Skinny Double Chocolate Mini Muffins

While in Starbucks yesterday, I found myself drooling over the baked goods for a solid 5 minutes before I decided to forgo the sweets and stick to a hot tea.  If each of their treats weren't so large, I probably would have indulged, but their muffins are larger than my fist!  Too much for an afternoon pick me up.

These little two bitters are absolutely perfect for a small treat.  Not to mention a delicious and healthy alternative to those loaded with fat and processed sugar.  The richness of the chocolate is definitely something to write home about.  Best part of all, no one would suspect these muffins are in fact healthy, for they taste way too naughty for it to be so. 

Shh, it'll be our little secret.

Skinny Double Chocolate Mini Muffins

YEILD: About 20 mini muffins

ingredients:

1/2 cup spelt flour or all-purpose if you prefer
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup xylitol, or sugar of choice
A large handful mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips)
1/4 cup mayo-style spread (such as Earth Balance, Vegenaise, or even homemade cashew mayo) 
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp water

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a mini muffin pan with an all-natural non stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and mini chocolate chips.  Sift very well with a wire whisk. 

In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk until the mayo is completely smooth.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined.  Immediately scoop batter into the mini muffins pans filling about 2/3 the way full. 

Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.  Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. 


Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Nut Butter Brownie Truffles

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Have you ever had a Larabar?  I just adore them.  They are a fruit and nut bar that has no added sugars or sweeteners in them.  Dates and nuts are literally the basis of all the bars.  Some have chocolate chips and sweetened dried fruit in them, but they are still one of the purest bars out there.  They are very sweet, but dates are the sole reason.  It made me wonder what else I could use dates for.  I keep seeing these brownie bites floating around on Pinterest, and it gave me an idea.

These things are addictive.  They have a similar texture and flavor to brownies, but none of the added sugar to go with it.  These are sweetened with dates and dates alone.  Seriously a guilt free treat, packed with protein.  What could be better?

 

Nut Butter Brownie Truffles

YEILD: About 16-18 truffles

ingredients:

1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup nut butter of choice (I used Artisan Walnut-Cashew Butter)
1/2 cup packed dates
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I use Enjoy Life soy free, dairy free, gluten free chocolate chips)

directions:

Combined rolled oats, nut butter, dates, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until dough turns to fine crumbs.  Add the water and vanilla extract and process until combined.  Pulse in the chocolate chips.

With a tablespoon, scoop dough and roll into balls with your hands.  Store in an airtight glass container with a locking lid.  Enjoy!


Recipe by Katelyn of Pisa Cake

Healthy Oreos

Well, it's getting close to swimsuit season (for those of us that live in sunny FL that day was like yesterday), and time to tighten up on some food recipes that don't leave you feeling bloated and regretful.  And many of times that means cutting back on your sugar and bread intake.  Although we should do that anyway, our waistlines seem to be relentless in letting us know when it's time.  But that doesn't mean we have to say no to dessert!  There are tons of healthy alternatives floating around on the web, and the possibilities are endless.

Yes, Oreos can be healthy.  And healthy can be delicious.  These cookies are living, breathing, scrumptious truth.  They are guilt free, and don't even taste like it.  So go ahead, have two!

 

Healthy Oreos

YEILD: About a dozen cookies

 

ingredients:

Cookies:
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp good quality cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp xylitol (or coconut sugar or evaporated cane juice or regular if you cannot find)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 tbsp milk of choice (I used soy)
2 tbsp pure agave nectar, pure maple syrup, or honey

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar-free powder sugar *see note below* (or regular powdered sugar if you wish)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut butter, or non-hydrogenated shortening (such as Spectrum), or Earth Balance coconut spread

 For the sugar free powder sugar:  Put 1 cup xylitol into a food processor and process until it becomes a fine powder.  Whalah!  Sugar-free powder sugar! Place the left overs in a container and reserve for sweetening coffee or for another recipe.

 directions:

Combine first 5 dry ingredients, and stir very well.  In a separate bowl, combine all liquid ingredients.  Mix wet into dry to form a dough, then refrigerate 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat; set aside. 

Place dough in a plastic bag, and smush into one big ball.  Remove dough from bag, place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll into a thin dough. Cut out flat circles using a small circle cookie cutter or a small circle-shaped lid.  Bake on a greased cookie tray for 10 minutes; they will still look a little underdone when they come out of the oven.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from the tray.

To make the filling, mix all filling ingredients in a small food processor until thoroughly combined.  (If using coconut butter, make sure it is melted.) Put about a scant teaspoon-full on half of the cookie discs, then top each with remaining cookie discs and fridge so filling firms up. Store in the fridge so the filling stays hard.


Katelyn's notes: If you wish to make these not-so-healthy, simply substitute the spelt flour for AP flour, and the xylitol for regular granulated sugar.  But I pinky promise you, these are so good as is.  If you are having trouble finding some of the ingredients and do not have a Whole Foods near you, you can find them online, or sometimes local markets will place special orders for their customers.



Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Blueberry Banana Bread

I am a sucker for banana bread.  Sometimes I stare at the bananas in my fruit basket and will them to turn ripe so I can whip up a loaf.  I like to dress it up once in a while by adding some chopped nuts into the batter, along with some dried fruit and chocolate chips.  The more textures and colors the better in my book.  When I came across this recipe online the other day, I did a happy dance in my living room.  Seriously though, best combination ever.  I cannot believe I never thought to throw some fresh blueberries in.  Pure genius.  That Giada knows what she is doing.

This bread is perfectly moist and the blueberries create a fresh burst of flavor in every bite.  Not to mention beautiful eye candy.  The aroma of this bread is out of this world.  Literally makes your mouth water while it's baking away in the oven.  Pair this with hot tea and some good reading material, and I'd say that is a pretty perfect way to start any day.

Blueberry Banana Bread

YEILD: One loaf

ingredients:

Butter, for greasing the loaf pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the loaf pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed to yield about ¾ cup of mashed banana

directions:

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In a large bowl beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until blended.  Stir in the bananas and blueberries.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.  

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake until the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.  Cool 15 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.  

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentis

Spicy Spinach and Feta Hummus

Hi!!  Did you miss me?  I have been so happily busy with family that has been in town.  My sister in law and my darling nephew have been here for the past two weeks.  They live in Vancouver, so we don't get to see them too often.  Because it is an all day event to get them here, and because it costs an arm and a leg to fly these days, every second with them was precious, and I made sure to be with them as much as possible.  But don't you think for a second I haven't tested out some delicious recipes for ya'll to chow down on!

That being said, I love hummus.  Slathered on top of toasted pita...yum!  That is my ultimate snack.  I love experimenting with different flavor variations.  Black bean, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic... I like them all.  Today I have a scrumptious hummus for you.  It's creamy, a little spicy and loaded with greens.  Of course you can omit the red pepper flakes if you don't want that kick, or if you have littles that are sensitive to heat.  Either way, you cannot go wrong dipping into this divine goodness.

Spicy Spinach and Feta Hummus

YEILD: About 3 cups

ingredients:

2 cans of low sodium chick peas or garbanzo beans

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach

1/3 cup olive oil

Juice of one lemon

4 tablespoons Tahini

8 ounce block of feta cheese

1 tablespoons red pepper flakes 

2 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoons salt  

directions:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until combined.  Crumble in the feta and add the crushed red pepper, garlic, and salt.  Pulse until thoroughly combined.  Enjoy!


Recipe by Katelyn of Pisa Cake