugar

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer beat the whipping cream and peanut butter until thick and the correct consistency. The amount of time depends on the speed of the mixer and the amount of cream used. Be careful not to over beat the cream as it will curdle and turn into butter.

At the last stages of whipping the cream, add in the sugar and combine on low for a second or two.

Serve the peanut butter whipped cream on top of the waffles with some banana slices, chocolate chips and maple syrup!

- Lou