Quick + Easy Chocolate Orange Bark Recipe

This deliciously quick and easy, orange-infused chocolate bark has an ulterior motive.

Last week I was in Ottawa for work and I tacked on a few extra days to my trip so I could visit my friend Ashley.  Since moving from Ottawa I've visited her every year but the gaps between visits widens as we both get busier, so I was so thrilled to capitalize on this opportunity to see her.  We always squeeze in some shopping and crafting (Exhibit A and Exhibit B), but spend most of our time just chatting and catching up.  She recently started selling doTERRA brand essential oils and I use a lot of essential oils in my crafts on the blog (like my DIY air freshener, my handmade soap experiments, and my pretty soy candles), so this time we chatted a lot about essential oils.  Because she's starting her own business, I shared my knowledge about connecting with people on social media, taking styled product photos and - of course - we brainstormed a ton of fun projects.  Ashley taught me all about the difference in quality between doTERRA oils and the (much, much) cheaper kinds of essential oils I've been using in my DIYs.  I learned about the true cost of making quality essential oils - especially when a company like doTERRA empowers growers and cultivates healthy working relationships. 

But I still wasn't sold on the massive price difference, so to demonstrate the quality Ashley whipped up this delicious chocolate orange bark using a doTERRA brand essential oil.

You can pretty much convince me of anything if there's chocolate or turquoise involved!

I had never in my life made chocolate bark, but it was so delicious that I wanted to share it with you.  If you're looking for a pretty dessert to whip up in two seconds flat, you might want to try this easy chocolate bark recipe.  It's simple to make but looks so fancy!  Here's what you need:

• Orange essential oil - 6 drops
• Shredded, unsweetened coconut - small handful
• Semi-sweet baking chocolate - 8 oz
• One large orange (to zest)
• Baking sheet with rim
• Parchment paper
• Small pot
• Zester - must be turquoise or mint for recipe to work ;)

Making this chocolate bark is too easy to even call this a recipe: simply melt the baking chocolate on low heat in a small pot, add 6 drops of orange essential oil and combine well, then pour into a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Let cool a few minutes and top with orange zest and shredded coconut.

Pop into the freezer for a couple of hours and - ta da!  World's easiest dessert!  But it tastes phenomenal - dangerously addictive, with a very satisfying orange flavor. 

I've only ever cooked/baked with extracts, not oils, so this was a fun experiment!  Have you ever tried cooking with essential oils?

I have so many more DIY projects in the bath and beauty realm I'm excited to try, so I'm definitely tempted to start splurging on better quality essential oils.  Until my conversations with Ashley, I didn't realize how many fillers and harmful contaminants were lurking in essential oils marketed as "pure". 

But darn it, the prices are so intimidating!  It makes sense though, if 30lbs of lavenders are what's required to make 15ml of oil...  Plus doTERRA reportedly has excellent relationships with farmers, who are paid fair wages and have healthy working conditions.  I will always pay more for a product if I know that the money goes to workers.  And, really, you need so little that a bottle really goes a long way! 

If you're going to experiment with some essential oil recipes or DIYs, or pop some oil into a pretty diffuser to naturally add a fabulous aroma to your home, check the ingredients and quality of the essential oils you buy because some brands actually contain really toxic stuff.  If you've been intrigued by doTERRA and the concept of a high quality oil, I'd love to put you in touch with my friend Ashley, a new Wellness Advocate for the brand (the only way to purchase these oils - the "doTERRA" labeled products available on Amazon are knock offs).  It doesn't matter where you live in the world, she can set you up and she's just so, so knowledgeable about the products and company.  She has actually worked in health advocacy for much of her career, so she's especially interested in the health benefits of essential oils and uses them to enhance her family's wellness (like using certain oils as a decongestant for mild colds and diffusing calming aromas to help her family relax and unwind).   

Plus she'll ply you with goodies, so there's that added incentive...

Easy + Delicious Refined Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Recipe

I have finally reached my 50 pound weight loss goal!  I've been really focused on my health since the end of September and getting to a healthy weight, while developing healthier eating habits, is just part of that goal.  I'm working on a post about my weight loss, but I'll admit that I'm a little apprehensive about sharing something so personal.

In the meantime, I've really enjoyed sharing some of my kitchen experiments as I try to tweak my favorite desserts to reduce their sugar content.  I have been working diligently to curb my sugar cravings and, ultimately, stave off the diabetes that runs in my family, but every now and then a sweet treat is nice, so I've been working to find a few healthier alternatives to have in my baking arsenal. 

Carrot cake is one of those desserts that I have easily convinced myself is healthy in the past (it has carrots!), but in reality the sugar, fat, and caloric content on a typical carrot muffin is staggering!  It's one of my favorite desserts, though, so recently I fiddled around with my carrot cake recipe, trying to make a healthy carrot cake.  Frankly, I'd still classify this carrot cake as an "indulgence," but it is sugar-free and grain-free - even the icing - so it's more in line with Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar program, which has helped me immensely.  This sugar-free carrot cake recipe is made with coconut flour, brown rice syrup, and stevia so, while it's still high in calories and fat, it doesn't have the high sugar content of a traditional carrot cake.  To lower the sugar content even more, you can skip or cut back on the pineapple. 

Refined Sugar Free Carrot Cake Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple (optional)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Splash of lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil (I used olive, melted coconut works too)
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

• One package full fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 cup stevia (I used Truvia, which has a milder after taste than other stevia brands)
• Splash of milk (I had coconut milk on hand) 
• Unsweetened, shredded coconut

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake:

When you bake with coconut flour, you need to add an alarming number of eggs so don't worry - that's not a typo!   Combine the eggs, oil, lemon juice, and brown rice syrup until mixed thoroughly.  Stir in the coconut flour, baking soda and spices until well mixed.  Add the shredded carrot and pineapple.

Pour in a well greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes (oven time may vary).  Allow to cool, then transfer to a wire rack where it should cool some more.  Half an hour later and my cake was still a touch too warm for icing, so I would wait an hour next time.

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Icing:

Use an electric mixer to combine the softened butter, cream cheese, and stevia.  Try with a little less stevia - maybe a 1/8 cup - and taste test.  Some people cannot handle the aftertaste of stevia, but I found the Truvia brand I used was milder than others, plus the delicious carrot cake and cream cheese overpowered the stevia and all I tasted was a mild sweetness.  If you find it sweet enough, skip the rest of the Stevia.  I added a splash of coconut milk to help make the icing a little easier to spread, but it's optional.

I topped my carrot cake with some unsweetened, shredded coconut, sliced dragon fruit (so pretty - and delicious, I'd never had one before!), pineapple sticks, and kiwi - simply because it looked pretty, but the fresh fruit does increase the overall sugar content.

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Easy + Healthy Protein Brownie Recipe (Plus Tips for Baking with Coconut Flour and Protein Powder)

Since the fall, I've been diligently focused on my health and well being.  Obviously I still enjoy a treat every now and then (yum, matcha tea shortbread!), and then there was that late night emergency vet visit that saw Hubby and I drive 20 minutes deeper into the sticks, where we ate a delicious bacon double cheeseburger in the parking lot of a skating rink at 10pm.  But, on the whole, we've really started eating healthier around here.

Because we still enjoy a sweet treat every now and then, I've been baking with coconut flour and almond flour, substituting sugars (even maple syrup and honey) with Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar-approved brown rice syrup, and sneaking in a little whey protein (to make baked goods more diabetic-friendly).  I've always loved baking, but switching to these new ingredients has really thrown me for a loop because they change the flavor and texture of food quite dramatically!  A lot of the recipes I've tried from Pinterest turned out to be disappointing, gritty flops, which is why I decided to just start from scratch and develop my own healthier spin on a baked treat.

The grain-free, refined sugar-free brownie recipe I shared recently was one I came up with through trial and error, adapting an old zucchini and date cake I used to make, but ultimately changing almost every ingredient!  It turned out to be so delicious and moist and sweet - it was the breakthrough I needed to keep experimenting!  Since then, I've had a few more flops (both of my own creation and from online sources), but there have been a couple of recipes that have turned out deliciously good!
In my quest for tasty sugar-free desserts, I thought I'd share recipes I find that are a success - in addition to my own original concoctions - because I know so many of you are struggling to cut back on sugar too.



This avocado brownie recipe is an adaptation of one I found online and it's so decadent!  I didn't change much, because it was already pretty perfect, but I did make a few substitutions: swapping out the maple syrup for brown rice syrup, adding some protein powder so it's extra filling, and ditching the applesauce in favor of my own fruity sauce (which is totally optional)!  

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup fruit - I used mango, peach & strawberry
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup (this is the exact brand I used)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (this is the exact brand I used)
• 1/4 cup whey protein powder (this is the exact brand I used)
• 1/2 cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

For this recipe, I added a fruity twist by making my own quick fruit sauce using frozen mango, peach, and strawberry mix.  It added a nice, soft flavor but not as much sweetness as a ripe banana or even unsweetened applesauce tends to lend baked goods.  I want to try this with different fruit combinations - imagine it with a homemade raspberry sauce!    

Instructions:

1. Cook the frozen fruit for a few minutes to boil off some water (or skip this step and use a pre-made applesauce)
2. Combine the peeled avocado, fruit mixture, brown rice syrup and vanilla in a food processor until pureed.
3. Pour into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the 3 eggs.
4. Sift the coconut flour, protein powder, cocoa, salt, and baking soda (don't skip this step!)
5. Stir the sifted mixture into the avocado mixture and combine thoroughly.
6. Pour into a greased, 8x8 pan
7. Cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (your oven may vary)
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
9. Store in a covered container in the fridge once cooled for maximum freshness!

3 Tips for Baking with Coconut Flour and Protein Powder

One: I've been baking a lot with protein powder and my best tip is to sift, sift, sift.  Whisking the coconut flour, cocoa powder, protein powder and baking soda is a key step in achieving a smooth, velvety brownie.  If you skip this step, the protein powder and coconut flour want to clump and you'll end up with pockets of dry flour in the baked brownie.

Two: Add cocoa powder!  My biggest complaint with coconut and almond flour is the texture, but recipes with a lot of cocoa powder have a more familiar, velvety smooth texture thanks to the fine cocoa powder.

Three: Add more eggs!  If you're experimenting a little on your own, trying to adapt old recipes, take a look at how many eggs coconut flour recipes have - lots.  Don't be alarmed if you need more egg!

I am absolutely in smitten with these healthy(ish) brownies!  The original recipe from The Healthy Maven was delicious and with a couple of substitutions, these brownies are more in line with Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar program, plus the protein powder means they're a more filling treat and my diabetic Dad can even enjoy one, every now and then!

Do you have any go-to recipes for a healthier spin on baked treats?  Have you tried quitting sugar too?  I've baked my way through some real duds, so I'd love any recommendations!

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Naturally Green Matcha Tea Shortbread Cookies

When I was in University there was intense pressure to wear green on St. Patrick's Day - I remember getting razzed many times for showing up to class sans green.  Frankly, showing up on time and dressed, period, was difficult for me because I spread myself a little too thin going to school full-time, working multiple jobs, and volunteering a lot of my time to not-for-profits.  I drove Charlie at the time, so I convinced my peers that cruising around in my lime green hatchback was sufficient cheer.  This year I will surely forget to don that all important colour again, but at least I'm prepared with a fun green shortbread recipe.  The secret ingredient?  Matcha tea!  The recipe is simple, but these cookies don't taste like traditional shortbread: they're smoother (thanks to the icing sugar), deliciously sweet, and naturally green - with a delicate hint of tea flavoring.  They are seriously addictive, I'm warning you now.



Did I mention that my Mom and I painstakingly created four leaf clover shaped cookies with this green shortbread dough?  Don't worry, there's an easy option too:

Ingredients:

• Flour (1.5 cups + 2 tbsp)
• Icing sugar (3/4 cup)
• Unsalted, room temperature butter (1 cup)
• Matcha green tea (1-2 tablespoons)
• Four leaf clover cookie cutter (optional)

 

My Mom and I have both worked at (different) locally owned tea shops and we're pretty passionate about tea, although my once extensive knowledge about tea has been filed deep in the dusty corners of my brain.  What I do remember is that "tea" is often incorrectly used to refer to steeped beverages that are actually infusions or tisanes - like "peppermint tea".  Technically, only leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant make tea.  Matcha is a special kind of tea because the way in which the leaves and grown and processed is unique: the leaves are grown in shade for a period of time before being harvested and once harvested, the stems and veins are removed.  It's then ground into a fine powder and traditionally used in tea ceremonies.

Matcha supposedly boasts many health benefits because it is chock full of antioxidants (10x what a normal cup of green tea offers), fiber and vitamins.  To drink it, you simply whisk the powder into nearly boiled water and enjoy.  To bake with it, you can easily add it in any recipes that call for dry ingredients - I just substituted some flour from my original shortbread recipe with matcha.  

You can find matcha at most tea shops so check local first, but if you can't track it down you can click this link to snag some on Amazon - there are many different grades and price points, but I picked out something reasonable.  Ceremony grade matcha is more expensive, so keep your eyes peeled for culinary grade which still provides a great flavor and colour, without a steep price.



How to Make Match Shortbread:

I think everyone knows how to make shortbread!  Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  My Mom is convinced that doing it by hand - without an electric mixer - is the key to making these cookies perfect.  Slowly add the flour and mix well.  Then add the matcha, making sure to break up any balls of powder so it blends well.

To make the classic "squashed with a fork balls," form the dough into 1 inch balls with your hands, place on a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper) and, you guessed it, squash with a fork.  This style of cookie always reminds me of my Mummu - she does her peanut butter cookies this way.

Baking Temps and Times:

The fork smush style is baked at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes.

To make a leaf shape, the trickiest part is tracking down a four leaf clover cookie cutter.  I found one in a vintage set of cookie cutters, but you can easily buy them from Amazon.  This four leaf clover shaped cookie cutter looks a lot like mine (good price, too).

I rolled out the dough on a floured surface and cut out the leaf shapes, placing them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Now comes the fun part!

To get the veining, my Mom and I lightly scored the design onto the raw dough, careful not to cut through or score too deep.  This was piddly work, but wouldn't you know the fancy ones were more delicious ;)

These cookies were thinner, so they were baked at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for only 10-12 minutes.

I intensified the green by adding more matcha.  The first batch had 1 tablespoon but for the second half of the dough, I added about a half tablespoon more.  Look how adorable they turned out!  I lured my Mom into helping with a few blog projects and we enjoyed a really lovely afternoon baking these - it was kind of meditative to work on the leaf-shaped ones and the process has made me want to try some really beautiful desserts instead of the usual, slap-dash, I need sugar now company's due in an hour things I used to bake.  I'm still cutting back sugar in a big way, but a little treat every now and then is nice.

You can barely taste any tea flavor in the lighter batch - they're just buttery and sweet.  The darker batch has a slight tea flavor but it's still light and sweet.  If you try baking with matcha, experiment with different quantities.  Too much matcha can produce a bitter cookie, so if you're aiming for a darker green, try adding a little bit at a time and then pinching off a bit of dough to taste.

I love that these aren't coloured with artificial food dye. Behind the scenes I've been experimenting a bit with natural food dye alternatives.  I'm mulling over whether I want to attempt something pretty insane for my birthday cake this year...

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How to Bake a Better Brownie

If you need to whip up a fabulous but fast dessert for a last minute party or potluck, I have just the recipe!  I rarely post recipes so, when I do, you know it's really good.  This brownie is amazing: chocolatey and rich but not too sweet, with a delicious frosting.  Maybe the decadent frosting makes it seem more special, but for some reason this simple recipe is a real crowd-pleaser.  My little niece and my even littler nephew almost got in a fisticuff over one of these, so they're kid-approved too (I thought the kids might find them too rich and not sugary enough, so I baked cookies too.  I'm sure they were flying by the time they got home). 

Ingredients for the brownie:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8" square pan.
Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a saucepan on low heat.  Once melted, transfer to a heat resistant mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat in the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Spread the batter into the greased pan and bake 25-30 minutes (oven temperatures can vary, so check it at 25).

While the brownie bakes, melt the frosting ingredients on very low heat in the saucepan and stir often until smooth.  If you find the frosting is too dry, you can add some more butter or honey - it's impossible to make a mistake!  Shortly after the brownie is done - while it's still warm - apply the frosting with a spatula.  Let cool and serve.

This recipe bakes just as nicely if you double it.  I recently made a double batch in a larger pan and set the timer for 35 minutes, did the knife test, and baked it for another 5 or so.  Store in an airtight container  - storing it in the fridge will keep it even fresher.

Edit: I'm not certain where I found this recipe because it's hand-written in my recipe binder and I've been using it for over a year, but a friend on Instagram says she's had a great experience with the same recipe and she found it on allrecipes.com.  Maybe I did too?  Pinterest has become my go-to and you know what it's like falling down that rabbit hole!  Anyway, it's great to know that someone else has come to love this fabulous brownie recipe.  It's a keeper.

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How to Bake a Delicious Ricotta and Lemon Cake

Yum, yum, yum.  Have I got a batch of deliciousness to share.  I realized a tub of ricotta cheese was rapidly approaching its expiry date, so I scrambled for a quick recipe because I'd since eaten the other ingredients to make what I originally bought the ricotta for.  In the nick of time I found a delicious lemon and ricotta muffin recipe that I turned into a cake, added a twist to, and can't stop devouring.

Here's the recipe I pinned, from Healthy Food Living, with my tweaks:

For the muffin/cake:

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup water
• Lemon juice (2 lemons)
• Lemon zest (2 lemons)

For the icing:

• Lemon juice (1 lemon)
• Lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a smaller bowl, mix together the ricotta, oil, lemon rind & juice, water and egg.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir only until it's just mixed - don't over stir, this dough gets really stiff very quickly so watch out!
5. Pour into muffin cups or, if you're lazy like me, use an 8" by 8" lightly greased pan.
6. Bake muffins for 15-17 minutes, but if it is in cake form, bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top and a knife you insert comes out clean.

Make the icing (not in original recipe):

I had planned a thick, super rich icing like I made for my sugar cookies but it turns out we were almost out of icing sugar!  Probably a good thing.  I used what was left and made a very runny glaze by mixing together the zest and juice of one lemon and about two (maybe 3) tablespoons of icing sugar.  I drizzled in onto the cake when it was minutes from the oven, so it seeped in a little and also crystallized from the heat.  It's like the glaze on an apple fritter, but with more kick.  But honestly, this is also an awesome muffin without the sugar topping.

This cake is moist and rich, but light and fluffy.  It is sweet but also has a really zingy lemon flavor which balances the sugary glaze.  In case you're wondering, sugar-free me lasted about three weeks (a week shy of my month long goal) but then I fell off the wagon.  Now I'm trying to just eat less sugar.  She says with a straight face, as she stuffs her face with a slab of sugar coated muffin-cake. 

Breakfast of champions.

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How to Make Colored Icing Without Food Colouring

Hubby's Dad, and his partner, are visiting us in a few days so we have been cleaning, grocery shopping and baking up a storm.  Last night I tried a really good sugar cookie recipe from my favorite cookie cookbook (see below) and topped it with a simple, food colouring-free pink icing.  Even though Hubby & I are boring and ignore Valentine's Day, I though anyone whipping up some Valentine's treats this weekend might like this simple recipe!

There are many different kinds of icing but for cookies, icing can be really simple to make: just add any liquid to powdered sugar.  In this case, I mixed copious amounts of icing sugar with all-natural (dye-free) cranberry juice.  The result is a sweet, ever-so-slightly slightly fruity, icing.  Here's a ratio that works for me:

How to Make Naturally Pink Icing:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
4.5 tsp. cranberry juice

This makes a small amount (pictured below) but it is better to work in small batches, lest the icing start to harden in the bowl.  Depending on how many cookies you need to decorate, you might need more.  For the cookie recipe that follows, I needed about three times this amount, which I made in three different batches.  You want it to be smooth enough to apply to a cookie, but thick enough that it won't drip.  Try experimenting with other liquids (like grape juice) to tint your icing other colours.

I will admit that some of my iced cookies look like an uncoordinated toddler helped (can I blame Hubby?).  Ah well.  I cherry-picked a few pretties for you, but I don't have heart-shaped cookie cutters.  I have a flower cookie cutter and then a set of wild animals (moose, bears, squirrels, snails, hedgehogs, foxes) but can I make them Valentine's-y?  Let's see . . .

I have a snail of a good time when I'm with you:

I love you bear-y much:



I have no idea how to make a hedgehog or a moose romantic . . . 

Basic Cookie Recipe (from the book "Sunset Cookies," click here for a similar title)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (although I used brown sugar for both quantities)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. allspice, ginger and nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon (I actually added four, my mistake, but it was a yummy mistake)

Cooking-Making Time:

1. Beat shortening, butter and sugar together until creamy
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla
3. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices
4. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and combine thoroughly
5. Knead dough for a few seconds and wrap in plastic wrap
6. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours
7. Working with small sections, keeping the remainder refrigerated until needed, roll out dough on floured surface until approx. 3/8 inch thick
8. Cut out using cookie cutters
9. Transfer cookies to un-greased baking sheets (I lined mine with parchment paper)
10.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned (I only needed 12 minutes)
11. Transfer to cooling racks and allow to cool for a few hours before icing

I hope you enjoyed this tip.  Let me know if you're up to any yummy baking!

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