Healthy Fudge Brownies

Now to be honest, the first time I tried this recipe, I was pretty doubtful about the success.

Boy, was I surprised. They're great! They taste a lot like fudge and are amazingly good. The first bite is always a bit surprising for some reason, but then I can't stop eating them--yum-o!

 I especially like them with fresh strawberries.

Whip some up and enjoy the rewards. :)

Healthy Fudge Brownies

1/2 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup almond milk

1 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup chopped almonds (or walnuts or pecans)

1. Begin by soaking the dates and raisins in the milk for 1/2 hour or so. This will help them chop easier.

2. In food processor, chop dates and raisins until very fine. Pour chopped mixture into a bowl and mix in remaining ingredients.

3. Press into an 8x8, lined with wax paper, glass baking dish. Refrigerate for a few hours.

Healthy Apricot and Date Cookies

These cookies were yummy! They were cakey and delicious and my kids gobbled them up. :)

Ingredients:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
scant 1/2 c. brown sugar (1/3 c. might have been sufficient?)
1 egg
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbps. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. chopped dried apricots and dates

Directions:
1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl, then mix the two together.
3. Stir in the daets and apricots.
4. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Quinoa Pudding

image: whole living

I'm a big fan of quinoa, but I'd never tried it in a dessert. This was the week for that! I found that I liked the recipe a lot; I liked that my kids liked it and that it was pretty healthy for them. It made way too much for our little family though and we didn't eat all the leftovers, so if you aren't truly serving 8, I'd recommend halving it. :)

Quinoa Pudding
Serves 8

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 cups skim milk (I used almond milk with good success)
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions
1.In a large saucepan, bring quinoa and 3 cups milk to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, unti tender, 12 to 14 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, honey, eggs, cardamom, and remaining cup of milk. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stirring constantly, slowly pour egg mixture into quinoa; add raisins and apricots.
3.Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour pudding into a 2-quart dish and let cool slightly. Cover surface directly with plastic and refrigerate until cook, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Here's my version. I used dried apricots and dried cranberries.

Recipe from Whole Living Magazine

Also, if you are still looking for more recipes, I found this Quinoa Pudding recipe that looks divine--it'll be my next one to try. :)

Morning Glorious Muffins

These are some of my favorite muffins!

They are loaded with carrots, shredded apples, raisins or dates and whole wheat flour. Sometimes I even add Chia seeds. :) Try them! You won't be disappointed.

Here's the recipe.

Whole-Wheat Sweet Dough

This recipe is wonderful. It is half whole-wheat flour so it is much healthier than traditional sweet doughs, but it is still light and fluffy. I've used it for cinnamon rolls and sticky pull-aparts, neither of which are healthy, but at least they are a bit healthier this way. Not only are they healthier, but also we genuinely prefer the heartier flavor. There is also a fair amount of sugar in this recipe, and I often add quite a bit less and still have good results.

1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast

1/4 c. warm water

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 c. hot milk or water

2 eggs, well beaten

2 1/2 c. white flour

2 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour

1. Place yeast into warm water to proof.

2. Mix butter, sugar and salt with the hot milk; set aside to cool.

3. Add yeast to beaten eggs and tehn add the cooled milk mixture.

4. Add flour and mix well. Knead for 5-10 minutes.

5. Form into a ball; cover and set aside to raise until doubled in size.

6. Roll out onto floured board and add desired ingredients to make many different kinds of sweet rolls.

For cinnamon rolls, I divide the dough in half, roll into a rectangle and then sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes raisins or dried crans. Then roll up the rectangle, cut into about 1 1/2 inch slices and place into a buttered pan (9x13 or two 9-inch cake pans). Let rise again and then bake at 375 for 20 to 22 minutes. I usually put some foil over the tops to prevent them from getting too brown.

Glazed Apple Cake

This recipe is sooooo good. Dangerously good. The kind of good that is just the perfect amount of hearty and sweet that I have a really hard time staying with just one serving. Bake up some fall flavor today!

With the glaze, this recipe is an excellent cake. For a delicious snack or breakfast bread, leave off the glaze.

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. softened unsalted butter or butter substitute

6 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 c. molasses

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4c. applesauce

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole-wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

dash of ground allspice

2 apples, peeled and diced (reserve cores and skin)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325; grease and flour a 5x9-in loaf pan.

2. Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy--about 4 minutes. Add the molasses; beat. Add eggs, beating after each one. The mix in the vanilla and applesauce.

3. Next add all the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients to combine, then beat into the wet ingredients.

4. Stir in the diced apples and pour into loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

5. For the glaze, combine the sugar, 1/2 c. water and then apple cores and skins. Bring to a simmer and cook until syrupy, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove the cake from the pan and drizzle the glaze over the top and sides of the cooled "cake."  

Enjoy!!

Note: This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Whole Living magazine.

Dairy-free dessert: Lemon Cake

Not super healthy, but dairy-free and super delicious. The cake as a great lemon flavor and is nice and rich. It's one of those cakes that are better without frosting, which definitely helps the health factor.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
4 large eggs
scant 1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. almond or soy milk
1/2 c. light olive oil
6 Tbsp. dairy-free margarine, melted
juice and zest of one large lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil one 9" cake pan. Lightly flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour, and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flours and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow in color. Add the non-dairy milk alternative of your choice, olive oil, melted soy margarine, lemon juice and zest, whisking until well combined. Add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Immediately turn cake out onto a wire cooling rack and allow the cake to cool.
4. Either frost with the dairy-free frosting of your choice eat as is! a sprinkle of powder sugar looks nice on it.

Print the recipe

Dairy-free dessert: Blueberry Crisp

Not all together super-healthy, but I'm on a dairy-free diet since my breastfeeding baby is allergic. I've been looking for good desserts (dairy-free desserts are hard to come by!!)

This one was delicious though!

Ingredients:
4 c. blueberries
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. oats
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. mayo
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I shoot for 1/3 tsp. just for consistency sake.) :)

1. Wash the blueberries and place them in the bottom of a 9x9-in casserole dish.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients, add the mayo and mix to make coarse crumbs. (The mayo replaces butter that would be found in a regular recipe).
3. Top the berries w/ the oat mixture; bake at 350 for ~35 minues until the top is golden brown.

Note: Thanks Miranda!

Orange Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is a fun and delicious variation on the traditional coffee cake, not to mention much lower in fat and sugar. It's moist texture and mellow orange flavor make it great either for dessert or a special breakfast. We love it at our house, and I recently took it to a baby shower brunch and it was much-enjoyed by everyone.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 c. regular or quick oats

scant 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/4 c. flour (I use ~ 1/2 whole wheat flour with great results)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 c. orange juice

2 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla
Streusel:

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

3 Tbsp. regular or quick oats

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly coat a 9-inch-square baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

2. Whisk together the wet ingredients (egg, oil, juice, orange zest and vanilla). Add the sugar and mix well. Process the oats in a blender until a medium-fine texture. Add the processed oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix to combine.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Mix the ingredients for the streusel topping sprinkle evenly over the batter.

4. Bake until the topping is browned and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: This recipe was modified from the American Medical Association Family Health Cookbook.

Scrumptious Sweet Potato Cupcakes

My daughter wanted to make some cupcakes today, and I realized that I had never made any cupcakes before! I had an amazing recipe from a friend of mine, so today we tweaked it a bit to up the nutritional value and gave it a whirl. They were almost as good as the original and SOOOO much healthier! Further modifications could be made to make them even healthier, but this version still tasted like cupcakes. :) Here's what I tried today.

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. sugar

3 eggs

2 c. mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line twenty-four muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.
2. Cream the butter. Add the applesauce and sugar; beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed between each addition until combined.

4. Add sweet potatoes and vanilla, beating until combined.

5. Add the four, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Combine.

6. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched. Cool on a wire rack.

7. Frost the cupcakes with this frosting. Use the variation with orange juice concentrate, cream cheese and a bit of vanilla.

ENJOY! They are mouth-wateringly delicious.

Healthy Banana Cookies

No sugar and no added fats (unless you add nuts)! AND amazingly good. I consider these an especially great treat for little kids. They are especially fun for a toddler/preschooler to help you cook because the measurements don't really matter so much. I let my 2-year-old measure EVERYTHING by herself (which she thought was wonderful) and they still turned out. Enjoy!

3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried fruit such as chopped dates, cranberries, raisens, chopped apricots
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Optional add-ins:
flaked coconut
honey
wheat germ
chopped nuts
chopped apples

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in oats, dried fruit, applesauce, spices, and vanilla. Mix well, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.
3.Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown.

Ultimate Citrus Smoothie

Soooo good! We loved this zippy citrus concoction, and it's the perfect time of year to make it! I got the recipe from Sunset magazine and didn't follow the recipe very well (we made it on the spur of the moment and didn't have the precise ingredients) but it was still delicious. Makes 2 servings.

Actual recipe:

1 frozen banana

1/2 c. tangerine juice

1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. Meyer lemon juice

1-2 Tbsp. honey

1/2 c. low-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 to 2/3 c. ice cubes

What I actually did:

1 frozen banana

1 orange

1 clementine

Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Big squirt of honey

3/4 c. plain yogurt

5 ice cubes

Put in a blender and mix!

Healthier Gingerbread Men

Healthier than the usual and completely scrumptious! I thought they would be hard (my husband requested hard ones for dunking in milk) but they turned out deliciously soft (my favorite). Maybe next time I'll just overcook a batch for him.... :)

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/4 c. whole-wheat flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 to 1 Tbsp. ginger (depending on how strong you like it--I used a whole Tbsp and thought they were wonderful)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. dark-brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 c. molasses

1/2 batch sugar-free cream-cheese frosting

assorted dried fruit for decorating (opt.)

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg, then the molasses.

2. Add the flours, soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Stir the dry ingredients to combine, then mix into the wet ingredients.

3. Refrigerate the dough for a few hours or overnight.

4. Heat oven to 350. On a well-floured surface, roll half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness (pretty thin). Cut out the gingerbread men. Re-roll scraps,; cut. Repeat until all the dough is used.

5. Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool. Decorate with the frosting and dried fruit.

Citrus Cottage Cheese Rolls

These light and delicious rolls are a great alternative to cinnamon rolls for a warm dessert or winter breakfast. My husband was skeptical about the cottage cheese, but he really enjoyed them and when asked if I should make them again replied, "definitely." They have a light citrus flavor to them that goes wonderfully with the dried cranberries and fluffy texture. Enjoy!

Rolls
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 c. warm milk
2 tsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1 egg
Zest from one lemon
3/4 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (I used 1 c. whole wheat, but they were so light and fluffy that I think next time I will try using 2 c. whole wheat)

Filling
1/2 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. honey
pinch of salt
Zest from one lemon
1/2 c. dried cranberries


1. I used a bread maker, so I just added all the ingredients for the rolls and set the timer for the dough to be finished raising when we woke up in the morning. If you don't have a bread maker, just make bread dough as usual: proof yeast, mix together ingredients, knead for 10 minutes, let raise until doubled.
2. Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into a round roll. (NOTE: next time I make these I want to try making 24 so that there is a higher filling:roll ratio. You might wish to try the same.)
3. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet about one inch apart. Let the rolls rise for 10 minutes
4. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the filling. Then press a dent into each roll using 3 fingers. Fill the dent with filling and let raise again for about 45 minutes.
5. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: The original recipe came from Old World Breads by Charel Scheele, a great gift to me from my sister-in-law Becka. :) Thanks Becka.

Honey Banana Whole Wheat Bread

Soooo good! I make this with my breadmaker and it's a very sticky dough so if you tried to knead it by hand, I think the results would be rather disasterous. Consequently, I'll just list the ingredients here--put them in, press go and enjoy. :) The bread is nice and sweet just like a quick banana bread, but less sugar (by far) and less fat (by far) and nice and fluffy.

For a 1 1/2 pound loaf:
1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. bread flour
1 small banana, sliced
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast.

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

These "doughnuts" are low in fat since they are baked rather than deep-fried in oil. Still very high in sugar, but lower calorie and much less fat than the alternative. I've also made this in a bundt pan with great results. It has a really nice, complex fall flavor and cakey texture that everyone seems to enjoy, especially this time of year!

Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour (or use 1/2 whole-wheat)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. apple butter
1/3 c. pure maple syrup
1/3 c. apple cider
1/3 c. nonfat plain yogurt
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 4oo if using two mini bundt pans or 350 if using a standard-sized bundt pan. Coat the cavities of a mini bundt pan or the cavity of a regular bundt pan with shortening. Sprinkle with sugar and shake out the excess.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, cider, yogurt and oil. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
4. If using a standard bundt pan, pour the batter into the pan and place in the oven for about 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
5. If using two mini bundt pans for traditional-sized doughnuts, spoon the batter into the cavities and bake at 400 for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the top(s) with some powdered sugar before serving.

Note: I got this recipe from Diana's Desserts (www.dianasdesserts.com).

Honeydew Meringues

This is a fun way to dress up a fruit salad. Enjoy!
Serves 4

1 6-oz carton of fruit flavored yogurt
4 c. cantaloupe chunks
4 c. berries (any combo of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries or blueberries)
2 honeydew melons
4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. sugar

1. Combine the yogurt, cantaloupe and berries. Cut honedydew melons in half, scoop out the pulp and fill with berry mixture.
2. Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time. Beat until all sugar is dissolved and meringue is stiff and glossy.
3. Spread the meringue on top of the filling and rim of the melon.
4. Bake at 425 for 5 to 6 minutes or until meringue is golden.

Note: modified from Darigold's 75th Anniversary Celebrations cookbook.

Honey Cheesecake

I tried this recipe a month ago and have been debating whether or not to add it to the blog for ever since--not because it isn't good (it's delicious!) but because it doesn't fit many people's definition of healthy. However, for my friends who really try to cut sugar out of your diet, this recipe is for you! It is NOT low fat (very high fat actually) but no sugar whatsoever. So, if you aren't so worried about calories but just want natural and low-sugar, this recipe is the one for you. :)

Enjoy! We loved the smooth texture and subtle honey flavor. Also, the sauce if fantastic with it!

Crust:
2 c. ground almonds
1/4 c. ground oats
2 Tbsp. butter

Filling:
4 pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 c. sour cream
2/3 c. honey
6 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. ground almonds

Sauce:
honey
cinnamon


1. Crust: In a medium bowl, combine almonds, ground oats, and butter. Press into the bottom of a 10-inch cheesecake pan and freeze.
2. Filling: Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, and honey on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in the vanilla. Pour batter over frozen crust. Sprinkle shopped almonds on top of the batter. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.
3. Before serving, heat some honey (about 2/3 a cup) in a saucepan and add cinnamon (depending on taste--I used about 2 tsp.). Heat until well combined and runny. Drizzle over the cheesecake.

Note: This recipe is easy to half if you have a small springform pan and only are serving it to 4 people or so: just turn down the heat to 300 and start checking 20 minutes early. I got this recipe from 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes by George Geary (thanks Mary Ann--Ty is very happy I have this cookbook!).

LUSCIOUS GRAPEFRUIT MERINGUE

This was a fun new dessert we tried this week that my husband and I both really enjoyed--it has been added to our list of keeper recipes! It was pretty messy to eat so I would recommend either loosening the segments with a knife after cutting them in half or sectioning the grapefruit to remove all skin/pith (cut off the top and bottom of the grapefruit, lay it flat on a cutting board, cut off the peel with a knife, then use a knife to remove the sections of fruit, leaving behind all the skin around each section).

INGREDIENTS:
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional--if you like salt on your grapefruit, I'd include it, otherwise it is fine to leave out)
• 1/4 cup confectionary sugar
• 2 large pink grapefruits, halved, sections pre-cut for easier eating.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the
egg whites with the vanilla cream of tartar and the salt until foamy. Gradually add
the confectionary sugar and continue beating until the mixture is shiny and forms stiff
peaks. Cover the surface of the each grapefruit half completely with generous gobs of
meringue and bake for 15 or 20 minutes until lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 Servings

Note: I got this recipe from the Eye Care America website (http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/upload/Grapefruit-Meringue.pdf)

Warm Stone Fruit Salad

This may be my last post. I've had fun trying new healthy desserts and sharing the recipes, but frankly now that I have so many new healthy dessert recipes, we tend to redo some of our old favorites rather than experiment! I'm sure I'll continue to try new recipes, and I may or may not post them in the months and years to come, but just to let everyone know, this blog may have just recieved it's last post! I hope you enjoy it. It was a fun recipe to try; I'd never cooked with star anise before.

1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, OR substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 star anise
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
4 ripe peaches, halved, pitted, each cut in 6 wedges
4 ripe apricots, halved, pitted, each cut into 4 wedges
1 cup part-skim ricotta

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, combine the vanilla, star anise, sugar, thyme, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook until syrupy, about 6 minutes.
2. Add fruit, reduce heat to medium, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fruit is tender but not mushy, and the liquid is syrupy again. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent sticking, but don't stir, as this will break up the fruit. Remove and discard spices.
3. Spoon into bowls; top with ricotta.

Note: I got this recipe from Body + Soul magazine.
Note: I used plums rather than apricots.