Category Archives: Dessert

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

My daughter has been eating oatmeal for breakfast for many many years and then all of a sudden she announced, she was done with oatmeal and does not want to eat it again! So, I had to think about breakfast as I feel it is very important to give her a healthy start to the day. She loves anything with pumpkin flavor, especially this time of year- so I looked at a few recipes and came up with the following. These delicious muffins have whole wheat flour, oats, coconut oil, walnuts and dark chocolate. I make a batch that results in approximately 14 muffins and I am set for a while. A muffin, some fruit and a glass of milk and she is all set for the morning!!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup full fat yogurt
½ cup full fat milk
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup dark chocolate, chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 15 to 16 standard size muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and sugar. In a glass bowl, melt the coconut oil and add the yogurt, milk, pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk well and add to the dry ingredients. Add the walnuts and chocolate. Mix well and divide batter between the muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clean.

Banana Bread with Coconut Oil

This is the most delicious banana bread. I changed up my regular recipe to included coconut oil and coconut sugar. If you want to indulge.. definitely make this recipe. The great thing is that it is not completely bad for you…

1¼ cups unbleached white whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup coconut oil, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan
1 cup coconut sugar
3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)
½ cup toasted walnut pieces
½ cup milk or dark chocolate, chips or grated

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a medium bowl, set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, set aside. Lightly brush a 9X5X3 inches loaf pan with coconut oil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated. Add the bananas (the mixture will appear to be curdled), and remove the bowl from the mixer.

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and chocolate pieces and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes before taking it out. Cool completely before serving.

Shredded Cabbage with Cilantro Dill Sauce

It is meatless Monday and St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow.. so I have a cabbage dish for you- with a twist. Make it with your favorite corned beef!!!

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup dill, chopped
1/2 cup water
3 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Transfer the cilantro, dill and water to a blender and blend till a smooth sauce is formed. Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the ginger and cumin seeds. Saute for a minute on medium heat. Add the cilantro dill sauce and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the cabbage, ground coriander and salt and sauté on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce to a simmer, cover with lid and cook for about 10 minutes. Take the lid off and sauté on medium heat for another 10 minutes or till the extra moisture cooks off. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

Prosecco Gelee with Orange and Whipped Cream

Everyone loves jello- especially when it is adult jello! I made this to take to a friend’s house. I used Prosecco for the jello and spiked it with a vanilla bean. I wanted to top it with blood oranges but couldn’t find any.. so used regular ones. Blood oranges are everywhere right now .. so it is a great time to make this delicious, light, dessert!

¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, slit in half
¼ cup cold water
2 packets unflavored gelatin powder
12 ounces Prosecco

Add the water, sugar and vanilla bean to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to loosen the vanilla specks and melt the sugar. Take off the heat and keep aside.

Sprinkle the gelatin powder onto the cold water to soften for 1 to 2 minutes. Fold into the warm syrup and stir well to dissolve the gelatin. Add the Prosecco into the warm mixture and mix well. Pour the gelee mixture evenly to 4 dessert bowls or champagne flutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cranberry and Orange Trifle

So, Valentine’s Day is on Saturday. I though I would do a few desserts this week. I am not a huge Valentine’s Day celebrator.. but any I will take any excuse to make a great meal and an amazing dessert. So here is my favorite- a trifle.. well, why not??

Orange Curd (Recipe from Food and Wine)

3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

In a small heavy saucepan, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Whisk in the sugar, then whisk in the citrus juices and zests. Add the butter and whisk constantly over moderately low heat until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes; do not let it boil. Immediately strain the curd into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and cut 6 small steam vents in the plastic. Refrigerate the curd overnight.

Cranberry Filling

12 ounces bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Transfer cranberries, orange juice and sugar to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or till the cranberries have burst open. Turn the heat off and add the extract. Mix well and refrigerate. Take a quarter cup of the cranberries out for garnish.

1 packaged or homemade pound cake, cut in slices
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Whip the cream, mascarpone cheese and sugar with an electric beater till the stiff peaks are formed while being careful not to over whip.

Assemble the trifle by starting with lining the bottom of the bowl with one part of the cake slices (divide the cake slices into three parts). Divide the cranberry filling into three parts and spread one part over the cake. Divide the orange curd into three parts and spread one part over the cranberry filling. Repeat twice more and top with the whipped cream. Garnish with the cranberries. Chill in the fridge, preferably overnight.

Hazelnut and Cherry Italian Cookies

These are absolutely yum!

1 cup soft unsalted butter (2 sticks)
½ cup evaporated cane sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups white whole-wheat flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 cup hazelnuts, chopped fine
½ cup hazelnut liquor
½ cup confectionery sugar in a small bowl

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy in a mixer. Add the salt, vanilla extract, flour and liquor. Mix well and add the nuts and cherries.
Mix with both hands until well incorporated. Form a ball and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on the cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool and roll in confectionery sugar.

Mango Cardamom Cookies with a Mango Glaze

How about some cookies?

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup turbinado sugar
½ cup mango puree
1½ teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 cardamom pods, crushed and the green skin removed (equivalent to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder)
1 egg
2½ cups white whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together in an electric mixer. Add the mango puree, lemon zest and egg; mix well. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Carefully fold in the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula. Drop a small scoop full of dough onto 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or till golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Drizzle the mango glaze with a fork on the cookies.

Mango Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons mango puree

Whisk the powdered sugar with the mango puree until smooth. Drizzle on the cookies.

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