Chocolate Chunk Bar

 

Chocolate Chunk Bar

 

 Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/8 cups unbleached, flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 "unsweetened" chocolate baking bar (I used Ghirardelli), broken in chunks

What to do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray

Melt butter, mix with sugar, agave, and vanilla. Add the egg.
Mix in flour & baking soda, and chocolate chunks.

Pour batter into baking pan - bake for 18 minutes until golden brown.



Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Because most recipes call for granulated sugar and brown sugar, it's been a great way for me to experiment in the kitchen by changing recipes around. This one uses PURE maple syrup as a substitute in the recipe for the sweetener. It adds a little more Fall flavor with the pumpkin too.

PUMPKIN WALNUT BREAD

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached, organic flour (or your choice of flour)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger, ground
1/4 tsp. allspice
dash of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Spray a bread loaf pan (9"x5") or a cake pan (9"x13") with spray (or coat with melted butter).
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add eggs, water, syrup, pumpkin and oil to another bowl, mixing well. Combine the dry ingredients with the moist ingredients. Stir in vanilla and walnuts.
Pour into choice of pan.
Bake for 30 minutes if using a cake pan or for 50 minutes if using a bread loaf pan. *I used cake pan today because I couldn't find my loaf pan.* Check for doneness using a toothpick.

Would be tasty with a cream cheese icing on top, I'm sure.

Coconut Sugar Frosting

I've been looking for alternatives to the usual powdered sugar frosting and have not really found any frosting recipes or icings that were worth writing about...(or trying again) until today!

If you do not have powdered sugar on hand, there is a seldom known fact that you can make your own. What you do is grind granulated sugar into the fine powdered texture of powdered or confectioners sugar. Now, if you do not have a coffee grinder in your house, this isn't going to work very well. (I've tried doing this in food processors and it doesn't get to the right texture or consistency.)

Since this worked with granulated cane sugar, I thought I'd give it a spin with granulated coconut nectar. The results were unexpected. I poured the coconut sugar into my clean coffee grinder, set the grind to espresso (fine) and turned it on. The granules turned into a fine powder with an almost caramel-ish aroma. Using the following recipe, I made a pretty tasty frosting that I used to top a homemade vanilla cake.

Mix together:
1 cup granulated coconut sugar* (Madhava brand is what I used).
*Grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder.
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, unsalted
1/8 cup whipping cream, heavy
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
4 oz. fat free cream cheese (1/2 a brick)
For best results, pre-whip the whipping cream. Add the butter, sugar and vanilla and cream cheese until smooth.

Homemade cake from scratch - using coconut sugar in place of granulated

Delicious Homemade CAKE

Delicious!

CAKE RECIPE:

• 2 cups flour (I used Hodgson Mills unbleached, unenriched, gail safe flour)
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup canola oil (or any for binding)
• 3/4 cup water

Mix together well. Pour into greased 9 inch cake pan. Bake for 27 minutes at 350 degrees F.
This recipe has no eggs, so it's vegan friendly if that helps... Can double the recipe to make 2 round cakes for a layered cake.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING:

For this I finely chopped an 85% dark chocolate bar (these have very little sugar and are pretty bitter). Meanwhile, I boiled 1 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan. When the cream was bubbling, I poured it over the chocolate chunks... I stirred this together. This mixture smoothed out a bit but didn't look good enough to top my cake. I chilled this concoction for about 15 minutes. Once chilled, I added 1 TBSP. agave nectar and 1 tsp. vanilla and whipped it up like I would whipping cream. What a great idea!

Banana Shake (without ice cream)

My dietary restraints keep me from eating that rich, creamy, frozen dairy concoction that is known as ice cream. So, as a recovering "ice cream a-holic", it amazes me that something as simple as this recipe takes those cravings away.

What you need:
One frozen banana
1/2 cup of milk (I use organic 1%)
Blender (we have a Ninja, but any would work)

What to do:
Pulse the ingredients until well blended. Pour into a cup, grab a straw, enjoy!

You will be absolutely amazed that all you are drinking is a banana mixed with milk. The texture is that of a milkshake. The temperature is that of a frozen beverage. You can add flavoring to it if you want to, but the taste is very mild banana. Just think - low fat, low calories, natural sugars, delicious!

Look for more Banana recipes soon.

All Natural Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I was recently told by my doctor that I needed to cut processed sugars from my diet. This has encouraged me to experiment with natural sugars such as honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, and coconut sugars. I adapted my chocolate chip cookie bar recipe to share.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsifted flour (I use unbleached/unenriched)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
4 Tbsp. amber agave nectar (replaces white granulated sugar)
6 Tbsp. coconut sugar (replaces brown sugar)
4 squares of unsweetened chocolate (I used Ghirardelli, yum!)
handful of hazelnuts/filbert nuts

Directions:
Mix together the butter or margarine with the agave nectar, coconut sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Using a food processor, chop the unsweetened chocolate and hazelnuts until finely ground. Add this mixture to the butter mixture. Hand stir in the flour and baking soda. Mix until combined.

Pour into a 9"x11" baking dish that was sprayed with olive oil (or pam spray).
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
*This makes a cakey cookie bar that is deliciously low in sugar*

Mayonnaise Cake - Better than it sounds

This is an Ebey family recipe that was passed along to me by my mother-in-law. It is the birthday cake that my husband and his sisters grew up with. I looked up the origin and found that it is also known as "Depression Era Cake" or "World War II Cake". I still make it for my husband's birthday, and for family gatherings on his side.

I am including my adapted recipe where I recently used homemade Mayonnaise (*Note: you can use jarred mayo in any form. I've tried low-fat, full-fat, miracle whip & hellman's real mayo.*)

Cake Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup sugar (*September 2012 - I used 1 cup coconut sugar)

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup milk

1 cup of mayonnaise (either jarred or follow the recipe below)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar, stirring the dry ingredients together. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract. It will be a smooth batter. Fold in the mayonnaise to the batter. It will fluff up the consistency. Pour ingredients into a greased 8" pan (I use a springform pan, but any will do).

BAKE for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Cool.

Cappucino Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (I use 1-1/2 cups Hodgson Mills unenriched/unbleached and 1/2 cup soy flour for added protein)
3/4 cup coconut sugar (coconut sugar converts 1:1 ratio from granulated sugar)
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. instant coffee or 1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk and coffee/espresso powder until it's dissolved. Add vanilla extract and egg to the milk mixture and pour this into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Add the melted butter to the batter, mixing until well blended. *Can add chocolate chips if wanted*
Pour into lined or greased muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 17-20 minutes for regular sized muffins or for 20-25 minutes for jumbo sized muffins.

Remember that if the butter is still warm, it will heat up the egg and slightly scramble it. This is why I add them in separate steps.

Fruity Oatmeal Bars

What you need:
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted slightly
1/2 cup date sugar (or you can use granulated sugar if you prefer)
1 cup oats
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 - 1/2 cups flour (I use unbleached/unenriched organic flour)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 small jar of your favorite fruit spread - you'll need about 3/4 cup (I used naturally sweetened blueberry above)

What to do:
Mix together the melted butter and the sugar until well combined. Add the vanilla. Stir in the flour, oats and baking soda until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture in bottom of a greased 9 inch baking pan - reserving some for topping. Spread favorite fruit preserves (3/4 cup or use your judgment). Sprinkle with remaining crumb topping.

Bake at 350 F for 24 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Agave Sweetened Chocolate Pudding



Agave sweetened chocolate pudding

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup corn starch - gluten free
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 small pinch of sea salt
• 1 -1/2 cups milk of choice
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make:

Using a saucepan, whisk together the corn starch, pinch of salt, and the unsweetened cocoa powder. Add 1/2 cup of milk and whisk until smooth. Turn on heat to low to medium. Add the vanilla extract, agave nectar, and rest of milk. Whisk continually until the ingredients thicken - this will take about 5 minutes, so keep a close eye on the pan. Remove from heat when pudding is thickened. Pour into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Enjoy as is, or garnish with homemade whipped cream.

Mix 1 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp vanilla on high. Serve cold.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins - a tasty way to eat your veggies!

Sift together:
1 1/2 cups flour (your choice - you can use gluten free)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

In a separate bowl, combine:
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 agave nectar
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
Scoop muffin batter into greased or paper lined muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Agave Sweetened Cheesecake



Cheesecake with strawberry puree


Using a blender, combine the following ingredients in this order:

3/4 cup milk (of your choice)
1/2 cup Bisquick (or baking mix similar)
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup agave nectar
2 bricks fat-free or low fat cream cheese (8oz each)

Pour contents into a pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes (a knife should come out clean).

Puree fresh strawberries, add a tsp of cornstarch, heat on the stove until contents bubbles and thickens. CHILL and serve with your cheesecake. No sugar needed! YUM

Coconut Macaroons!

"Primal" Coconut Macaroons - get back to nature with this sweet snack.



bake until golden brown

Whisk together until stiff peaks form:

3 egg whites
dash sea salt

(I used my kitchenaid stand mixer and the whisk attachment).

Fold in 1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 - 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Scoop small spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.


Honey Sweetened Ice Cream

Using my small ice cream maker, I just experimented with an ice cream recipe that caused my hubby to make some oohs and ahhs.

Ingredients:
Dissolve 1/4 cup honey (I used pure, local honey) with
1 cup whole milk.
Add 1 tsp. vanilla.
Whisk in 2/3 cup half & half and 1/3 cup whipping cream.
Pour into your ice cream maker and mix until thickened. Top with fresh fruit if you want. Enjoy!

No ice cream maker? There are some fun ways to make ice cream that you can find here. Use my ingredients above and this process and remember, "Make time for silly".

Did you know that as a natural sweetener, honey has some serious health benefits? You can find several on the Internet, but some great ones are: it boosts energy; boosts your immune system to help eliminate colds and coughs; stimulates digestion; and is a natural remedy for several ailments...


*UPDATE - July 2012 - I made this recipe last night using low-fat (1%) milk and fat-free half & half. It came out equally delicious without the milkfat!

Fourth of July Pie!

Happy 4th of July - Pie!

Pie Crust made in pie pan - easy to do.
Follow pie crust recipe

Gail's Pie Crust Recipe:
Hand mixing a pie crust in the pie pan gives the pie the hearty, homemade taste and eliminates the need to wash a bowl and the rolling pin.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 degrees F.

In your pie pan, pour two cups flour, 1/2 cup canola or favorite oil, 1/4 cup milk, and a dash of salt. Using a rubber spatula or fork, mix the ingredients together until moistened. Using your hands, press the dough into the bottom of the pie pan and along the sides. Feel free to get fancy with your edging, but I usually just push it up evenly along the pie pan as best as possible. Poke holes in the dough with a fork or toothpick. Bake crust for 12 minutes to firm it up a bit.

Blackberries fresh picked

Fruit Glaze Pie Filling:

Use any fruit you'd like to. I prefer strawberry or black raspberry this time of year as they are full of flavor and nature's sweetness.

Simmer 2/3 cup water and 2 cups fruit in a pan over medium heat on the stove top. Mix together the cornstarch with 1/3 cup water and pour into the fruit mixture. Stir well.

Pour 2 cups of non-cooked fruit/berry mixture into the pie pan and pour the heated fruit mixture over top. Return the pie to the oven for 10 minutes.

The pie crust should be lightly browned when you remove from oven. Let cool before refrigerating.

**Note: The original fruit glaze recipe calls for 1 cup sugar (less for sweeter fruits). I omit this because I prefer the taste of natural fruit sweetness. I know that some people enjoy the sugary flavor though, so if you want to add sugar, do so when you add the cornstarch to the heated fruit mixture.**

Fresh Fruit Season starts!



Delicious Peach Crisp

I love this time of the year! There are fresh fruit stands around if you drive through the country, and some orchards and stores have a variety of summer fruits too.
My peaches weren't going to last long in the heat, so I decided to make some peach crisp.

I cut up about 7 peaches, leaving the skins on, and spread them evenly onto the bottom of a 9x13" glass baking pan.

 

Then for the topping, I mixed together 1 cup oatmeal (uncooked); 1/2 cup flour; 1/2 tsp. ginger; 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; 2 Tbsp. honey; and 1/2 a stick of butter until the mixture was crumbly.

Sprinkling this on top of the peaches, I was able to pop it in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees and have some delicious peach crisp when it cooled.

 

Crustless Coconut Pie - sweetened with agave & honey

No crust to this pie? You question. It actually creates it's own crust as it bakes. Do NOT use a pie shell for this pie. All you need is a pie pan and the following ingredients...

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) melted (I used unsalted butter)
• 1/3 cup Agave nectar - Amber
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 & 3/4 cups milk
• 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (I used Bob's Red Mill)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl and add the agave, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Since the butter is still a little warm in this phase, add 3/4 cup of milk to cool it before adding the eggs. Follow the eggs with the rest of the milk and the flour. I used a whisk to ensure everything was mixed together well. Add the coconut, coating it will the liquid mixture.

Pour into an ungreased 9-inch pie plate and bake for about 35 minutes. Let cool before slicing, and run a thin knife around the rim of the pie plate before cutting.
Do not put in a pie crust - this dessert makes its own.

Berry Breakfast Muffins

Berry Good!

Blueberry Breakfast Muffin Mini Loaves

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

INGREDIENTS:


1 stick butter or margarine, softened (I used unsalted butter)
1 (8 oz). package cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup any flavor fruit preserves (I used blueberry - homemade sugarless from a previous post)

DIRECTIONS:


Using a mixer, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese. Blend in the agave and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda. You will alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the creamed mixture. Start with flour, the a touch of milk, flour, milk, flour, milk... until it has been added well. Scoop batter into muffin tins (lined or sprayed well). Add a dollup of fruit preserves on top and spread it around to swirl it in. Bake at 350F. for 20 minutes for jumbo muffin tin or mini loaf pan. [Bake for 15 minutes if using regular sized muffin tins]

Could be adapted to a coffee cake if you so desire - just bake batter in a 13"x9" pan for 35 minutes.

*September 2012 - I made this recipe without the jam. Instead, I added 1 can of pumpkin to the batter and baked it in the 13" x 9" pan to make a "cake". It was super!!!

Pumpkin "Pie" Bars

It's Fall.
Most of us only think about Pumpkin flavored foods this time of year (or closer to Thanksgiving). After learning of the health benefits to them, I could eat their squashy goodness year round.
Fun Fact: Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites!

My experiment for Pumpkin "Pie" Bars involved a little pre-cooking, but the results are fabulous.

First:
In a small saucepan, I combined one can of pumpkin puree with 1/4 cup Pure Ohio Maple syrup and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, cloves, ginger). I let this simmer together for 20 minutes, turning it into a thicker, "pumpkin butter" consistency.

Next:
Melt 1 stick of butter
Add 1/4 cup honey, stirring well
Add 1 1/2 cups favorite flour
and 1 cup oats
Mix together well - forming a dough.

In a 9" x 13" baking dish, pat the dough into the bottom of the dish, reserving some for "crumbles" on top.
Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly on top of this dough.
Sprinkle "crumbles" or large drops on top of the pumpkin.

Then:
BAKE at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Let this cool... it is much better after being refrigerated --- and enjoy!

Note: Pumpkin is a great source of potassium, is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. That's great!