Multigrain Maple Pecan Muffins

this will be short since i have a ferocious headache and i am procrastinating my duty to pack. i'm heading back home to the great state of Louisiana to warm up a bit, see my best friend & hang with my rents. oh and to score a few soft shell crab poboys, frog legs and bloody marys. all of which can only (properly) be found in that hot and sticky state. stay tuned for pictures of my culinary adventures.

but to these muffins - they rock, basically fat free, full of whole grains & sweetened with pure maple syrup. perfect for breakfast or when made into a minis as a snack.

MULTIGRAIN MAPLE PECAN MUFFINS

1/4c buckwheat flour

1/4c AP flour

1/4c wheat bran

1/4c rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger root

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/2c dark maple syrup (pure!)

1/2c buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4c plain yogurt

1/2c chopped pecans

*preheat oven to 350F, line your muffin pan

*sift together all the dry ingredients

*in separate bowl lightly beat the egg, then add in buttermilk, vanilla, yogurt and ginger

*stir the wet into the dry until just combined

*fold in the pecans

*pour into prepared pan, sprinkle with some extra oats and nuts

*cook 20 - 25 minutes until toothpick is clean

Gluten Free Banana Pecan Bread

i know - how many breads can one person make in a week?! well let me explain. I order most all of my groceries from an online grocer here in the city. you shop, they deliver the next day whenever you choose. sometimes they fubb up your order. nothing huge, but sometimes i'll get a conspicuous can of dog food or a yukon gold potato in place of a sweet potato - you get the picture. so this time around we received an extra bundle of bananas - which brought our total supply for the week to 12. this may seem plausible to a family of four - or someone who ate bananas everyday. but alas i don't eat them unless in baked goods and really only get them because it is one of the only fruits josh will eat without a coating of butter and sugar.

alright so lets make some baked goods! first off is this great gluten-free banana bread. i love it. high in protein and fiber, low in sugar. its the perfect way to start your day - woohoo!

I used ghee in this which is an kind of cultured butter. a friend of mine from india loaned me a bit of it awhile back after i quizzed him on its uses, etc ect. But, understandably if you do not have ghee on hand just go ahead a use coconut oil in its place. ghee gives an incredibly rich "depth of flavor" to this bread that you just can't beat.

GLUTEN-FREE BANANA PECAN BREAD

3 small - medium bananas, mashed

4 large eggs

1/2c honey

3 tbs melted ghee / coconut oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4c arrowroot

1/2c coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1c chopped pecans

*preheat oven to 350F, grease your loaf pan

*whisk together the eggs, honey, ghee/oil & mashed bananas

*in separate bowl sift together the salt, cinnamon, arrowroot, coconut, soda & baking powder

*pour the egg mixture into the dry, mix to combine

*fold in the pecans

*pour into prepared pan and cook for 50 minutes

Gluten Free Chocolate and Prune Cookies

we are finally moving - this saturday and of-course it looks like its going to be cold and raining. awesome! so hopefully one of these days soon i will have an apt that functions. functionality is a very very good thing.

so to the cookies - i love these little guys. again i'm cleaning out the ole pantry and trying to make something decently healthy. so for those of you who are not aware: prunes and chocolate go really well together. don't mess around with milk chocolate - go for the dark. trust me.

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE & PRUNE COOKIES

1 1/4c almond flour / meal

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 tbs coconut oil

1/4c agave

1 1/s tsp vanilla

1/4c chopped prunes

1/2c toasted pecans, chopped

1/4c dark chocolate, chopped

*preheat oven to 350F

*combine almond meal, baking soda and salt in bowl

*in separate bowl combine oil, agave and vanilla

*add wet to dry, stir to combine

*fold in prunes and chocolate

*roll into 1/2" ball (or heaping TBS) and flatten slightly

*bake for 8-10 minutes

Pumpkin White Chocolate & Pecans Cookies

so come sunday josh and i were reminiscing about how fabulous our thanksgiving dinner was last year - and how we can't wait to be at the end of November (and over with this NYC moving/working hell). and what says thanksgiving more than the disgustedly delicious low country sweet potato casserole!? yeah you know what i'm talking about - with the mini marshmallows and pecans on top. oh my!

so being the visually obsessive person i am; i went ahead and used pantry "leftovers" and concocted this cookie that looks like the infamous dish. i have to say it may not be a casserole, but it definitely screams autumn. the cookie itself is like a mix between a muffin and a cookie - maybe muffin top-ish? well anyways they are delish (josh ate 5 yesterday) and dare i say actually healthier for you than the marshmallow coated, buttered casserole it was modeled after. enjoy your autumn days!

PUMPKIN WHITE CHOCOLATE & PECAN COOKIES

1 1/2c + 2 tbs AP flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp salt

3oz butter, softened

1/2c sugar

1/2c brown sugar, lightly packed

2/3c pumpkin puree

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2c chopped white chocolate

1/2c toasted chopped pecans

*preheat oven to 350F

*sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt

*in separate bowl cream together butter and sugar to light and fluffy

*beat in egg and vanilla to combine

*beat in pumpkin to combine

*add flour mix, beat to just combine

*fold in chocolate and pecans

*drop by heaping tbs full onto sheet, flatten a bit

*cook for 10-12 minutes

Chocolate Banana Nut Cookies

like usual we can never finish off the last banana in the bunch so it just sits on the counter, taking up space, growing more and more spotted and unappetizing in appearance. perfect - make cookies. these are fun - next time i will switch out the butter with coconut oil and put in additional chocolate chips just to amp them up a bit. but they are a simple little snack as they are.

CHOCOLATE BANANA NUT COOKIES

1/2c semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled for 10 minutes

1/2 sugar

1/4c butter

1 medium banana, mashed

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1c + 2 tbs flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4c chopped walnuts or pecans

*preheat oven to 375F

*cream together the butter and sugar to light and fluffy

*beat in egg, then vanilla and melted chocolate

*in separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients

*stir in the dry ingredients into the egg mixture

*fold in the nuts

*drop heaping tsp of batter onto cookie sheet

*cook 8-10 minutes