Being so bad, can be so good sometimes. Especially when it comes to Valentine’s Day. Gifts of love, dressed as chocolate boxes the size of a small human. When you take the lid off, so many choices. Nuts, caramels, the sugar, oh the sugar. When special dessert occasions come up, the craving is hard to resist.
I think it has something to do with happy memories. Valentine’s Day brings me back to my elementary school days, gluing my cardboard mailbox together. How can you not have happy memories of glitter, hearts, and candy. Don’t even get me started on the parents who delivered pink frosted cupcakes.
So how to find the happy medium? The never ending quest of life. Especially when it involves dessert. Here are some quick, easy chocolate filled recipes to say, "I love you," everyday, even if it yourself.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 c. wheat bran
- 1 c. whole-wheat flour
- ½ c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ½ c. unsweetened applesauce
- ½ c. lowfat buttermilk
- ¼ c. olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. instant espresso powder
- ¼ c. mini chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-hole muffin pan with 10 paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the wheat bran, flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, buttermilk, oil, and egg; stir in the espresso powder. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter among the lined muffin cups and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (For mini muffins, bake for 14 to 16 minutes.)
INGREDIENTS
- Canola oil nonstick cooking spray
- 1 tsp. instant coffee powder or granules
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ c. unsweetened cocoa
- ½ c. all-purpose flour
- 1¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. sugar
- ¼ c. trans-fat free vegetable oil spread (60-to-70-percent oil)
- 3 large egg whites
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a cup, dissolve the coffee in the vanilla extract.
- On waxed paper, combine the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, vegetable oil spread, egg whites, and coffee mixture until well mixed. Then blend in the flour mixture. Spread in the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the brownies 2 inches from the edge comes out almost clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
- When cool, cut the brownies into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares. If the brownies are difficult to cut, dip the knife in hot water, wipe dry and cut. Repeat the dipping and drying as necessary.
INGREDIENTS
- 1.67 c. mashed ripe bananas
- ¾ c. packed light-brown sugar
- ¼ c. oil
- ¼ c. milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. each baking soda and cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1¾ c. white whole-wheat flour
- 1 c. mini chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15 x 10 x 1⁄2-in. baking pan with nonstick foil (let the foil extend about 2 in. above pan at both ends).
- Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Whisk in flour just until blended; gently stir in 1⁄2 cup of the mini chocolate chips.
- Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto a cutting board. Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cut each strip in 10; remove foil.
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