Skinny Chocolate Muffins

I am all for rationalizing my indulgences and turning guilty pleasures into just pleasures. Especially when it comes to chocolate. I recently made these muffins and loved them. I want to work on making them stay a bit moister for longer - let me know if you have any tips!

Ingredients

• 1/2 c brown sugar + 1 tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c water
• 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 margarine, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In one bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt
3. In a second bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients
4. Pour the mixture from the second bowl into the first bowl
5. Stir until you have a smooth batter
6. Pour into a nonstick muffin tin coated with cooking spray
7. Fill until half full
8. Bake 20 minutes, or until the toothpick test comes out clean
9. Enjoy!

Marshmallow Dreidels for Chanukah

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah! Here is one quick and super easy dessert I will be bringing to my family's Chanukah party this evening.

What you need:

• Wax or parchment paper
• Cookie Sheet
• Microwave safe bowl

Ingredients:

•  1 1/4 cups chocolate chips or candy melts (I used chocolate chips)
• 12 large marshmallows
• 12 thin long pretzel sticks, salted or unsalted
• 12 chocolate kisses
• 1 tube white icing for the Hebrew letters

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with the wax or parchment paper
2. Insert a pretzel stick into each of the marshmallows, you will want the pretzel to go in almost to the bottom of the marshmallow. I then cut off the top of the pretzel stick so the "dreidel top" wasn't too long
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips or candy melts. Do not over heat or they will begin to burn.
4. Stir the chocolate chips or candy melts, then dip the bottom of a chocolate chip into the melted chocolate and stick it onto the bottom of the marshmallow, on the opposite side of where you have inserted the pretzel stick
5. Place the marshmallow on its side on the wax or parchment paper to allow the chocolate kiss to set. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows
6. Place the cookie sheet into the fridge for 30 minutes to ensure the kisses stay attached to the marshmallow
7. Reheat the chocolate chips or candy melts so that it is soft again. Using the pretzel stick as a handle, dip each of the treats into the chocolate so that it is coated up to the top of the marshmallow
8. Place the dipped desserts back onto your lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining marshmallows
9. Put the cookie sheet back into the fridge for 30 minutes so that the outer shell of chocolate can set
10. Taking your white icing tube and add Hebrew letters onto one side of the dreidels
11. Let the dreidels set for 30 minutes
12. Serve and enjoy!
    
    
     

20 Things Chicagoans Never Say

 

1.      It’s 2am. There won’t be a line at Garrett’s.

2.      I’ve never had deep dish pizza.

3.      There’s 2 feet of snow and a lawn chair at the curb. I wonder why?

4.      Freeway.

5.      Let’s take the 90. Unlike our friends in the West, we’re on a last name basis with our expressways.

6.      Yes, I’d love to spend the day on Michigan Avenue!

7.      Want to get Superdawg? I can just run in and pick it up. Why sit in the car?

8.      I don’t own a North Face.

9.      Who’s Billy Dec?

10.   Let’s grab lunch at Taste of Chicago. It’ll be fun.

11.   What windchill?

12.   I never put on weight in the winter.

13.   Wait til next year? Nah. We’re goin’ all the way THIS year!

14.   I sure wish I could find a Starbucks.

15.   Jay Cutler totally deserved that contract.

16.   Michael who?

17.   I’ve never dated a guy with a beard.

18.   What do you mean “The Mob?”

19.   The Dan Ryan? Easiest way to get around the city.

20.   Earthquake!