whole wheat banana hazelnut muffins.

a.k.a: super-dense-keep-you-full-for-hours-convenient-and-yummy-breakfast-muffins!

i actually made this exact batch of muffins way back in august! i'm not sure why i hid them away for so long, because they were really delicious, hearty, textural, and filling!

they're made with some healthier ingredients and turned out very moist, dense (in a good way), and tasty. i would eat one in the morning at work and be FULL until lunch. especially if you spread some almond butter or something on top! so perfectly tame and easy to stomach early in the morning.

i have a weird problem with not being able to eat non-breakfast foods right when i wake up. i need something subtle to ease my way in to life. some folks i know do not have this problem at all and could wake up crack o' dawn and chow down a spaghetti dinner or a bowl of meat stew or something. me, nuh uh.

i really loooove hazelnuts. if you don't like, you can leave them out or substitute another type of nut. i'm all about that crunch factor baybay.

these also contain wheat germ, which i happened to have in the pantry, but i wouldn't say its totally necessary since you're adding whole wheat flour + oats anyway.

my dad used to make some lady's "healthy" cookie recipe and they contained wheat germ, so i always mentally held wheat germ on a pedestal of supreeeme health. i think it just adds some extra protein & vitamins to the mix, ain't nothing wrong with that!

they are especially delicious when cut in half and warmed up with a pat of butter & honey. :)

now that i look at these again, i think they would be really good with diced caramelized apple chunks in there as well. mmm, cozy. ima try it, mmk!

Whole Wheat Banana Hazelnut Muffins

Makes 12 regular sized muffins

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 TB honey
• 1/3 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
• dash of nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, cream together the brown sugar and egg. Stir in the mashed bananas and honey.

Slowly add all dry ingredients, mixing in between additions until the flour is incorporated. Lastly, add the oats, chopped hazelnuts, and a dash of nutmeg if desired. Mix until just combined. 

Spray, oil, or place paper cupcake liners in a regular sized 12-muffin tin.  Using a spoon or measuring cup, fill each cup about 2/3 full of batter.

Place the muffin pan on top of a flat baking sheet and place in the oven, to prevent burned muffin bottoms (the worst!). 

Bake for about 23 minutes.  Around 20 minutes, pull out of the oven and check the center of a muffin with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. If the toothpick is still slightly goopy, return to the oven for just a few minutes. Do not over-bake.

enjoy!

qp

pesto parmesan prosciutto pastry twists.

this recipe post is brought to you by the letter P!

and only 5 ingredients!

(^^^ real glad elmo's episode in that link above was about the potty..haha. i was just going to say how apparently so many great things start with the letter P. i suppose the potty is pretty great in its own special way, too.)

also: peter just asked if what's in that cup was melted butter for dipping..........🙈

oh the things you don't really notice about a photo until the last second.

it was a very bright BEER. i do not dip my pastries in melted butter, and i don't really recommend that to others. but that's your prerogative. [<< ooo, P word]

these twists are inspired by a delicious ham and pesto treat that my mom's friend makes around the holidays. i'd been wanting to twist something up into puff pastry so this seemed ideal! i made these right after christmas and they stayed moist and delicious in a container until new year's eve!

and the eaters of these puffy twists were delighted! it's great when something so enjoyable to everyone is so super easy to make. grrrreat successsss.

just unfold your puff pastry sheets, brush with olive oil, spread pesto, add prosciutto, sprinkle parmesan, twist, and bake!

they come out so puffy and perfectly savory and satisfying. i even cut them in half again after baking, so you can stretch this recipe quite a way and get about 24 little twists.

the puff pastry is soo buttery and delicious...you don't even need a side of melted butter for dipping!! 😉

(please refer to the melted butter mix-up above if you missed that tidbit.)

it was a little bit tough to slice through the prosciutto without it wiggling around. gently press the slice of prosciutto down so it stays in place. a serrated knife actually helped a bit.

then twist baby twist.

and sprinkle with more parmesan cheeeez!

one of the greatest things in life are those cheese crusters that occur on sides of grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, and these twists!

i purposely put cheese on the edges of all those items so it will crisp up into its own little crunchy cheesy side snack.

back in my starbucks days, we'd put the stray crumbles of cheddar cheese that fell off the frozen breakfast sandwiches onto parchment and heat em in the oven for a crispy cheese cruster morsel of delight. i think that era of cheese pilfering is the reason i call those, "cheese crusters...." who said that? what's a cruster? whitney was that you? nicole??

anyhow, y'all should try making these! and you can use this pesto recipe while you're at it!😉

PHENOMENAL! pip pip!

Pesto Parmesan Prosciutto Puff Pastry Twists

Makes 8 - 12 Twists

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 thawed puff pastry sheets (I use Pepperidge Farm)
• 1 - 2 TB olive oil, for brushing
• 2/3 cup fresh pesto
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 6 - 8 thin slices of prosciutto

Instructions-

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lay the thawed puff pastry sheets (unfolded) flat on parchment paper on top of a large cutting board. Lightly brush the surface of the pastry sheets with olive oil. Spread a thin layer of pesto across the sheets, staying about 1/4 inch away from the edges. Lay the prosciutto slices on top. Sprinkle with a handful of parmesan cheese. 

Make sure the parchment and pastry sheets are on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife or pizza cutter, slice the sheet into 4 to 6 equal strips. Slicing into 6 strips per sheet makes a few more twists, and the size is a little better. I preferred the twists in thinner slices.

Holding both ends of the strip in each hand, begin twisting in opposite directions. Keep twisting until the pesto and prosciutto is all twisted up inside the pastry. Fold over the very ends of the twist and press firmly just to keep it somewhat enclosed.

Place all twists on the parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. 

Bake for about 13 minutes for puffy, tender twists (as seen in these photos). Bake a few minutes longer if you'd like them a bit crunchier.

qp