Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice... Pumpkin Spice Donuts!

Fall is here, Halloween is tomorrow, and pumpkin spice is in the air! 

Why not surprise your loved ones with fresh pumpkin spice donuts tomorrow morning to set the holiday cheer?

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

(Makes 8 Donuts)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (I used white spelt flour)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin spice + 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin

1/3 cup brown sugar or maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg or 3 TBLSP egg whites

1/3 cup almond milk (or other milk) + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp coconut oil 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the almond milk and ACV and let it sit for 10 minutes.

3. In a large bowl combine the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients including the almond milk mixture and stir well.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until all is combined.

6. Pour into donut molds, muffin tins would work too! 

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

8. Let them cool on a cooling rack or plate for a few minutes, then drizzle with honey.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Tea time anyone?! Remember that amazing raspberry chia seed jam I posted the other day? Well say hello to its best friend; the cookie to its jam, the raspberry jam thumbprint cookie!

With oats, almond extract, coconut, and of course jam, these cookies are the perfect little (okay, they're kind of big) treat! Tea time has never been better!

Raspberry Chia Seed  Jam Thumprint Cookies

(Makes 12 rather large cookies)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour (I used spelt flour)

1 cup quick oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 TBLSP egg whites or 1 egg

1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract  

1/2 cup natural applesauce

2 TBLSP coconut oil

Unsweetened shredded coconut for rolling

Raspberry chia seed jam for topping*

Method:

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the oats a few times.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt together.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and eggs together until creamed. Next add in the rest of the wet ingredients besides the jam, and stir well.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until they are fully combined. 

5. Cover the bowl with foil or cling wrap, and place in the fridge to harden for 45 minutes to an hour. 

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

7. In a bowl, pour about 1/3 of coconut shreds into it.

8. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll the dough into balls the size of a ping pong ball.

9. Roll the balls in the coconut shreds and place on an undressed cookie sheet.

10. With your thumb, make an imprint in the middle of the cookie.

11. Using a small spoon, spoon some of the chia jam into the imprint in the cookie.

12. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until they become golden brown. 

Store these in the refrigerator in an air tight container as there are no preservatives in the jam! 

Enjoy!

*Note - You can use any jam you want! Strawberry or blackberry would be fantastic as well!

Apples and Bananas... Banana Bread

Good morning gorgeous humans! I woke up this morning with a craving for banana bread; it must be the cool windy morning we are having here in Sacramento. I am definitely gearing up for Fall recipe wise. It is my favorite time of year, with both my favorite holidays Halloween and Thanksgiving! (Every fat kid at heart loves Thanksgiving!!) I grew up in Southern California, and they don't really have a Fall season where leaves change, weather changes, etc. So when I moved up to Nor Cal, experiencing my first Fall here was amazing! 

So anyway, back to my cravings... I wanted banana bread, but I didn't want to feel extremely guilt for it. I had also picked up some spelt flours and I wanted to try them out. Spelt flour is a wheat flour, but it has less gluten than whole wheat flour, which is what I typically use. It is NOT 100% gluten free, so if you are celiac, don't use it as an alternative. However, for those who are not, it is a great alternative to whole wheat flour. It is light, nutty, but a little sweet too. I used both whole spelt flour and white spelt flour in this recipe because mixing them makes for a better baking batter, but if you wanted to use all whole spelt flour it would work too! Spelt flour has a great amount of protein and fiber, and essential nutrients! 

So now, you are probably wondering how to make this amazing bread right?! Well let me share with you the recipe that will have your family and friends loving you forever! ;) 

What You'll Need:

(Makes 1 loaf of bread)

1 1/4 cup white spelt flour

1 1/4 cup whole spelt flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup overly ripe mashed bananas (about 2-3 bananas, and not too overly ripe)

3 TBLSP of egg whites

3/4 cup date purée 

1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.

2. With a fork, mash the bananas into a purée. It is okay to leave some chunks of banana!

3. Combine all the dry ingredients together, and combine all the wet ingredients together.

4. Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until there are no clumps.

5. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the middle of the bread.

That taste of Fall is upon you! Enjoy!

#eatyourheartout 

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Hello World,

It's Christina here, and well... I LOVE COOKIES! I especially love ooey gooey chocolate chip ones. The kind that when you break them in half the chocolate strings like the cheese in a grilled cheese. I love the smell, the taste, the crunchy outsides and soft insides. Yep, I love it all!

I tried to come up with a recipe that was a little healthier than normal chocolate chip cookies, but still delicious. I tried these cookies out on a group of guys and dolls, and they were a hit! So today, well I guess tonight, I am going to share with you my recipe for delicious (not AS bad for you) chocolate chip cookies!

What You'll Need:

(Makes anywhere from 2-3 dozen)

1/2 cup Earth Balance

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 TBLSP ground flax or chia seeds

3 TBLSP water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tsp hot water

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the TBLSP of ground flax or chia seeds with the TBSLP of water and put it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

3. Cream together sugar and butter.

4. Add vanilla extract and flax/chia egg and combine well.

5. Next, dissolve the baking soda into the hot water, then add the mixture and salt to the sugar batter and mix well.

6. Blend in flour and cream of tartar until there are no clumps.

7. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts (if using) to the batter.

8. Scoop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes of until golden brown.

9. Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before moving them.

Enjoy!!! :)

Amazing Zucchini Bread!

Hello All! I feel like it has been forever! Life has been crazy, but amazing! Lots of traveling, cooking, planning, and creating. Today I bring you zucchini bread! Yep, it is not a mistake, it is bread with actual zucchini in it, and it is AMAZING!!! Even Tyler thought it was the best thing ever! 

This recipe is lower in fat, has protein and is fiber rich, does not contain ANY refined sugar, and is simply delicious! 

What You Will Need:

(1 loaf of bread or 10-12 muffins)

3 TBLSP egg whites

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup blended dates (Soak the dates in water for at least an hour, save the water but drain the water out into a bowl or plastic container, using a food processor or blender, purée the dates into a paste, adding a TBLSP or two of the date water. **You can save the extra date paste in the fridge and use it later on!)

1/4 cup no sugar added applesauce 

1/4 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 cup grated zucchini 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional: 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or raisins.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a bread loaf pan.

3. Whisk together egg whites, honey, date purée, applesauce, coconut oil, zucchini, and vanilla extract.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

5. Pour the wet batter into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined.

6. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 35 minutes, after 35 minutes, place foil lightly over the top of the loaf and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Let it cool for about an hour (IF you can wait that long) and serve!

**IF you are making muffins, preheat oven to 425 degrees, let the muffins cool for 5 minutes and then turn them down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for about 12-13 minutes.