Malt Chocolate Marshmallows

Homemade marshmallows are so much better than store bought marshmallows. I made them for the first time for Christmas, 2011, and well . . . haven't made them since. Then I kept seeing this chocolate malt marshmallow recipe on pinterest. I took it as a sign that it's time to try my hand at marshmallow making again. It not only looked delicious but was a bit more complicated than the mug recipes I've been making lately. The recipe calls for the use of a standing mixer (you need to beat the mixture for 18 minutes on high), but I don't own one. I did not let this deter me (I never do) and all that beating with an electric hand mixer paid off because these marshmallows are oh so good.

Ingredients: 
Cocoa slurry:
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa*
3/4 cup malt powder (I used Ovaltine)
2/3 cup boiling water

The base:
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch salt

The bloom:
4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For coating:**
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

*Use cocoa powder that has less than 1.5g of fat per tablespoon. Cocoa with more fat could result in heavy marshmallows.

Directions:
Spray a 7x11 dish with cooking spray (or lightly grease with butter). Whisk together the coating ingredients then flour the pan with roughly 2 tablespoon of the mixture. Reserve the rest of the coating mixture and set aside.

The slurry: Combine all the slurry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until mixture is smooth and well combined. Set aside.

The base: Place all the base ingredients into a medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Once it reaches a boil, wipe down the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush. Cover and allow to boil for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove the lid and insert a candy thermometer. Raise heat to medium-high and boil until the syrup reaches 260 degrees F.

The bloom: While the base is cooking, make the bloom. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time; it seemed to  take forever for my syrup to reach 260 degrees. Add the water and vanilla into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin across the surface and distribute evenly. The mixture will turn into gelatin, but that's okay. Set aside.

The base: As soon as the temperature reaches 260, remove from heat. Stir in the gelatin. Beware the mixture will foam up. Next, stir in the slurry. Mix until well combined and smooth. Pour into a large bowl (the bowl of your standing mixer if you have one) and attach the whisk attachment. Gradually bring mixture to the highest speed setting. The original recipe said to beat for 18 minutes. I beat my for 25 and probably could have made my marshmallows even fluffier by giving them another 10 minutes. Anyhow, your mixture should be light and fluffy like marshmallow creme.

Pour  the mixture into your prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover with a piece of foil and leave out at room temperature overnight to set.

Remove the marshmallow from the pan (I found it easiest to just lift the marshmallow from the pan versus turning the pan over). Dust the top of the marshmallows with the leftover coating mixture. Spray a knife or kitchen shears with cooking spray and cut marshmallows into squares. Store in an airtight container.

**You can use other coating. Skip the cocoa-powdered sugar all together, then after you cut them, coat  them with sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini-chocolate chips, or even dip them in tempered chocolate.

FYI: To die for smore recipe: Malt chocolate marshmallow, cookies and cream chocolate square (I used Ghirardelli) and graham crackers.

Enjoy!


~Krissy

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Mug

Banana bread, is it a breakfast food or a dessert? You make the call. But I will tell you how to make chocolate chip banana banana bread in about five minutes--that's prep and bake time!

Recipe has been adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1 ripe banana, mushed
2 tablespoon chocolate chips

Directions:
You will need a large, oversized mug for this recipe. The site I got the original recipe from did not forewarn me of this and this is what happened:

It's still delicious and cooked through, just a bit messy. So use a large coffee mug. Spray it with cooking spray. In the mug combine the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda . Add egg and mix well. Add vanilla, milk, and banana; combine well. Fold in chocolate chips.*

Microwave for three minutes. (Almost immediately it smells just like banana bread baking in the oven). Your mug is going to be very hot so make either let it cool in the microwave or be very careful when taking it out. Allow bread to cool before devouring.

*The chocolate chips kind of sink to the bottom of the banana bread. I don't mind this. It's kind of like a special treat at the bottom of the dessert, but fair warning.

Personally, I feel like this is a lot of banana bread. It's more than I can eat in one sitting. It's like a mini loaf of bread. So I dumped it out of the mug, sliced it, and shared it.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Check out these other mug recipes:
French Toast in a Mug
Quiche in a Mug
3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Mug Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Mug Cake
Chocolate-Hazelnut Mug Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Fluffernutter Mug Cake
Pumpkin Mug Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

French Toast in the Mug

Warning: This is highly addictive. When I was little, I remember my mom asking my brother and me if we wanted pancakes or French toast for dinner (breakfast for dinner, is there anything better in this world?). Ken would always say pancakes. I always voted for French toast. Now I can have French toast for breakfast, dinner, or just a snack with incredible ease.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 slices of bread, torn into bite-size pieces
1 egg white
1 1/2 tablespoon milk
1-2 drops of vanilla extract
cinnamon, to taste (I probably use about a tablespoon but I love cinnamon!) 
cooking spray
maple syrup, optional

Directions:
Spray the inside of a coffee mug with cooking spray. Add bread to the mug. You'll have to mash it down a little. In a small bowl, combine egg whites, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over the bread. Let the mug sit for about a minute so the egg mixture and sink down and absorb into the bread.

Microwave for about 1 minute 20 seconds on high. However, all microwaves cook different. Start at 1 minute and progressively add 10 seconds until cooked. Add syrup if desired. Allow to cool before eating (I burnt my tongue because I was too impatient).

As it cooks in the microwave, it smells just like regular French toast.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Check out these other mug recipes:
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Mug
Quiche in a Mug
3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Mug Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Mug Cake
Chocolate-Hazelnut Mug Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Fluffernutter Mug Cake
Pumpkin Mug Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Quiche in a Mug

I love eggs. But I hate cleaning eggy pans. Of course, I hate cleaning pans, period. Doesn't everyone? One of the great things about this quiche in a mug, no clean up. You make it, cook it, and eat it out of the mug. Talk about a quick easy breakfast (or lunch or dinner). Now, since there isn't a crust, I guess this doesn't technically qualify as a quiche. But that's what it reminds me of. And you could add cubed bread for a deconstructed quiche. This is also a very basic recipe. You can change it up by adding different ingredients to have different eggs every morning.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I wish I knew about all these mug recipes when I was in college. I would have eaten so much better.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cooking spray
cheese, optional
onions, optional
peppers, optional
ham, optional

Directions:
Spray the inside of the mug with the cooking spray. Scrabble the eggs and milk in the mug. Salt and pepper to taste. Add whatever other ingredients you'd like. Thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary . . . I always add cheese--cheddar being my favorite. If you have some green onions or peppers lying around, dice them and toss them in. Or if you have any leftover ham, sausage, or chicken, add it too. Just make sure it's all precooked. I love using quiches as a way to recycle leftovers into a new dish. They're also fun to experiment with.

Microwave on high for approximately 1 minute 20 seconds. All microwaves cook differently so you may need to cook it a little longer or a little shorter. I recommend starting with 1 minute and go up by 10 seconds from there.

Here are some quiche ideas to inspire you:
The Pizza Quiche
Spicy Sausage Spinach Quiche
Ham and Broccoli Quiche

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Check out these other mug recipes:
French Toast in a Mug
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Mug
3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Mug Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Mug Cake
Chocolate-Hazelnut Mug Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Fluffernutter Mug Cake
Pumpkin Mug Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies

So after the black bean chocolate chocolate chips cookies turned out so delicious, I had to play some more with bean cookies. Since chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are one of my all time favorite foods (I could eat roasted chickpeas every single day), I decided to make chickpea chocolate chip cookies. And I must say they didn't disappoint. Eric's family are fans. As his mom said, you don't have to feel guilty about getting one. Chickpeas are rich in dietary fiber, protein, manganese, and iron. All that in a cookie! Sadly since Eric knows these are made mostly out of beans and not flour and sugar, he won't even try them. But that just means more for the rest of us!

Recipe comes from here.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup peanut butter*
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookies sheet with cooking spray.

Add all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips in a food processor. Blend until mixture is smooth.
Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough onto the cookie sheet and flatten with a fork or spatula. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bottoms turn a golden brown and the chocolate chips melt.

*The peanut butter is going to give these cookies a slightly peanut butter taste (but who doesn't love peanut butter?). The original recipe called for cashew butter (I've never had it but it sounds divine). I used almond butter because I had it in the fridge and I used it in my black bean cookies. You couldn't taste it what so ever in those cookies. However, there was a slight almond taste to these chickpea cookies. And the almond just doesn't mingle as well with the nuttiness of the chickpea as peanut butter does. So I recommend peanut butter, but it's really a matter of opinion.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Healthified Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have long been fascinated with the use of beans in cookies, brownies, and cakes. But beans in desserts? Healthier or not, that just sounds . . . eww. But I was curious so I finally tried a batch of chocolate chocolate chip cookies made with black beans. Not only did these cookies have extra protein and fiber, they were incredibly moist and chocolaty. And you know what . . . you really couldn't taste the beans. I have to be honest, I didn't expect them to be that good, I certainly didn't expect the intense chocolate flavor.

But the true test would be having other people taste them. I didn't tell anyone they were made of beans. And guess what? They were a success. Eric's mom loved them. She never would have guessed they were made up of 90% beans. Even Eric, who doesn't tend to favor chocolate cookies, liked them too, though he said they wouldn't be his go-to cookie. I told him the cookies were healthified. I still haven't told them they were made out of beans. Shhh!

With a few minor changes, this recipe comes from here. 

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons almond butter (you can also use peanut butter)
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoon flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Place the beans, peanut butter, and milk into a blend and combine until smooth.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add the bean mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Your dough will be a bit sticky.

Place tablespoon of dough on the greased cookie sheet. Slightly flatten them with a spatula or fork. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Caramelized Onions

Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, one of the best combo ever created in my opinion. We dress up your basic canned tomato soup with basil (fresh is best but dried will work) then add some shredded cheddar cheese to our bowls. Eric also throws in a few pepperonis.

The key to our grilled cheese sandwiches is using shredded cheese instead of sliced cheese. It just melts so much better and you can heap on as much or as little as you'd like! Sharp cheddar, a Mexican blend, pepper jack . . . the options are endless. If you have a Meijer near you, their store brand taco shredded cheese makes an absolutely fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches--and is pretty damn good in the tomato soup too!

While Eric likes his grilled cheese sandwiches straight forward, I like to experiment with them. Add sun-dried tomatoes. Apples and red onion mayo. Maybe some pesto. Or barbecue sauce and caramelized onions . . .

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread (I highly recommend sourdough)*
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Butter
2 to 4 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce (ours is Sweet Baby Ray)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
In a skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add sliced onions. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the onions turn a golden brown and taste sweet, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Spread butter on into one side of each slice of bread. Spread the barbecue sauce on 4 slices of bread, opposite side of the butter. Use as much or as little sauce as you'd like (I used a couple of teaspoons).

Heat the skillet over medium-low heat and place a slice of bread butter side down in the pan. Working quickly, add roughly 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese and 1/4 of the caramelized onions then another slice of bread, butter side up. Cook until one side is golden brown and the cheese begins to melt then flip over and cook that side until it's golden brown. Repeat with the other two sandwiches.

Enjoy!

~Krissy