WW - Banana Chocolate Chips Muffins

Not a great weigh-in this week. I went away for a long weekend last weekend and I thought my food choices had been not too bad (except for the burger and fries on Friday night). I still went to the gym 4 times but I guess my food intake was more than usual. I will do better this weekend!!

As a treat for the office, I made two treats - the cranberry lemon muffins (see yesterday's post) and these light chocolate chip banana muffins.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

from Rose Reisman

3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1-1/2 medium bananas)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt or 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (added a few on top of each muffins)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat together bananas, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until well mixed. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; stir flour mixture into banana mixture.

Stir in yogurt.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide among prepared muffin cups.

Bake in centre of oven for 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in centre of muffins comes out clean.

White Chocolate Raspberry Poke Cake Close Up

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Ready for some of the easiest and most yummy cake you’ve ever had in your life? Because this White Chocolate Raspberry Poke Cake is exactly that. It’s super rich, indulgent and deliciously sweet.

There are a lot of different combinations of flavors I love out there. Peanut butter and chocolate is definitely one of them… hence the peanut butter chocolate cookies and the peanut butter and chocolate milkshakes. White chocolate raspberry is up there in the top three though and is one of those combos I feel like is routinely under hyped.

I know there are some of you out there that don’t like white chocolate (and yet, you’re here…) but I’m going to go ahead and assume you’re in the minority. Because white chocolate is delicious. And raspberries. Is there a better fruit in the world? I mean, we’re willing to put up with all those pesky seeds just to eat them! You’re in luck though, as this recipe helps you get all that raspberry flavor without the seeds mucking things up.

Plus, it’s poke cake. Which means its the easiest way to delicious out there – the perfect combination of flavors and moist cake that makes every single bite taste amazing.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links.

White Chocolate Raspberry Poke Cake

You will need:

1 box white cake mix and ingredients to make it

1 cup raspberry syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

11 oz bag white chocolate chips

4 cups buttercream frosting

Make cake mix according to directions. To maintain white color of the cake follow directions to only use egg whites. Before baking sprinkle ½ cup of white chocolate chips over the cake. Bake according to directions in a 9×13 pan. It should come out looking like so:

With all those delicious white chocolate pieces helping to create nooks and crannies in your cake.

Once the cake is cool enough to touch but still warm, use a spoon end to poke holes in the cake. This is the poke in the white chocolate raspberry poke cake. It should look a little like this:

Pour raspberry syrup over top. Set cake aside.

Melt 2/3 cup of white chocolate chips in a bowl. Once melted, incorporate the can of sweetened condensed milk. Pour this mixture over the cake. The white chocolate mixture and the raspberry syrup should be melting into all those little holes you created:

Set aside to cool completely.

Once cool, spread buttercream frosting over the top (or substitute whipped cream for a less sweet version). For prettiest results, spread a thin layer of buttercream over top and put in freezer for 5 minutes until layer hardens slightly. Then finish frosting. This will help prevent the cake and raspberry mixture from getting mixed in with the icing. Sprinkle remaining white chocolate chips over top.

Serve!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies were inspired by a recipe I have seen all over the net. It originated at Strawberry Cheesecake cookies from Elle's New England Kitchen.

In a mixer bowl, cream butter, add cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar, beat until well incorporated. Add the egg and flavorings.

Add chocolate, beat in. Then add the frozen raspberries. I kept them frozen so it would be easier. This increased the baking time a bit.

White Chocolate Oatmeal Walnut Cookies

Take classic Oatmeal Walnut Cookies to the next level by dipping them in white chocolate! These cookies are chewy with just the right amount of sweetness.

Oatmeal cookies have to be one of my favorite cookies. I like them chewy with crispy edges, sweet with a hint of salt. I have to say I am not a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies though. Nothing is worse than taking a big ole bite out of what you thought was a chocolate chip cookie, only to find out it is actually oatmeal raisin.

I’ve made these oatmeal cookies dozens of times but I’ve never dipped them in white chocolate before or added walnuts. About a month ago James went on a healthy eating kick and bought a huge bag of walnuts to snack on… that lasted about two days and I was left with a pound of walnuts in the pantry.

What’s Needed for Oatmeal Walnut Cookies?

To make these white chocolate oatmeal cookies, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Butter
• Eggs
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Old-Fashioned oats
• Chopped walnuts
• White chocolate chips

How to Make Oatmeal Walnut Cookies

1. Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
2. Add dry ingredients, followed by the walnuts.
3. Drop by the teaspoonful into a small bowl of sugar, coat, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.
5. Allow cookies to cool, then dip half of each cookie into a bowl of melted white chocolate.

Can I Use Instant Oats?

You need to use rolled (old-fashioned) oats for this recipe. Quick oats might work, but old-fashioned is best.

Can I Freeze Oatmeal Cookies?

Of course! Let them cool to room temperature, then seal in a freezer bag. You should probably wait to dip them in white chocolate until you thaw them.

Tips for Making the Best Oatmeal Cookies

• The walnuts were a good addition to these cookies, but they would also be good with pecans. Or, they are just as delicious without nuts. Don’t skimp on the white chocolate though… I don’t think I’ll ever make them without it again.
• Be careful when melting the white chocolate. I melt it in the microwave at 15-second intervals and stir between blasts. White chocolate tends to seize up, so watch it closely!
• You can easily transform these into oatmeal walnut chocolate chip cookies by adding chocolate chips to the dough.

More Easy Cookie Recipes:

• Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
• Brown Sugar Cookies
• Salted Caramel Cookies

What Not To Do When Making The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the test kitchen, there’s no shame in a failed batch of cookies. We went through trays and trays of burnt-edged, overly-sweet, unappealingly-textured cookies on our quest for the perfect recipe. And though it’s a bummer not to get the best batch every time, each of these trails taught us something new. As Miley Cyrus once said, “It’s the climb.”

Want to know what we've learned? Perfect, because we've organized it all in a pretty little chart for you.

1. Amount of Flour

Getting the flour ratio right is crucial to a nicely textured cookie. Too much and your cookie will be dry, crumbly, and chalky. Too little and your cookies will burn easily, spread a TON, and will feel greasy to the touch. No bueno.

2. The Mixing Method

We know the temptation to dump all your ingredients into a bowl and stir them together all at once. In fact, we did it! Surprisingly the results weren’t terrible, but the cookies were inconsistent in flavor. On the other hand, our over-creamed batch resulted in overly tough, puck-like cookies. Finding a happy medium between doing the most and doing the least is important for both the texture and flavor of your cookies.

3. Baking Powder

There’s a reason baking powder is never called for in cookies: Adding it results in cookies that have a Play-Doh texture and a vaguely chemical taste. We are NOT fans.

4. Eggs

You gotta have ‘em! Leaving them out will result in overly sweet balls of dough. Crunchy on the outside, doughy in the middle, and completely unsatisfying.

5. Sugar

Not enough and your cookies will taste more like shortbread, too much and they’ll be crunchy, burnt, and obviously way too sweet.

6. Bake Time

We’ve all burnt a batch of cookies, so you likely know the deal with over-baked cookies. They’re dry, crumbly, and come with a slightly bitter burnt flavor. Still edible, though! (Or if they’re really burnt, you can still pick out the chocolate chips, right?!) Under-baked cookies are doughy, soft, and slightly greasy. Luckily, if that’s your issue, you can pop ‘em back in the oven and give them a little more time.

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Vodka Soaked Strawberries

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I started Thoughtfully Simple in 2008 as a place to share my creative ideas with friends & family. The party has been going ever since. Read more about Tori ...

Vodka Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

1. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Place strawberries in a large bowl, then pour enough vodka over them to cover completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 6 hours.
2. Drain strawberries (reserving vodka for future use) and pat dry.
3. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.
4. Dip strawberries in chocolate and place on prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

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