Sunday Sweet Treats: Vanilla Custard!

Another Sunday....another sweet treat! I hope you've been enjoying reading and/or testing out these recipes! I know I certainly have!

You've probably noticed over the last few weeks that I like recipes that have few ingredients and are quick and easy to whip up and super tasty! This week I made Vanilla Custard! This is another dessert that can be made ahead of time (it needs to be refrigerated for 6-8 hours before serving) with about 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of total cooking time. The custard is also very versatile -- you can enjoy it with fresh fruit, make gluten-free pie crust and create beautiful custard tarts, or just enjoy it on its own. 

I drew this recipe from Primal Palate, one of my favourite paleo recipe websites.

Ingredients

• 25 oz of coconut milk 
• 3 eggs (separate yolks and whites)
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of organic maple syrup
• 1.5 tbsp of organic, unflavoured gelatin

Directions

• Combine coconut milk, egg yolks, vanilla, maple syrup and gelatin in a small pot over medium heat. Continuously stir to avoid burning
• Allow to come to a low boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool
• Whip egg whites until they begin to form peaks.
• Fold egg whites into coconut milk mixture gently until the mixture is evenly consistent.
• Refrigerate custard overnight before using.

I serve my custard in individual portions in small mason jars with some fresh, local blueberries and some granola! The tart, sweetness of the blueberries is perfectly balanced by the custard! You can even add a mint leaf for presentation. Coupled with a shot of espresso (decaf for me!), this custard is a perfect finish to a Sunday dinner and the weekend! 

Happy Sunday!

J

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Sunday Sweet Treats: Chocolate Almond Hazelnut Butter Bites

I'm not going to lie: dessert was a little bit rushed today! Andrew (the hubby) and I are in the middle of moving out of our apartment, we're both busy at work and training ourselves once or twice a day, 6 or 7 days per week. I also started teaching Yoga at Hook Up Muay Thai today, so the time I usually spend prepping for dessert was a little limited. Enter: Chocolate Almond Hazelnut Butter Bites. 

I'm not sure if you've had them in the last little while, but do you remember how yummy Reese's Pieces were? I haven't had them in years but I remember how delicious they were, with the downside being the laundry list of ingredients on the back of package. Something about the dark chocolate and peanut butter together struck the perfect balance. However, I recently discovered, you can make a yummier, cleaner (fewer ingredients, all organic & NO added sweetener) version, with just two simple ingredients: Organic Dark Chocolate Chips and Almond Hazelnut Butter! 

Here are the deets:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of organic, dark chocolate chips (I use gluten-free)
• 1/2 cup of Almond Hazelnut (or just Almond) Butter

Directions

• In a small saucepan, melt the dark chocolate chips over low heat
• Paint/Fill in Candy molds with a thin layer of the melted dark chocolate
  • I actually just covered a baking sheet with parchment paper and filled in some cookie cutters with the melted chocolate! 
• Place Candy molds/cookie cutters filled in with chocolate in the freezer for 10 minutes
• Remove the molds from the freezer, and scoop in Almond Hazelnut butter 
• Cover Almond Hazelnut butter with the remaining melted dark chocolate 
• Place back in the freezer for at least 10-15 minutes or remove treats from the freezer when ready to serve!

And thats it! So simple and easy, and unbelievably delicious! You can pair these with vanilla ice cream, fresh seasonal berries, or even just enjoy them on their own! 

Happy munching friends!

J

P.S Don't forget to check out the Small But Mighty Build and Burn program starting July 4th! We still have space and would love to have you join us! 

Sunday Sweet Treats: Chia Seed Pudding Parfait!

This week on the menu, one of my favourite desserts that is packed with both fibre and protein and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth: Chia Seed Pudding Parfait! This dessert makes use of the Strawberry Preserves recipe I shared last week (although you can use fresh fruit if you haven't gotten a chance to try that recipe yet) as well as a few other simple ingredients including:

• Gluten-Free Granola -- I use Kind Healthy Grains Vanilla Blueberry Cluster with Flax Seeds
• Coconut Milk Whipped Cream 
• Chia Seed Pudding
• Almond Hazelnut Butter -- I used Nuts to You Smooth Almond Hazelnut Butter 

This may sound complicated, but the recipe is actually super simple, and most of your prep work can actually be done 24 hours ahead of time if you're hosting a dinner or party! The three components I make myself are the Strawberry Preserves, Coconut Milk Whipped Cream and Chia Seed Pudding.

Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Chia Seeds 
• 2 cups Organic, unsweetened Almond milk
• 1 tsp of organic vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of organic maple Syrup

Directions

• Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl until the mixture begins to thicken. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours, or ideally overnight. (#sosimple)
• Before serving, stir mixture with a spoon!

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 1 can (400 mL) of organic, full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
  • I use Whole Foods 365 Every Day Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp of organic vanilla (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp of organic maple syrup (optional)

Directions

• Place canned coconut milk, a metal bowl and beaters from your electric mixer in the refrigerator overnight
• When ready to serve, remove bowl and beaters from the refrigerator
• When removing coconut milk from refrigerator, be sure not to shake, drop or invert it
• Scoop coconut cream from the top 2/3 of the can into your chilled bowl; leave the coconut water (liquid portion) in the bottom of the can!
  • you can use this in a smoothie tomorrow!
• Using your chilled beaters, beat coconut cream on high for 7-8 minutes until it starts to stiffen and form peaks 
• Add in vanilla and maple syrup and beat for another 1-2 minutes!

NOTE: Although I've listed maple syrup in each of the individual recipes, I keep the amount added to a minimum, as I find that the fresh fruit/preserves lends just enough sweetness to the recipe when making the full parfait!

Chia Seed Pudding Parfait: Putting It All Together 

There is certainly some freedom in how you choose to layer and organize your parfait, as well as how much of each ingredient (dictating the thickness of each layer) you use! I like to have the crunchy granola at the bottom, so here is how I do it!

I put these little treats together right before I'm ready to serve them! I use a small mason jar that can be purchased fairly cheaply from Canadian Tire or any Michael's store to make small, individual servings. From the bottom of the jar up, I layer

• Granola 
• Strawberry Preserves (or fresh strawberries, chopped in quarters if I'm short on preserves)
• Chia seed pudding
• Almond Hazelnut butter
• Chia Seed Pudding
• Coconut Whipped Cream
• Sprinkle granola or place a strawberry on top for appearance! 

What you end up with is a delicious, visually appealing little treat that is not overly filling and won't leave your guests in an insulin coma! Give it a try; I'm sure your sweet tooth will thank you!

Happy Sunday Friends!