Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Muffins

Sometimes I get experimental in the kitchen and start combining things that should NEVER go together and end up creating a new dish that I love - or that helps fill the trash...  Sometimes someone sends me a recipe for "Aunt Ethel's Double Dutch Chocolate Birthday Cake" or similar, and asks me if I can make it healthy - and I get lucky and make it work ( I fail more often than I succeed, but you guys never see those!).  And SOMETIMES I come across a recipe that just needs to be shared.  This one fits in the latter category.  

The recipe came from Europe - Germany I believe - and required some conversion from traditional European baking using WEIGHTS of ingredients instead of QUANTITIES.  I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of you would just close your browser and walk away if I told you to add 80 grams of ingredient XXX...  So..  I got out my scales, weighed all the ingredients and converted them to measures.  I DID add the hazelnuts, because...  HAZELNUTS!!!

These little muffins are the perfect 'grab and go' for breakfast or snacks.  They store perfectly in the refrigerator or freezer.  Oh!  and perhaps MOST importantly, they TASTE TERRIFIC!!

Modified from cleanleanbakes.com

Serves: 12 

Ingredients

3/4 cup rolled oats
3 scoops Chocolate Whey Protein (Isolate)
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp peanut butter (crunchy or smooth - your choice)
2 Tbsp (Sugar Equivalent) artificial sweetener
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup quark (if you can find it - otherwise see Cook's Notes)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 oz mini chocolate chips
1/2 oz chopped hazelnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F
Grease 12-cup muffin pan, set aside.
In a large bowl combine oats, whey protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine peanut butter, sweetener and oil until well combined.
Add in quark and eggs, stirring gently until combined.
Add in milk, stir again until combined.

Pour wet ingredients into large bowl of dry ingredients.

Use large rubber spatula to gently combine.
Batter will be thick and wet.

(Above are the directions for how you SHOULD mix it..  Honesty here...  I just dumped it all in my Ninja blender and gave it a whirl!)

Evenly distribute batter into greased muffin pan, filling to top.
Garnish with mini chocolate chips and hazelnuts
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until middle is set.
Allow the muffins to cool in pan before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Store in airtight container in fridge or freezer for longer periods of time.

Cook's Notes:

• Quark is a German farmer's cheese made without rennet.  It's an excellent replacement for butter in scrambled eggs, cream cheese in cheesecake or served with fresh fruit.  You can often find it in tubs at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods (and other upscale markets)
• Substitutes for 'quark': fromage frais, fromage blanc or marscapone - which is richer - OR - 2 parts ricotta and 1 part sour cream
• I added the hazelnuts to the original recipe, but peanuts or almonds would work beautifully as well
• Learn from my mistake: paper muffin cups recommended

I like to eat these warmed up drizzled with extra peanut (or almond) butter.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Per Serving	% Daily Value*
Calories 109
Total Fat 6.4g	8%
Saturated Fat 3.2g	16%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 33mg	12%
Sodium 96mg	4%
Potassium 112mg	2%
Total Carb 5.7g	2%
Dietary Fiber 1.1g	4%
Sugars 0.7g
Protein 8.5g

English Muffins

Dark toasted muffin with a smear of fresh
whipped country butter and a
cross section to show texture

Yes..  It's true..  I've been obsessed with bread recently.  You see..  I've slipped..  I've let   carbs come sliding back into my diet, into my pouch and they are taking up residence around my waist - and it's ALL the fault of that demon, BREAD!!!  Life and work have been hectic and I've taken to allowing myself to make a quick sandwich at lunch and grabbing something takeout (and wrapped in bread) for dinner.  Well...  NO MORE!!!

Today we're going to make a wonderful, fluffy English Muffin with the texture and flavor of a rich dense whole wheat bread.  I made mine in a small cereal bowl (since I have no OTHER use for them!) so it had the right shape to be used as a muffin or a bun.  You can use something with straight sides if you like - perhaps an 8 oz ramekin.

Toasted, it reminds me a of an English muffin or bagel.  Untoasted, it's the perfect platform for the BLT with extra mayo I've been craving!!

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsweetened cashew, almond or peanut butter
1 tbsp butter (or coconut oil)
2 tbsp almond flour
1/8 tsp salt (scant pinch)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Buttermilk Blend (optional - see notes)
1 tbsp milk (cow, soy, almond, moose... whatever)
1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Spray the bowl you are using with cooking spray or rub well with oil.

Add the nut butter and butter to a microwave safe dish.  Microwave for 30 seconds and mix until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In another small bowl whisk the almond flour, salt and baking powder together.

Add the nut butter mixture, milk and egg into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Pour this mixture into the oiled bowl.

Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Allow to cool a few minutes before taking
it out of the bowl

Slice in half to toast.

Toast as desired desired.
YES!!  I like mine DARK!

Cook's Notes:

• The "Buttermilk Blend" mentioned above is a dried buttermilk powder, available on the baking aisle in almost any market.  It adds a hint of that buttermilk "twang" to the flavor, but more importantly, it adds a bit of "lift" and lightens the texture.  I made one without it originally and found it a little too dense for my taste.  If you want to make one without the Buttermilk Blend, you might consider adding another 1/4 tsp of baking powder to the mix.
• Try adding a small quantity of sunflower kernels and/or flax seeds or other seeds and ground nuts to the mixture
• Add your favorite sweetener and a pinch of cinnamon - stir in some raisins - have a ball!

Cauliflower Hash Brown Muffin Cups

I love muffin-tin dishes.  They are handy for storing and having a grab-n-go meal when you need one. Here's a low-carb twist for breakfast. After using cauliflower as a stand-in for pizza crust and rice pudding, I had to try it as faux-hash browns. Turns out, it's pretty TASTY!!

Ingredients

2 heads of cauliflower, trimmed, stemmed and chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 dozen + 2 large eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Chives, chopped (optional)

4 strips bacon - fried crisp

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F. 

Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.

Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil

Add chopped cauliflower

Blanch for 3 minutes

Drop the blanched cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they start to resemble a fine grain.

Pour the ground cauliflower onto paper or cloth kitchen towels and twist to wring out excess liquid. Do this up to three times until the cauliflower comes out completely dry.

Transfer dry cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Add cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and two eggs and stir to combine.

Distribute the mixture evenly throughout the muffin tins and use your fingers to press the mixture into the sides and bottom of each cup to form the nests.

Bake the nests for 15-17 minutes until brown.

Add a couple bits of bacon to the bottom of each cup and crack an egg on top, without breaking the yolk.

Bake for 7-8 minutes.

Sprinkle with chives and pepper to taste.

Cook's Notes:

A food processor is a crucial for getting that hash brown texture, but a powerful blender could work too. Once your cauliflower is pulsed to bits it's imperative that you remove ALL of the liquid. 

From there, you're just forming a dough with eggs and cheddar cheese (and a little garlic powder, salt and pepper, to give it more of a potato-like flavor). Your fingers are really your best tool when it comes to incorporating here, so roll up your sleeves and get that "dough" mixed and molded. A shot glass works well for molding the nests too

Be sure to pre-bake the nests before adding the eggs and other toppings. But really, treat this cauliflower concoction as "dough" because you can essentially put anything you want inside. We chose bacon and chives but anything you like in a savory egg dish would work: avocado, tomatoes, spinach, kale—you name it! 

Pumpkin Danish Muffins

It's fall and the number one fall flavor is pumpkin.  Now you can have a morning grab 'n' go bite - or a mid-morning snack - or an afternoon treat - or cover them in sweetened whipped cream and serve them as dessert!!

Makes 16 to 18 muffins

1 can pure pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cups)

5 eggs

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mixture

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups Splenda

1 cup oatmeal

1 tsp buttermilk blend

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp molasses 

-----------------------

1/2 cup walnuts - divided

1/2 cup sliced almonds - divided

8 oz cream cheese  - cubed (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Add all the items except nuts and cream cheese to your blender or food processor

Blend until smooth. 

Chop 1/2 the nuts

Stir chopped  nuts into pumpkin mixture

Spray muffin tin

Pour mixture into tins until nearly full (these don't rise much)

Cut optional cream cheese into 18 cubes

insert 1 cube into the middle of each muffin cup

Sprinkle top with remaining almonds and walnuts

Bake at 350 F for approximately 50 minutes

Cook's Notes:Serve cold, warmed or at room temperature.  

Refrigerate in a sealed container for storage

You can substitute Neufchatel for cream cheese if you want to cut the fat content

Muffin in a Minute

This basic recipe is a godsend to the WLS patient when they start needing a quick tasty nutritious breakfast or snack, as you'll see from the variations below. Of course everything is up for adjustment to your own tastes - so enjoy the exploration! 

Basic Muffin In a Minute recipe 

1/4 Cup flaxseed Meal 
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 tablespoon Splenda (optional) 
1 egg 

Mix everything together in a coffee cup or small cereal bowl. Cook for one minute in the microwave. Turn the cup upside down to take the muffin out. If it looks wet, let it sit for a minute or so. I have these for breakfast. You can add blueberries, or try other additions. Some people add a tablespoon of cream cheese before cooking. 

Nutrition stats: 
Cals:....201 
Fat:......14 
Protein:..12 
Carbs:....10 

Nutrition stats with almond meal instead of the flaxseed: 
Cals:....241 
Fat:......19 
Protein:..12 
Carbs:.....8 
I like the flavor a bit more, and it makes up a little lighter texture wise. 

Here are many other variations/suggestions. I've tried to put them all in one place. Remember that different variations make different stats. 

Tips: 
Add a teaspoon of buttermilk blend to the muffin makes it raise higher and it is much lighter. 
Make muffins in paper muffin cups. 
Make it in one of those "disposable" reynolds tupperware containers. The rectangular ones. It comes out loaf shaped, and for some reason doesn't end up as dense. 

Fruit/vegetable/nut suggestions: 
Add a little mashed banana, chopped pecan and make a banana nut muffin. 
Add a tablespoon of canned pumpkin and substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon. 
Add some form of dried fruit. 
Put a few raisins in. 
Add fresh blueberries or raspberries. They are wonderful and freeze up nice. 
Add sugar free applesauce. 
Grate up a few baby carrots and top with splenda 
Add frozen cranberry slices and orange flavoring. 
Add chopped nuts (if you are far enough out from surgery. 
Powdered peanut butter. 
Chocolate peanut butter. 
Almond poppy seed version: add a dash of vanilla extract, a dash of almond extract, some poppy seeds and some slivered almonds. Then sprinkle a few more slivered almonds on top before microwaving it. You may need to use quite of bit of Splenda in it. Egg substitute can give a better texture than regular eggs. 


Protein versions: 
Add a scoop of protein powder. Can add two Tbsp water and 2 tbsp SF cinnamon Dolce syrup to add some moisture to the batter. 
Make an orange muffin, by replacing a tablespoon of the flaxseed with a tablespoon of Nectar fuzzy navel. Just experiment. If it is too wet when it comes out of the microwave, put it back in for another 20 seconds or so. 
Add 1 scoop of Lean Dessert Vanilla Protein and 1 Tablespoon water. 
Add chocolate pro powder, and 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tbsp of Davinci Peanut butter syrup. Reeses Muffin! Esp. good smeared w/ a little Peanut butter. 
One scoop Isopure perfect natural vanilla, 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp SF french vanilla syrup and a capful (I'm guessing about a tsp) vanilla extract. Topped w/ a little SF apricot preserves. 
Add LD Cinnamon Roll and 1 tablespoon of cream cheese to the muffin, and 1 tablespoon of SF applesauce. Cook for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Used a medium ramekin bowl, and it did not run over. 


Savory variations: 
Put in some garlic herb seasoning instead of the cinnamon and then spread it with some whipped vegetable cream cheese after it was cooked. 
Add ginger for a gingerbread taste. 
Make a hamburger bun, use a little onion powder, garlic powder and a spice on my rack labeled Savory it was really good. Use a cereal bowl and it works just fine. 
Use flax meal (1/4 cup), 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp black pepper. After it is cooked add 2 slices of deli roasted turkey and 1 slice of provolone cheese (melted first in the microwave) 
Add ginger and clove. 
Add a little garlic powder and some cheddar cheese. 


Pizza Versions 
Leave out the splenda and cinnamon, and add some parmesan cheese. When it is done, slice it into 1/2 inch slices (about 4 small pieces), top it with a spoonful of pizza sauce, some mozzarella, sliced mushrooms and a little piece of proscuitto. 
Add a little garlic powder and some italian seasoning to the muffin 
Try some pepperoni. 
Toast up nice in the oven when the cheese is melting on the top. A little pesto added in the muffin. 
Add mozzella cheese, italian seasoning, dried onion, dried garlic, chopped pepperoni to basic muffin mix and spread it in larger bowl, spread a little pizza sause and more cheese and bake it. Sort of like thick crust pizza. 


Sweet versions 
Add about 2 tablespoons of DiVinci syrup. 
Add a tablespoon of Wheat Germ, some nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon, and a small glug of SF Davinci Praline. Much moister that way. 
Add cocoa and SF chocolate chips. (can be a trigger food for some) 
Add LD Cinnamon Roll and sub pumpkin pie spice. 
Add a little SF Marmalade. 
Add cocoa powder. 
Add some butter and SugarTwin brown sugar substitute, and sugar-free chocolate chips. 
Add lemon juice to the muffin and frosting and lemon zest on top of the cream cheese frosting. 
Add cookie dough syrup and SF choc chips. 


Pancakes/french toast: 
Leave out the splenda, added just a bit of vanilla extract, cook it, then sliced it up THIN, like pancakes, and have them with a little SF maple syrup!!! It makes YUMMIE pankcakes in 1 minute!!!!!!! 
- Cook it in a wider dish, leave out the Splenda and could it be a sandwich bun. Use half of it with thin sliced deli meat. 
Make a loaf to slice, then either dip in egg and make French toast or put in a toaster for 'toast'. 
Make it with some Splenda and cinnamon and some raisins. Cut it into 3 slices. Dredge those slices in a beaten egg and then fry them up in a pan. Take them out and drizzle some SF maple syrup on them and some fresh blueberries, strawberries, etc. 


Some ways to top it: 
Spread muffin with a little ricotta and SF blueberry jam. 
Spread it with some whipped vegetable cream cheese. 
Top a vanilla muffin in a minute with fresh strawberries and sugar free cool whip. 

Frosted Cinnamon Icing 

1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon 
1/3 cup Splenda 
1/2 pk (4 oz) softened cream cheese 

Mix ingredients by spoon until well mixed. Spread on top of flax muffins 

Something like carrot cake. 
Separate version: 
Doubled the recipe (I used the course ground flax seed) 

Then add: 
2 scoops of the cinnamon roll protein 
1/2 cup raisins 

Mixed the dry items & raisins then added the required 2 eggs with two Tablespoons water 

Scooped some mix into 3 coffee mugs and layered a little cinnabliss then added some more of the mix. 
(I know I doubled the recipe but used 3 cups) We thought it was a bit like a carrot cake ...kind of like a cinnamon roll with some body. Very very Yum. 

White Cake w Almond flour 
Whip up two egg whites with the electric mixer, then add two tablespoons of splenda, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. 

1/3 cup almond flour, 
1 tablespoon white flour, 
1 teaspoon of Buttermilk Blend, 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1 tablespoon of chopped up butter 

Put in the Magic Bullet and keep pulsing it. It looks like cookie dough when all mixed together. Then fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture and poured it into a cereal bowl that had been sprayed with PAM. Note: Buttermilk blend is powdered buttermilk. 

Microwave for two minutes, turned it out onto a plate and makes an excellent white cake. 

Calories 395 
Fat 29g 
Carbs 20g 
Sugar 1g 
Fiber 4g 
Protein 16g 

Pineapple upside down muffin 
Spray a coffee mug with butter flavored spray 
Place 2 TB Cinnabliss in bottom of cup. 
Place one pineapple ring (canned in its own juice) 

In a small bow mix 
1/4 cup flax meal, 
1 egg, 
1/8 cup buttermilk, 
2 packets splenda, 
1/2 tsp baking powder 
sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Pour mixture carefully over pineapple. Microwave 1 minute. Let it sit for a minute then turn out onto a plate. 

Peach Heaven Variation: 
Instead of the pineapple use 2 teaspoons of No Sugar Added Peaches along with the juice it comes in and instead of the buttermilk use about 1/4 tsp of lemon juice. Add extra Splenda and cinnamon. top with some sugar free Cool Whip. 

Chocolate Cake in a Minute with Frosting 

1 tablespoon butter - can substitute SF applesauce. It is denser and heavier with the applesauce. 
1 egg 
½ teaspoon baking powder 
2 tablespoons cocoa 
2 tablespoons splenda 
1 tablespoon sugar free vanilla syrup 
1 teaspoon buttermilk powder 

Melt the butter in a coffee cup in the microwave just until it is liquid. Stir in the egg. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Bake in microwave for one minute. Dump onto plate and let cool. Frost and enjoy 

Frosting: 
1 teaspoon SF Vanilla pudding dry mix 
1 tablespoon milk 
3 tablespoons SF Cool Whip 

Mix the pudding and milk until pudding is dissolved. Then mix in the cool whip. 

Note: Buttermilk powder gives this a tanginess that I could not come up with any other way. It also does an amazing job working with the baking powder to make the cupcake rise. Think vinegar and baking powder foaminess. Once you open the buttermilk powder you need to store in the refrigerator. I like Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa when I can find it. Altern is a granulated sweetener sold by Walmart. It is made with maltodextrin. Look for it next to the granulated Splenda. 

Cake Only Stats: With Butter 
Cals 150 
Fat 12 g 
Cholest 31g 
Sodium 169g 
Carbs - 8g 
Sugars 1g 
Fiber -g 
Protein 3g 

Substitute 1 tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce for the butter 
Cals 49 
Fat 0g 
Cholest 0 g 
Sodium 177g 
Carbs -9 g 
Sugars 1g 
Fiber 4g 
Protein 3g 

Please note that these do not offer much for protein, and have whole tablespoon of butter. That's saturated fat, and enough for earlier post ops to dump. These should be a rare treat and newer ops shouldn't really have room for more than a bite or two after a protein meal. 

Pumpernickel Rye with Caraway seeds 

1/4 Cup Flaxseed Meal 
1 tsp Baking Powder 
1 tsp Splenda (you need just a LITTLE sweetness) 
1 egg (Instead of an egg you can use the powdered eggs and add 2 tbs water) 
1 Tbs rye flour 
1 Tbs buttermilk blend 
1 tsp Caraway Seeds (Optional: assuming your pouch is seed friendly) 
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder 

Mix all in a cup and nuke for approximately 1 min. YMMV depending in your microwave 

Slice into 4 or 5 slices, slather with hot mustard and delicately fold a lovely slice of pastrami or corned beef on top. A slice of swiss cheese and a quick pass under the broiler are optional. 

Apple Cake - 5 Minutes Microwave 

Peel, core and slice an apple into thin slices. Spray a cereal bowl with PAM. Put the apple in the bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon and splenda. Put in the microwave on high for three minutes. 

While the apple is cooking - mix in a coffee cup: 

1/4 cup flaxseed meal 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon buttermilk blend 
1 tablespoon sugar free applesauce 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 ounce DaVinci sugar free vanilla syrup 
or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon Splenda 
1 egg 

Mix together with a fork, then mix into the cooked apple. Put back in the microwave for 2 minutes. Turn onto a plate. Add sugar free Cool Whip. 

Variations: 
Cinna-Bliss on it, and a squirt of reddi-whip. 
Or make it with sf apple pie filling. (Comstock)

Banana Nut Muffins (Coconut Flour)

I came in from the gym on Sunday only to find Trisha Yearwood on TV making Banana Nut Bread..  That was it..  I had to have some banana bread - and although Trisha's recipe looked scrumptious, I hadn't spent all morning at the gym to give it away to a single slice of heaven.

First batch was made with my old standby, flax meal - but it didn't get it..  3 versions later it was all coconut flour and they were great!!


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 46 g

Amount Per Serving (makes 12)
Calories 63
Total Fat 3.0g
Saturated Fat 0.6g
Cholesterol 47mg
Sodium 194mg
Total Carbohydrates 7.3g
Dietary Fiber 1.0g
Sugars 3.9g
Protein 2.1g

Ingredients

3 ripe, peeled bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons Splenda Granular or sweetener of choice)
1/8 teaspoon molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (39 grams by weight) coconut flour

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F

Generously grease a muffin pan. (Or loaf pan if you prefer)
Mash the bananas using a mixer or by hand in a large bowl. 
Mix until completely mashed and smooth.
Add the eggs, sweetener, molasses, and vanilla to the mashed bananas and blend well.
Add the baking soda, salt, and coconut flour to the wet batter and mix well.

IMPORTANT:  Let the batter sit for 5 minutes or more to give the coconut flour time to absorb the liquids.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes (Approximately 50 minutes for loaf) or until the top begins to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
Cool fully. They are very moist when first out of the oven but tend to firm up over time. 

Store covered for a few days in the refrigerator, or seal and freeze for a few months.

Cook's Notes:  Substitute your nut of choice (Walnuts are good) or leave them out completely

Meatloaf in Muffin Tins Wrapped in Prosciutto

This is such a great idea. It takes a boring weeknight meatloaf and brings it to new heights. These would also be a great for Super Bowl Sunday.

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with slices of prosciutto (or serrano) and mound some meatloaf mixture into the cups. The smoked ham crisps up and creates these wonderful cups so you can hold the meatloaves like muffins and eat them with your hands (my favorite way to eat).



Meatloaf Wrapped in Prosciutto, Baked in Muffin Tins

2 1/2 lbs. of ground meatloaf mix (I use turkey, pork and beef)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup of SF ketchup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 egg
1/4 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt & black pepper
12 thin slices of prosciutto


Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add the cooked onion mixture to a large bowl and add the chopped meat and the rest of the ingredients, adding the egg in last.
Mix lightly with your hands.



Take a slice of prosciutto and drape it around the inside of each muffin cup.
Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop a mound of meatloaf mixture into each cup.
Bake in a 350F oven for 30-40 minutes until the top of the meat is browning and the prosciutto is crisping up. Let rest a few minutes before unmolding onto a platter.
I dot each meatloaf muffin with some homemade SF ketchup.

Pick up with your hands and eat!

Cook's Notes: Freeze the leftovers in individual zip top bags for a quick and easy lunch from the microwave.

Blueberry Ricotta Muffins

This is the best sugar free blueberry muffin, ever! Loaded with those gorgeous berries and fluffy-light, they are perfect with some melted butter and a cup of coffee. 

In the recipe I've made them regular size, but you could certainly use the mini-muffin tin, too. And they would be great with frozen raspberries or blackberries instead!


Blueberry Ricotta Muffins

Nutritional Values Per Serving:
Calories 151; Protein 5g; Fat 8g; Carbs 11g; Sugars 3g; Sodium 124mg

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Nature Sweet Crystals
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups fresh blueberries
Splenda granular

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 regular muffin cups and set aside.
In a large bowl cream the butter and NS crystals. Beat in whole egg, egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract, and ricotta cheese. In a small bowl mix the flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir into the ricotta mixture just until moistened. Fold in 1 & 1/4 cup berries. Fill muffin cups with batter. Press the remaining berries on the top of the batter and sprinkle with Splenda. Bake for
18-20 minutes or until golden on the edges and a tester comes out with moist crumbs. Makes 10 regular-sized muffins.