Lemon Shortcake Tart Covered in Lemon Cream and Blueberries

There is just something wonderful about cooking for others! Wouldn’t you agree? It puts a smile on my face and brings warmth to my heart! So imagine my excitement when Nancy at Feasting with Friends asked me to cook something up and do a guest post for her while she continues to recover from surgery. My thinking…”I get to cook for Nancy and her friends!”  (Can you see me jumping up and down with excitement?!)

I really like Nancy a lot :-), so it means tons that I get to create something for her! What an honor! Those of you who know Nancy, know that she is wonderful at cooking, she has such a big heart for others, and is super encouraging! She blesses me all the time with her bloggy presence and her sweet words!

So dear Nancy, this lemon shortcake tart covered in lemon cream and blueberries is all yours! 🙂 May it be a blessing to you as you continue to heal!

For more pictures and the recipe of this super yummy tart (it really was delicious…yum, yum, yum)… visit my Guest Post at Feasting with Friends! Stop in and say hello….I know Nancy would love it!

 

 

Homemade Whipped Cream with Dark Chocolate

A simple and refreshing dessert as summer quickly approaches! Light, yet so delicious!

• Servings: 4 People
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*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen 

Ingredients

• Thick stuff from one refrigerated can of coconut milk
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Dark Chocolate

Directions

• Combine coconut milk, honey, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix well using a hand held mixer.
• Separate into serving bowls.
• Put dark chocolate squares into a plastic bag and using a meat hammer, smash them up.
• Generously sprinkle chocolate chunks into each serving bowl.

Apple Crostata with Mascarpone Cream

Less than 24 hours later, I was back in the kitchen working on another crostata! I was determined to find another flour combination that would work much, much better! This time I used a combination of almond flour and coconut flour…

I was so excited when I saw how well the dough was holding together…believe me when I say that this is not what the Strawberry Crostata dough was like. 🙂 I was so excited that I had figured out a combination that was not going to be brittle and crumble! Yay!

Heading into the oven…loved how it looked!

Okay, so I am realizing that almond flour cooks a bit quicker 🙂 …oops! I have to admit I was super bummed at this point……2 crostatas in, my kitchen a disaster, and still nothing to bring to a get together we were having that night. A long day of baking was awaiting me…

Don’t entirely let the overly brown crust fool you though. It may not have been pretty enough to bring to the gathering, but it certainly was wonderful enough for hubby and I to snack on during the day! 🙂

Was the crust less crumbly? I am actually really shocked to say that it wasn’t! It started out so good though, didn’t it?!

Was the texture much better? Yes!

Was the taste more delightful? Yes, yes, yes!!

So, as long as you don’t mind the piece falling apart when you cut into the crostata, this low-glycemic gluten free crust is worth making! Really, really tasty!

• Servings: About 6 People
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For Pastry:

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon zest

For Filling:

• 4 average size apples
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 lemon for lemon juice
• Shaved Almonds

For Pastry:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine all the dry ingredients together in one mixing bowl, and the wet ones in another.
• Then, combine all the ingredients with one bowl.
• Work all of the dough into a ball and then flatten it. Wrap it up in plastic wrap and let cool in refrigerator for an hour.
• After the hour, place the dough onto a parchment paper.
• Using a rolling pin, roll it out until it is large enough to put the fruit in the middle, and wrap the edges around the fruit.
• Once you have added all the filling in and wrapped the edges and put the almonds on (see below), move the crostata (keeping it on the parchment paper) onto a baking pan and then let bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

For Filling:

• Slice up the apples and put them in the middle of the dough.
• In a mixing bowl, cover the apples in the fresh lemon juice, nutmeg, and honey. Make sure the apples are thoroughly covered.
• Put the apple mixture in the middle of the crust.
• Wrap the extra dough up around the edges of the apple pile.
• Use some coconut milk to brush the outsides of the crust and then put sliced almonds on it.

For mascarpone cream recipe and instructions go HERE.

 

Mini Cinnamon Roll Muffins

I love surprises! And the one I got this week was so amazing! One of my dearest friends who lives many states away came into town to see family (I wasn’t expecting this), and she drove to my house to spend time with me! It was so special for so many reasons…

• I love this woman
• I hadn’t seen her in over 2 years
• She is super special to me
• She drove an extra hour and a half to see me because of some health issues I have
• I got to meet her twins….last time I saw her she only had 2 kiddos
• She got to see our home for the first time and can now picture it when we talk to each other
• She is one of those rare friends you meet in a lifetime who will be a lifelong friend

Here is a picture of us yesterday…

Over the 5 years we lived near each other, this woman taught me so much about hospitality…loving on and serving people in your home. Making them feel welcome and comfortable. In fact, we used to try to have weekly movie nights together and she would always have a delicious meal cooked for us, which was all set up to enjoy as we hung out. I was always watching and learning from her…she taught me so much, whether she realizes it or not.

Last time this dear friend saw me, I hated cooking and didn’t know how to do it! 🙂 So, how fun to have her and her kiddos come to my home, and for me to show hospitality to them and cook for them!

We decided to go to the park and have a picnic lunch and as I was preparing everything my sweet friend asked if she could help. What was so encouraging to me is that I could say, “No thanks….I am actually really comfortable in the kitchen now!” 😀 Wow, I really am!

Fresh out of the oven when the 5 of them arrived, I made a new recipe I came up with…Cinnamon Roll Muffins. I call them that because the delicious sauce on top makes them taste like you are eating a cinnamon roll!

Not only did it feel so good to cook for this friend of mine for the first time, but hearing one of her son’s comments brought such a smile to my face! This little guy below said, “This is the best treat!” 😀 And keep in mind that he was eating a low-glycemic, gluten free goody with no refined sugar! Woohoo! See, eating this way can taste just as good, if not better! All smiles over here!

With all that said, Happy Fiesta Friday once again! Let the party begin!  Hope you enjoy these mini cinnamon roll muffins and feel just like this little guy did, that they are “the best treat!”  😀

Always grateful to Angie at The Novice Gardener for hosting such a fun celebration and gathering all of us bloggers together! Thanks Angie!

And here’s a shout out to this week’s co-hosts! Thanks for all the work you will put into this! You make the party all the more fun!

• Servings: 24 + mini muffins
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*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup honey

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, 2 tbsp cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix the eggs, 1/2 cup coconut milk, vanilla, and 1/2 cup honey in a small bowl. Once well mixed, add these to the dry ingredients and mix it all up well.
• Grease two mini muffin tins, or use papers. Pour your batter in.
• Bake for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make your topping by using 1/2 cup coconut milk (the really thick stuff…could be good to refrigerate it overnight before you use it), 1/2 cup honey, 1 tbsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Use an electric mixer to whisk everything together until it thickens.
• When muffins are cooked, pour the cinnamon roll topping on top of each muffin.

 

Chocolaty Pear Crisp

I think Fiesta Fridays have become my excuse to bake something sweet! 😀

As always, thank you Angie for hosting us and bringing us all together! Each week is so much fun! And thank you Saucy and Sir Johnny for co-hosting!

This week’s inspiration? Pears!

I have to say….this really is as delicious as it looks! The sweet crust made such a delicious addition to this yumminess!

Yay for another experiment gone well! 😀

 

• Servings: 1-2
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*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup coconut milk- the thick part
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 pear
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 tbsp coconut oil melted

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash and cut the pear into pieces.
• Put into a small baking dish.
• Create the chocolate sauce by combining the cinnamon, chocolate chips, coconut milk, and 2 tbsp honey in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• When the sauce is warm and melted together, pour over over the pear pieces. (You will have extra)
• To make the crust, combine the almond flour, almond extract, 2 remaining tbsp of honey, and coconut oil. Mix together well.
• Cover the top of your pear dish with this.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes. (If you like your fruit softer, you might want to cook the pears by themselves for a bit before you proceed to these final stages.)
• When finished cooking, pour some of the extra chocolate sauce over the top. (I reheated it a little bit.)

 

Orange Chocolate Mousse

Happy Fiesta Friday everyone! Because I have been sick all week, I almost forgot about the party! Can you believe it?! But, thanks to the lovely Jhuls reminding me, here I am! 🙂 Thankful once again for Angie hosting us at her blog The Novice Gardener! Aren’t her creations amazing?! If you haven’t seen this recent post of hers, you have to check it out! Like I said to her, all I can say is, “Wow!!”

And a big thank you to Prudy and Indira for co-hosting this party! Woohoo!

I am still feeling really bad (sinus stuff I think…horrible headache, etc.), so I knew I needed to bring something simple this week. That is when I thought of mousse! You know me, my first thought was something sweet! 🙂

I, of course, had never made mousse before so I wasn’t totally sure what I was going to use to make it and how much of the ingredients I would use, etc. My main question was whether I could get the consistency right since I don’t use sugar. That is always the adventure when trying to make up a low-glycemic recipe. Fun, Fun, Fun! Truly, I love it!

I ended up using only 5 simple ingredients: coconut milk, cocoa, pure orange extract, honey, and orange zest. And it took me all of 10 minutes. The taste? Great and refreshing!  The consistency? Actually just right!

Very Simple, just as I had hoped. Simple, yet really yummy! And notice the adorable bowl I am serving this mousse in….found these on clearance a while back and forgot I had them until tonight! Aren’t they great!?

• Servings: 2-3 People
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• 2 Cans of refrigerated coconut milk- You will use only the thick part.
• 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• Honey (I didn’t measure it out…my guess is it was about 3 tbsp.)
• 1/2 tsp pure orange extract
• Zest from a slice of orange

• Combine the thick part of the coconut milk, cocoa, honey, and orange extract in a mixing bowl. Whisk well.
• Split the mousse up into serving dishes.
• Zest a piece of orange and put it on top of the mousse.
• Add a slice of orange if you would like.

Chocolate Brownies with Buttercream Frosting

After church yesterday we went over to our friend’s house to continue celebrating Easter. It was my job to bring dessert, and I wanted to be super creative and come up with something fun looking for the kids, but knowing I was already feeling stressed, my loving hubby encouraged me to just stick with something easy.

So, that’s what I did! 🙂 I started by using agave for the brownies since it is even lower on the glycemic index, but I decided I didn’t prefer it, so I ended up using honey instead. Next time, I wouldn’t use any agave at all, and I could probably get away without adding much more honey.

I was SO happy with how the buttercream frosting came out! I have tried making a low-glycemic version before, and the consistency has never been quite right. The taste and texture of this was perfect! Loved it!

• Servings: 8-12
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*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

(Buttercream Frosting adapted from Sensitive Economist)

For Brownies:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 cup honey
• 2/3 cup agave

For Buttercream:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups honey
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 3 tbsp almond milk

For Brownies:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients, except the egg. When it is thoroughly mixed, add the egg and continue to mix.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. When mixed, add in the wet ones, stirring well.
• Use a bit of coconut oil or butter to grease a pizza pan (I used a 14″ deep dish one ) or a large baking dish, and then spread the dough evenly…all the way to the edges. Make it all as flat as possible so that it will cook evenly.
• Now it is ready to go in the oven. Cook for about 25 minutes. (I cooked longer and they came out harder than I liked.)
• When it is cooked, take out and let cool.

For Buttercream:

• With a hand held mixer or standing mixer, combine all the ingredients. Blend until mixed well and the consistency is right.
• After the brownie pizza/cake has cooled then frost it.
• Grate a piece of dark chocolate to add shavings to the top of your brownies.

Cinnamon Ganache Berry Tart with a Cinnamon Pomegrante & Honey Glaze

The tart I made for Fiesta Friday was my inspiration behind this one…one that had two more requirements in addition to being gluten-free and low-glycemic. It also needed to be dairy free and paleo friendly, which meant I couldn’t have the cream filling and needed to take the butter out of the crust. And you know me by now, a challenge like this is just a fun adventure! So, off on the adventure I went!

I brought this to a get together on Friday night, and everyone loved it! I only had one small slice left over, and well….that is no longer left over either. 😉

I loved the way the crust came out! The pizza pan idea was a far better choice than the pie pan! It cooked so evenly…loved the consistency! I added some cinnamon to it….yum! And I also added some cinnamon to the ganache and the glaze…loved it! Loved it even better than my Fiesta Friday tart!

Cinnamon Ganache Berry Tart with a Cinnamon Pomegranate & Honey Glaze

• Servings: 8-12
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*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

For Crust:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup honey

For Ganache:

• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 2 cups coconut milk (the thick stuff on top)
• 2 tsp cinnamon

For Fruit Topping:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries

For Cinnamon Pomegranate & Honey Glaze:

• 4 tbsp pure pomegranate juice
• 4 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For Crust:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, vanilla,  and honey. When it is thoroughly mixed, add the egg and continue to mix.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: almond flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. When mixed, add in the wet ones, stirring well.
• Use a bit of coconut oil  to grease a pizza pan (I used a 14″ deep dish one ), and then spread the dough evenly…all the way to the edges. Make it all as flat as possible so that it will cook evenly.
• Now it is ready to go in the oven. I cooked it for 20-25 minutes. So, start at the lower time and  just keep a close eye on it.
• When it is lightly browned and seems cooked through, take out and let cool.

For Ganache:

• In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine and melt the chocolate chips with the coconut milk.
• Once the chocolate is completely melted, add the cinnamon.
• Continue to heat for a bit in order for the cinnamon taste to settle in, stirring to make sure everything is mixed well together.
• When finished, pour it immediately onto the tart crust.
• Let it cool and harden in the refrigerator.

For Fruit Topping:

• Slice the strawberries into smaller pieces.
• Take the tart out of the refrigerator after about 10-15 minutes and lay out the blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries on the ganache.
• Set aside, so you can put the glaze on it.

For Cinnamon Pomegranate & Honey Glaze:

• Combine the pomegranate juice, honey, cinnamon, and tapioca starch in a small saucepan on medium heat. Reduce it down, whisking, until it has thickened into a glaze.
• Pour the glaze over the fruit.
• Cover the tart (I used aluminum foil) and place it in the refrigerator to harden, until you are ready to eat it.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Orange Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I can’t believe it is already Friday again! We all know what that means….”Fiesta Friday!” Woohoo! Angie is so kind to host our party every week over at her blog, The Novice Gardener! I have already met so many sweet and talented people there…I love being inspired as I get to see what others are making! I am already very curious and excited about what people will be bringing! 🙂

For the second week in a row, I am bringing a cupcake. I love cupcakes so much! I am actually bringing these to a baby shower, or else I would be tempted to eat them all myself! 🙂 The ones this week are made with my most favorite flavors: orange, dark chocolate, buttercream! Yum, yum, yum!

I have to admit that creating a recipe for a low-glycemic buttercream frosting was not easy. Because I had to use honey instead of the powdered sugar, it came out thinner, but I think this could be helped by not using the squeezed orange juice and just using the pure orange extract instead. It tastes delicious though! I seriously have been going back for more bites! 🙂

ORANGE DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES WITH ORANGE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• Servings: 16 Cupcakes
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*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

For Cupcakes:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I used 2 large oranges for this)
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

For Frosting:

• 2 cups butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups honey
• 1 large orange for it’s juice
• 1 tsp pure orange extract ( I wanted to just use the juice from the orange, but it wasn’t quite enough…this was the finishing touch!)

For Cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven for 325 degrees.
• Cut oranges in half and squeeze out the juice into a measuring cup. Poor it into a mixing bowl. Add the honey and the eggs, mixing well.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the dry ones and mix.
• Put cupcake liners in a muffin pan and pour the batter into into each slot.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes. I originally set it for 20, but ended up cooking them for 23.
• Let them cool before frosting.

For Frosting:

• Make sure to set your butter out ahead of time so that it can soften.
• In a large mixing bowl, add all your ingredients and blend thoroughly.
• If you need the consistency a little harder, refrigerate for a little bit before frosting.

Almond Chocolate Ganache Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Almond Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Yes, I have been on a ganache kick! Can you blame me? It is so rich and yummy!

When everyone enjoyed my ganache cookies the other night, someone asked, “Can you make a cupcake stuffed with this stuff?”

I thought to myself, “I don’t know, but I am sure up for the challenge!”  So, I experimented and came up with this cupcake recipe, and I also got creative and made the ganache a bit different than the other night.

The cookies were great, but these … these were amazing! Honestly, my hubby and I love these so much!! These are our most favorite dessert I have made yet!

So Fiesta Friday, here I come with these super rich and delicious cupcakes! I look forward to seeing what everyone else is bringing to the party… and thanks so much Angie for all you do!

• Servings: 12 Cupcakes
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*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

For the Ganache (Used to fill the cupcakes and for the frosting):

• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (the thick part at the top)
• 1 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp pure almond extract

For the Cupcakes:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

For the ganache:

• Put the chocolate chips and the coconut milk in a large sauce pan over low to medium heat, letting the chocolate melt.
• Once the chocolate has melted, add in the honey and almond extract.
• When everything is mixed well, take off the heat and put it in a container with a lid.
• I put mine in the freezer until I was ready to fill the cupcakes.
• After you have filled the cupcakes (see directions below), place in the refrigerator. This will give you the best consistency for when you are ready to frost.

For the cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, honey, coconut milk, and vanilla extract.
• When both your dry and wet ingredients are mixed well, combine them together in the large bowl.
• Put cupcake liners in a muffin pan and pour the batter 1/3 of the way full.
• Now put a layer of the ganache in the middle.
• Pour in the rest of your batter over the ganache, so it is entirely covered.
• Let cook for about 25 minutes.
• When finished cooking, let them cool before you frost them.