Black Bean Brownie Batter Dip..AKA possibly the most heavenly thing on earth.

Hey friends! Wow so I have been really terribly at posting recently..almost a month with not a single post! Terrible...college final season has certainly taken its toll. BUT in better news, I'm thinking that this recipe I'm about to put up on here will make up for an extended lack of recipes. At least in my opinion I think its that good. It's kind of a spin on my black bean brownie recipe (which is heavenly by itself..so if you haven't tried it please do!!) but I'm the type of person that likes a more....shall we call it "interactive" way of eating (dipping, ripping, etc.). This recipe is perfect for that. You can dip pretty much anything you please into this dip, so far I've done apples, little Trader Joe's cat cookies, and pears, all of which were really tasty. But the possibilities are endlessly delicious. And the best part? This tastes almost exactly like real brownie batter, but is super duper healthy and high protein at the same time! So please, indulge!

Homemade Date Sugar

I am such a sweet freak. I love love love anything and everything sweet..give me chips or cookies to choose between? Cookies no problem. But recently a lot of studies i've been seeing about refined white sugar have been pretty scary. For example, did you know that your fat intake hardly determines how much weight you gain, but it is the amount of sugar that really does? Or that some studies have even linked high refined sugar intake (ie white sugar, corn syrup, etc) is directly linked to cancer? ...yikes!! So what, may you ask, can we do to change that? Use alternative sweeteners! Raw honey, agave nectar, blackstrap unsulfured molasses, my homemade date raisin syrup, and now to add to the line of date sweeteners, date sugar! The best thing about using dates as a sweetener is that they are a whole food, so along with their delicious sweet flavor you're also getting all the yummy nutrients that they naturally contain, as opposed to white sugar for example, which is so processed and refined that it has almost nothing that the sugar cane plan actually had (that would be in the blackstrap molasses..a by product of sugar making).  This date is really similar in appearance to brown sugar, though mine turned out more powdery and less sticky which isn't a bad thing at all. I think it's really awesome in baked goods, oatmeal, etc. It doesn't dissolve quite as well as other sweeteners, but heck there's always the syrups. But really give this a shot! Its pretty pricey in stores, so very easy to make at home, and so very delicious!

Honey Kissed Cinnamon Apple Chips

MMMmm apple chips. They always bring me back to my childhood when my mom used to buy them for me. I think they're a ton better than potato chips (which may be due to my dastardly sweet tooth). So on this freezing cold winter day I decided to whip up a warm, crunchy batch of fresh apple chips (hopefully warming the house with the oven in the process..). To doctor these ones up I added a little bit of raw organic honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I think the honey really added to the flavor, it didn't make the chips overly-sweet, but gave them a very nice almost floral-y taste to balance out the deep spice of the cinnamon. Deliciouss!

Gingerbread Coconut Milk Mousse

And now to continue on in my obsession with any and all things ~gingerbread~! Sorry if this seems slightly redundant in my recipes, but gingerbread is just so delicious and has so many awesome health benefits that..why not make a ton of gingerbread stuff? So this particular recipe is inspired by a bunch of different "coconut milk whipped cream" or "coconut milk mousse" recipes that I've seen floating around the internet. That struck me as a very interesting idea, as coconut milk is as a whole wayyyy healthier than whipping cream (delicious as it is..in moderation) and I love the subtle and rich taste of coconut that is in the milk. This recipe turned out fabulously. It is just like making whipped cream, except the result is much more of a mousse- like consistency I would say, hence the name of this yummy dessert. Try this one out :)

~*~*~*UPDATE: If you like hot chocolate, throw a spoonful of this on top. Trust me~*~*~*

Cranberry Flax Blondies With White Chocolate Chunks...White Bean Style

Ok so I know this is really close in proximity to my black bean brownies recipe, but it was just so awesomely delicious that I simply HAD to try out a white bean blondie version. This is kinda the same recipe, minus the chocolate and plus a bunch of other healthy and delicious goodies. These turned out just as wonderful. Just amazing, in fact. And like the brownies, these blondies are wayyyy better after they sit out over night. Try them out!

Date Raisin Syrup

I had stumbled across a recipe for "date syrup" a while back, but the directions were sort of unclear. I decided to just give it a shot though and the results were great. This stuff tastes almost caramel-y..it would be really good on ice cream, or in oatmeal, or..on pretty much anything! Yum! I think its a great substitute for other natural sweeteners. (If you want to know what to do with the leftover fruit, check out my cranberry coconut protein bars!)

Black Bean Brownies

I'm really into incorporating beans into my diet in any way that I can. I love them-- I don't think any bean has ever passed my lips that I haven't loved (except canned green beans, but that hardly counts). Hell, I'd eat them straight out of the can. So when I first heard about the idea of black bean brownies I was most certainly intrigued. It took me a while to get around to trying them, but last night presented the perfect opportunity. One can of black beans left, vegetable soup already made for dinner...perfect opportunity to make a bean-y dessert! And of course they turned out de-licious. They're really dense, and moist. Though the sort of lack the butteriness of regular brownies,  it is certainly made up for by the fudginess and awesome texture. Also, unlike regular brownies, they are definitely way better after they sit out and cool for the night rather than straight out of the oven.  So here is my first foray into the world of black bean brownies!

Holiday Roundup: Gingerbread Biscotti

Here is one of the most successful recipes I made this year. I'm slightly obsessed with gingerbread/ holiday spices, so I decided to bake up some gingerbread biscotti-- a nice, crunchy and hearty cookie. People who didn't purportedly like biscotti even liked this recipe. Hands down its awesome!

Holiday Roundup: Candied Orange Peel

Alright so here is part deux of my holiday baking roundup: candied orange peel. Before about two years ago, I had no idea that one could really eat the peel of the orange. I found it to be bitter and yucky and really only used for its zest in large baking recipes (my mom always used to make orange and black pepper biscotti at Christmas..they were awesome and packed full of zest!). But, imagine yourself in Paris, in one of their numerous street farmers markets. You stumble upon a little nut and dried fruit vendor, and see all the traditionals-- raisins, almonds, hazelnuts, apricots...but wait- whats this, candied orange peel? Well that was me two years ago..obviously I had to buy some and try it. Turns out it is delicious. And, upon further research, orange peel is actually phenomenal for you. Orange peel is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial anti-carcinogenic, and in traditional Chinese medicine has been said to "reduce accumulation" in the body (think about that one). So while orange peel is gross and bitter raw, I made a festive candied version to munch on over the holidays.

Holiday Roundup: Crystallized Ginger

Its that glorious time of year again, the time when it gets so cold out all you can do is cuddle up inside with a warm cup of tea or cocoa, and cook! The holidays are always a huge cooking and baking time for me. I think that cooking for someone is a true sign of love-- it is creative, takes time and effort (unlike say..online shopping, though convenient at times) but is at the same time ever so enjoyable for the chef! To start of my holiday baking extravaganza this year I decided to make crystallized ginger. Not only is ginger an absolutely delicious, and warming root that can be used in sweet or savory dishes, it also has a great number of health benefits. It is an amazing cure for stomach aches, cramps and nausea, morning sickness, colds. It can also provide allergy symptom relief and inhibit production of bad cholesterol in the body.  From this recipe you will not only get crystallized ginger, but a whole bunch of ginger tea that you can sip on-- add a little honey and a squeeze of lemon and you'll be in heaven! Or for those of you with a holiday sweet tooth, eat a few of these little ginger candies and you'll be happy as a clam!

Whole wheat Flax and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today was kind of Perfect. I love December snow, and, luckily enough, today was both the first day of December and the most beautiful snow we've gotten all year. It just made me want to make cookies and cuddle up, which is exactly what I did. Although I love regular chocolate chip cookies, I decided to add in a few of nature's healthy additives to make them both delicious and nutritious! So here's my recipe for whole wheat flax & oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Extra Gingery Gingerbread

Who'd of thought that classic, delicious gingerbread could actually be made into a healthy, and hearty dessert? Yes, its true that as with all baked goods, this should be eaten in moderation but if you slip up, don't worry! The health benefits of ginger and all the other spices in this recipe are through the roof. Try this super gingery version of the classic for breakfast, snack or dessert!

Extra Gingery Gingerbread

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1/4 vegetable oil & 1/4 cup applesauce)
3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbs fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a nonstick 8.5x 4.5x 2.5 in loaf pan. 
2. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add in the crystallized ginger and raisins and stir into flour mixture.
3. Add in the oil, molasses, sugar, egg, fresh grated ginger and vanilla extract. Mix until well incorporated into the dry ingredients. 
4. Add 1/2 cup boiling water directly into the batter and stir until completely incorporated. 
5. Pour into prepared loaf pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and let sit til cool before digging in.

Health Benefits!!
Ginger- relieves nausea and indigestion, prevents motion sickness, may help morning sickness, antispasmotic  properties help relieve cramps, useful in helping arthritis, can reduce cholesterol levels in blood, and it is an aphrodisiac ;-)
Cloves- warming and stimulating effect of the body, can relieve nausea and vomiting, fights against oral diseases, boosts immune system, has antimicrobial properties, and is -also- an aphrodisiac
Cinnamon- lowers blood sugar levels, increases insulin production helping prevent type 2 diabetes, has an anti-clotting effect on the blood, smelling cinnamon alone improves cognitive functioning, fights E.Coli bacteria, has been shown to alleviate headache  
Blackstrap Molasses- Yes, a sweetener that is GOOD for you! Unrefined and delicious, blackstrap molasses is a great source of iron (2 tsp provides you with a wopping 13% of your daily intake), it is also high in calcium (2 tsp will provide you with almost 12% of your daily intake). Also a good source of copper and manganese. 

Sources:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=118&tname=foodspice
http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/ 
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
The A to Z Guide to Healing Herbal Remedies, Jason Elias and Selagh Ryan Masline