Christmas Chocolate Tart

Now that Christmas is over, I'm believe I'll be heading in a tad bit healthier direction with my recipes...While my recipes wouldn't be described as "fatty" or unhealthy, I think I can step it up a bit in the nutrition department. That means: less carbohydrates, less white flour, and less refined sugar. It's a brave new world, and I'm jumping in! While this next recipe doesn't exactly jive with the whole paleo/green/crazyfit new me, it is simple, delicious, and you'll only want a sliver of this dark chocolate tart. Plus, my mother made it on Christmas, so it goes without saying that it'll be a hit.

If you look closely enough, you'll see Ben & Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt. If you think that Blueberry Graham Cracker Frozen Yogurt doesn't mix with chocolate tarts, you'd be wrong. 

Ingredients: 

crust- 
8oz. gingersnaps, finely crushed (Anna's brand is the best)
1/4 cup melted butter 

filling-
12oz. bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped finely
1 cup whipping cream
1 egg and 2 yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1tsp.flour
pinch salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.   Crush the gingersnaps very finely, placing them in a plastic bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin does the trick. Next, add the melted butter and press crust mixture into greased tart pan, set aside. Combine chocolate and cream in saucepan and whisk on low heat until melted. Whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar, and flour in a separate bowl. Gradually whisk chocolate mix into egg mix and blend. Pour filling into crust. Bake 30 minutes until center is softly set. Allow to cool (if you can) and drizzle with some homemade caramel sauce (not diet friendly- but it's the holidays!!) I made this recipe here to go with my Christmas Eve Turtle Cheesecake. Now here's to good, healthy, resolutions and goals in 2013!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Minicakes with Cream Cheese Glaze and Candied Ginger

Whew! That's a long title, isn't it? I couldn't think of a better way to represent my little Christmas treats, so I thought I'd pack as many words into the title as I could. Why the name "minicakes"? Well, it's a lot cuter sounding than cupcakes (boring!) and I find it hard calling them cupcakes when: they're not that sweet, they're healthy, and you won't get cavities from eating one. I made these a week or so ago, but life has been a bit busy, so I hadn't had time to post pictures. They're little bites of joy, little flavor filled treats. I personally love eating big chunks of candied ginger solo, but I understand the flavor can be strong for some. I used only one giant bowl for these (washing before the glaze!). While the finesse may not be there, the flavor certainly is!

Mmmmm, don't they just look Christmas-y? I've been drinking a lot of hot cocoa recently, and I can tell you that these babycakes are divine with a steaming cup.

Ingredients:

Minicakes-

4 oz. dark chocolate (70% or more cacao) or half a bag of dark or semi sweet chocolate baking chips
3 tbsp. coconut oil
3 tbsp. agave nectar
1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of cinnamon

Glaze-

1/2 c. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
2 tsp. milk

Topping-

candied ginger, found near the dried fruit in your grocery store

Method:

Preheat oven to 375. In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil and chocolate over medium-low heat. When mixture is almost completely melted, remove from heat and stir until completely combined. Pour chocolate/coconut oil mixture into a large mixing bowl and add your remaining ingredients, reserving the flour last. If mixture is too dry, add a tsp. or so of soy, almond, or non-fat milk.

Now, grab your muffin tin, grease with some butter or oil, and then fill each about 3/4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, keeping your eye on those minicakes. Let cool for about an hour, then mix up your glaze. My cream cheese was soft enough that I could just whisk it, rather than breaking out the Kitchenaid. I like the idea of a light glaze on these, because I want to taste the combination of chocolate and ginger and not be overpowered by a frosting. I drizzled my glaze lightly just on top. Finish with two or three small pieces of candied ginger and take a big bite!

Only NINE more days 'til Christmas! I already found my Christmas Dessert that I'll be making... and the appetizer, too!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

I hope you all had a lovely weekend, and, if you are off today, are thinking about our Veterans. We can never thank them, pray for them, or think of them enough!

I made this easy, simple, and relatively healthy dessert a month or so ago, before we moved. It is so lovely and delicious, I promise you'll love it! While it is more suited to warmer weather, (at least I like warm food in the fall and winter), you could melt some chocolate instead of the cocoa powder, and that may warm things up!  I added homemade whipped cream, which of course, makes everything tastier.

Recipe, courtesy of This Chick Cooks.

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, soft and ripe
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup grade b maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons milk (coconut, cow or any type of milk you prefer)

Method:

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop out flesh and put in in the blender along with remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Hope you're all thinking of Thanksgiving treats, I know I am!