Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

January 13th, 2012 | Posted by Milana in Dessert - (0 Comments)

This is among one of my favorite cupcake recipes! They’re so pretty, moist and make for perfect guilt-free dessert! I had some batter left so I used a donut mold pan to make mini cake donuts!…. I found the original recipe on recipegirl.com…You may use fresh starwberries all you have to do is freeze them beforehand to draw out the moisture from them and just puree the same way as the recipe requires.

INGREDIENTS:

1 -1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup evaporated cane or coconut sugar
2 -3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 +1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4+1/8 cup avocado oil
3/4 cup pureed frozen strawberries (about 1/4 of a 1 pound bag)
4 large egg whites
1/3 cup unsweetened original Ripple Milk + a few drops of pink/red gel food coloring

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz. Cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Powdered sugar

1/3 cup pureed strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 cupcake pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl with electric mixer, blend avocado oil, applesauce and strawberry puree. Add flour mixture and blend until light and fluffy (batter will be very thick).

4. In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, milk and dye. Add whites in three parts to the batter mixture, mixing only until incorporated after each addition.

5. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Combine all frosting ingredients in a bowl and beat until silky and smooth. Add 1 drop of red food gel coloring and mix again. Frost cupcakes after completely cooled.

18 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 199.0
  Total Fat 7.0 g
  Saturated Fat 1.8 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g
  Cholesterol 7.3 mg
  Sodium 159.7 mg
  Potassium 45.9 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 31.4 g
  Dietary Fiber 1.3 g
  Sugars 18.8 g
  Protein 3.8 g
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Rating: 5.0/5 (7 votes cast)

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 5th, 2012 | Posted by Milana in Dessert - (0 Comments)

 These are my all time favorite cookies!! Who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate together!?…yuuummm!!!! I found this recipe on another blog site called sweetandnatural.wordpress.com I changed a few ingredients to make it my own. Hope you give these cookies a try and let me know how you like them.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

3 Tbsp of Avocado Oil

1/2 cup Pure Honey

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup+2 Tbsp Dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, whisk together  flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside. On another mixing bowl whisk together peanut butter, honey, oil, and vanilla. Add the dry to the wet ingredients. A thick cookie dough will form. Stir in the chocolate chips until completely incorporated. Take a small cookie scoop and scoop out dough into your palm, roll it into a ball,  place on a cookie sheet and sightly flatten down to form a round cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Will make 20 small cookies. Bake 8-10 min. Cookies should puff up slightly, allow them to set on the cookie sheet for about 10-15 min before eating .

20 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 111
  Total Fat 5.8 g
  Saturated Fat 1.1 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g
  Cholesterol 0.0 mg
  Sodium 80.4 mg
  Potassium 4.7 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 11.9 g
  Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
  Sugars 5.8 g
  Protein 2.3 g
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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

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Rustic Pear Tart

January 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Thanksgiving - (0 Comments)

  This is another amazing recipe I got from Ellie Krieger. I made it twice using pears the first time and apples the 2nd. Both came out extremely delightful! The tart is so pretty and doesn’t require much effort or time compared to other tart recipes. This didn’t even last one day in my house when I made it.

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1/2 cup white whole flour or regular whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cane or coconut sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold, vegan shortening
  • 2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Cultured Cashew Beverage or Buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

  • 3 medium pears
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:

  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon boiling water

Directions:

To prepare the crust, in a medium bowl whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, all- purpose flour, sugar and salt. Add the shortening and using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut it into the flour mixture until you get a pebbly, course texture. In a small bowl combine the buttermilk and ice water. Using a fork, gradually mix the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Pat the dough into a 4-inch round and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and prepare the filling. Peel the pears, core them and cut into 1/4-inch slices. In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss until the pears are evenly coated. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large circle about nine inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draping the dough over the rolling pin, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. If the dough breaks at all patch it up with your fingers.

Arrange the pears in a mound in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch boarder. Fold the border over the filling. It will only cover the pears partially and does not need to be even.

Bake the tart for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, keeping the tart in the oven all the while, and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown.

In a small bowl stir together the honey and boiling water to make a glaze. When the tart is done remove it from the oven and brush the honey glaze all over the top of the fruit and crust. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut into 6 wedges and serve warm or a room temperature.

  8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 168.1
  Total Fat 6.4 g
  Saturated Fat 3.6 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g
  Cholesterol 15.7 mg
  Sodium 43.7 mg
  Potassium 37.1 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 30.0 g
  Dietary Fiber 2.7 g
  Sugars 15.3 g
  Protein 2.0 g
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Rating: 4.4/5 (7 votes cast)

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Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

December 28th, 2011 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Vegan - (0 Comments)

  I don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to use Nutella in my baking, it was hard to make a decision and I have finally found the ideal match! After trying to modify the original recipe I admit I was hesitant thinking the end result would be complete failure and to my surprise it was great success after all!  This is a divine dessert for a dinner party! Your guests will think you spent hours making these but it actually takes no longer than 15 min+ baking time. The original recipe was about 500 calories per serving and thanx to my modifications I can now proudly say each serving is 364 calories Isn’t that amazing!?!? But regardless this is still a rare indulgence due to it’s high fat and cholesterol content!  Hope you guys enjoy making these as much I do and I would love to read your feedback!……. I got the original recipe from a great blog www.ireallylikefood.com

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz Enjoy Life semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

3 Tbsp vegan butter or shortening

1/4 cup avocado oil

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup evaporated cane or coconut sugar

1/4 cup cake flour

4 Tbsp Dairy Free Nicciolata

cooking spray for ramekins

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Melt chocolate, oil and butter in microwave, in thirty second intervals and stirring in between until it is completely melted and mixed.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add chocolate mixture gradually into the eggs. Add flour and mix until incorporated.
  4. Grease 6 cupcake/muffin molds with cooking spray. Fill each about 3/4 full with batter. Then put 2 teaspoons of nicciolata in the middle of each.
  5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes. The cake should be cooked on the sides but still gooey in the center.
  6. Remove cakes carefully and turn upside down onto plate. You may need to use a knife gently along the sides of the muffin molds. Serve while warm. Garnish with powdered sugar and berries! Enjoy!
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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

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Signature Apple Blueberry Pie

December 27th, 2011 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Thanksgiving - (0 Comments)

This apple blueberry pie recipe has been traditionally in our family for about 20 years now! This is originally my Moms recipe which was passed down to my sisters and I. Eventually , we will be passing it down to our children.

I make my moms bottom crust as written below. However, I make a vegan top crust which I use for decor. Ingredients listed below.

*Ingredients:

CRUST:

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Sugar (I use organic evaporated cane)

1/2 cup avocado oil

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

PIE FILLING:

4 Granny Smith Apples (peeled, cored, and and cut into sticks)

1 Can Blueberry Pie Filling (make sure its without High Fructose Corn Syrup)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp cornstarch (or arrowroot)

VEGAN TOP CRUST (for decoration & cut-outs):

1-1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1-3/4 tsp sugar

1/4 cup solid coconut oil

3-5 Tbsp ice water

DIRECTIONS:

For bottom crust, combine all ingredients, shape into a ball and divide into 2 unequal parts . One of which is 1/3 smaller than the other. Use the larger part of dough and gently press onto a 9″ or 9.5″ round pyrex or ceramic pie dish going up 1-1/2 to 2″ of the border.

Filling: Combine all the filling ingredients and pour on top of the pie crust and evenly smooth the top with a spoon as much as possible.

Use the 1/3 part of the remaining dough to crumble all over the top or follow vegan top crust recipe to make decorations.

For Vegan Top Crust:

In a food processor, add flour, salt and sugar and pulse until combined. Add coconut oil and process until no chunks remain. Add 2 Tbsp of ice water and process until the dough comes together. Add another Tbsp if needed. At no point should the dough be sticky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 min. Roll dough out on floured surface and decorate to your liking whether it’s to make a nice lattice, cut-outs or just a regular old fashioned crimp crust. Brush with egg wash.

Bake for 60 min at 350F. Makes about 10-12 slices.

*** original vegan pie crust recipe adapted from Food with feeling.

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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

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Luxurious Peach Cobbler

December 27th, 2011 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Thanksgiving - (0 Comments)

Who doesn’t like warm, gooey, comforting peach cobbler with a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream on a cold winter day without feeling guilty about it later!? I can assure you that my healthier version delivers the same texture as well as taste without packing on the whopping calories like the traditional version.

I tweaked the original recipe that was found on allrecipes.com. Happy Baking!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups fresh peaches – peeled, pitted and sliced (you may use frozen as well)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat
  • 1/2 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar
  • 1- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or vegan butter/shortening
  • 1 Tbsp avocado Oil
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened Original Ripple Milk or any milk on hand
  • 1 Tbps chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 6 Ramekins
  • 6 scoops vanilla ice cream 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. To Make Peach Filling: In a large saucepan combine 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir in peaches and lemon juice, tossing until peaches are evenly coated.
  3. Cook filling over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Pour mixture into each ramekin. Keep mixture hot in oven while you make topping.
  4. To Make Topping: In a medium bowl combine flour, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then cut in butter with pastry cutter until mixture looks like fine crumbs add oil combine with a fork until texture is like coarse sand. Add milk and stir until mixture is evenly moistened.
  5. Remove peach filling from oven and drop dough onto peaches in 6 equal-size spoonfuls. Press walnuts onto dough
  6. Return cobbler to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool for 10 Min then top them off with the ice cream and DIG IN!!!
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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

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Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting

December 24th, 2011 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Thanksgiving - (0 Comments)

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Happy Holidays Everyone!!! …..I made these festive cupcakes for a friends annual Christmas party and it was a HUGE success!!!I used white chocolate peppermint  bark and green sugar as an additional garnish. I got the original devil’s food recipe on foodnetwork.com by the one and only Ellie Krieger! Let me know what you guys think. All your comments and reviews are appreciated!

Yields: 8 cupcakes…..to make more you may simply double recipe. 

For cupcakes:

Paper cupcake liners

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegan sour cream

1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Cultured plain Cashew Beverage 

2 tablespoons Vegan Shortening

1/4 cup avocado oil

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

Peppermint Frosting:

6 oz. Vegan Cream Cheese at room temperature

8 Tbsp. Unsalted Vegan shortening at room temperature

3 cups Powdered sugar

1 tsp pure peppermint extract

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Ripple Half & Half in Vanilla

Directions:

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a cupcake liner into each section of cupcake tins. Whisk together flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine sour cream and buttermilk in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine shortening, oil, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add eggs and beat an additional 1 minute. Add 1/3 of flour-cocoa mixture, then 1/3 sour cream buttermilk mixture, mixing well after each addition. Repeat with remaining dry and wet ingredients. Distribute batter evenly among 8 cupcake tins. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool slightly, transfer to wire racks and cool completely, 10 to 15 minutes.

For Frosting:

Place shortening in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds. Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time and blend on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until it begins to get fluffy. Add the vanilla and peppermint extract and beat again until completely incorporated. Finally add the 1 Tbsp of half & half and combine.

**To create a swirl effect. Take a large piping bag and make 2 vertical parallel lines with your gel food coloring on the inside of the bag and then carefully fill with the frosting. Squeeze a little bit of the frosting onto your finger until u see the red and white stripes. Now you are ready to frost your cupcakes!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (5 votes cast)

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Silky Double Chocolate Pie

December 15th, 2011 | Posted by Milana in Dessert - (0 Comments)

This smooth and silky pie will satisfy anyone’s sweet, chocolaty craving!! This is one of my favorite recipes by Chef and Registered Dietitian, Ellie Krieger, who has her own show on the cooking channel called HEALTHY APPETITES. I’ve made this pie in the summer since it’s served cold. But I just made it a few days ago and it goes very well with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients:

  • 14 graham cracker squares (7 full sheets)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin or agar agar
  • 1/3 cup boiling water
  • 2/3 cup cane or coconut sugar, plus 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1/3 cup cocoa unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups Unsweetened Original Ripple milk
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Can of coconut whipped cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.  In a food processor, process the graham crackers until finely ground. Add butter and water and process until the crumbs clump together. Press the crumb mixture into bottom of pie plate and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool.

In the meantime, make the pudding. Put the gelatin in a small bowl, add the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, mix the 2/3 cup of sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add half of the milk, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Turn the heat on to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the vanilla and reserved gelatin. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and let set for 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Garnish the pie with the whipped cream.

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Rating: 5.0/5 (5 votes cast)

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Decadent Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

December 4th, 2011 | Posted by Milana in Dessert - (0 Comments)

I made these delicious cupcakes for my sisters Sweet 16! She loved them!!! These are the most luxurious, low calorie red velvet cupcakes I have ever tasted!!! You guys must give these a try! I got this recipe off of skinnytaste.com Let me know how you guys like them! 🙂

Servings: 24 Serving

Size: 1 cupcake with frosting

  • 1-1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup cane or coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened dutch-process cocoa
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1-1/3 cup buttermilk or Trader Joe’s Cultured Cashew Milk
  • 1 tbsp red food coloring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with liners. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. In another large bowl beat sugar, applesauce and butter. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix baking soda and vinegar. Add half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, mix well. Add buttermilk, red food coloring and mix well. Add the remaining dry ingredients and fold in vinegar and baking soda. Pour in prepared cupcake liners 3/4 of the way. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool, then frost with low fat cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 oz Cream Cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.

 

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Rating: 5.0/5 (5 votes cast)

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Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

November 29th, 2011 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Vegan - (0 Comments)

These are the most decadent, moist cupcakes I have ever made without the use of eggs, milk, or butter! Definitely a keeper! Originally I got this recipe from cooks.com I altered it slightly for nutritional purposes. I hope you guys enjoy these as much as my family, friends and I do.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cane or coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder or dutch process cocoa
1/4 cup avocado oil

1/4 cup all natural unsweetened applesauce

1 cup water
1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all of the ingredients well until combined. It should be brown and smooth. Free of lumps. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. Cupcakes will turn out moist and delicious. After they cool down you may use any favorite frosting to top them or eat them as is!  I used 1 tsp of Dairy Free Nicciolata to frost each cupcake.

Nutrition: 12 cupcakes

Calories Per Serving: 135.20 without frosting.

Total Fat: 5.1 grams

Saturated Fat: .6 grams

    Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4 grams

    Monounsaturated Fat: 2.8 grams

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Potassium: 53.4 mg

Sodium: .8 mg

Total Carbs: 21.9 grams

   Dietary Fiber: 1.8 grams

Sugars: 8.9 grams

Protein: 2.2 grams

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Rating: 4.7/5 (6 votes cast)

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