Categories
Creative Cookery

Obscure Yet Mouthwatering Dessert Ideas For Summer Eating Outdoors

Are you hosting a backyard barbecue this summer? People look forward to smokey bbq pork ribs and barbecue chicken wings, but, they also look forward to the dessert.

dessert idea - tiramisu
By Alexis Fam (Flickr: Tiramisu) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

When it comes to summer desserts, the tastebuds want something chilled, cool, light and airy. But you don’t have to stick to ice cream or some kind of chilled cheesecake. The host that thinks outside the box, is the one who provides their guests with something they may never have tried before. Your cooking should get them hooked on a new recipe. I should make the cookout one they’ll never forget so they’ll want to come back for more.

Dessert Idea #1: Tiramisu

I’ll always remember my first tiramisu. I was love at first bite! For those of you not in the know, tiramisu is a delectable fine Italian dessert, a layered cake with elegant posture and bold flavors. The traditional recipe used ladyfinger-like biscuits, mascarpone cheese, marsala wine, rum and lots of heavy cocoa powder. The diversity of ingredients go well together for none of them will be the main powerhouse flavor. The base is ever so delicate and creamy and stands firmly on its own, which is a welcome change as some cakes rely on the sugary aspect to pull through the foundation. The mascarpone and layers of mouthwatering Italian custard are far from plain and exude their own character on the dish. To make authentic Tiramisu, you’ll need freshly ground coffee beans. You can make coffee granules anytime you want at home with a coffee grinder from places like CoffeeGrinderHub.com.

dessert idea - gelato
Photo credit – Jules

Dessert Idea #2: Gelato

Another classic Italian: The humble yet royal delight of frozen Italian custard. A great sweet, creamy treat to kick off the warmer weather with. The beauty of gelato is that it can be simple, just get milk, eggs and sugar as the basis. Naturally, it has a deep yellow color because the egg yolks bring a tanned hue to the custard. The unmistakable richness is brought about because it’s all natural, with absolutely zero preservatives.

You can also make it complex, by adding in, fruits, nuts, berries or just simply amalgamating your heart’s true desires, such as dark and milk chocolate, mint and cream, peaches and orange, etc. It’s a great dessert for summer because of the strange yet wonderful paradox gelato has become, even though it’s rich and creamy, it’s still lighter than traditional Western ice cream.

Dessert Idea #3: Mousse

What could go wrong if you keep it simple? For all you chocolate addicts out there, mousse is a softly prepared, light and airy textured dessert that incorporates air bubbles to create smooth and consistent quality puree. Typically made with whipped egg whites, or some fine dining restaurants are known to use whipped cream, the mixture is flavored with chocolate. It’s incredibly versatile as it can be eaten on its own, or as a layer in a cake, used as the main filling in a cheesecake, or even as a topping on a pie. It can be stabilized with gelatin, but if you whip the eggs up properly, all you need for an upright mousse is to rely on the air bubbles you created. And, of course, properly chill the mousse as it will get soggy if left out in the warm weather.

Categories
Healthy Living

Killer Healthy Dessert Ideas

Chocolate Pie healthy desser?
Source

Let’s face it – everyone has a sweet tooth. And, everyone wants to satisfy their sweet tooth because it feels so good! The problem that most people face is that they have a conscience, and that conscience makes them feel guilt when they indulge.

Are you one of these people? If you are, the thought of eating desserts will make your mouth water, yet will also give you a bad feeling inside. After all, you can’t eat whatever you want without dealing with the consequences. Thankfully, though, you can eat more desserts without harming your conscience or your body. The trick is to make healthy options that taste just as good. And, luckily, there are a few tips below that might come in handy. Go on, treat yourself!

Healthy Dessert Option #1: Chocolate Pie


Chocolate pie? Healthy? You might think I’ve gone off my rocker with this one, but don’t judge a book by its cover. For one thing, chocolate isn’t always bad. In fact, it can be a nutritious source of energy that the body uses to function properly. If you don’t believe that, just ask the sports stars that eat a bar of it every morning before they go to work. As long as the cocoa content is over 70%, it won’t do any harm. What’s even better is that you can swap the usual ingredients for this pie for healthy alternatives. Do you need milk? Try low-fat or soy milk instead because you can’t taste the difference once it goes into the blender. What about oil? Coconut or granola oil is fine, as is extra virgin. (See my recipe here.)

healthy dessert option 2 - Banana and Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Source

Healthy Dessert Option #2: Banana & Peanut Butter Ice Cream


Usually, ice cream is full of dairy and additives which make it unsuitable if you’re watching your weight. This healthy option is anything but traditional, though. Again, it doesn’t use rich and fatty dairy products that are bad for the body. Instead, it uses low-fat or even fat-free alternatives. Then, there are bananas. In general, bananas are pretty healthy anyway, so there is no need to worry about an additional calorie count. If you’re looking to get uber-healthy, you can swap ripe ones for banana chips. Plus, the chips have a crunch which adds an extra element to the dish. Finally, put the mixture in the freezer to firm. As far as ingredients go, there is nothing to this dish, but it’s incredibly tasty. (Try my easy recipe here!)

Healthy Dessert Option #3: Rice Pudding


As the name suggests, this is a pudding that incorporates rice. Because the rice soaks up the ingredients, the result is a creamy masterpiece that no one will be able to resist. To make it healthy, all you have to do is substitute normal white rice for brown rice. The brown option is much healthier because it still has the bran and the germ, whereas as the white version doesn’t. What about the dairy products? Yep, you guessed it – go for almond milk! To make it extra delicious, don’t forget to add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a small cup of sugar (or Splenda). All of these are tasty, but they hardly add to the calorie content. When you have all of the ingredients at hand, put them into a saucepan and simmer for thirty minutes. After half an hour, it’s ready to serve. Magnifico!

fruits of the forest
Public Domain image via Pexels.com

Healthy Dessert Option #4: Fruits of the Forest and Yogurt


As a general rule, food is pretty healthy if it grows from the ground. Okay, so almost every food group on the planet needs cultivating. But, if it isn’t in its natural form, there are bound to be additives and unhealthy elements. Fruits of the forest don’t have any nasty surprises because what you see is what you get. (Although some fruits are better for you if they are organic.) All it includes is a blend of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and any other berry you choose! Sprinkle them with a pinch of sugar (or Splenda or Equal or Stevia) and a small spoonful of honey, and you’ve got one healthy and delicious dish. If sugar and honey aren’t your things, use low-fat yogurt instead. Yogurts come in a variety of flavors, so there is no need for blandness. A tip: try the caramel flavor because it goes perfectly with the fruit.

healthy dessert option - pumpkin pie
By Patricia (Brownies for Dinner) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Healthy Dessert Option #5: Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is an American dessert that hasn’t caught fire anywhere else in the world. But, it should because it can be very healthy. A pumpkin is a fruit that is ridiculously good for you because it comes from the squash family. In simple terms, it’s almost a superfood like spinach or white fish. Plus, the main pumpkin pie recipes all use evaporated milk which is light and low in fat. The crust can undo all of your good work, but oats, coconut, flour, and water will come to your aid.

It might not be Halloween, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in the mood!

[divider]

[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Recipes

Banana Coffee Cake

This recipe is inspired from one in the first edition of Bonkers for Bundt Cakes.

ripe bananas
Photo by Sheila Sund via Flickr

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 package yellow cake mix
  • 1 package instant banana pudding mix 4 eggs
  • 1 cup banana yogurt, mixed
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
  2. Prepare the Bundt pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray or rubbing it with a light coating of shortening. Then dust the sides with flour by spooning a small amount of flour into the pan and tapping the sides while you turn the pan around until a light dusting of flour has stuck to all sides of the greased interior. Be sure to tap out any excess flour.
  3. In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine in the following order: cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, yogurt, banana, oil, water and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat for two minutes at medium speed.
  5. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the prepared Bundt pan. Pour 1/3 of the batter on top of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Sprinkle some more cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter. Repeat this process in layers until you finish the batter. You should end with a sprinkling of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 70 minutes or until it springs back after being touched lightly in the center.

Variation: Instead of mashing the banana, cut it into chunks and fold them into the batter after beating.

Categories
Healthy Living

Dessert Ideas That Won’t Blow New Year’s Resolutions

Raspberry Sherbet
Photo By Renee Comet
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Today, I continue my tips for keeping your New Year’s resolution to loose weight. Now, anybody who knows me knows I love dessert. In fact, its sort of my specialty in the kitchen. And, alas, one of the most difficult obstacles many face in loosing weight involves giving up sweets. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to. There are some excellent desserts that can be enjoyed without destroying a diet.

Giving up desserts entirely is not possible for some people (myself included). If you’ve got to have your sweets once in a while, there are smarter choices you can make. It is possible to satisfy a craving without destroying a diet. Moderation and portion control are the key. Here are some excellent choices to satisfy your sweet tooth without negatively impacting your diet:

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.