Dessert

date filled butter cookie

by spabettie on February 22, 2012

in baking,Dessert,Gluten Free,recipes,Vegan

Gosh I miss you guys. Yes, you. and you. You too. All of you.

I am hoping to have a bit more of a normal schedule soon, but right now I am absolutely happy to be able to do what I am doing. Helping my dad, taking care of things for him right now, making sure he has everything he wants and needs, I cannot imagine it any other way. This is my Most Important Thing right now.

Thank you all again for your continued thoughts, prayers, support and messages. All of it makes me smile, makes my day, and is truly appreciated. So many of you ask about his progress – he has completed his first round of chemo and is feeling GOOD now that it is done. Routine doctor appointments and one 3am emergency trip to the ER have been the routine this week (well, I’m hoping the ER visits are not routine!) and things are getting back into a groove. My nursing skills are pretty dang efficient at this point, and time and again I am shown I keep calm under pressure and during big events, which is one of those things you never really know until it is put to the test.

I’m doing pretty good.

I deserve a cookie.

I know I often say ‘this recipe is my favorite’ or “make this today, please”! This time, really, I mean it. I meant it all the other times too… but this one, really. I love this cookie. Jason loves this cookie. All the CICU nurses at Providence Portland love this cookie (and not just because they enjoyed three batches of them).

date filled butter cookies

makes 20-24 cookies

gluten, dairy, egg and soy free, vegan

1 cup butter (Earth Balance soy free)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 cups flour (gluten free ap)
1/4 cup milk (vanilla almond)

Cream together butter, sugar and water. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time, adding milk by the tablespoon as necessary. Combine until dough forms, do not over mix. Knead into a ball, cool in refrigerator 10 minutes. Forming cookies: first, roll one inch pieces of dough into ball, second, flatten and fill with date paste, third, pinch four sides together into a square.

Place on prepared baking sheet, bake at 300 for 25 minutes.

date paste

1 pound Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup water
zest of 1 small lemon

In saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients, stirring/mashing until dates break down to paste consistency and water is absorbed. Cool completely before filling cookies.

Make this cookie. For me? For you.

activia harvest picks

by spabettie on February 15, 2012

in Breakfast,daily smoothie,Dessert,product review,recipes,snacks,Vegan

One of the aspects of the foodie 100 that I am really excited about is the author program, where we have opportunities to work with brands and new product.

One of my favorite parts of being a nurse to my dad recently? Feeding him good food!
I have been making fresh green juice for him each morning, and he likes it!

He has been enjoying yogurt lately, too, so when Activia and Foodie offered to send me the new Harvest Picks flavors, I knew I could make some good eats for Dad.

New Activia Harvest Picks is a deliciously fruity and silky smooth yogurt.
You will enjoy a Harvest of real fruit in every silky spoonful.

Adding fresh fruit. granola, coconut and chia seeds to the Harvest Picks peach flavor made a tasty and filling parfait for Dad’s breakfast each day this week. He said the peach is his favorite flavor, describing it as fluffy, smooth and sweet. I tried to get him to draw more pictures…

Yesterday’s breakfast was a Harvest Picks Smoothie:

I juiced fresh kale, apple, ginger and spinach, then blended it with one Harvest Picks strawberry flavor. The yogurt sweetened the juice and made a filling snack to go with our standard two cups of coffee

and a muffin.

I used the Harvest Picks mixed berries flavor to make muffins – fluffy, fruity and filling. Add crumb topping gives a crunchy finish, while the yogurt makes them chewy and delicious. These muffins got rave reviews – I’ll be making them again, maybe peach?

mixed berry oatmeal muffins with crumb topping – see muffin recipe here.

If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen some #Glam tweeting going on recently. We have been having some fun chats – the chat from last Monday is still going on, if you’d like to join in:

Compensation was provided by Activia via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of spabettie and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Activia.

wasabi peanut butter cups

by spabettie on February 13, 2012

in Dessert,Gluten Free,recipes,Valentines Day,Vegan

I made several flavors of peanut butter cups for Valentines Day. For a step by step photo tutorial (and to see some detailed Earth chocolates), click here. For the following recipes, refer to that method when reading directions.

Peanut butter cups are easy to make, using very few ingredients, and can be made tonight, in time for Valentines Day! Making up surprise middles is the best part.

The new favorite peanut butter cup in our house? Wasabi.

wasabi peanut butter cups

After the second layer of peanut butter, dot wasabi on top or if you are adventurous and like spicy heat, spread a layer atop peanut butter. Yum. Continue and complete with final layer(s) of chocolate.

I was generous with the wasabi:

Wasabi and peanut butter are a surprisingly good pairing. Nestle that perfect pairing into dark chocolate? Happy Valentines Day, indeed.

graham peanut butter cups

Prior to the second layer of peanut butter, add a layer of graham crumbs to the first layer of chocolate. Top with peanut butter layer and continue with final layers of chocolate.

dark chocolate ginger cups

Get rid of the peanut butter altogether in this one! Replace with generous chunks of crystallized ginger, cover with final layer of dark chocolate. Mmm – such a delicious combination!

…and then? I covered them in Valentines decor! Remember how I told you my first try with vegan white chocolate didn’t quite work this year? I was able to salvage it, and I made it into fuchsia fondant hearts. Hearts that topped each and every flavor of peanut butter cups.

Well, the ones that didn’t have swirled chocolate and pink glitter or rainbow sprinkles.

Happy Valentines!

raspberry cheesecake oreo bars

February 11, 2012

Yep, you read that right, Oreo. Do you know there are vanilla Oreos now? I may like them even more than the original. Although I know either choice would be good in this crust, I went with Golden. This time. I’m going to add to the conversation about Oreos being vegan, and throw my hat [...]

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cream cheese brownie fudge

February 9, 2012

I have had an unstoppable brownie craving recently. I’m giving in to it. Just when I thought that salted caramel was the best thing to swirl into my new brownie fudge, I had another craving – cheesecake flavor. I have always loved a pastry with sweet cream cheese filling. I had to give into that [...]

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pomegranate cranberry hearts

February 9, 2012

Today I bring you yet another Valentines treat (I think I declared it Valentines Week?). As rich and flavorful as this recipe is, it is also very easy, and no bake. Even if you do not make the bars heart shaped, it is already appropriately colored for Valentines. Naturally and vibrantly colored. If you do [...]

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saffron doughnuts with rosewater icing

February 8, 2012

Here I am with another pink and yellow dessert. I have had the flavors of this doughnut in my head for a while. I couldn’t wait to taste it, and I have to say, they are as good as I imagined they would be. These will be a unique and decadent Valentines breakfast or dessert [...]

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Meyer lemon mousse in chocolate cups

February 6, 2012

I cannot stop making chocolate shot glasses. I’m not a big fan of white chocolate, but I am a fan of pink. I am a fan of Valentines Day. Lemon is one of my favorite flavors for light, fresh desserts. But if I am honest, I have to say I chose lemon so I could [...]

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pink thumbprints with whiskey ganache

February 3, 2012

Now that February is here, I can really start celebrating Valentines and all things pink. Once I saw the beautiful color that comes from beet juice, I started coloring everything pink. I am also drinking a lot of beet juice. The juice balances out all the desserts we are enjoying. I am super excited about [...]

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Valentines Spicy Hot Shots

January 30, 2012

The things I do in the name of love. In the name of Valentines Day. In the name of all things pink. You recall the chocolate shot glasses I made over the holidays? That I filled with local New Deal vodka? In the name of love, Valentines Day and everything pink, I have done it [...]

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