You all know that I love my sweet treats. I do. I do.  And I like to throw in a "healthy'ish" recipe once in a while too.  This recipe is made simple by using a protein pancake mix.  I personally love Kodiak pancake mixes, but I've also heard great things about Birch Benders.  These little muffins pack in some great taste and they don't last long at all.  The little hands grab them quickly.

Here we go!

Ingredients
(makes approx. 24 mini muffins)
-1 2/3 cup Kodiak Chocolate Chip Power Cake Pancake Mix (or use your choice of protein pancake mix)
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1 cup pumpkin puree
-1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Mix the eggs, sugar and pumpkin puree together.  Then add the dry ingredients of the pancake mix and pumpkin pie spice.  Stir together until combined.  Fill each mini muffin well approximately 2/3 full with batter.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. I suggest watching the muffins around 17 minutes just in case (mostly because I have a habit of walking away and forgetting!).

​Allow to cool and then enjoy....if your kids save you any!

Summer in New England! It's hot, humid and the blueberries are delicious! I know that many people get more excited for the summer New England seafood...and yes, I think that stuff is great too, but bring on the dessert please.  One of my favorite places for vacation is Maine and they are known for their blueberries up there. One of my favorite places to eat in New England is Pickity Place in New Hampshire.  You likely have heard me mention this place before if you've seen my recipes for Lemon Lavender bread and Lavender Brownies because this is the place where I was introduced to Lavender Lemonade. Let me tell you...the lemonade is incredible.  It's like drinking a spa day in a glass. Naturally, I bought some culinary lavender in their gift shop and that started my baking fun with lavender.

This recipe combines three of my favorite things: New England blueberries, Pickity Place lavender and a 6 inch cake.  You can find my vanilla birthday version and chocolate version of the one bowl, 6 inch cake on the blog already. This recipe uses the vanilla version as a base with a few slight modifications such as the obvious addition of blueberries and lavender, a reduction in the amount of vanilla extract and an increase in baking time as the berries add moisture to the cake.  

I use a total of 4 TBS of lavender in the whole recipe.  Most of it goes into the cake and I reserve 1-2 tsp for the frosting.  The lavender is added into the recipe with the sugar once it's processed in a blender or food processor.  I find that this amount of lavender makes the flavor noticeable to taste and smell, but it's not overpowering.  You could increase or reduce the amount of lavender to your preference, but I recommend starting on the lower end of your preferences and working your way up.  A little lavender can go a long way.

Let's get baking this beautiful cake.

Ingredients for the Cake
-4 TBS culinary lavender (processed to a fine consistency in a blender or food processor)
-1 cup sugar
-3/4 cup vegetable oil
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
 -1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup whole milk
-1-1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions
Process the lavender in a food processor or high powered blender.  Prepare 2 x 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper and non-stick spray.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all of the lavender except 1-2 tsp (which will be reserved for the frosting) with the sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl.  Add the eggs and combine either stirring by hand or with a mixer. Do the same with the vanilla.  

Add the flour, baking powder and salt on top of the wet ingredients.  Gently stir them together with a fork and then gently combine with the wet ingredients.  Pour the milk and stir until all combined.  Fold in the blueberries.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until the center of the cake is cooked through, as indicated by inserting and removing a clean knife or toothpick to the center of the cake.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans.  Transfer the cooled cakes to a wire baking rack and ensure the cakes are completely cool before frosting.

For the lavender vanilla buttercream frosting shown on this cake. simply add 1-2tsp of processed lavender to the powdered sugar in this vanilla buttercream recipe.  Enjoy the flavors of New England summer!