If you do not have whole milk, use fat free or 1% less two tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter (in addition to the butter in this recipe).

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Muffins
adapted from Real Simple

2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray. 

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter and combine with a pastry cutter or 2 forks until it has reached a coarse, crumbly texture. Stir in the milk, egg, and butter. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chip.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with batter. Evenly sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over each. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate chips on top of muffins will remain in tact but will be very soft when removed from the oven. Be careful when removing from muffin tin and allow to cool completely before storing.

For the Gift of Food, try making something with a healthy twist. Who could say no to granola with cherries and dark chocolate? Try making a batch of this great granola recipe and packing it in a glass jar with a festive bow on top. The wheat germ adds a nutty flavor and gives the granola texture and a nutrition boost.

Any kind of dried fruit or nuts can be substituted for the dried cherries and chocolate chips, just keep the proportions the same. You can also coarsely chop any kind of chocolate baking bar instead of using mini-chips.

Jenn’s Chocolate-Cherry Granola
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300F and coat a 13×9 baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, toss the oats and wheat germ.

Combine oil, maple syrup, and salt in a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the vanilla.

Pour the syrup over the dry ingredients and toss to coat everything evenly. Spread mixture over prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add the dried cherries. Add the chocolate chips while the mixture is still warm and stir to melt the chocolate into the granola, or add the chocolate chips after the mixture has cooled to keep in pieces.

Sprinkle granola on top of yogurt and fruit.

The original recipe called for poblano and fresno peppers, which can be hot. I used a mixture of mild green bell pepper with yellow and red sweet bell peppers. There are a few ways you can control the heat in this recipe:

1. Use mild or sweet bell peppers and add cayenne pepper to taste
2. Use medium to hot peppers of your choice and omit cayenne pepper
3. Use mild or sweet peppers and omit cayenne pepper, then select salsa or picante of an appropriate heat level to suit your tastes

Pepper-Cheddar Corn Bread Muffins
adapted from the Food Network

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup diced peppers (of your choice)
Salt, to taste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cayenne pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add onion and garlic, salt to taste, and saute 3-5 minutes until softened. Add peppers and saute an additional 2-3 minutes. Add paprika and cayenne pepper and saute an additional minute until fragrant. Remove from heat and add remaining butter to pan. Set aside and allow butter to melt.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Using a large wooden spoon, fold in buttermilk mixture until all the dry ingredients are moistened (do not overmix). Fold in shredded cheese and pepper mixture. Batter will be very thick.

Using a 1/2 cup measure, evenly scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.  Spoon salsa or picante sauce on top of muffins if desired.

Makes 12 muffins.

2 tbsp peanut butter
1 banana
1 cup chocolate soy milk 
6-7 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. Reminisce about your childhood as you sip and enjoy.

Economically Friendly: Bananas are inexpensive and peanut butter is a pantry staple.
Ecologically Responsible: Soy milk is environmentally-friendly and the makers of Silk are donating major money to clean energy.
Excellently Healthy: Protein from peanut butter, potassium from bananas, and yummy calcium from soy milk. Just be careful: at approximately 400 calories, this is a meal-replacement smoothie, not just a light snack!

Enter Midnight Snacks. In the first section of the book 10:15 PM Past Your Bedtime Repast, the first recipe is for “Impromptu Pizza.” Basically, the recipe provides ideas for making a personal size pizza out of everyday food items such as flour tortillas, sliced tomatoes, and shredded cheese. After reading through some of the variations, I decided to try my hand at my own Apple-izza in the spirit of the Sweetza.

I started with a flat whole wheat tortilla and added a couple ounces of cream cheese mixed with a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of milk. Then I thinly sliced an apple and created a layer over the cream cheese, slightly overlapping the slices. Next, I seasoned with a small pinch of salt and cinnamon sugar. I then topped it all with a light sprinkle of cheese and baked until bubbly. Once out of the oven, I sprinkled with a bit more cinnamon sugar and cut into pieces. 

I served this for brunch, but it could also be a great dessert or appetizer to a meal. Be sure to cut the apple thinly so the slices cook and soften quickly in the oven. Cheddar cheese and apples are a classic combination, but mozzarella also works. I would recommend a firm, crisp apple like Braeburn or Fuji, or you could use a Granny Smith and substitute caramel for the shredded cheese and add some chopped nuts to make a delicious caramel apple pizza.

Jenn’s Apple-izza 
1 flour tortilla
3 oz cream cheese
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp milk
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shredded cheese
cinnamon sugar 

Preheat oven to 400F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, cinnamon, and milk. Stir until smooth and spread over tortilla.

Arrange apple slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping the pieces. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and top with shredded cheese.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and the edges of the tortilla are golden brown. Remove and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar if desired.

Allow to cool 2-3 minutes and cut into pieces.

1 cup frozen unsweetened sliced peaches
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup wheat germ
2-3 ice cubes, if desired

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whirl away! Add ice cubes to achieve desired consistency. Garnish with additional wheat germ and peach slices (optional, but pretty darn fancy).

Makes 1 generous serving.

Variation: swap 1/2 cup frozen dark sweet cherries for half of the peach slices.

From Midnight Snacks chapter 1:15 AM Under the Covers, these snacks are perfect when  you want to “head to bed and call it a wrap.” The recipes in this chapter are designed for those occasions when it seems there is nothing to eat in the entire house, using a little creativity and scant supplies to produce a tasty treat.

These might be a little labor intensive if you are in a hurry first thing in the morning, but if you have the time these can also make a mighty good breakfast. “Here’s how to turn a lowly slice of soft sandwich bread into a lovely turnover.” My version is posted below, but the authors gave several suggestions for fillings, which are posted following the recipe.

Jenn’s Chocolate-Cream Cheese “Tossovers”
4 slices of bread, crusts removed
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 oz cream cheese, divided
4 tsp mini-chocolate chips, divided
cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out crust-free bread with a rolling pin (bread should be flattened to the thickness of a saltine cracker).

Brush the edges of the flattened bread with melted butter. In the center of each piece, spoon 1/2 oz of cream cheese and 1 tsp chocolate chips.

Fold the bread into a triangle and press the edges together. Crimp edges with a fork if necessary.

Arrange triangles on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Other  filling suggestions:

A spoonful of preserves and a smear of cream cheese
A dollop of jelly and a layer of peanut butter
Pieces of a dark chocolate candy bar
Fresh berries, peach or plum slices, or chopped apples sprinkled with sugar
Small slice of cheddar cheese and applesauce
Caramel sauce, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans

Feel free to improvise, making your own personal creation.

1 1/2 cups soy milk
4 green tea bags
4 kiwis, peeled or unpeeled, quartered
1 banana, peeled and broken into pieces
1 tbsp honey
3-4 ice cubes

In a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, bring soy milk just to the point of simmering (do not boil).

Steep the tea bags in the milk for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and pour liquid into a blender.

Add fruit pieces, honey, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

Shown below, served in a chilled glass with mint:

The first recipe for Smoothie-licious is also part of my Midnight Snacks series as well. In chapter 1:00 AM: Spa Night, the authors wrote a section called “Lots of Lassis” that features a tradition lassi as well as several variations. Lassi is a tradition Middle Eastern and East Asian beverage with yogurt often mixed with fruit or spices. Some versions are savory, but most are sweet. Below is the general recipe followed by several mix-in variations. I tried the Honeydew and Ginger Lassi, shown above with a sprig of mint.

Lassi Recipe:
1 cup plain non-fat or low-fat yogurt
1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a blender and, in the author’s words, ”let ‘er rip.” Pour the lassi in a glass filled with ice.

Variations:

Lemon Lassi: add grated zest of 1 lemon (do not add lemon juice, it will curdle the yogurt)
Indian Spice Lassi: add a pinch of ground cardamom, ginger, cumin, and black pepper
Pistachio and Honey Lassi: blend in 1/2 cup of pistachio and an additional tbsp of honey
Honeydew and Ginger Lassi: Add 1 cup of honeydew cubes and a nickel-size piece of fresh ginger (make sure to peel ginger first) 
Mint of Persian Lassi: add 10 fresh mint leaves
Berry Lassi: add 1/2 cup strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, or blackberries
Mango Lassi: add 1/2 cup sliced, peeled mango (an Indian favorite)

These recipes all make 2 generous servings.

And boy, does this concoction energize! The first time I made this was on a Friday night and I was up well past my bedtime, zooming with energy. This will definitely give you a pick-up on an early morning if you wake up grouchy and groggy like I do. Whether first thing in the morning or late at night, “hearing the wailing screech of the blender will also enliven things, as will neglecting to secure the blender lid tightly enough.”

Below is my version of this chocolaty-thick smoothie. If soy milk scares you, regular milk is fine…but don’t let soy milk scare you, the chocolate kind is especially good.

1 cup low-fat chocolate soy milk
1 cup frozen pitted dark, sweet cherries (do not thaw)
1/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2-3 ice cubes

Toss everything into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a to-go cup and slurp on your way to work. Delicious!

Or you can be fancy like me, and garnish with a dollop of yogurt, a frozen cherry or two, and a light dusting of cocoa powder. Yes, of course it tastes better that way.