Category: Dessert

Lemon-ginger Energy Balls

Natalie Hanson

From The Healing Kitchen, by Alaena Haber and Sarah Ballantyne.

2 ounces crunchy apple chips (about 1 cup)
1 cup of dried Turkish figs
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp of ginger powder

  • Place all the ingredients in a food process or high powered blender and blend until all the pieces are of a small, consistent size, and they cling together with the coconut oil.
  • Form 8-10 compact balls (I use a tablespoon for consistently-sized scoops) and roll between your palms until rounded and firm.
  • Enjoy immediately or chill in the refrigerator before serving to set the coconut oil.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Natalie Hanson

1/2 cup of butter or Crisco

Add and cream well

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

Combine and beat until smooth

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp of milk

Sift together and add to the above

1 cup of sifted all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder

When beaten smooth, add

1 cup of rolled oats or wheat flakes

1/2 cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup of raisins or 1 tsp of grated orange rind or 1 can of flaked coconut

Put them 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet, at 325F for 10 minutes.

Lemon blueberry cupcakes

Natalie Hanson

Recipe by Mary Lapp.

3 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut

Zest of one lemon

1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  • Line 8 muffin cups with liners.
  • Place the unsweetened coconut in a food processor, and process for 5 minutes.
  • Let the food processor rest for 5 minutes, so it doesn’t overheat.
  • Scrape if necessary, and turn back on for 5 minutes, or until it is liquidy and you can hear it splash.
  • Add the zest, lemon juice, maple syrup and sea salt. Process until it comes together.
  • Add the baking soda, and process just until incorporated.
  • Divide batter into 8 muffin cups. Top with 1 Tbsp of frozen blueberries on each cupcake.
  • Bake for 25-27 minutes. You want them to be a little toasty.
  • Chill before you serve for best consistency – although they are really good any way!

Zucchini cupcakes

Natalie Hanson

Makes 14 to 16 muffins.

1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
2 large eggs
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 cups firmly packed grated zucchini
Optional: 1/2 cup of raisins

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices, and walnuts, and whisk to blend.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and oil for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
  • Add the zucchini and beat just until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients (and raisins) until completely moistened.
  • Put into muffin tins (3/4 full) and bake 20-25 minutes.
  • Cool briefly in the plan before unmolding.

Chewy Noels

Natalie Hanson

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 eggs

Beat slightly

1 tsp of vanilla

Mix, and add:

1 cup of dark brown sugar

5 Tbsp of flour

1/8 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp of salt

1 cup of nut meats

Mix well and pour into pan with melted butter. Bake until firm. Turn onto waxed paper and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Betty’s sugar cookie recipe

Natalie Hanson

Sift together in a bowl:

2-3/4 all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

  • Set aside.

3/4 cup soft butter in mixer

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract, or 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extract

  • Beat with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in flour mixture with mixer until smooth.
  • Chill one hour or until firm.
  • Roll small amount onto a floured board until 1/2 inch thick.
  • Cut in a desired shape with floured cookie cutters.
  • Place on a greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 8-10 minutes or until pale brown.
  • Move to a wire rack.

Beth’s chocolate chip streusel

Natalie Hanson

1-1/2 sticks of butter

1-1/1 cup of sugar

3 eggs

3 cups of flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp salt

1 pint of sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 bag of chocolate chips

Streusel

1/2 cup of sugar

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Cream sugar and butter, add eggs slowly.
  • Mix dry ingredients together.
  • Alternate dry ingredients with sour cream, mix together into cream batter, add vanilla, then bag of chips.
  • Use a bundt pan, grease and flour pan, place 1/2 of batter, add streusel mix to top of batter, adding remaining batter.
  • I usually have some streusel mix left over and put a coat of it on the top / bottom of the batter.
  • Bake for 1 hour at 350F and enjoy.

Coeur à la crème

Natalie Hanson

1 1/2 lb cream cheese
1 cup of whipping cream
splash of Grand Marnier
1/2 cup of sugar & 1/4
1 Tbsp of vanilla

  • Whip cream cheese for a good 15 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla, Grand Marnier and sugar. Let run until smooth.
  • Whip the whipping cream and add the rest of the sugar
  • Fold the cream cheese and whipped cream together
  • Put in container with cheese cloth around the mixture.
  • Let rest overnight.
  • Serve with a raspberry sauce.

Turban d’Agen

Natalie Hanson

Serves 6.

1 envelope of gelatine
1/2 lb of large pitted prunes, soaked in 1 cup of red wine
2 Tbsp of apricot jam
1 cup of Uncle Ben rice
2 1/4 cups of milk + 1/4 cup for gelatine
1 Tb of vanilla extract
6 Tbsp of sugar
1 1/4 cups of cream

  • Brush a ring mold very lightly with oil.
  • Soak the gelatine in a scant 1/4 cup of cold water.
  • Place the prunes and wine in a small saucepan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Mix the prunes with apricot jam.
  • Place the rice in a pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, drain.
  • In another saucepan, warm the milk and pour in the rice.
  • Cook until tender for about 25 minutes.
  • Stir in the sugar and the vanilla extract.
  • Heat 1/4 cup of milk and dissolve the gelatine.
  • Add it to the rice mixture. Let cool.
  • Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks, fold into the rice mixture and pour into the prepared mold.
  • Chill until firm.
  • Unmold carefully unto a serving dish and fill the center with the prunes.
  • Serve very cold.

Profiterôles au chocolat

Natalie Hanson

The smallest choux are known as profiterôles and are often filled with vanilla ice cream and served with a lukewarm chocolate sauce.

Pâte à choux
Vanilla ice-cream

  • Fill a pastry bag with the pâte à choux and coat a large cookie sheet with butter and flour.
  • Squeeze out puffs about the size of a golf ball.
  • Brush the top with a egg wash (a whole egg, beaten), pushing down the tails.
  • Let the choux dry for a while before cooking.
  • Bake in a 370°F preheated oven for 35 minutes or until well puffed and golden.
  • Shut off the heat, open the oven door slightly and let the puffs cool slowly for 1 hour.
  • In the meantime soften the ice-cream by beating it and fill a pastry bag with it.
  • Using the tip of a knife, make a hole in the bottom of each choux.
  • Insert the tube of the pastry bag through this opening and squeeze the ice cream inside.
  • Put in the freezer right away.

Chocolate sauce

9 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup of milk
5 Tbsp of crême fraîche or heavy cream
1/4 cup of sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp of butter

  • Melt the chocolate in the double boiler.
  • Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil, add the cream and bring back to a boil.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, the melted chocolate and the butter.
  • Replace the saucepan on the fire and boil the sauce for a few seconds.
  • Allow to cool and pour over the profiteroles before serving.