Carrot Cake Blondies with Orange Frosting

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I'll get to the recipe, but I have to tell you something first.

...

My sister got a puppy!!

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Blondies with Cherry Frosting

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If you were sick of my gazillion blondies before, you sure aren't now.  Know why?  Because these ones have chocolate.

Oh yes.  Chocolate.

You know, I never thought I'd say this but there is a time and place for chocolate... which happens to be now and here... but personally, I don't think chocolate would match very well in some of my previous fruit-flavored blondies.  I couldn't imagine chocolate tasting very good in my Peach Blondies, nor could I see it pair well in my Blueberry Muffin Blondies, Strawberry Blondies or Raspberry-Lemon Blondies.

But Cherry Blondies?  Yeah, chocolate will fit right in!

Raspberry-Lemon-Beet Blondie Wedges with TWO Pink Frosting Recipes

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I really hope you're not tired of my fruity blondie recipes.  I gave you fair warnings that I am addicted.  Let's see, how many flavors did I make so far?  First I made the Lemony Peach Blondies, then I made the Blueberry Muffin Blondies, and just recently I made the Strawberry Blondies.

All delicious.  All sweet.  And obviously, all incredibly addicting.

Strawberry-Beet Blondies with Strawberry Frosting

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You had it coming!  Like I said in my Blueberry Muffin Blondies' post, I'm obsessed with these chewy, dense and fruity squares.  I feel the need to bake them with every fruit I can get my hands on.  I even made a giant list of the flavors I wanted to try.  Embarrassing enough, I've thought of 3 more flavor combinations since that post...

But onto this recipe.  I took my original blondie recipe (the Peach Blondies) and swapped a few ingredients to make these super pink and filled with healthy ingredients.  Since food coloring isn't my first choice (even though the kind I have is natural), I opted to use an even better ingredient:  beets.

Even though saying (or typing?) the word makes me gag, and tasting them makes me want to hurl, I really wanted these blondies to be pink pink PINK!  And I didn't have much luck getting a bright pink color from strawberries only in my Strawberry Sponge Cake, so I forced myself to use the dreaded ingredient.

However, the result?  Amazing.

Blueberry Muffin Blondies with Blueberry Frosting

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Those peach blondies went faaaast, so to cope with the withdrawal I remade them but instead, a blueberry version!  I don't know what it is about these fruity squares of goodness, I just can't get them off my mind.  Seriously, I want to make blondies out of every fruit possible.  I had to make a list of all the flavors I wanted to bake and slowly cross out one by one so my oven doesn't explode my kitchen doesn't burst with copious trays of desserts.  Want to see my list?  Well here it is (be warned, my flavor combinations get a little funky near the bottom):

1. Strawberry Blondies with Strawberry Frosting
2. Raspberry-Lemon Blondies with Raspberry Frosting
3. Carrot Cake Blondies with Orange Frosting
4. Maple Pumpkin Blondies with Pumpkin Pie Frosting
5. Zucchini Bread Blondies with Lemon Glaze
6. Almond-Pear Blondies with Pear Frosting
7. Apple Pie Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting
8. Cherry Chocolate Chunk Blondies with Cherry Frosting
9. Coconut Blondies with Coconut Frosting
10. Watermelon Blondies with Watermelon Frosting (to make use of my impulse buy: watermelon extract!)
11. Hummingbird Blondies with Pineapple Frosting
12. Avocado Blondies with Chocolate Frosting (weird, but it worked here. I'd totally hide some spinach in these)

If you totally love or hate one of my ideas pleeeeaase let me know.  Sometimes I get a little crazy when I love something (Exhibit A.  Exhibit B).  I really want to utilize the fresh fruits in the grocery store since it's summer and these blondies capture the essence of summer in every bite.  They are nice and light and totally refreshing.  If you have any blondie flavor ideas, feel free to add them to my long list  :)

Delicious muffin texture with cupcake sweetness.

Blueberry Muffin Blondies with Blueberry Frosting:  [sugar free, low fat, high fiber, GF, vegan]
(makes 9 blondies)

  Blondies:
     160g (1 cup) Brown Rice Flour
     120g (1 cup) Oat Flour (GF if you like)
     1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
     1/2 tsp Baking Powder
     1/4 tsp Salt
     1+1/2 cups Fresh Blueberry Puree
     96g (1/2 cup) Granulated Erythritol (or dry sweetener of choice)
     14g (1 tbs) Coconut Oil, soft (or any other neutral oil)
     1 tbs Lemon Zest
     3/4 tsp Stevia Extract
     40 drops Natural Blue Food Coloring*

  Frosting:
     1/4 cup Fresh Blueberry Puree
     10 drops Natural Blue Food Coloring*
     120g (1 cup) Powdered Erythritol
     9 tsp Freeze-Dried Blueberry Powder**

*I used India Tree's natural food coloring, but honestly, I don't think it provided any color in the blondies or the frosting.  I think I needed to use a much larger amount to achieve color (like ~1 teaspoon).  Feel free to use more or omit it completely.
**I blended one 2oz bag of freeze-dried blueberries in a food processor, 9 tsp was about half the bag.

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheight and line an 8" brownie pan with parchment paper both ways (or spray with cooking spray), set aside.
2.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, oat flour, xanthan gum and salt, set aside.

3.  Rinse the blueberries and puree them in a blender.  Measure 1+1/2 cups and pour into a large mixing bowl.  Whisk in the erythritol, oil, lemon zest, stevia and food coloring.

4.  Dump the dry ingredients over the wet and fold the batter until thoroughly mixed.

5.  Scoop into the prepared brownie pan and spread to the edges, making sure the surface is flat (it takes a bit of time to make it perfectly flat but if you don't you won't have very uniform blondies).  Bake for ~55 minutes, or until the edges pull away from the sides and the surface is firm.

6.  Let blondies cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

7.  For the frosting, measure 1/4 cup of the blueberry puree and stir in the food coloring.  Stir in the erythritol.  Stir in the blueberry powder 1-2 tsp at a time (frosting should be very thick).  Spread onto the cooled blondies, refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up the frosting, slice and serve.

WOW    :O

So, I may be the only one to actually calculate this (hah, yeah right) but you can eat 1/3 of the entire pan for only 510 calories and 9g of fat...  plus, you get 12g of fiber and 12g of protein!

That meets "breakfast standards" right?  Right.

Buttery Chickpea Flax Blondies

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Have you tried the Michael Phelps diet?

Because I'm starting to think I'm on it... decadent desserts are taking over my life!

Not like that's a bad thing, of course, I sort of welcome it.

;)

Kinda like how I welcomed these blondies into my mouth kitchen.

Lately, all I've wanted are some darn good, buttery, sugary blondies.  Except I don't want the butter, the sugar and the guilt that go along with one, or in my case, three (oh, I can never stop at one).  I set out to healthify a blondie recipe, but after two failed attempts I cheated and took my black bean brownie recipe and swapped a couple ingredients.  I used chickpeas instead of black beans and oat flour instead of cocoa powder and quinoa flour.  The result?  Aaahmazing!  These blondies satisfied my cravings in every way possible, they were absolutely delicious.

Chewy, sweet, buttery and... healthy?  Oh yes.  It's like a nutrition bomb hiding in a sinful-looking and sinful-tasting package.

Buttery Chickpea Flax Blondies:  [eggless, low fat/sugar, high fiber, GF, vegan]
(makes 9 blondies)

   1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
   20g (3 tbs) Ground Flaxseed

   96g (1 cup) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (GF if you like)
   1+1/2 tsp Baking Powder
   1/2 tsp Baking Soda
   1/4 tsp Salt

   138g (1/2 cup + 1 tbs) Unsweetened Applesauce
   one 15.5oz can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed well
   14g (1 tbs) Walnut Oil (or any other neutral oil)
   1 tsp Butter Extract (not optional!)
   144g (3/4 cup) Granulated Erythritol
   7g (1 tsp) Molasses
   1/2 tsp Vanilla Paste (or extract)

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9" brownie pan with parchment paper both ways, set aside.
2.  In a small bowl, heat the almond milk for 30 seconds, until hot.  Stir in the flax and set aside to gel up.
3.  In a blender or food processor, add the oats and blend to a coarse flour.  Pour this into a separate small bowl and stir in the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4.  In a blender or food processor, add the applesauce, beans, oil, butter extract and flax gel mixture and puree until beans are completely liquified.
5.  In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the erythritol, molasses and vanilla paste until it looks like brown sugar.  Pour in the blended wet mixture and stir until sugar dissolves.  Fold in the oat flour mixture.  Pour/scoop batter into the prepared pan and spread to the edges (I tapped the pan on the counter to get the batter to the corners and flatten the surface).  Bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is firm when tapped.
6.  Let cool in the pan for about an hour, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and wrap with plastic wrap (be careful, the blondies are very soft and flimsy right now).  Leave covered at room temp overnight and slice the next day.

Note:  While these blondies are surprisingly sweet, I would suggest adding 1/2 teaspoon of stevia extract if you want them extremely sweet.  Totally doing that next time.  My sweet tooth overrides my willpower sometimes...  Also, feel free to add chocolate chips or nuts.  I didn't add those because I wanted to taste these plain to see if they were good enough.  They are  :)

I called these "Flax Blondies" because I could detect the flax a tiny bit.  I'm not a fan of flax but it's so nutritious I try to sneak it in everything possible.  Kind of like spinach, but less gross and not green.

^^ Can you believe it??

Now I don't feel bad about eating three in a row one bit.

In fact, according to the label, I'm proud of myself for indulging healthfully  :)

Frozen Yogurt-Covered Blueberries [two ways]

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Okay.  I really tried to avoid getting obsessed with Pinterest.  At first I was like, how on earth can someone spends hours looking at pictures?  And then, I fell into their trap made my own Pinterest account.  I would spend a few minutes here and there looking at the Food & Drink section, and sometimes the Fitness section.  I didn't get what all the hype was about, but now, I'm hooked.

I'm not even the type of person who likes to spend hours online on sites, such as Facebook, but Pinterest is like a whole different story.  Is anyone else obsessed?!?

ANYWAYS, I saw this recipe on Pinterest about a thousand times, no joke, and had to try it myself.  The original recipe used Dannon's honey yogurt, but I didn't want any added sugar in my version so I used plain, nonfat Greek yogurt and added my own sugar-free/calorie-free sweetener.  They were amazing!  The only problem was that I left the blueberries in the freezer for too long and my freezer feels like it's 5x colder than a normal human being's freezer (I should probably raise the temperature setting.....), so I had to refrigerate them for a whole day until they were edible, aka, not like balls of ice.

Frozen Yogurt-Covered Blueberries:  [fat free, sugar free]
(slightly adapted from Pinterest)
    1/2 cup Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
    40 drops Stevia Extract*
    ~1/3 cup Blueberries, fresh (rinsed, dried and picked over)

*This is optional, I only used it because my blueberries weren't sweet at all.  Alternatively, you can use 1-2 teaspoons of honey or agave

Directions:
1.  Line a cookie sheet with a silpat and reserve space in your freezer for the pan, set aside.
2.  In a small bowl, add the yogurt and stir in the stevia, honey/agave if you choose.
3.  Poke a blueberry with a toothpick, dip in the yogurt, and push the berry off the toothpick with another toothpick.  Do this with all of the blueberries, and put the pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until frozen.  Put the blueberries into a sandwich bag and store in the fridge or freezer.

While these were great, I preferred some more flavor.  Like I said in the recipe note above, my blueberries weren't very sweet and didn't provide as much flavor as I had hoped.

Soooo, I added some of my favorite "treat" to the yogurt mix.  Can you guess what I used?

It may sound gross, but I added lemon-flavored fish oil to the yogurt!  Before Barlean's, I absolutely hated fish oil.  The pills were too big and had a terrible aftertaste for hours after swallowing them.  Barlean's isn't fishy at all and the blueberry-lemon combo was great.

It tasted more like lemon sherbet than a healthy snack!

Lemony Yogurt-Covered Blueberries:  [sugar free, low fat]

    1/2 cup Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt

    1 tbs Barlean's Omega Swirl Fish Oil, lemon flavor (you can find this at Whole Foods too)

    ~1/3 cup Blueberries, fresh (rinsed, dried and picked over)

Directions:

1.  Line a cookie sheet with a silpat and reserve space in your freezer for the pan, set aside.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and fish oil.

3.  Poke a blueberry with a toothpick, dip in the yogurt, and push the berry off the toothpick with another toothpick.  Do this with all of the blueberries, and put the pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until frozen.  Put the blueberries into a sandwich bag and store in the fridge or freezer.

Key Lime Pie [revisited]

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Last October I made a very different Key Lime Pie, if it should even be called that.  I used strange and not so typical pie ingredients (like cream cheese and coconut butter), and looking back now, I used far too many.  Despite its crazy appearance and "graham cracker crust" (note the quotes), it had an amazing taste from what I recall, and I loved it.

Now that key limes have finally hit the local grocery stores, I needed to make the pie again... only this time, for real.  I wanted it to look, taste and feel like real key lime pie.  I wanted people to think I bought it from a bakery or really fancy restaurant.  And finally, I wanted to use a smaller number of ingredients while also making a nutritionally balanced dish (check out the nutrition label below!).  Luckily, I struck gold on my first attempt (which never happens... yes, it was shocking for me too).  Everyone who tried the pie gave it two thumbs up, either because their mouths were full of pie or they were digging into another bite!  Enjoy :)

Key Lime Pie:  [low fat/sugar, high protein, GF]
(makes one 9" pie)

   Graham Cracker Crust:
      1+1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (for GF, use these crackers)
      1 tbs Granulated Erythritol (or dry sweetener of choice)
      scant 1/4 tsp Salt
      63g (4.5 tbs) Coconut Oil, very soft
      1/4 tsp Butter Extract

   Filling:
      1 cup Key Lime Juice, fresh
      192g (1 cup) Granulated Erythritol (or dry sweetener of choice)

      one 32g scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

      1/4 cup Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt

      1/2 tsp Stevia Extract (3/4 tsp if you want it really sweet)

      one 12oz can Evaporated Fat Free Milk
      one packet Knox Unflavored Gelatin

   Topping: (optional, makes pie very limey)
      4oz Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
      1/2 tsp Stevia Extract
      1 tsp Key Lime Zest

Directions (for the crust):
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a pie pan with cooking spray, set aside.
2.  In a medium bowl, stir together the crumbs and salt.  In another small bowl, stir together the coconut oil and butter extract.  Pour all of the coconut oil mixture into the crumb mixture and mix using the back of the spoon to press the oil into the crumbs.
3.  Pour about 3/4 of the mixture into the prepared pie pan and flatten for the base.  Sprinkle the rest of the mixture around the edges of the pan and press it against the wall to form raised edges (I wrapped my fingers in saran wrap to be a little cleaner).  Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and firm.  Let cool while you make the filling.

Directions (for the filling):
1.  In a small pot over medium heat, combine the key lime juice and erythritol.  Stir occasionally.  When it starts bubbling turn the heat down a notch (in between medium and medium-low).  Still stirring occasionally, wait for the mixture to turn a light amber color and thicken (it should look like syrup), about 30-50 minutes (it takes some time, just be patient!).  This should come out to 3/4 cup + 2 tbs of concentrated sweetened key lime juice.  Take the pot off the heat, now you must work quickly, as this mixture will start crystallizing.
2.  In a large, heat-safe bowl, whisk together the protein powder, yogurt and stevia.  Slowly pour in the concentrated key lime juice while whisking and whisk for about a minute.
3.  Pour the evaporated milk into the pot used for the concentrated key lime juice (no need to wash the pot) and sprinkle with the gelatin.  Let this sit for about 5 minutes, then put the pot over medium heat, whisking until the gelatin dissolves.  Alternate whisking the gelatin mixture and the key lime mixture.  Once the gelatin has dissolved, pour the evaporated milk mixture into the key lime mixture while whisking.  Whisk for another minute.
4.  Pour the mixture the prepared graham cracker crust and let cool on the counter for 1-2 hours (my pie had some bubbles on the surface from the whisking, which I left, but they remained after the pie had firmed up.  I would recommend skimming them off the surface with a spoon, but you can leave it if making the greek yogurt topping).  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, making sure the plastic doesn't touch the surface.  Slice and serve the next day, keep leftovers covered and refrigerated.

Directions (for the topping):
1.  Stir all the ingredients in a small bowl and spoon about 1-2 tablespoons over each slice.

^^ key lime graveyard

(label made using these graham crackers, does not include topping)

Yes, only 200 calories for a slice of authentic, rich, tart key lime pie.  No, you're not dreaming.

Strawberry Sponge Cake with Strawberry Frosting

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I've always been mesmerized by a grocery store's baking aisle.  Every location carries different products for different prices and at different sizes.  However, there are certain things that never change:  the boxed baking mixes.  I know them like the back of my hand, yet I still look through each of them for a good five minutes.  I guess I like the variety.  From vanilla to red velvet, from chocolate to banana, etc.

But one box always catches my eye:  the strawberry cake mix.  The cake photographed on the cover of the box is so brightly colored pink, it's hard not to look.  The cake looks so moist and flavorful, you can almost taste it while you're staring at the box.  One day, I finally picked up the box.  I glanced at the nutrition label and read (or, attempted to read) the ingredient list.  My eyes open wide in shock, I gently put down the box, and walk away in awe.  How could so many bad things come in such a pretty package?  On my drive home, I was determined to make a healthier, all natural homemade version!

Oh, and what a success it was!  Embarrassingly enough, I wasn't really expecting much at first.  After I put the cakes in the oven I researched other homemade strawberry cake recipes.  I could only find a handful that didn't use food coloring, and many bakers warned that without the coloring the cake will have no hint of red at all, and sometimes the cake will even turn grey!

I panicked and ran to the oven, but the cakes were already rising.  All I could do was wait and think of how gross the cake I was baking was going to look.  Would it be bland?  Would it be mushy?  Would it be... grey?!?  I sat there thinking of ways to improve the cake that I haven't even seen yet, in prep for trial #2.  Should I add lemon juice to preserve the strawberries' color?  Should I invest in a bottle of natural food coloring?  Should I give up baking for life just bake a totally different cake as part two of my baking rehab?

The kitchen timer went off, bringing me back to the real world.  Riiiiing.  Riiiiing.  Riiiiing.

I slipped on my oven glove and peered through the oven window.  I exhaled, opened the door, and removed the cakes.  But things were looking up!  The surface of the cake was slightly pink, and it was surprisingly fragrant.  Once the cake was frosted and served with a side of strawberries, all my cake-anxiety slipped away.

I melted with each bite.  This moist and sweet cake bursted with strawberry essence, perfect for summer's warm weather.

Strawberry Sponge Cake:  [low fat, high fiber/protein]
(makes two 9" cake rounds)
Dry:
    240g (2 cups) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
    48g (1/4 cup) Pure Cane Sugar
    32g (1/4 cup) Arrowroot Starch (or cornstarch)
    30g (1/4 cup + 2 tbs) Whey Protein Concentrate
    1+1/2 tsp Baking Powder
    1/2 tsp Baking Soda
    1/4 tsp Salt
Wet:

    3/4 cup + 2 tbs Fresh Strawberry Puree* (see directions)

    113g (1/2 cup) Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
    170g (2/5 package) Lite Firm Tofu, drained
    184g (1/2 cup) 100% fruit Strawberry Spread
    28g (2 tbs) Walnut Oil (or any other neutral oil)
    2 tsp Vanilla Extract
    1 tsp White Vinegar
Optional Add-Ins:
    2-4 tsp Stevia Extract (2 tsp if you want an extremely sweet cake+frosting, 4 tsp if not making frosting)
    1 tsp Strawberry Extract
    Natural Red Food Coloring

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and generously spray two 9" cake pans with cooking spray, set aside.
2.  *Cut the greens off the strawberries and remove the white insides with a knife.  Toss into a blender and puree.  Measure 3/4 cup + 2 tbs and put into a small bowl or 1-cup-measuring-cup, set aside.
3.  Using the same blender, and add the yogurt, tofu, jam, oil, vanilla, vinegar and the prepared strawberry puree.  Puree until tofu is liquified.  Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl (add optional add-ins now if you want)
4.  In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk.  Scoop 1/3 of the dry mixture over the wet ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula until barely mixed.  Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and gently fold again.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients and gently fold one last time.
5.  Pour half of the batter into one cake pan and the other half into the other.  Flatten the surface of the cakes by tapping the pan on the counter a few times, then put into the oven.  Bake for 30-32 minutes and let cool in the pan for one hour.  Wrap each cake individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  If you have uneven cakes (like I did), stack the thinner cake (with its round side down) onto the thicker cake (with its round side up).  This will make for flat cakes so you don't have to trim them before layering.  The next day, top with strawberry frosting.


Strawberry Frosting:*  [low fat/sugar, high protein]
    8oz Fat Free Cream Cheese, room temp
    42g (3 tbs) Coconut Oil, soft
    1/2 tsp Butter Extract

    1/3 cup Fresh Strawberry Puree, hulled
    1 cup Freeze-Dried Strawberries
    1 tbs 100% fruit Strawberry Spread

    1/2 tsp Lemon Juice, fresh
    two 8oz packages (3+3/4 cups) Powdered Erythritol

*This is quite a large recipe that makes a lot of frosting... I didn't want to waste my money spent on the powdered erythritol, so I piled all the leftovers on the top of the cake.  This ended up being perfect because everyone who tried it loved it like that, you should do the same!  :)

Directions:
1.  In a medium mixing bowl, whip/whisk the cream cheese and coconut oil until fully mixed.  Add the butter extract and whip again.
2.  Cut the tops of about eight large strawberries and remove the white insides.  Toss into a blender with the freeze-dried strawberries, jam and lemon juice and puree, scraping the sides if necessary.  Pour over the cream cheese mixture and whisk.  Whisk in the powdered erythritol one cup at a time.  When everything is incorporated and smooth, refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until thick and frosting-like.  While the frosting is cooling, take the cakes out of the fridge and unwrap them.  Put one cake down on a serving plate with parchment paper, dry off any moisture with a paper towel, and frost as pictured below (more instructions after the photos):

3.  To frost the sides, pour the rest of the frosting on the top of the cake and slowly spread to the edges, completing about 1-2 inches at a time (if you push it over the edge it will dribble down and not stay put, so you'll have to do it slowly and carefully!  Definitely worth the effort though)

4.  Once entire cake is frosted, refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour, or until surface of the cake is no longer wet/shiny looking.  Slice and serve on the chilled side with some strawberries and maybe even some fresh lemonade!

Here is the nutrition label (includes frosting):

I have no words.  Literally.

A moist and fruity cake with a smooth and sweet frosting for only 290 calories and 8g of fat per slice?  I'm having a hard time believing it myself.  Based on this label, this cake trumps every other cake on the planet the boxed version  ;)  And even better, this is totally a suitable breakfast option!  Whole grains, fruit, yogurt... this beats a bowl of cereal by far.  Join me, and have some cake for breakfast.

Oh, and you can make cake pops out of this too  :)

Classic Cheesecake

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Just like how I developed a liking for the taste of dark chocolate after my milk-chocolate-obsessed childhood, I developed a liking love for cheesecake.  I used to hate the creamy texture and the tangy flavor of cheesecake, I preferred all things baked such as cakes, cupcakes and cookies... I also preferred all things chocolate.

But I've changed and for the better.  I crave cheesecake just like I crave cake.  Probably because now I know that cheesecake can actually be a healthy, balanced dessert that also tastes good!  Scratch that.

I'm probably infatuated with cheesecake because it can be healthy, balanced, and taste oh my goodness ahhhmazing.  I'm sorry, I'm just a little cheesecake happy right now.  Aka, picture me with cheesecake all over my face......

I am so pleased with the result of this dessert, and apparently so is everyone else I shared it with!  Two bites later, I regretted sharing it at all... because I kinda wanted it all to myself.

This is a simple, yet satisfyingly indulgent dessert that doesn't need any frills to please, all it needs is a crust, a filling and fruit topping!  My mother, a cheesecake hoarder/maniac fanatic, even said this tasted like real cheesecake:

     "It has the perfect level of sweetness, a slight tang, and rich and creamy texture."  - Momma

Everything a cheesecake should have!


Classic Cheesecake:  [low fat, high protein, GF*]
(serves 10-16 depending on how you slice it)

   Graham Cracker Crust:*
       1+1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (for GF, use these crackers)
       1 tbs Pure Cane Sugar
       1/4 tsp Salt
       56 (1/4 cup) Coconut Oil, liquid
       1/4 tsp Butter Extract

   Cheesecake Filling:
       16oz Fat Free Cream Cheese
       16oz (2 cups) Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
       84g (1/4 cup) Light Agave Nectar
       1/2 tsp Stevia Extract
       1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
       1/4 tsp Lemon Flavor
       64g (2 scoops) Vanilla Protein Powder
       16g (2 tbs) Arrowroot Starch (or cornstarch)

   Strawberry Topping:
       ~1+1/4 cups 100% Fruit Strawberry Spread

*If you like a thin crust, use 1 cup of crumbs and 3 tbs of coconut oil.

Directions (for the crust):
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9" springform pan with cooking spray, set aside.
2.  In a blender or food processor, crush the crackers until they are crumbs.  Pour into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the sugar and salt.
3.  In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil and butter extract, stir, then pour over the graham cracker mixture.  Stir until all mixture has been moistened then pour into the springform pan.  Flatten the mixture, raising the crust slightly around the edges.  Bake for ~8 minutes, until fragrant.  Let cool while you make the filling.

Directions (for the filling and topping):
1.  In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, yogurt, agave and extracts, and whisk until almost all is combined (it should be slightly clumpy).
2.  Whisk in the protein powder, then whisk in the starch (mixture should be smooth now).  Pour into the springform pan and bake for 32-35 minutes (surface should be somewhat firm and have cracks, but don't worry, it will be covered with the jam!  Edges should be slightly browned, not burnt.  Depending on your oven, a few more/less minutes will be needed to just keep watch).  Remove the springform wall and let cool until barely warm, refrigerate overnight with a sheet of foil or paper towel draped over the cheesecake, not covered completely.  The next day, dab the surface of the cheesecake with a paper towel to remove any moisture.  Slice and top each piece with ~2 tbs of the strawberry jam (or however much you like).

Get ready to see one astounding nutrition label, for one extraordinary cheesecake!

(does not include topping)

Am I the only one who crapped their pants?  A hearty slice of cheesecake for 240 calories, 7g of fat and 17g of protein?!?

I can barely believe it myself.  Oh, and I won't limit this cheesecake to just dessert, this is totally suitable for breakfast a post-workout meal.  Actually, it totally fits the bill for breakfast...

Graham Crackers

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My family is quite small, and by small I mean there are four of us.  Yes, four... my mom, my dad, my older sister and then me.

While I attend university across the country from my family, my sister is also in college while completing an internship.
While my father works full-time and drives a long commute every day, my mother constantly runs errands and keeps each of our lives in order.

Even though school has ended for the summer, we still have hectic schedules and family time doesn't come around very often... family time isn't "penciled in" like an appointment or checkup.  Family is the most valuable thing one should cherish, but oftentimes it isn't made a priority.

This may sound silly, but I truly realized this when I was baking these graham crackers.

The fragrant scent was literally bursting out of the oven, to the point where I just wanted to rip them out of the oven halfway through and eat them in partially baked form!  But I was patient.

The aroma was so enchanting that it drew everyone in the house together in the kitchen.  And what a comforting feeling it was--something sweet baking in the oven, the family all together, chatting away in anticipation for the soon-to-come treat.  Standing there in the kitchen with my family, I stood back.  This was an experience I found to be rare, an experience very worthwhile.

We all have jam-packed schedules filled right to the brim, but it would mean so much if we took the time to be with the people we love and care about, even if it's only for a couple of minutes.

Get ready a little faster, hug a little longer, and leave a little later.  Every second counts.

Make these graham crackers, and make some memories  :)

Graham Crackers:  [eggless, low fat, low sugar, vegan]
(makes ~22 large crackers or ~34 medium)
   Dry I:
       180g (1+1/2 cups) Whole Wheat Flour
       48g (1/4 cup) Sucanat**
       1 tsp Cinnamon
       1/2 tsp Baking Soda
       1/4 tsp Salt
   Wet:
       42g (2 tbs) Honey (vegans use agave)
       42g (2 tbs) Molasses
       30g (2 tbs) Applesauce (unsweetened)
       28g (2 tbs) Walnut Oil (or any other neutral oil)
       1 tbs Almond Milk
       1 tsp Vanilla Extract**
   Dry II:
       90g (3/4 cup) Whole Wheat Flour

**I made this recipe a few times with different variations.  The trial listed above created a mildly sweet cracker, but you can add 40 drops of stevia extract if you want it sweeter.  In my next trial I used Truvia baking blend (which contains real sugar, but it was an accidental purchase!  I swear!) instead of sucanat, vanilla paste instead of extract, and baked them at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes... this created sweeter crackers, similar to the ones you'd find in the store.  I think this is a recipe you can easily adapt, so I think the next time I make these I'll use sucanat, vanilla paste and 40 drops of stevia.

Directions:
1.  Tape down a large square of parchment paper onto your counter using a sturdy tape (I used packing tape around all four sides) and line a cookie pan with parchment paper, set aside.
2.  In a small bowl add the Dry II ingredient (whole wheat flour) and set aside.
3.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the Dry I ingredients and whisk, set aside.
4.  In a small bowl, stir together the Wet ingredients.  Pour this over the Dry I ingredients and stir.  Sprinkle some of the flour set aside (Dry II) onto the mixture and mix in using your fingers.  Do this until the mixture can form a kneadable ball.
5.  Dust the parchment paper square with the flour set aside (Dry II) and knead the dough, adding more flour when needed.  Once you form a ball, let the dough sit for 10 minutes.
6.  Heat the oven to 350 or 375 degrees Fahrenheit (read * above).  Roll the dough using a rolling pin to about 1/8" thick, sprinkling with flour if needed.  Slice crackers using a pizza cutter and use a spatula to lift each square onto the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.  Poke holes into the crackers using a fork, then bake for 14-16 minutes at 350 degrees, or 10-12 minutes at 375 (baking time depends on size of crackers, just keep watch and take the crackers out when the edges have browned)

Because everyone slices their crackers differently, this nutrition label may not be accurate for you.  I made the label for the first batch of crackers I made (which made 22 large crackers), but in the next batch I got 34.  Overall though, this is a nutrition label I can be proud of and the ingredient list is 100% natural and healthy.

QUESTION:  Do you find family time hard to come by these days?

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

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I've come across many Black Bean Brownie recipes, but I don't think I've ever been 100% satisfied with one... there would either be too much sugar, too much butter or too many eggs.  Or I was allergic to half of the ingredients (I'll be posting more on this later).  All I wanted was a brownie that tasted authentic, sweet and fudgy, like it was from a bakery.  I didn't want black bean taste at all, I didn't want it to be cakey, I didn't want it to be bland.

I got all I asked for with these brownies!!  These are super fudgy, super moist and super chocolatey!

However, it was no easy task...  these brownies caught me off guard in so.many.ways.  It's actually kind of ridiculous how many mistakes I made in the baking process, how many things I forgot, and how many things I wasn't supposed to do.  But despite all of my mistakes, the end result somehow turned out incredible.

Onto my mistakes, shall we?  First, I wanted to bake these using brown rice flour as the combination of rice and beans create a complete protein.  However, I ran out of rice flour just last week and had to sub in quinoa flour.  Wow, my first mistake and I was already a nervous wreck!  This was my first time using quinoa flour and I didn't know how it would taste or what kind of texture it would provide.

After whisking the dry ingredients I walked to the fridge only to find that I was out of applesauce too!  I did have strawberries and blueberries though.  I chose the blueberries because I knew they were sweet and delicious after digging into them the other day, and possibly the day of  ;)

After pureeing the blueberries, I realized that I forgot to preheat the oven.  Panicky little Jessica ran to the oven, pressed a couple buttons and ran back to the mixing bowl.  Frustrated and trying to hurry, I dumped in half a teaspoon of baking soda.  Wait!  Brownies don't use baking soda!!  As of now, I'm just laughing.  Could I do anything else wrong?  Will I trip on my way to the oven and splatter brownie batter everywhere?  Well, if I did, I could totally see myself licking it off the walls...

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies:  [eggless, sugar free, low fat, high fiber, GF, vegan]
(makes 9 large brownies)
Dry:
   144g (3/4 cup) Granulated Erythritol*
   60g (3/4 cup) Regular Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
   34g (1/4 cup) Quinoa Flour
   1+1/2 tsp Baking Powder
   1/2 tsp Baking Soda
   1/2 tsp Instant Coffee (I used Starbucks VIA Columbia)
   1/4 tsp Salt
Wet:
   20g (3 tbs) Ground Flaxseed
   1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
   1/2 cup + 1 tbs Fresh Blueberry Puree**
   one 15.5oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed well
   14g (1 tbs) Canola Oil
   1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

*I made this again with 1 more tbs in an attempt to make them sweeter but I didn't notice a difference.  If you want super sweet brownies add 1/2 tsp of stevia extract or top with this healthy white icing
**These brownies have no blueberry taste.  I couldn't even tell they were in there!  No one will notice either, they will be focused alllll on the chocolate

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 9" brownie pan with parchment paper both ways, set aside.

2.  In a small bowl, stir the flaxseed and almond milk together, set aside to thicken.

3.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
4.  Rinse ~1 cup of fresh blueberries and puree in a blender.  Pour all of the puree into a cup (no need to rinse out the blender, but try to pour at as much as possible).  Measure 1/2 cup + 1 tbs and add back into the blender (drink the remaining blueberry puree ;D ) along with the black beans, oil, vanilla and thickened flaxseed mixture.  Puree until all of the beans have been liquified.  Pour into a clean large bowl.
5.  Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the blender mixture and whisk.  Add another 1/3 of the dry to the wet and whisk, then finally add the last 1/3 and whisk again (batter should be thick, feel free to fold in ~1 cup of chocolate chips, you chocolate-lovers!)
6.  Scoop the batter into the prepared brownie pan and spread to the edges.  Bake for 45 minutes.  To test if the center is cooked tap the surface and if it's firm and springs back, it's ready.  Let cool for about 30-40 minutes in the pan, then flip onto a drying rack top-side/ugly-side down.  Peel off the parchment paper and let cool completely before slicing.

Note:  These get even better if eaten the next day!  I didn't know it was possible, but they got even more fudgy and chocolatey.  I suggest wrapping half of the brownies for later and eating the remainder the day of... you know, just so you can compare the two  ;)

Finally, the nutrition label you've been waiting to see!

*wipes tears from eyes*

I never thought this day would come!  A 100-calorie brownie that tastes like 1,000...  a brownie that is super fudgy yet low in fat...  a brownie that is full of flavor yet low in sugar.  I seriously couldn't believe how good these were.  Especially after my gazillion kitchen errors.  Feel free to grab an extra brownie, no guilt involved!  I'm in heaven.  These truly taste like bakery-style brownies (especially the corner pieces!).  Next time I make these I'm going to add 1/2 tsp of butter extract to make it even more "bakery-style."

You.must.make.these.NOW!

PS:  try the peanut butter swirl version!