Mixed Berry Cake

I've been on a fresh strawberry kick.  Also, a cake kick.  It was only logical to combine them together, right?

I give you…

Mixed Berry Cake.  

It's a dense cake filled with yogurt, honey, and frozen fruit.  (No, I didn't use my beloved fresh strawberries in the cake.  I'd much rather eat those!).  Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack!

Mixed Berry Cake

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup yogurt, plain or vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8in round pan.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.  In another bowl, combine honey, egg, vanilla, yogurt, and milk.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until a smooth batter forms.  Add frozen fruit and mix to incorporate.  Pour batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.  Recipe makes 8 servings.

Cookie Dough Spread (or Dip)

Think of cookie dough.  Think of peanut butter or your favorite nut butter.  Now mash the two together into one.

The result is the recipe.

So hopefully that image you came up with sounded pretty good.  If it didn't.... you imagined it wrong ;)

Becuase this Cookie dough Spread is absolutely delicious.  It's cookie dough minus the raw eggs and rock-in-your-stomach feeling.  And you can put it on things!

Things like...

1. Pretzels
2. Fruit
3. Cookies
4. Toast
5. Spoons
6. Fingers

Morale of the story?  You want this on your plate right now.  Like, right now.

(Right now.)

Cookie Dough Spread

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until completely combined, with no oat or chickpea lumps.  Add chocolate chips and blend quickly to combine.  Transfer mixture to jar or other serving container and store in fridge until you're ready to eat it.  Makes about 1 cup of dip.

You know, I've heard cookie dough is a wonderful Valentine's Day dessert….

Wonderful Pistachios + Dried Cranberries + Chocolate Dipped Clementines = One Great Pistachio Pairing

{I received free pistachio samples from the Pistachio Health Institute mentioned in this post. By posting this pairing I am entering a contest sponsored by Pistachio Health Institute and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.}

The development of this post required me to eat a lot of pistachios.  I am totally okay with that.

For this contest, you were challenged to create a pairing of pistachios and other foods/drinks to create the perfect snack.  Now, I'm all about snacks (as you may already know), but I'm used to creating recipes.  You know, like when you put a bunch of ingredients in a bowl and mix them together into one result.

A pairing is not really a recipe. You don't mix many things into one, you combine a few things into one idea.  That probably made no sense to you, but the point is, this contest required a different frame of mind that I'm used to.

I'm always up for a challenge though, and in the end I came up with an awesome combination.  Seriously, your snack time is about to get 1000x better.  Here's what's going down:

Part 1 of the pairing:  Wonderful Pistachios; roasted and salted, in shell, simple perfection..

Part 2 of the pairing:  Dried Cranberries; totally snackable, just sweet enough, deliciosu.

Part 3 of the pairing:  Chocolate Dipped Clementines; slightly sour orange, rich chocolate, completely decadent together.

As you can see, this is probably the best snack plate ever.  But the best parts?  It takes about two minutes to prepare and it ain't half bad for you.  Get snackin'!

Pistachio, Dried Cranberry, and Chocolate Dipped Clementine Pairing
(Note: This is less a recipe, and more general instructions for creating this pairing)

• Wonderful Pistachios
• Dried and Sweetened Cranberries
• A couple clementines, peeled and sectioned
• About 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or good-quality dark chocolate)

How to Serve: Line a large plate with wax or parchment paper.  Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 1 minute intervals until completely melted.  Dip clementine slices into chocolate and place on prepared plate so the chocolate can harden.  Repeat until all chocolate has been used.  Place plate in fridge for a little while to let the chocolate harden completely.  Fill a small bowl with wonderful pistachios.  Fill another bowl with dried cranberries.  Place both on a serving platter.  In the remaining space, arranged chocolate dipped clementines.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

Growing up, I skipped the peanut butter and jelly faze.  I went through a pasta faze and a chicken nugget faze and I even went through a frozen corn faze, but a PB&J faze?  Not once.

I was never the kid with a smushed sandwich in their lunch everyday, or the kid who survived solely on the jar of peanut butter and grape jelly in the fridge.  In fact, to this day, I've never had a typical Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.

I can't really say I mind, though.  Sure, I may get some weird looks when I tell people, but it's not like I missed out by not eating that stereotypical sandwich.  White bread, Jiff peanut butter, and grape jelly?  Eh, I think I'll pass.

But take the classic flavors of a PB&J and turn them into a healthy, natural, and delicious cookie and you've got me drooling.

These cookies disappeared in under 24 hours.  I ate three in a row without even stopping for air.  I would make them again in a heartbeat.

Subtly sweet, hearty, and 100% healthy, these cookies are a triple threat.  PB&ampJ lover or not, you will adore them.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
Cookies:

• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Filling (can also be replaced with your favorite jam or jelly):

• 1 1/2 cups wild blueberries, frozen (feel free to try another frozen fruit, but I can't guarantee the results)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

For Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, or grease a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Mix together.  Add peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla and mix well until completely incorporated.  Dough will be sticky.
3. Take about 11/2 tbsp of dough and form into a ball.  Place on baking sheet.  Continue until all dough has been used.  You should have 10-12 large dough balls.  There's no need to place them far apart on the baking sheet because these cookies will not spread in the oven.
4. Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press down in the middle of the cookies to create an indent for the jam to go in.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.  Cookies will look under baked at first, but that's OK.  They continue to cook as they cool, so by the time the cookies have cooled down they will be fully baked.

For Filling:

1. Combine blueberries, chia seeds, and maple syrup in a cereal bowl and give them a quick stir to incorporate.
2. Microwave the bowl for about two minutes, or until the blueberries have melted and the mixture is juicy.  Microwaving times may vary depending on your microwave. (You can also do this on the stovetop, although cooking times will change)
3. Remove from microwave and place in fridge to firm up for about 30 minutes.  You will know the filling is ready when it has a jelly-like consistency and is no longer juicy.
4. Use about 1 tsp of filling to fill each cookie.  Once cookies are done, store in fridge until serving time.  Recipe makes 10-12 large cookies.

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!

Chocolate Pretzel Tarts with Caramel

Here's the full title for this recipe: Chocolate Brownie Tarts with Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust and Peanut Butter Caramel On Top.

A bit of a mouthful, huh?  But tell me it doesn't sound delicious.

This recipe was born when my mom accidentally bought too many pretzels.  I'm not quite sure what she was thinking, but she came home from the grocery store with two huge bags.  I don't want or need that many pretzels, so recipe ideas immediately began flying through my head.

What goes well with pretzels?  Peanut butter, chocolate, peanut butter and chocolate, yogurt, more chocolate... the list goes on and on.  In the end, I decided to combine a whole bunch of delicious pretzel combinations into one amazing recipe.  And hence, these tarts were born.

Please don't be intimidated by this recipe.  Please, please, please.  I promise you, it's really not that hard.  In fact, despite the three different parts to it, there are only ten different ingredients.  That's really not too much.  Aaannd, none of the ingredients are really outlandish or anything.  The weirdest it's gonna get is  special dark cocoa power, and even that can be subbed in for another high quality cocoa of your choice.

So really, no chickening out and convincing yourself this recipe is too much work.  It's not!  It'll all be worth it once you take the first bite....

Chocolate Pretzel Tarts with Caramel
Crust:

• 60 g (about three cups, un-crushed) pretzels
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (or another but butter of your choice)

Brownie Filling:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup special dark cocoa powder (or another good quality cocoa powder)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla

Caramel:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/3 cup milk

To make crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a muffin tin or line with 12 silicone cupcake liners.
2. Place pretzels in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the pretzels have turned into fine crumbs.  
3. Add milk and nut butter and blend again until completely mixed.
4. Take crust mixture and press into prepared pan.  You should have enough to make 12 "cupcakes"
5. Set aside.

To make filling:

1. Quickly rinse and dry bowl of food processor.
2. Add all ingredients of filling to the bowl of food processor.  Process until completely combined, with the oats completely broken down and the batter smooth.
3. Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared crust so that the crust is full.
4. Place pan in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until filling is firm and crust has browned.
5. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make caramel:

1. While tarts cook, make caramel.  In a small saucepan, whisk together honey and peanut butter.  Cook in high until mixture has reduced by about half.
2. Once reduced, remove from heat and add milk.  
3. Turn heat to low and continue to mix until mixture has thickened into a caramel.  Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Once cool, spread onto cooked starts.
5. Store in fridge until serving time.  Recipe makes 1 dozen tarts.

Make.  These.  Now!!

Brownie Batter Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

Fact:  Ghirardelli has the best brownie mix in the universe.

I don't even want to hear you disagree.  Your argument is invalid.

But, as good as that brownie mix is, I can't justify how bad it is for you.  Especially if you're like me and can't stop at one brownie.  I don't buy it anymore.

Recently, however, I discovered a giant Costco-sized package of Ghirardelli brownie mix hiding in my pantry.  Tempting, don't you think?  In an effort to use it up, I've been using the brownie mix in a variety of healthier and unconventional ways.  The pie right here is a definite winner.

I love pies; both the fruit and the chocolate varieties.  In my experiments I've found that chocolate types are much easier to 'healthify' than their fruity counterparts.  I have so many chocolate pie recipes on this blog.

This Brownie Batter Pie is an excellent addition to the collection.  It has a chewy crust that comes in the form of an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie and a rich and fudgy filling that tastes just like brownie batter!

What could be better?

Brownie Batter Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crust
Crust:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Pie Filling:

• 1 12.3 ounce package shelf-stable tofu (I get mine from Trader Joes)
• 2 1/2 cups of your favorite brownie mix (use a high quality mix for the best taste)
• 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grase a 9in circle pan.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine all crust ingredients except chocolate chips.  Process until completely mixed.  Add chocolate chips and process briefly to incorporate.  Mixture will be runny.  Pour oatmeal cookie batter into prepared pan and spread into a thin layer so that it covers the whole area of the pan.  Set aside.  Quickly rinse and dry the bowl of your food processor.  It doesn't have to be completely clean.  Add tofu, dry brownie mix, and milk to food processor.  Mix until completely combined.  Make sure there are no tofu chunks or dry spots of brownie mix.  Pour pie filling on top of unbaked crust and spread into a smooth and even layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until filling is firm.  Let chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving.  Recipe makes 8 servings.  Store pie in fridge.

Easy Chocolate Banana Muffins

Easy food is good food.

That's why I try to make the bulk of the recipes of this site pretty simple.

But let me tell you, when you want some dessert, and you want it fast, sometimes even the easy recipes on this blog take too long to prepare.  But fear not, my fellow dessert lovers, for I have solved the problem.  This recipe for Chocolate Banana Muffins has six ingredients, comes together in less than 10 minutes, uses only one bowl, and tastes delicious to boot.

Total success!

Next time you're in need of a quick chocolate fix, look no further than these delicious muffins!

Easy Chocolate Banana Muffins

• 2 banana
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup special dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 12 cups in a cupcake pan, or line a muffins pan with cupcake liners.  In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth.  Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, honey, and milk and mix until a smooth batter forms.  If you have trouble mixing it together, add some more milk by the tbsp. Mix in chocolate chips.  Scoop batter into prepared pan or liners until about 3/4 full.  Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until firm.  Recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Enjoy y'all!

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

'Tis the season of cookies, so it's only right that I post a new cookie recipe, right?

These cookies are super simple, yet delicious all the same.  Hearty oats, a subtle sweetness and tons of cranberries and melty chocolate in every bite.

Mmmmmm....

When I first made these, I deemed them breakfast cookies.  However, as soon as my mom tasted one, she informed me, with great seriousnesss, that these cookies are not breakfast cookies.  They are most definitely 'anytime' cookies.  To withhold these cookies at all times other than breakfast would be a crime, they're so good.

I have to say, once I ate a cookie myself I had to agree.  And so did the rest of my family as we finished the batch off for dessert, snack, and yes, breakfast.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1/2 cup dry sweetener of choice (that measures like sugar)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried and sweetened cranberries
• 1 egg or egg substitute (i.e. 1 flax "egg")
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• If necessary, up to 1/3 cup milk/water

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.  In a large bowl, mix together first seven ingredients (flour through salt).  Add chocolate chips and cranberries and mix to incorporate.  In another bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.  Add wet to dry and mix until a dough forms.  If necessary, add milk/water 1 tbsp at a time until dough is wet enough to shape into balls.  Take about 1 1/2 tbsp of dough, form into a ball and place on baking sheet.  These cookies will not spread while they bake, you can put them close together.  If you want flatter cookies and not balls, flatten dough before baking.  Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, until golden and firm.  Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.  Makes about 20 small cookies.

Happy eating everyone!

Cookie Cake (Version 3)

I'm so so so so so so so so sorry.

I've been gone for ages.  I won't make excuses, but I'm just really sorry for holding out on y'all.  I've still been baking, but I just haven't gotten around to the whole posting thing.  My sincerest apologies.  Really.

But, because sorry can only get you so far, I also make you a cake... that tastes like a giant cookie.  

Cookie cakes are sort of one of my favorite things in the world, so I give you my third version of this masterpiece.  This version is dense, moist, and packed with melty chocolate chunks (they sell them at Trader Joe's know just fyi).  And it just wouldn't be a Mix it Up recipe without secret ingredients, so I also through in some tofu and beans.  It's amazing.  I swear.

Cookie Cake

• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 package tofu
• 1 cup rolled or quick oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp peanut buter (or another nut butter of your choice)
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw or another sweetener of your choice that measures like sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in the bowl of a food processor. Mix until completely combined with no bean clumps.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Grease a 9inch round pan and scoop dough in.  Spread into an even layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-25 minutes, until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.  Slice and serve!

I'll do my absolute best to keep things more frequent in the weeks to come.  However, if I'm unable to make that happen, at least know you can drool over this pie.  Here's one more picture to keep your mouth watering:

Stay tuned for some cookies!

Monk Fruit in the Raw: Frosted Chocolate Brownies

{I received free samples from Cumberland Packing Corp., maker of Monk Fruit In The Raw. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cumberland Packing Corp. and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.}

So Thanksgiving is over, and the holiday season has officially begun.

And, other than the holidays of course, one of the best things about holiday season is the food.  Specifically, the desserts.

However, with that said, it's also important to stay healthy.  Believe me when I say I want to gorge myself on cookies just as much as the next person, but I don't because a) If I do i'll feel like crap later and b) there are healthier desserts that taste just as good.

Todays recipe is an excellent example of one of those desserts.  I give you: Frosted Chocolate Brownies which are delicious and gluten free + sweetened with only fruit.

What's the catch?

Get this... there isn't one!

When you've got the right ingredients it's east to put together a dessert that's healthy as well as decadent.  I mean, look at those brownies!  Who would have guessed they're made without butter, oil, or granulated sugar?

One of the secrets in these guys is the use of Monk Fruit in the Raw.  It's a zero calories sweetener made from monk fruit (and other natural ingredients).  Now, I'm not usually a fan of artificial or calorie-less sweeteners, but I've made an exception for this brand because it's 100% natural.  The real problem I have with products like Splenda or Equal is that they're loaded with chemicals I don't want entering my body, but with Monk Fruit In the Raw, I don't have to worry about that.  It's an easy way to keep foods low calorie and all natural.  (Just remember that it's only recommended to sub out half the sugar in a recipe for Monk Fruit in the Raw in order to avoid any problems like rising, texture, etc.  In this recipe I used dates as the other sweetener.)

I'm happy to report that my first experiment with Monk Fruit in the Raw worked out perfectly.  You will not believe that these rich and fudgy brownies are actually on the healthier side of desserts.  By all means, feel free to help yourself to seconds.

Frosted Chocolate Brownies
Brownies:

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup dates (5 large)
• 1/4 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup Special Dark cocoa powder

Frosting:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted
• 1/4 special dark cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw
• 2 dates
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8x8 pan (or a smaller pan, if you want thicker brownies).  In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients for brownies. Blend until completely incorporated with no oat or date chunks.  Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes (baking time may change if you use a different pan), until a toothpick comes out clean.  Once brownies are done, remove from oven and let cool.

Quickly rinse out your food processor and dry (it's not necessary to completely clean it).  Then, to make frosting, combine all ingredients in the bowl of food processor.  Blend until smooth and thick, with all ingredients compeltely mixed.  You should be able to take a spoonful of the frosting and tip it upside down without ot falling off.  Spread frosting on top of baked brownies and chill for at least one hour.  Then, slice into 9-16 squares and serve.

Chocolate Caramel Dip

This Dip.  Just.  This Dip.

I'm at a bit of a loss for words.

It's really good, guys.  Really good.

This is the kind of dip one eats by the spoonful.  You could dip in fruit or cookies, but when you have a healthy chocolate caramel dip sitting in fruit of you, I doubt you'll worry about that.  More likely, you'll go in with a spoon.

I know I did.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Dip

• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1-2 tbsp special dark cocoa powder

In a small saucepan, mix together peanut butter and maple syrup.  Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until mixture has reduced by half.  Lower heat and add milk.  Continue to stir until mixture thickens to the consistency of a sauce.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Once cool, transfer to a container and add cocoa powder.  Mix until completely incorporated.  Serve with fruit, crackers, or eat it by the spoonful.