Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

WARNING! The following recipe is NOT healthy in any way, shape or form, but it taste darn good!

Sometimes a girl just needs a chocolate fix. And being there are three of us under one roof, it's bound to happen from time to time. I don't usually keep sweets like cookies and candy in the house so when the chocolate craving monster rears it's ugly head, we have to think twice before getting in the car to go to the store to satisfy our cravings.

This time my oldest needed a chocolate fix the night before I made these and of course, we had nothing she wanted. So the next day while surfing Google+, I saw that Christie from Food Done Light made some Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Her muffins looked incredible; however, they were made "healthier" with flax seed, yogurt, and egg whites which I LOVED, but my kids, not so much. Every time I try to give them a healthier version of a dessert/sweet type item they cringe. So I used my own zucchini bread recipe (which is in my cookbook!) and tweaked it a little to make it extra chocolatey.

I have to say that I was shocked that they were only 205 calories each considering what went into these beauties, so even I indulged in a muffin or two over the course of their existence. Which by the way, only lasted three days since I sent them into work for my nieces to enjoy as well and then the younger one and her friend devoured most of what was left during a sleepover.


Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Prep Time:  15 minutes              Yield: 30
Cook Time: 20 minutes             Serving: 1 muffin
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs
• 2 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 c. Canola Oil
• 3 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 3/4 c. Cocoa Powder
• 2 1/2 c. Grated Zucchini
• 1/2 c. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 oz. Dark Chocolate, chopped 
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Combine the eggs, sugar and oil in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth. 
3. Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and mix well. 
4. Next, add in your grated zucchini and both kinds of chocolate. Mix well
5. Spray standard size muffin tins with the cooking spray and fill them 3/4 of the way to the top with the batter. You should get approximately 30-32 muffins depending on the actual size of your pans. (I got 30 with mine). 
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Remove from oven and cool. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 205, Carbs 29.1g, Fat 9.6g, Protein 3g, Fiber 1.5g, Sugar 15.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Shopping List

Oreo Lemon Drops and a Giveaway

My family has a new obsession and they're called Lemon Twist Oreo's! I don't usually purchase store bought cookies or much dessert for that matter, but I LOVE lemon in any way, shape or form lately. So when I saw these limited edition cookies at my local grocery store a few weeks ago, I just had to try them and they didn't disappoint!

I knew I wanted to make a version of Oreo Truffles with these as soon as I tasted one. I even added some extra lemon flavoring in the melted chocolate for extra lemony-ness (I know it's not a word!). These Oreo Lemon Drops were incredible and very decadent. My personal preference is to keep these frozen and only pull out what you're going to eat immediately.

Oreo Lemon Drops
Prep Time: 30                                                    Yield: 24
Refrigeration Time: 1 hour 30 minutes            Servings: 1 each
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Lemon Twist Oreos
• 4 oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese
• 12oz. White Chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
• 1 tsp. Lemon Extract
• 6 drops Yellow Food Coloring
• Canola Oil, if needed

Directions

1. Add the cookies to a food processor and pulse until the cookies are crumb-like. 
2. Next, add in the cream cheese and pulse again; stopping the machine to scrape down the sides before pulsing again until it's all mixed through. 
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; then carefully remove the blade from the machine.
4. Form 24 balls, approximate size 1" in diameter, and place them the parchment paper. When they're all made, place the entire baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to allow them to chill. This will allow the melted chocolate to adhere better. 
5. Prepare the melted chocolate five minutes prior to dipping the cookie mixture into the chocolate by melting the chocolate over a double boiler. If the chocolate is too thick, remove from the heat and add a few drops of oil and stir well. 
6. Mix in the lemon extract and food coloring and stir well; then dip each ball into the chocolate using a spoon and place back on the baking sheet. When the chocolate has started to harden on the balls, drizzle the extra melted chocolate over the top; then place the Oreo Lemon Drops back into the freezer for at least 1 hour until ready to serve. 

It's ok to get messy when you're working with chocolate!

Nutrition Facts

Calories 159, Carbs 21.8g, Fat 8.1g, Protein 2.7g, Fiber .5g, Sugar 16g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Oreo Lemon Drops Shopping List

And now for the Giveaway...

When I posted this picture of the cookies a couple of weeks ago on my Facebook and Instagram pages, not many people had heard of them. And I've only seen them myself in my local Shoprite grocery store. So I decided to purchase five extra packages to give away to 5 LUCKY WINNERS. All you have to do is comment below and tell me what your favorite lemon recipe is.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK! 

Disclaimer: Five winners will be notified by email on Friday, July 19, 2013 and will each receive one package of Lemon Twist Oreo's. The winners will have 48 hours to respond before selecting another winner. Contest valid 7/11/13-7/18/13 and is open to U.S. residents only. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

Eggnog Cookies

For the next three weeks, I'll be posting holiday baking recipes Monday-Thursday. And since I am not much of a baker, most of these recipes will be easy to make and perfect for beginning bakers. They don't have a lot of obscure ingredients or fancy decorations; however, they are all extremely tasty and worthy of sharing.  Most recipes are ones that I have found over the years and some are those that I have experimented with on my own using a combination of several different recipes.

Holiday Baking Recipe #1 Eggnog Cookies

I first found this recipe for Eggnog Cookies back in 2007 while searching the internet for some new baking inspiration. That is when I found these cookies at Northpole.com created by Karen Hamlin and have since made them year after year.  I printed out the recipe and my paper is so stained and tattered,  I thought it was about time that I share them here on the blog so that I could finally have a clean copy.

These cookies are easy to make and are extremely moist with the wonderful flavors of eggnog, nutmeg and cinnamon. They make a lovely addition to your holiday baking and freeze beautifully until you're ready to add them to your cookie platters. 

Enjoy!

You can freeze most cookies for up to 6 months in an airtight container. I generally begin my holiday baking after Thanksgiving and store the well-cooled cookies in a Ziploc Freezer Bag. Then, when I'm ready to make a platter of cookies, I pull out only what I need at that time.