Cream puffs aren't nearly as intimidating as they seem. The trick to getting them nice and puffy is how you add your flour and the heat at which they bake. The cool thing about these delightful pastries as that you can make them any size, and fill them with whatever you please. Yesterday I posted about Strawberry sauce. Can Cream Puffs taste good without it? I'm really not sure. I don't think I've ever tried. They're awfully messy, but that just adds to the experience. :-) You'll need: 1 cup water1/2 cup butter1 cup all-purpose flour1/4 tsp salt4 eggs In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour and salt all at once. This is very important. Stir together until you get a smooth ball. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until you get a smooth, shiny mixture that looks something like above.
Drop by round tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Immediately slit puffs open. Remove tops and set aside. Discard any soft dough inside. Cool completely. Now the fun part! Fill them with whatever you please-from classic whip cream, strawberries and chocolate, to funky flavored lemon pudding, or mocha mousse. Either way, you've got the perfect shell to compliment your choice of filling!
If you're on a mission to clean up your diet, getting your kids on board with the idea can seem impossible. If they're used to snacking on cookies, party-mix, Smarties, or packaged granola bars it can be frustrating for both of you to adopt healthier eating habits. Thankfully, there are many scrumptious, nutritious recipes available that'll appeal to the pallet the same way junk food does. But instead of artery-clogging fats, refined sugars and flours, MSG, and simple carbohydrates, you'll be serving your child snacks that are loaded with nutrition and energy to help build a growing body. Here are 10 snacks our kids love (and have no idea they're good for them!):
1. Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Flax Muffins
2. "Just Like Wheat Thins" Crackers with Cheese from Trim Healthy Mama
3. Snicker Snackers
4. Apples or Bananas with Peanut or Almond Butter
5.Raw vegetables with natural, homemade salad dressing.
If you need to make an impression but are completely intimidated by the idea of baking a real cheesecake, this recipe will stop the show. I've made it many times and love the silky smooth texture, the way it slices perfectly, the combination of vanilla and chocolate, the richness of the cream, and how versatile it is for decorating. Not to mention that it can be whipped up the day before and stays good for a really long time.
That is, if you haven't eaten already.
You'll need:Crust: 1 1/2 cups of crumbled Oreo cookies 3-4 Tablespoons melted butter Chocolate Layer: 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 2 Tablespoons cold water 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Vanilla Layer: 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 2 Tablespoons cold water 1 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Directions:Crust: Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter together. Pat into a 9" spring form pan. Set aside. Chocolate Layer: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer. In a separate small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Add to warm cream and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir chocolate chips into remaining warm cream until melted. Stir in gelatin mixture and remaining cream. Pour on top of crust. Cool in fridge for 45 minutes or until firm. Vanilla Layer: In a small saucepan, bring cream and sugar to a simmer. In another bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Stir into cream until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add vanilla. Carefully spoon over chocolate layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. After removing the sides of the spring form, you can garnish this beautiful dessert any way you like. In the picture shown above, I simply rubbed some more Oreo cookie crumbs onto the sides. Using several thin strips of waxed paper, I created a lattice stencil on the top of the dessert, sprinkled on some more crumbs, and carefully removed the strips of paper. Then I added a "haystack" of chopped chocolate covered peppermint sticks. I've also served this with a fresh strawberry sauce made by pureeing strawberries and sugar in the blender for a fresher taste. Be creative-the possibilities are endless!
*GF Variation: Simply use Gluten-free cookie crumbs instead.
Would you believe me if I told you these things help you lose weight? Seriously! Every time you reach for a cookie, grab a Peppermint Patty instead and the pounds will melt off. They contain no sugar or dairy and are virtually carb-free. Yet, they're loaded with the kind of fat that's good for you (coconut oil) and helps burn off the bad stuff by improving your metabolism. The best part? They're so decadent and flavorful, there's no way you'll feel deprived. I am addicted to them and keep a stash in the back of our freezer. But don't tell the rest of my family or they'll be gone!
Time: 15 min. plus cooling time Servings: 12 large patties or 24 small patties *For THMer's, this is a Satisfying dessert. Ingredients:Chocolate:
1 cup virgin coconut oil (Tropical Traditions is my favorite)
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
2 Tbsp Truvia (or alternative sweetener)
Filling:
1 cup finely shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 Tbsp Truvia (or alternative sweetener)
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4-1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
Directions: Bring 1 cup of coconut oil to liquid state (either in a double boiler, or immersing a sealed container in warm water). Whisk in cocoa powder and sweetener. Pour 1/2 of mixture into paper-lined muffin tins and set in freezer until hard (about 5 minutes). In the meantime, mash all of the filling ingredients together in a separate bowl. Divide and spread evenly on the chocolate coated muffin liners. Return to freezer for another 5 minutes or until hard. Evenly pour the last half of chocolate over the peppermint layer. Return to freezer. Once hard, transfer to a Ziploc bag and refrigerate or freeze until serving.
"Say: 'These are scrumptious'." My husband told me to write that when I asked him how I should describe these bars. He also wanted you to know that he cuts the grass straighter than anyone else he knows, and that he's wearing white socks today. Ha!
He also said I better not write that. ;-) Back to the bars. They are really yummy. We ate a whole recipe between the two of us in just four days. Pretend that isn't true. The cool thing about these bars is that not only are they a cinch to make, they can also be made very quickly, everyone loves them, and the possible variations are endless. More on that at the end.
You'll need:
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square pan, line with parchment paper and then grease well.
Combine your dry ingredients together and mix in your butter until crumbly.
Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.
Spread jam on top...
... and then sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Press lightly so top coat sticks into jam.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool, cut into bars and Enjoy! Now for the variations. The raspberry jam could be replaced with any jam or jelly. Think blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, peach, or maybe even a combo deal! Or try making the middle layer chocolate or date for an even richer taste. I skipped drizzling these bars with icing sugar or melted white chocolate, but that equals yummy too. I'm sure of it. I have a sweet tooth.
These recipes are reprinted with permission from the authors.
Just Like Wheat Thins Crackers | Trim Healthy Mama, I had my doubts about this recipe. "Just Like Wheat Thins?!" Yeah, right. You need refined flour and sugar to achieve that kind of deliciousness, don't you? Apparently not. These crackers are amazing and taste like the real thing I can't seem to keep our house stocked though - they disappear quickly!
3/4 cup flax meal
3/4 cup almond flour
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. parmeasan cheese
1/4 tsp sea salt
dash of black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder
1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
1/2 tsp baking soda
Combine ingredients well and work into a dough ball with your hands. Place ball on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of dough ball and roll out into a slab the thickness of a cracker. Take off top piece and score into small squares. Bakes at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Fooled Ya Pizza |Trim Healthy Mama, I've always felt bad for Brad who used to eat cardboard-like gluten-free pizza crusts while we enjoyed the gluten packed version! I had heard rave reviews about this cauliflower crust from other mamas on the Trim Healthy Mama plan and decided to give it a try even though it sounded pretty gross. Boy, was I wrong! Our entire family enjoys it just as much as the real thing! You'd never know cauliflower was the magic ingredient!
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen cauliflower (I used fresh)
3/4 cup egg whites
2 cups skim mozzarella cheese
sea salt and other seasonings (I used Epicure's Pizza seasoning blend)
pizza sauce and other pizza toppings (I used pepperoni, green pepper, red onion, cheddar and mozzarella cheese)
Lightly steam cauliflower and squeeze out all the excess water otherwise your crust won't get crispy (I skipped this step and used raw cauliflower with great results!). Put cauliflower in food processor and pulse a few times until you end up with rice sized pieces.
Add egg whites and pulse again. Add cheese and other seasonings (sea salt, Italian seasoning, onion and garlic powder). Mix ingredients together well with a spatula. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease well. Spread crust mixture evenly across cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Cool. Add pizza sauce and toppings and broil until toppings are done (I baked it at 400 for 8-10 minutes).
Peanut Squares | Trim Healthy Mama, These squares are so yummy! A combination of sweet and salty, we enjoy them as a snack and a dessert. They're gerat to give along with a meal to a new mom too.
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tsp Truvia
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
10 tsp Truvia
2/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup whipping cream
Mix almond flour, peanuts, melted butter, and 2 teaspoons of Truvia together in a bowl. Press into 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
While crust is baking, beat cream cheese and second measurement of Truvia together until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and beat some more.
In a separate bowl, beat whipped cream. Fold into cream cheese mixture and spread over cooled crust.
Place in refrigerator to chill until set.
Cheeseburger Pie | Trim Healthy Mama, This is probably our #1 favorite supper on the plan. It's all the goodness of a cheeseburger without the bun. You would never miss it! This is so satisfying and delicious. I make once a week in place of burgers on the barbie.
2 lbs of ground beef
3 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sea salt
6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
pickles, tomatoes, red onion
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup heavy cream
sea salt
ground pepper
6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
Brown ground beef and drain fat. Stir in onion powder, sea salt, and 6 oz. of grated cheese. Place beef mixture in casserole dish. Layer on any of your favorite burger toppings. Our family loves a combination of red onion, tomatoes, and pickles. In another bowl, beat eggs, mayo, cream, sea salt, and black pepper together. Pour on top of casserole and sprinkle on the remaining 6 oz. of cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. We like it serve on a bed of chopped iceberg lettuce and drizzled with mustard and ketchup.
Chunky Cream Pops | Trim Healthy Mama, This frozen dessert reminds me of my favorite ice cream, President's Choice Chocolate Fudge Crackle... except it's waaaay healthier, made with good fats and no sugar. We love this treat. It's Brad's favorite of all the desserts I've made from Trim Healthy Mama so far.
1 batch of Skinny Chocolate
2 8oz. blocks of cream cheese
10 tsp. Truvia
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 heaped Tbsp. peanut butter
Make up a batch of Skinny Chocolate and put in the freezer to harden. Beat cream cheese, Truvia, and vanilla together. Cut up Skinny Chocolate into little bits and stir into cream cheese mixture along with peanut butter. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Dump bite-sized spoonfuls of mixture onto paper. Insert a toothpick into center of cream pop and transfer to freezer. After an hour, pull pops off wax paper and transfer to a Ziploc bag for easy access. Here's a few more pictures of other Trim Healthy Mama recipes to satisfy the foodie in you:
Spicy Chicken Wings, pg. 323
Taco Salad, pg. 347
Special Agent Brownies, pg. 383
Trim Healthy Pancakes, pg. 223
In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. I humbly thank you for your support.
