Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins

Well, I've been slacking about blogging lately, but given that I am the size of a hippopotamus, tired, working full time, and chasing a 2 year old.... think you can forgive me? :)

Although, to be fair, in about 5 weeks it's going to be worse. I won't be the size of a hippopotamus (hopefully) or working out of the house full time, but I will be even more tired, chasing a 2 year old, and taking care of a newborn.

Anyways, on to the recipe... I've been looking for a health(ier) muffin recipe for awhile, that actually looks good. Some of those healthy muffin recipes out there don't really look that appealing... I want healthy AND tasty! So when I saw this, I knew I had to try it! I love bananas (and need them for the potassium a lot right now), and I love peanut butter.... definitely worth a try!

They are very much a healthy muffin.... they are very thick, and not very sweet. But, that being said, they are still really good! Fresh of out of the oven, I thought they could use more banana--but when having another one cold, the banana is much more noticeable.

If you are looking for something healthy & yummy... these are worth making!!!

Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 medium size bananas, mashed
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease muffin tin, or line with paper cups.
2. In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients together. In medium size bowl mix the wet ingredients well. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until no flour streaks remain.
3. Divide batter evenly into muffin tin, filling almost to the top. Bake 16-20 minutes until toothpick stuck in center comes out clean.
4. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Yield/Time

18 muffins

30 minutes

Source (for original): Life is Nothing Without Him

Heavenly Skillet Cookie

I will admit to being fairly afraid of my husband's cast iron skillet. (And yes, I consider it 'his' cast iron.) Once in awhile I will get brave & use it, but I am usually afraid of 1) ruining the food or 2) ruining the cast iron. I know it's cast iron, and pretty much impossible to ruin, but I am still afraid of doing something that would cause it to need some SERIOUS cleaning. So.... I stay away from it. 

...Until I saw this recipe. Cookie in a skillet generally looks very 'blah' to me, but this looked amazing. Chocolate chips, oatmeal, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter.... Mmmm, some of my favorite ingredients. So I had to give it a try!

(And yes, Nathan was super excited when I texted him at work to tell him I was making something in his cast iron.)

The general consensus is that this recipe is AMAZING. It's not sickeningly sweet (which Nate approves of), but still very rich and yummy! This is going in the "make again, many times" pile!

Heavenly Skillet Cookie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not quick cook or instant)
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ice cream, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°, and spray cast iron skillet with cooking spray. (Alternatively, may use 9”x9” pan.)    
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. (May microwave butter to a browned-butter state.) To the melted butter, add sugar, egg, vanilla, and whisk or stir vigorously to combine, for about 1 minute. Add the flour, baking soda, salt; stir until just incorporated. Add the oats and stir to combine. Pour slightly less than three-quarters of the dough into the skillet, reserving about 1 1/4 cups to be crumbled on at the end; set skillet and reserved dough aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour mixture over the dough in the skillet. Drop tablespoon-sized chunks of the reserved dough into the skillet, then sprinkle with chocolate chips.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until edges begin to barely crisp up and most of the top surface of the cookie has set. The center may not be completely set.
5. Cookie may be served immediately; optionally serve it with ice cream. Extra cookie may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, reheating gently in the microwave before serving leftovers if desired.

Yield/Time

8 servings

40 minutes

Source (for original): Averie Cooks

Soft Honey Oat Bread

Between the pregnancy and some sinus/ear stuff, I have been feeling pretty cruddy for the last week. So when I woke up yesterday morning feeling decent, I decided it was time to get some of my baking done! (And actually make real meals.)

I decided to make bagels (recipe to follow) and this soft honey oat bread! They're both breads I wanted to make in the next couple of weeks, and days off are best for making bread! 

In general, I am NOT a honey fan, not by itself. Nate & Gabriel both love it, but I would rather just have it in something to sweeten it up! Breads are the best for honey, if you are going to add much of anything sweet. (And this bread is definitely sweet! At least with how much honey I put on top!) 

We absolutely love this bread! I don't know if it's the honey or the milk, but it's incredibly moist. I even decided to make a double batch.... but then I had to knead it by hand, because my KitchenAid couldn't handle it. :( On a side note, I've decided I want a bigger KitchenAid for Christmas next year. It's only $500, I'm sure I can convince Nate I need it! ;)

If you are looking for a great sandwich bread... this isn't it. (Well, I don't think it is, at least.) This is great warm, or just with a little bit of butter or honey. For me, it's too sweet (especially the crust) for sandwiches. If you don't put much honey on top (see instructions), it might be manageable though. We actually got a big jar of honey from my brother & sister-in-law for Christmas, from their farm. I didn't use any of that for actually making the bread (it seems like a waste to put such nice honey IN the bread), but I would be very surprised if Nate doesn't! He was SOO excited when he saw the honey!!

I didn't change this one much from the original, aside from how much honey/oats I put on top. I don't measure, I just pour out some honey til it looks pretty, and sprinkle on some oats til it looks pretty. :) (Don't blame me, my Mama taught me how to cook.)


As always, comments are love!

Soft Honey Oat Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour    
• 3/4 cups oats + extra
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast    
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk     
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter     
• 1/4 cup honey + extra

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, yeast, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, warm the milk so it’s hot enough to melt the butter, but not boiling. Add the butter, stirring until melted, then stir in the water and honey. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing with a dough hook. 
3. Knead in the mixer (or by hand) for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is still wet and sticky after 5 minutes, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is barely tacky. If the dough is too dry, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to soften it up. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about ½ to 1 hour.
4. Once doubled, place the dough on a clean, dry work surface. With your fingers, flatten the dough into a 9”x12” rectangle. Tightly roll the dough into a loaf. Place the shaped dough into a 9”x5” loaf pan, cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled, about ½ to 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. When the loaf is doubled, drizzle warmed honey over the top and sprinkle with oats.
7. Place the bread in the oven and pour boiling water into a pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown and the internal temperature is about 190°.
8. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Yield/Time

Makes 1 loaf

Total time: 2-3 hours

Source (for original): Bakingdom

Glazed Peanut Butter Bars... celebrating New Year's!

*Note: Originally published 1-4-14, recipe & picture updated 9-4-16

On New Year's Eve, we went to a party at a friend's house. Being me, I couldn't arrive empty-handed. What to bring, what to bring.... Had to be something that wasn't temperature sensitive, and was easy to snack on. Cheddar Bay Biscuits are always a plus (recipe coming soon!), and since I've been craving them for ages I decided to make Glazed Peanut Butter Bars. (And, if you missed the announcement... there's a reason I am having cravings!)

These bars are always a hit, whenever I take them somewhere! They are rich & sweet, with a lot of peanut butter! You can change up the glaze, too. The original called for butterscotch chips and milk chocolate chips, if I remember correctly. However, since I don't like butterscotch.... I always use peanut butter chips. Thought about trying this with Nutella instead of the peanut butter in the glaze, too. I am just afraid of it not turning out well, and wasting Nutella. ;)

Also, a note on the glaze: I will sometimes make extra (3/4 cup peanut butter & peanut butter chips, and 2 cups chocolate chips) to make it extra thick. Lots of fun.... not very good for you.

As always, comments are love!

Printable Recipe 

Glazed Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter-flavored crisco

• 1 1/4 cup peanut butter, divided

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons water

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

• 1 1/2 cup flour

• 1 1/2 cup oatmeal

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease a 9”x13” baking pan; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the crisco, ¾ cup peanut butter, sugars, & water. Beat in eggs & vanilla. Combine the flour, oatmeal, soda, & salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Spread into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. For glaze, melt chips & ½ cup peanut butter. Pour over warm bars and spread evenly. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Yield/Time

Approx 3 dozen.

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

207 cal/bar (batch of 36 bars) -- 248 for extra glaze
155 (48 bars) - 186 for extra glaze

Source (for original): Mama (not sure where she got this...)

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

My family is not the type to accept anything in return for doing you a favor. Get a Grandma or Aunt to watch the baby at the last minute? (Or, in the case of my mom, on a regular basis in place of daycare?) If you try to pay them, not only will you offend them, but you'll get an earful about it. (I have a few funny stories about that, too.) So, I have just learned to provide 'payment' with food. "Oh, you watched the baby for me? Here, have a batch of cookies." No one turns down food. (Not in my family, at least.)

So when Mama agreed to watch Gabriel overnight the other day, in addition to watching him during the week, I knew I should do something nice for her. What to do, what to do. I wanted to try a new recipe for her, one I knew she would like--and I've been eyeing the raspberry oatmeal bars over at Heavenly Homemakers (an awesome blog, btw) since she posted them a couple weeks ago. It's something she's guaranteed to like, but was easy to make when I made the decision at 9:30 at night. 

Essentially, it's a bit like a cereal bar, with jam between 2 layers of an oat mixture. Mmmm!

They even have whole wheat flour & oats--that makes them good for you, right? ;)

It did stress me out to use an entire jar of strawberry jam for this. If these hadn't turned out, I think I would've cried.

 

I did play with the recipe a bit, but there are more changes I would recommend. 1, if using sweetened jam (like I did with my homemade jam), cut down on the brown sugar. Maybe ¼ cup? And 2, cut down on the butter. A lot. I would try ½ to ¾ cup; 1 cup is entirely too much for my tastes. The pan may need to be greased if you cut it down too much, but it would be worth taking the extra butter out. (And please let me know if you try this! I would love to hear how it turns out!) 
 

 Remember: Comments are love! And if you have a problem commenting on the blog, please let me know! I know people have in the past, but I think that should be resolved,
 

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• ¼ - ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ - 1 cup butter, melted
• ¾ cup strawberry jam, warmed (Or blackberry, or blueberry, or peach, or apple jelly, or....whatever!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Stir in melted butter until crumbly. (You need to be able to press it into the pan, but don't necessarily want it to be soaked in butter.) 
3. Press half of the mixture into an 8”x8” baking pan.  Spread jam evenly over the top.  Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top of the jam layer, pressing down to cover.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield/Time

20 pieces

45 minutes

Source (for original): Heavenly Homemakers 

The Best No Bake Cookies

I'm sure everyone's heard of no bake cookies. Most people instantly envision those little cookies with chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal. (Sometimes butterscotch, but I don't like to think about those--it just seems sacrilegious to take something that could be made in chocolate and NOT make it that way.) I don't know anyone that has never heard of them--and even for those who don't cook, I see these things at gas stations all the time.

Unfortunately, while most people are aware of no bake cookies, most recipes are the same; which means that most are fairly dry and contain wayyyy too much oatmeal. (Unlike chocolate chip cookies, where there is an infinite amount of variations.) This recipe, however, has some slight variations that make a huge difference. (More peanut butter, less oatmeal.)

I have never had any no bakes that were as good as my mama's....without following the same recipe she does. (And I am not just saying that to flatter her; she doesn't read my blog.) She has made them this way for as long as I can remember; and I much prefer them this way! (I usually get compliments from people who've never had them like this before, too.)


Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite type of no-bake cookie?

Printable Recipe

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons cocoa
• ¼ Cup margarine
• ½ Cup Milk
• ¾ Cup peanut butter (can use crunchy for extra texture)
• 2 to 2 ½ cups oatmeal

Directions

1. Mix cocoa and sugar, set aside.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan; add milk. Add sugar mixture, stir well. Bring to a rolling boil. 
3. Boil for one minute, then remove from heat.
4. Quickly add oatmeal and peanut butter, stirring well. Spoon onto wax paper to cool.

Yield/Time

Approx 2 ½ dozen

20 minutes

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

134 cal each (for 28 cookies)

Source (for original): my mama. (I have NO idea where she originally got the recipe from.)

When I have compared this recipe to others that I have seen (even doing a quick Google search), most call for decreased amounts of peanut butter (usually 1/2 cup) and increased amounts of oatmeal (3 cups). It's really all down to personal preference, but if you've never had them this way, I would recommend you at least try it! These are much creamier and more smooth than many I've seen.

However, a little bit of advice: 
 

In the years I have been making these, I have learned that the recipe is actually quite particular. For example, Skippy peanut butter does not work with this. I don't know why it happened, but the one time I tried to use that, it ruined a batch. (Think instant hardening.) The batch may have been salvagable, but I seriously needed some chocolate at the time and I was so mad I just threw it all away and started over with Jiff. Jiff, or the Meijer/Spartan brands of Jiff work just fine. (Like I noted in the ingredient list, you can use crunchy peanut butter. It gives it extra texture and a fun change. I personally am not fond of doing it that way, but my in-law's like it.)

Also, using odd brands of butter/margarine don't seem to give it the same texture/consistency. I've tried a few, but at this point I just stick with Country Crock or Imperial margarine. 

The amount of oatmeal changes with personal preference. I add just over 2 cups (one cup, then one heaping cup); that seems to be the preference for my family.

 

 

That was my breakfast the morning I made these last.

Go on, admit it. You're jealous.

(Just please don't tell my mother that I am still cleaning out the bowl and eating no bake cookies by the spoonful for breakfast when I make them, even as an adult... )