Bowl Muffins
 

This isn't a recipe so much as a concept. The basic idea is you mix flour-ish things with a SF syrup, like Da Vinci and Torani and add in possible other things like coconut, berries or peanut butter and then you microwave for 2 minutes and get something that resembles a muffin in texture... or it might resemble a cobbler or a bread pudding, depending on what you do. But whatever, this has become my favorite breakfast and dessert. The fun thing is, you mix it, cook it and eat it out of the same bowl. Thus the name, "bowl muffin". It's a single serving unless you're altruistic.

Basically a "bowl muffin" is my quick and easy invention based on MammaC's berry cobbler recipe. It's about 1/4-1/3 cup of some kind of flour-ish thing mixed with about the same amount of liquid and, depending on what the flour-ish thing is, you want to add some baking powder to make it poof a bit. And depending on what you use it can taste like a cobbler, a muffin, a hot bread pudding or a brownie or coconut bread pudding or whatever you can concoct! It's so easy and versatile.

Ok, so for the flourish things I use either:
Carbquik
Almond meal
flax meal
1/4-1/2 tsp baking powder

Or a combination of the above. I tend to go for the meals when my plumbing is being balky.

If you use carbquik you can omit the baking powder because it already has leavening.

Carbquik gives you a more bready, doughy texture whereas the courser meals give you a more crumbly texture, more like a bran muffin. And of course they give you TONS of fiber.

So some of my favorites so far are:

1/8 cup CQ + 1/8 Cup Flax in a bowl you can microwave, like a cereal bowl -- Mix with a little less than 1/4 cup of some tasty fruit flavored sugar free syrup (I've been using black cherry). Add enough other liquid so that the batter is about the consistency of waffle batter, the more liquid you use, the more like bread pudding it'll be. Then add in a couple of tablespoons worth of some sort of frozen berry, like raspberries or blackberries. Microwave for 2 minutes. Instant berry cobbler!

You can turn it into a brownie by using just CQ and cocoa powder (about 2T of cocoa), use vanilla or some flavor of SF syrup that complements chocolate. If you want, you can chunk up some unsweetened or alcohol sugar based chocolate to make "chips" and mix them in. Nuke for 2 minutes and eat right out of your bowl! I've used vanilla and peppermint in this one. Mocha or coffee syrup would be great too.

My other favorite is coconut bread pudding. The basic recipe but using a little more liquid and put in 1/4 cup of coconut too. Use coconut syrup for this one! This one is divine! Its my new comfort food. Don't do what I did and put it in a bowl that is too small, because it bubbled over into the microwave.

For gingerbread I used my basic recipe and added a lot of cinnamon and ginger and then just a teaspoon of dark or blackstrap molasses and I happen to have some "gingerbread" flavored syrup from Da Vinci. The molasses is a very strong flavor so you don't need much and it only adds about 4 carbs.

Another variation I've toyed with just a bit is adding an egg. This makes it raise higher. I'd love to be able to perfect something that tasted a bit like bread, eggs, bacon and cheese. I've gotten close, but it still needs work.

Peanut butter is another one I've toyed with. PB syrup and a little PB stirred into the mix. I've got a large and growing collection of these syrups now.

Let me know if you improve on the recipe!

Where can you find all those yummy syrups? The only flavors of SF Davinci's in my local stores are vanilla and hazelnut...

I use sf torani...it seems to be cheaper and I can find more of a variety around here. I get mine in a warehouse? sp type store where they sell bulk foods

I get my Torani at an import store and I've ordered some for Netrition (Da Vinci actually). Lots cheaper though if you can find them locally. I think they're about 5.99 at Cost Plus versus 7+ online. I got some of the more exotic flavors like gingerbread and peanut butter online.

I'm drooling..logic tells me I'm NOT really hungry!!..what little bit of room I'v got is reserved for some parmesan popcorn..just a small bowl.. ;) ..later!
But TOMORROW..this recipe has my name ALL over it..toss, mix, nuke and scoff..ideal!! :p

Today's Breakfast Bowl Muffin was CQ and Flax meal mixed with some sharp cheddar cheese and water. I put a slightly beaten egg right on top along with some bacon bits and a pat of butter.

Wow! This is superb! Only problem is, it doesn't *look* pretty. In fact, it looks quite unappetizing. However, that never stopped me from enjoying my food.

Last night I made a chocolate bowl muffin, using CQ, cocoa, SF syrup and come Minicarb chocolate chips. Those chips are very good and they contain no sugar alcohols! I got them from Netrition.

can I use the recipe for "Atkins like bake mix" in place of the carbquik?

I tried this recipe w\ almond flour and it reminds me of a good hot cereal :)

Yeah, probably. Carbquik is much, much tastier though. :D

My latest creation is Banana syrup, CQ, coconut shreds and minicarb chocolate chips. Divine!

WOW - this is a find! Did a bowl muffin (first time) this am with CQ and sf caramel syrup - it was amazing. I can't wait to try it again. I think next time it will be sf rasberry with sf dark chocolate chunks. I now have a reason to go out and buy more syrup flavors and a reason NOT to buy prepared muffin mixes. This is so much easier, faster, tastier and versatile. I bet these would make a good "pancake" breakfast too with syrup on top. Thanks for the great idea. I will be trying some of the savory versions as well - but what do you use for the liquid then if you don't want it sweet?

I just use water or LC milk for liquid. Or egg! Egg gives your muffin puffiness.
1 whole egg is a lot, you really would only want 1/2 an egg for most bowl muffins, unless you're going for an omelet type of bowl muffin. :D

Today I made a mother of a Bowl Muffin Omelet. I took just under 1/3C CQ, 1T of flax meal mixed it with two lightly beaten eggs, 2 strips of bacon cut into small pieces and a good serving of cheese, some pepper. Nuked for about 2.5 minutes and topped with butter. Wow! It's like an egg-mcmuffin or one of those egg-cheese-bacon croissants from fast food restaurants. Super delicious!

Hey, if you can find some frozen raspberries (unsweetened) you should toss a few into that raspberry concoction. That'd be sooooo tasty. Just throw them in frozen.

Hi Nancy - boy have I been having fun with the bowl muffins! My favorite so far is caramel syrup, CQ and sf choc chunks. Eaten while hot tastes like the best just from the oven choc chip cookie! I also tried a bowl omelet with CQ, one beaten egg some bacon bits (real) and cheese and it was good but a little dry. If I did it again I might add some cream or butter to the mix.

I am going to try adding in the flax meal to future efforts for increased fiber.

BTW in case you have not found it yet - Trader Joes has by far the best sf choc I have tasted and I have not found it anywhere else though I do not think it is a house brand. Carb Safe - in a black wrapper near the check out - though for some reason I don't comprehend they seem to stock different flavors (white, milk and dark) at different registers. Although it does contain malitol I have never had the gastric distress from this product that I have had from others and the dark chocolate tastes like the real deal - just wonderful.

All right, Nuts! :D Aren't they fun? I think I've perfected the Bowl McMuffin finally.

I use two eggs, 1/3C CQ, 2 slices of bacon crumbled, and a handful of sharp cheddar (extra, extra sharp... num) and the new secret ingredient is... gravy!

I actually assemble this at work, I break the eggs and carry them in a small container. Then I put all the ingredients together, except gravy. Mix well, Spread out on a paper plate and nuke for 1.5 min. Then I put the gravy on top and nuke again for 20-30 seconds.

FABULOUS!

Yes! That is a good chocolate (carbsafe). I get the dark chocolate one. Last time I bought about 5 bars, and I'm slowly using it. Pretty nummy, eh? I also found an unsweetened cocoa there that I think is just a delicious as the one I bought at Williams Sonoma for about $15. TJ's was much cheaper, I might ad.

This "creation" sounds wonderful.

Tonite I'm going to try a pizza thingy....maybe mix in some hamburger, a hand full of cheese and some crumbled microwaved pepperoni.

I made berry pudding today. One serving of CQ + a bit of water + ~1/4 C raspberry Da Vinci syrup + 2 sliced up strawberries. Mix well, nuke in microwave for 2 minutes. Wow! It was fantastic! :yum: Thanks for all the cool ideas, Nancy :)

~Trinity~

I still need to get around to making a pizza bowl, but I DID make a concoction that had 1/4 cup Atkins bake mix, one JUMBO egg, and some chopped up chicken breast, some sage and rosemary and nuked it for about 2 minutes.....stirred a few times while cooking and it tasted JUST LIKE STUFFING !!!!

I was in heaven, as I REALLY miss the stuffing around the holidays!!