More on Food Allergies

Sorry, no recipe today folks. But, I would like to share with you more about my allergy. Most people think that food allergies aren't that serious but those people...are WRONG! All allergies can be severe. I have two big pet peeves that just make me so angry. One is when I go out to restaurants and ask the waitress what oil they fry in and if my meal is okay and they answer with: "I think..." No. You can't think. You have to KNOW! It's a life or death situation. Just find out! Ugh...so annoying. This summer, when I went down to Tennessee with my family, the people were SO good about my allergy."Yeah, the owner has the same allergy!" or "I do, too!". It was really nice! The other thing that is super annoying is when people threaten me. "I'm gonna shove peanut butter on your face if you don't do what I want." Those people....enough said.

There will be a documentary on the discovery channel about food allergies and how they are serious and they are a problem. I recommend you watch even though I know many won't. Here is a link with more:
http://www.foodallergy.org/emerging-epidemic#.UifpRzasim4

Cookie Dough Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

I love cookie dough and chocolate. Like, a lot. Its not hard to tell, haha. So every time I get the chance to make dessert, it usually involves one of these 2 items. When I saw this recipe, I was a little nervous to try it. It does look difficult! But when they came out of the oven perfectly, I knew that it was one of those recipes I was going to make all the time! I brought them to a BBQ this summer, and they were a big hit! The best part? No need to mess with frosting!!

Cookie Dough Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Filling:

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened 
1/3 cup sugar 
1 egg 
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cupcake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups water

2/3 cups vegetable oil

2 Tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tins (24) with cupcake liners.

To prepare filling- Beat all ingredients except chocolate chips together until smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips.

To prepare cupcakes- Stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla.  Beat for 3 minutes. 

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with muffin batter. In each cup, spoon about 1 T. of filling and drop into middle. Bake for 20-25 min or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Let cool for 5 min in pans. Use a fork to lift out of muffin tin and onto cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops

At our house, we usually have bananas that get really brown and then nobody will eat them. So usually I would make banana bread, muffins, or bars but last year I had this obsession with cookies so I googled a banana cookie recipe and found this one. The thing is though, they were more like muffin tops than cookies so I renamed them. This recipe doesn't make much, but they are so good!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup ripe, mashed banana

1/2 t vanilla

1 t. baking powder

1 cup flour

1/4 t salt

1/8 t baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in vanilla, banana, and egg. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually beat into banana mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Drop by tablespoon 2 in apart on a sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 min. Let cool for 2 min before moving muffin tops to a cooling rack.

Zucchini Bread

So like I said earlier in the week, we have a ton of zucchini just sitting around at our house. So yesterday I made 6 loaves of zucchini bread. I found a good, easy recipe online. It's also kinda healthy because instead of butter it uses applesauce...I know what your thinking "wouldn't that make it apple bread...?" No. I was skeptical when I started this recipe but it is AMAZING and there are a ton of different variations to it!

Zucchini Bread*

Makes: 2 loaves

3 cups flour

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 cup applesauce

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, both sugars, baking powder, and baking soda. Then add the applesauce, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Once combined, add zucchini and mix.

Spray 2 loaf pans and split the batter between the 2 of them. Bake for 40-45 min or until it passes the tooth pick test. Wait until cooled to removed from pan.

* Variations:

Add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips with zucchini

Add 1-2 mashed bananas with applesauce (Warning: I have not tried this yet..)

After 15 minutes of baking, top with 1/2-1 cup of coconut (Haven't perfected this one yet)

Comment any other variations that you try!! :)