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Gwyneth’s Bummer Bars
I recently picked up Gwyneth Paltrow’s book, It’s All Good, and, in short — I’m obsessed. I have tried 6+ recipes within the last few days and all have been fantastic. Having said that, I do not think I’ve ever seen so many different opinions on a mere cookbook – some people love it, some despise it and want to blog about it constantly. I really like her style of cooking. She advocates clean eating and tries to cook with healthy, natural ingredients including lots of fruits, vegetables, natural sweeteners and “good for you” grains. It’s a concept I could get very used to and, with recipes like these, I think anyone would enjoy them regardless of the obvious health benefits.
Yesterday I decided to make Gwyneth’s “Bummer Bars,” which are a healthy form of a granola bar made instead with quinoa flakes, ground flaxseeds, prunes, walnuts, maple syrup, olive oil and plenty of warm spices.
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Pierre Hermé, Paris
During my visit to Paris last weekend, I was delighted to finally check out the famed pâtisserie Pierre Hermé on rue Bonaparte in the sixth arrondissement. Pierre Hermé is an acclaimed French pastry chef who Vogue dubbed, “The Picasso of Pastry,” and upon entering his boutique it is not hard to see why. Rows upon rows of meticulously crafted brioche, millefeuille, ganache and truffles sat next to hundreds of brightly coloured, shimmering macarons. He has several boutiques, including a couple in London and Tokyo, however, the one I visited in Saint-Germain des Prés is his first boutique, opened in 2002, and perhaps his most special.
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Snickarbacken 7, Stockholm
On my first day in Stockholm, I quickly learned the café culture is huge part of life for people living in the city. We visited a few very good coffee shops during our visit, with one in particular really standing out and that was Snickarbacken 7. This hip little café rivalled some of my favourite spots in NYC’s East Village (this is a huge compliment coming from a 7+ year east village former resident), so I am excited to share some snaps and tell you more about it. It’s located on a tiny side street in the city centre and is in fact not only a café, but an exhibition space and a concept store all in one. It has this cool purple lighting and lot of funky furniture and cutting-edge decor. The idea of a
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Cherry Vanilla Popsicles
My latest food obsession: popsicles. I got a Zoku Classic Pop Mold from my Mom this Christmas and I have been having a blast experimenting with different homemade popsicle recipes. It’s very easy to make popsicles into a healthy snack full of nutritious ingredients like fruit, Greek yogurt and a small amount of honey or agave nectar. Of course, you can go wild with “ice cream” style pops complete with half & half and melted semisweet chocolate, but since I am on my New Years health kick, I am sticking with the low-cal varieties for now.
One of my favorite combinations is cherry and vanilla. To make the pops, I
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Chocolate Almond Biscotti
I love biscotti. Although I am often tempted to pick up a few at my local bakery when I want something sweet, they are even more delicious when baked fresh at home and once you master the technique, they are easy and quick to bake. There is an almost endless variety of variations and flavors you can choose from, but per usual I am always drawn to anything chocolate. I have made biscotti before with much success (see my Pecan Pie Biscotti), so I didn’t hesitate to give a chocolate one a try. My husband and I cooked a steak dinner this past weekend, so I wanted to bake something light to have as dessert along with an espresso and this was the perfect choice. Most biscotti is made without butter or oil, so it is a healthier choice than
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Easy Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding
Halloween may be over, but pumpkin desserts are still in full swing. Here is a recipe for Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding that is surprisingly easy to make and perfect to whip up as a fall desert. The great thing about this recipe is that you can use regular sliced whole wheat bread, something many of us often have on hand at home. The bread pudding comes out hearty and custardy, with plenty of spiciness from the cinnamon and nutmeg, and an extra kick courtesy of 1/4 cup of rum. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Delicious!
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Strawberry Vanilla Protein Shake
This recipe is so simple that I hesitated to even post it, but the result is SO delicious and healthy I couldn’t resist. It’s my new go-to 132 calorie healthy snack that satisfies my sweet tooth and packs in 20 grams of protein. All you need is
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Lightened Up Eton Mess
I’m super excited to share this post with all of my American readers in particular because chances are they have never heard of the dessert “Eton Mess.” Here in the UK, Eton Mess is hugely popular and a fixture on everyone’s summer menus. It’s a shame America hasn’t caught on yet, because Eton Mess is a summer delight in the form of fresh strawberries, cream and
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Creamy Vanilla Rice Pudding
Today I am thrilled to share a simple yet delicious recipe for stove-top Creamy Vanilla Rice Pudding. To make the pudding, I used a vanilla bean, which infused a rich and intense vanilla flavor into the creamy rice pudding, and truly sets this recipe apart from all of the others. You can find vanilla beans at gourmet stores and larger grocery stores like Whole Foods (where I got mine). I chose a Nielsen-Massey Madagascar vanilla bean, which is one of the most popular varieties, known for its buttery, sweet aroma. There is really no comparison to regular vanilla extract and the beans are essential for recipes like this that feature vanilla as the main attraction. I also chose to use medium-grain rice, which provides the most thick and creamy texture. I hope you enjoy this simple and decadent vanilla treat!
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Fudgy Brownie Bites With Ganache
For the ultimate Valentine’s Day indulge this year, I made fudgy brownie bites with dark chocolate ganache. I decorated them in plenty of shades of pink and red, but this recipe can of course be used any time of year for many different occasions that require a fun, bite-sized dessert. I was inspired to make the bites after I came across a box of Duncan Hines Brownie Mix in the form of bites. It’s one of those mini boxes that doesn’t make a full batch, so it’s perfect if you are not serving them for a big group. I decided to dress them up a bit by adding a frosting of shiny, rich ganache. Ganache, made simply of semi-sweet chocolate, whipping cream and butter, is one of those things that sounds scary to make, but is actually quite easy!
The brownie bites came out rich, moist and fudgy, and the extra kick of ganache on top elevated them from a regular brownie into a gourmet dessert. Check out all of the steps below. This recipe is a guaranteed hit for all of the chocolate lovers in your life. Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!! xoxo
