Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

This is the best cake I have ever eaten in my life. It is unique with a complex, interesting flavor that isn't too sweet. Right up my alley. It tastes like a cross between cornbread and pound cake. I brought a piece to work today and I ate it one bite at a time over the two hours before lunch. I couldn't wait. This cake is worth every single calorie.

I would recommend using a good quality olive oil and dark chocolate bar. You will really be able to taste the difference.

Original inspiration: Good to the Grain via 101 Cookbooks
Serving Size: 12 thick slices
WW: 11 pointsplus per serving (totally worth it)




Ingredients:

Dry:

3/4 cup (3 ounces) spelt flour
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (4 ounces) white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I used sea salt and it turned out fine)

Wet:

3 eggs
1 cup good quality olive oil
3/4 cup whole milk

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces (I used a 45% cacao Icelandic chocolate bar and I felt like it needed a bit more bitterness. Look for a 60-70% cacao bar.)
1 tablespoon cane sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Either line a long loaf pan (4 1/2" by 13") with parchment paper or spray a fluted tart pan or bundt cake pan with olive oil.

Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly and then add the olive oil, milk, and rosemary and whisk again.

Using a spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently until just combined. Stir in 2/3 of the chopped chocolate.

Transfer the batter into your pan, making sure to smooth the top of the batter with a spatula. Then top with the remaining chocolate and pat it into the batter a bit. Sprinkle the top of the cake with a tablespoon of raw cane sugar (or something else with larger crystals - for crunch).

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a skewer or knife comes out of the center of the cake cleanly.

You can enjoy a slice warm or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and eat cold over 2-3 days. Yum!

Nameless Cookie Wonders

You are probably realizing by now that I have a thing for cookies.  Cake, pie, cupcakes...you can have them. They aren't really my thing (although I will be making this in the next couple of days), but cookies are fantastic. I like cookies because they aren't usually too sweet and the best ones have a nice sweet/salty/savory balance.  I have had this recipe saved in my ever-growing recipe folder for a while now and I am thrilled to finally have tried it.  They are not like any cookies I have ever had before. They are actually healthy and surprisingly filling for such small treats.  I would feel great about feeding them to my 4 year old niece, since they do not contain any added sugar or artificial ingredients. AND they are delicious.  I can't quite come up with a name, since it would be something like "Banana-Chocolate-Coconut-Almond-Oatmeal Cookies". Hmmm...maybe trail mix cookies? The name is still in progress!

Original Inspiration:  101 Cookbooks
Serving Size: 2 cookies (I got 45 cookies out of this batch)
WW:  3 pointsplus for 2 cookies (loads of health benefits included!)

Ingredients:

• 3 large, ripe bananas, mashed (around 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (warmed slightly so it becomes liquid) or olive oil
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2/3 cup almond meal  (*You can just pulse 2/3 cup raw almonds in the food processor to make this. You want the texture to resemble sand when you are done)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, finely shredded (I had coconut flakes, so I just blitzed them in the food processor)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar, chopped up (I used some leftover mini chocolate chips I had and that ended up being the perfect size chocolate pieces for these cookies. I used chocolate chips, since I have a ridiculous amount of them, but I can't wait to try them with a quality dark chocolate bar)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with your racks in the top third of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats. 

In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and liquid coconut oil.  Set aside. 

In another bowl, combine the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.  When all of the dry ingredients are incorporated together, add them to the wet ingredients and stir well.  Fold in the chocolate chips or pieces.

Expect the dough to be dry and fairly loose. You will think you did something wrong, but no worries! Drop less than a tablespoon-sized dollops of dough onto the cookie sheets about an inch apart (the cookies really won't grow on the pan).  Bake for 13-15 minutes. The cookies should be beginning to brown around the edges. My oven is on the hotter side and I left them in for 14+ minutes. 

Let the cookies cool on the stove top for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.  

Make sure you eat at least one or two of the cookies warm - to die for!

Sweet Tooth Fix: Coconut Cornflake Clouds

I have had the world's worst sweet tooth all week. I've been picking at candy and baked goods wherever I can find them. I sometimes get into these moods where sweets are all I crave and the holidays really bring that out.  I tried this recipe out to help satisfy my sugar jones without breaking the WW points bank. Super easy to make if you have a stand mixer and incredibly delicious! They taste like a cross between a macaroon and a meringue. I think that I might even try dipping the bottoms in chocolate next time.  

Original Inspiration:  SkinnyTaste
Serving size: 2 cookies (makes between 24-28)
WW: 3 pointsplus for 2 cookies!

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes (I might try unsweetened next time)
• 3/4 cup cornflake crumbs (I smashed 2+ cups of cornflakes in a large ziploc bag - you can buy cornflake crumbs at the store though)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

Using a stand mixer or hand beaters (a stand mixer would be significantly easier), whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar for 8-10 minutes until the meringue is formed. If you put a spoon into the mixture, it should leave a soft, thick peak when you take it out.

Fold in the cornflake crumbs and coconut and combine until just mixed.  Then, using two tablespoons, drop good sized spoonfuls of the mixture onto your prepared cookie sheets. I got 24 large cookies, but Gina on SkinnyTaste got 28. Expect somewhere in that range.

 Bake for about 17-19 minutes or until the cookies are golden. Let cool on the stovetop for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Not Your Grandma's Bran Muffins

I have been hesitant to try this recipe as I always envision bran muffins to have the texture of a hockey puck and the taste of cardboard. The carton of buttermilk sitting in my fridge just waiting to go bad gave me the inspiration to broaden my horizons. I was able to make some WW-friendly tweaks without losing the amazing whole grain goodness of these babies!

Original inspiration: Super Natural Every Day
Serving Size: 12 muffins
WW: 4 pointsplus per serving






Ingredients: 

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran (I bought mine for 10 cents in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)
• 1.5 cups (4 ounces) plain, unsweetened bran cereal (I used lightly sweetened Nature's Path Organic SmartBran cereal, because that is all I could find at my grocery store)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour 
• 3 Tablespoons natural cane sugar 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ounce chopped walnuts (optional; other nuts or dried fruit would also work well)

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Either butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan or place paper or silicone liners in the muffin cups. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, apple sauce, melted butter, and maple syrup. Sprinkle the wheat bran and cereal across the top of the bowl, stir, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. 

While the wet ingredients are sitting, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. After the five minutes has elapsed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Immediately fill each muffin cup almost to the brim. If you are adding nuts, top each muffin with the chopped walnuts before you put them in the oven. 

Bake until the edges of the muffins start to brown and the tops are set, which should take between 18 and 22 minutes. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then cool the rest of the way on a wire rack. Delicious served warm with butter or jam!

Lemony Millet Muffins

I just found out that I have a snow day tomorrow. Happy Halloween! I decided that baking was a good way to celebrate. This is another recipe from Super Natural Every Day and you can expect quite a few more over the next few weeks. Such a great cookbook!

These muffins are delicious, nutty, and lemony. They are healthy, but a bit high in points. I am going to try to find ways to make them a bit lower calorie without losing the wholesomeness. Maybe just less butter? I don't think applesauce would work as a butter substitute in this recipe. Suggestions are welcome.

Original Inspiration: Super Natural Every Day

Serving Size: Makes 12 large muffins

WW: 6 pointsplus per muffin

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups (10 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup (2 ounces) uncooked millet

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt (I used fat free greek yogurt)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup agave nectar or honey (I ran out of honey, which is what the original recipe calls for, but the agave tasted great)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Zest from 1 lemon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with your rack in the top third of the oven. Butter a muffin tin or put liners in the pan (reusable silicone for me).

Whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients - yogurt, butter, eggs, agave or honey, and lemon zest and juice - until everything is smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until everything is incorporated.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into each muffin cup. Each cup will almost be filled to the brim. Bake for around 15 minutes, until the muffin tops are browned and beginning to crack and a toothpick comes out clean from the center of your biggest muffin. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

I enjoyed my muffin plain, but they would be delicious slathered in salted butter, lemon curd, or honey. Enjoy!