Yin and Yang

Hahha, its almost been a week now. As you can see I am not that great at sticking to resolutions (I am currently eating M&Ms and Malteasers...)

But onto the eats!

When I bake I like to bake a few things at once - you may as well put all that energy to good use! But at the same time, I dislike my trousers getting tighter, so I try to balance my exorbitance with something a little less decadent (and a fair bit of gym time). It also means, when I turn up to work, the health freaks don't... freak out. Although usually a bite of one of my banana-chai-white-choc cake pops soothes the savage beast.

So today I made some deliciously decadent Choc Chip Dough Balls, courtesy of The Chic Life, but also some Ginger-Bran Muffins, adpated from Womens Health Mag.

Ah balance!!

So recipes? I basically followed the recipe (except my egg had, surprise-surprise, two egg yolks, and I think that meant they are a bit more cookie, less doughy as I had to bake them longer?) so you can grab it from the Chic Life - kudos to her for all those experiements (and yay! A new blog for me to follow!!)

And secondly...

Ginger-Bran Muffins

Makes 12 medium sized muffins

1/2 cup bran (I used ALDI all-bran, crushed a little)
1 1/4 cup plain wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp applesauce
1 egg, beaten (I used 1 egg white and 1/2 an egg worth of egg substitute because its all I had left!)
A single-serve tub of yogurt (about 2/3 c. I used ALDI Low-fat Mango yogurt.)
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (I used Gourmet Garden, a lifesafer!)
3 Tbsp golden syrup
A splash of fruit juice if its looking dry
1 cup shredded carrots (2-3 small ones)

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Mix the dry the ingredients (bran to sugar) together.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining wet ingredients.
4. Combine the mixtures well. You may notice the baking soda/powder doing its job, puffing up the batter.
5. Spoon the batter into a 12 muffin pan, with either pre-prepared muffin cases, or well-greased pan. Bake at 190C until the muffin tops spring back when pressed lightly or a skewer comes out clean.

I also sprinkled in some chia seeds, totally optional, and some flaked almonds on top before the bake, and squeezed half a lime when done. It means you can enjoy them plain (like me) or with cream-cheese/jam/PB/coconut oil/butter like the boy will undoubtedly do (after I refuse to make another lime-white choc buttercream for last time's muffins)

The Living Cookbook calculates these (sans almonds and lime) as 126 calories, 1g fat, 2g fibre per muffin. Could be better, but one of the first muffins I've made that rose properly despite being low fat and wholemeal.

Notes:

• I use a whisk to mix the dry, then the wet then both mixtures. It combines the ingredients without pushing out the air like overbeating with a spoon might.
• I also use a silicone muffin pan for healthy or lower fat muffins as I find they stick to the paper. I spray this with canola oil first, and make sure I let the muffins cool - experience.
• Don't overbake! Once they are overbaked they can go chewy as hell. Boo. Plus if you freeze, then microwave them, they wont be too chewy.
• Lastly, low fat and wholemeal muffins taste a lot better the next day - more flavours, moister and not rubbery. So be patient, and eat your unhealthy treats today instead!

I tried to hide the leftovers in these nifty Spotlight tins as I am about 25% cookie right now. I dont get the nick-name Cookie Bronster for nothing, you know? Even my Step class and attempt at being virtuous...

Chlorophyll*

...doesnt compensate. Ah well, I would rather be pudgey and happy than skinny and deprived. Been there involuntarily, is not so great. And right now, I'm full of cookie, and happy.

* Every time I get this stuff out, straight or diluted I say aloud "Its so ... green"