Honey Apple Pancakes

I warned you about me and apples.  

I'm on a roll lately...getting in my fill of apples while they are fresh and crisp.

I came across this recipe for Honey Apple Pancakes in a Better Homes and Garden book and loved the ingredients that were used.  Much healthier than a normal pancake recipe with the use of honey and apple juice.  They state that a 2 pancake serving has on 3 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of fiber.  I helped this along by using a "lite" apple juice, which has 1/2 the sugar content, and topping it with sugar-free maple syrup.

The best part?  The apple flavor.  So warm and comforting!  And these pancakes rose very very well!  Such a great recipe with great flavors, I had to share!

Here's how the batter looks when preparing it.

The end result?
You tell me...

Look how fluffy!

Hope you enjoy them for your weekend breakfast or brunch!

Honey Apple Pancakes

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Servings: 8 - 4 inch pancakes

            

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup lite apple juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cooking oil
cooking oil spray

In a medium mixing bowl, stir flour, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice, and baking soda.  In a small mixing bowl, beat egg slightly; stir in apple juice, honey, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture; stir until blended but still slightly lumpy.

Lightly coat a nonstick griddle or skillet with cooking oil spray and heat over medium heat. For each pancake pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle or skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until pancakes have a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges. Turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until golden brown. 


Linked to:
Melt in your mouth Monday

Taco Salad

A "healthy new you" in 2012 brings out the salads in me.

I love a good salad.  I didn't used to.  To me salads never tasted as good when I made them...but they tasted excellent when someone else made them!  But salads lend you a creative outlet.  You can make so many variations and turn them in to something unique and delicious.


This particular salad is one that my friend Kayle taught me how to make a long time ago.   It's very forgiving, so you can change up the ingredients to utilize what you have on hand.  This is also a perfect salad for "pantry shopping" since you can use items your store.


So, I will give you the basis for my Taco Salad that I made, as well as some other options for substitutions.


Start with making some taco meat using my taco seasoning.

In a large bowl place a chopped head of cabbage.  TIP: using cabbage rather than lettuce, lends this salad great crunch, and allows you to keep the salad mixed together for several days and it won't get soggy!

Add, chopped tomato

Add chopped or shredded carrot

Then you can add slice jicima

Then add shredded cheese - I used both cheddar and monterey jack.

Add the taco meat

Stir all together

Place on individual salad plates and top with broken tortilla chips and Catalina dressing.


YUM!

Other salad variations:


Pinto beans
Black beans
Kidney beans
Garbanzo beans
Cucumber
Corn
Red Bell Peppers
Pepper Jack cheese
Pepitas

Enjoy your salad, be creative, and eat well!

Marshmallow Muffins

My love of muffins continues with a great recipe for Marshmallow Muffins.  Yes, I said marshmallow!


I love marshmallows...the taste, smell, stickiness.  I love it in ice cream, hot chocolate, s'mores, brownies, so why not in muffins?


I do have to warn you, these muffins are not overly sweet.  They have a definite darker chocolate flavor.  So if you like them sweet then you might want to add more sugar, or try one of my other muffin recipes.  You would think that the marshmallow lend more sweetness to the muffins, but alas...they don't.  So remember, I told you...these are not a prominently sweet muffin!


So being that they are unique with marshmallows and not overly sweet they are perfect for tea time or with a cup of coffee, or as an afternoon snack.


Hope you try these out!


First you want to take your mini marshmallow and cut them in half, making tidbits.  Place these in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix your dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  (Flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt)

Add your brown sugar and marshmallow tidbits.  Toss to coat the marshmallow in the flour mixture.  This will help them stay afloat in the muffins and not fall to the bottom.

In a small bowl combine your we ingredients (eggs, milk, oil) whisking to blend.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Mix just until moistened.  Do not over mix.  Add your batter to a prepared muffin pan.  I used cooking spray and I use an ice cream scoop for the batter.  It really does work best and gives you the perfect amount.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish cooling.


Enjoy!

YUM!

Marshmallow Muffins

Serves 12

1 c mini marshmallows

1 ½ c flour

½ c unsweetened cocoa

1 T baking powder

1/8 t salt

½ c packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c milk

6 T canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut each of the mini marshmallows in half and place in a bowl.  In a medium bowl combine your flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.  Add cut marshmallows and stir.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.

In another small bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil.  Whisk to blend.  Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Spoon batter into a 12 cup muffin pan that has been prepared with cooking spray.  Bake for 18 minutes.  Muffins should be well risen and firm to the touch.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.