All posts tagged sweet treats

NOURISH … with gluten free | strawberry goat cheese scones

by Julie on May 30, 2013 in NOURISH with No comments

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GLUTEN FREE STRAWBERRY GOAT CHEESE SCONES adapted from this recipe from yummy supper.

These remind me of the really tasty scones I used to get at a little cafe in Boston when I worked in the Fort Point Channel  - minus the gluten, cow’s milk, and loads of butter which I’m sure they were made of. Now that great organic strawberries are available, it’s the perfect time to savor their flavor and mixing in the goat cheese and coconut milk offers a little moister scone than you may be used to. Also, try this recipe with other berries throughout the summer.

I used pamela’s pancake and baking mix for this recipe (I use this flour as a special treat occasionally because of the price) but you could also substitute another flour blend or make one of you own.  Here is great resource from Gluten Free Girl and the Chef for making your own Gluten Free flour mixes and another from Gluten Free Goddess.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups pamelas pancake and baking mix

1 t. baking powder

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. honey

1/2 stick of melted butter

1 egg

1/2 c. canned coconut milk

1/4 c. of goat cheese

zest of 1/2 lemon

1 cup of chopped strawberries

DIRECTIONS

Set oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together the baking mix, baking powder and the sugar. In another bowl mix together the remaining ingredients except for the strawberries making sure the goat cheese is incorporated.  Pour the flour mixture into the wet mixture and then fold in the strawberries.

Place small portions (roughly 2 tablespoons) on a baking sheet lightly coated with coconut oil, sprinkle lightly with sugar (optional) and bake for 10-12 minutes. This recipe makes about 25 mini scones.

Enjoy!!

Julie

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NOURISH … with gluten free citrus cake | by five and one

by Julie on March 1, 2013 in NOURISH with No comments

citrus-cake

citrusslice

Remember the Citrus bird feeders I posted a few weeks ago?  This is the citrus cake I promised to share with you for using all of the citrus juice from the bird feeder craft.  It’s not often that I bake something without a recipe and it’s a winner the first time.  With cooking, I improvise all of the time … but baking, especially gluten free baking, I am not as comfortable with yet.  This cake, I assure you, is a moist, tasty treat!

GLUTEN FREE CITRUS CAKE 

2 cups almond meal

1 c. white rice flour

1 t. baking soda

1 -1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. coconut oil (warmed to a liquid)

3 eggs

1/2 c. yogurt (ricotta cheese or coconut milk can also be used)

3/4 c. citrus juice (orange juice or a combination of lemon, orange & grapefruit)

1/2 c. maple syrup

powdered sugar (for a light sprinkle before serving)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375 . Coat a cake pan or spring form pan with coconut oil or butter.

Mix dry ingredients together (almond meal, white rice flour, soda, powder, salt). In another bowl mix the sugar, coconut oil and eggs. Then add in the yogurt, citrus juice, and maple syrup. This is where the batter becomes really fragrant and has a great citrus aroma. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and let sit for about 10 minutes (this helps soften the rice flour and almond meal).

Bake cake for 20 -25 minutes depending on the nature of your oven. When the cake has cooled a bit, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top before serving (this is optional).

baking notes…  If you would like a dairy free version, I have tried this cake with canned coconut milk in place of the yogurt and had great results.

Enjoy this recipe with all of this great tasting citrus available right now!

- julie

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NOURISH …. with dark chocolate almond milk + banana ice cream | by five and one

by Julie on February 13, 2013 in NOURISH with No comments

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How about a little rich dark chocolate ice cream to celebrate the holiday?  This recipe is so simple, rich in antioxidants, and really tasty!   Made with just two ingredients, Silk’s brand of Dark Chocolate Almond Milk and bananas + a few dried cherries on top.  If you want to make it extra special for Valentine’s Day add a fruit strip heart punched out with a cookie cutter to top it all off.

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DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND MILK + BANANA ICE CREAM

3 cups cold Silk Dark Chocolate Almond milk ( usually found in the milk section of the grocery store)

2 bananas

Directions …

Blend almond milk and bananas in a blender and pour into your ice cream maker.  Freeze according to manufacturers directions.

Top with dried cherries and for a fun and easy heart topper use a heart shaped cookie cutter and punch out hearts from a fruit strip.

Enjoy!

- julie

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NOURISH + CREATE … with wrapped biscotti and truffles for valentine’s day | by five and one

by Julie on January 29, 2013 in CREATE, NOURISH with No comments

VALENTINES-DAY-BISCOTTI-WRAPPERS

Here is a simple way to add a creative touch to homemade sweet treats and also an easy one for the kiddos to help with. Have them help with the baking of the truffles and biscotti and let them wrap up their own creations.  Wax crayons also work fantastic on wax paper!!

Wrapping supplies and directions for wrapped biscotti

wax paper

paper or vellum for cutting hearts and strips

washi tape for securing

Cut wax paper to desired size and wrap around two biscotti. Secure with washi tape and a heart or washi tape and strips of paper.  Experiment with items you have on hand.

The Biscotti recipe is from Jen Altman. I made ours gluten-free by using a gluten free flour blend, but the original recipe is quite tasty too!

 

VALENTINES-DAY-truffle-WRAPPERS

Wrapping supplies and directions for wrapped truffles

wax paper

decorative scissors (optional)

gold paperclips or mini wooden clothespins

assorted papers

washi tape

Cut out triangular pieces of wax paper approx 5 x 5 x 7 and roll into cone shapes. Secure with your desired fastener. For one design I used a gold paperclip and strips of red and hot pink colored vellum. The next I cut out a red heart from vellum paper and used gold washi tape to secure. The last design is a strip of brown card stock stamped with hearts and attached with a brown mini clothespin. The edges can be cut with decorative scissors or kept straight. Again, experiment with items you have on hand. Two truffles will fit into each cone.

The yummy recipe for the date truffles is from Green Kitchen Stories.

Enjoy!

- julie

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NOURISH …. with spiced cocoa made with almond milk and coconut oil

by Julie on January 14, 2013 in NOURISH with No comments

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Sipping cocoa is simply a very special time in our house!!  It makes some of these long, cold winter days a little more fun, especially on snowy, sledding days.  We don’t drink much dairy, so using almond milk is a great substitution. The spices add tasty flavor and the coconut oil makes it rich and creamy.

DIRECTIONS | this makes one cup, so adjust amounts for how many will be joining you.

warm 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

whisk in …

1 T unsweetened good quality cocoa powder or  raw cocoa

1/2 t. coconut oil

2 t. honey

one pinch each of cinnamon, cayenne, and sea salt  (feel free to adjust seasonings)

pour and enjoy sipping your cocoa

Another option is to use 1/3 of a Green and Black’s Maya Gold chocolate bar (infused with orange and spices) in place of the cocoa, honey and spices in the recipe above.  Simply heat your almond milk and whisk in the chopped chocolate bar and coconut oil.

Adding the coconut milk, along with having so many healthy benefits, also soothes chapped winter lips while sipping your cocoa.  Read more here about the great benefits of adding coconut oil into your beauty and kitchen routine.

Enjoy!

- julie

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