Dessert

Kandy Korn Kupkakes

November 5, 2013 by Zucchini Runner in Dessert, Food | 1 Comment

The only thing REMOTELY candy corn about these, are the colors. 🙂 I don’t want to be misleading here and have people thinking candy corns are hidden in the crust. It was just a fun Halloween treat I made this year and there is some bad-for-you stuff in them! I try to do something new each year!

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Crust
1/4 c. pecans
1/4 c. Annie’s Bunny Graham Crackers
1/2 c. pitted Medjool dates

Cheezecake Batter
1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated for 24 hours
1/2 pkg. Daiya Cream Cheese Spread
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Pumpkin Cheezecake Batter
1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp. pumpkin spice

For the crust, pulse the pecans and graham crackers in a food processor until crumbly. Add the pitted dates and process until sticky and well combined; about 1-2 minutes depending on your processor. Using a muffin tin, lined with paper muffin cups, scoop about a tablespoon of the crust into each cup. Press into bottom using your fingers to form a firmly packed crust. (I did some tests with saran wrap and the paper cups worked much better!)

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My original goal for the cheezecake was to use only the thick cream part, like my peanut butter whipped cream, but this can didn’t separate!  So, I ended up using the whole chilled can. If you can get the coconut water and coconut cream to separate however, I would use 2 cans since it produces less filling. Beat the cream cheese first in your standup mixer, and slowly add the coconut milk or cream a little at a time. Once they are both together, beat on high or medium high for about 2 minutes. You want it to get fluffy and whipped cream-like!

Slow the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice, once incorporated, stop the mixer and taste test. If there are cream cheese clumps, be sure to use an immersion blender to remove the lumps! Smooth texture is key. 🙂

Pour a little more than half the batter into a small bowl. Add the canned pumpkin and spice to the mixer and beat on med low until well combined. Spoon canned pumpkin onto each muffin cup crust. Place in freezer for about 30-60 minutes to set. Meanwhile, refrigerate the plain cheezecake batter.

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Once the pumpkin layer has set, spoon out the plain cheezecake layer onto the pumpkin layer. Place back in the freezer and allow to set for an additional 30 minutes. Store in freezer until ready to eat.

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These turned out really well for a first time experiment! Have fun and play with the flavors and colors too! You can make a berry blend with strawberry and blueberry for the summer – get creative!

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Sweet Fruit Drops

September 26, 2013 by Zucchini Runner in Dessert, Food | 3 Comments

I’m panicking slightly right now at the thought of this 30 Day Sugar Detox Challenge I have coming up. You see, I was born and raised with sugar in my blood, as some of you may know by now. It has taken me years of shifting my thinking when it comes to sweet treats. There was a time when I’d sit down and eat half a coffee cake and think nothing of it – that was breakfast! Now, we don’t even have a bag of sugar in our house. We make our own peanut butter and spaghetti sauce and I can’t remember the last time I put sugar in my coffee. (In case you don’t know this, 99% of store bought peanut butter and spaghetti sauce are loaded with sugar.)

However – I still love sweets. As much as I try to cut them out, I still always crave them. Luckily the period of time in between bouts with sugar get longer and longer. Therefore each time I splurge and throw caution to the wind and eat a cupcake (or whatever), I typically regret it about 30 minutes later when I can quite literally feel the sugar stomping through my veins.

All from ONE cupcake. Seriously!? What happened to this baker’s daughter??

I’ve come a long way. But then there are the dark chocolate covered almonds we always keep in the pantry, that I always go to in case of a sweet attack. Or the sweet drinks from the Dutch Brothers Coffee drive thru on my way to ceramics class. My biggest sugar attacks usually happen outside the home, which is where the biggest challenge will be for me.

I guess technically now that I think about it, I’ve been doing “no sugar” (aka sugar detox) since my last sugar infested cupcake binge; probably 2-3 weeks ago. We also stopped buying the chocolate covered almonds in anticipation of the upcoming challenge. With that major temptation out of the house, and knowing I’m about to seriously go a full 30 days without any extra sugars, I’m already finding I need a replacement for when the sugar attacks come. Because I’ve found myself wishing for those chocolate covered almonds at LEAST once a day.

What did I do!? I got creative.

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There are natural sugars all around us, provided by Mother Nature, which don’t involve any processing! And while the debate could go on FOREVER on if these kinds of sugars are OK, I’m sticking with yes, fruit is ok. Especially since I know of some Fruitarians.

Tonight I whipped up the easiest, most delicious dessert in a matter of 5 minutes – and it was plenty sweet too! (Dinner was amazing by the way and I will be posting that recipe soon – Pad Thai!)

Sweet Fruit Drops

1/2 banana
1/2 fresh pear (in season!)
2 fresh dates, pits removed
~1/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

Slice the banana, pear and dates and place into a small bowl. Sprinkle some of the coconut on top and mash it all together with your hands. Scoop out 1 tablespoon at a time and plop into another small bowl that has the remaining coconut flakes. Roll the fruit drop around until it’s completely coated with coconut. That’s it! You can firm them up by sticking them in the fridge, but we couldn’t wait that long. 🙂 I feel pretty confident that I will find some creative ways to still feed my sweet monster during the sugar detox challenge, but in healthier ways.

Have you cut added sugar out of your diet?

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