Healthy Holiday Desserts

If you’re going to indulge in desserts this holiday, why not make something of a healthier variety?

 

When it comes to desserts, I much prefer to make something homemade that way I can choose quality ingredients to include in my sweet creation.  Most store-bought products are loaded with preservatives, colorings and hydrogenated oils, so when you make your own sweet treats from scratch you can avoid these harmful and fattening ingredients.

Below are five dessert recipes that you can make to celebrate with your family this holiday.  With these recipes you can give yourself a little sweet reward without the guilt because they’re made with healthier ingredients. 

 

For each of these recipes I recommend using organic ingredients as much as possible.

 

Bon appetite!

 

Raspberry Tart

Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions

Serves 6-8

 

Ingredients:

1 flaky pie crust  (see recipe below)

baked as a 12-inch French-style tart or as individual tarts

2 cups naturally sweetened raspberry jam

½ cup pear or raspberry liqueur

3-4 cups fresh raspberries

 

Directions:

1. Heat raspberry jam with liqueur and boil gently about 10 minutes.

2. Brush pastry with melted jam.

3. Arrange berries on top and drizzle remaining jam mixture over berries.

 

Flaky Pie Crust

Makes a 9-inch pie shell with enough for lattice design.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sifted bulgur flour (sprouted wheat flour) or gluten free baking flour

pinch of sea salt

pinch of stevia

½ cup butter, frozen

2 egg yolks

3 rounded tbsp cold water

 

Directions:

1. Sift flour, sea salt, and stevia powder into food processor.  (I’d use my dry mix Vitamix blender instead.)

2.Place butter on a board and cut into about 16 pieces using a sharp knife.

3.Distribute butter over flour.

4.Pulse processor several times until butter is broken into pea-sized pieces and is well distributed.

5.Beat egg yolks briefly with a fork, dribble over flour mixture and pulse once or twice.  Have water ready.

6.Turn on processor and immediately pour water in.  Stop food processor at once.  (Butter should be still visible as pea-sized and seed-sized pieces.)

7.Turn crust onto waxed paper, wrap up and squeeze together, forming a ball.

8.Refrigerate several hours.

9.Roll on pastry cloth using flour to keep from sticking.

 

 

Coconut Mousse Pie

Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions

Serves 8

 

Ingredients:

1 flaky pie crust baked  (see recipe above)

4 egg yolks at room temperature

½ cup Rapadura (dehydrated cane sugar juice)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp coconut flavoring

1 tbsp gelatin dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water

4 egg whites at room temperature

pinch of sea salt

1 cup heavy cream, preferably raw, well chilled

1 cup fresh coconut, grated, or 1 cup dried unsweetened coconut, finely shredded

2 cups whipped cream (see recipe below)

 

Directions:

1. Beat egg yolks with Rapadura for several minutes until a pale ribbon forms.

2. Blend in extracts, cream and gelatin.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with sea salt until stiff.

4.  Fold egg yolk mixture and coconut into egg whites.

5.  Pour into pie crust and chill well.

6.  Just before serving, spread with whipped cream (see recipe below). 

 

 

Whipped Cream

Makes 2 cups

 

Ingredients:

2 cups quality heavy cream, preferably raw, not ultra pasteurized

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of stevia

 

Directions:

1. Beat cream in a glass bowl with a whisk or an electric beater.

2. When cream makes soft folds, beat in vanilla and stevia powder.

 

 

Rhubarb Pie

Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions

Serves 8

 

Ingredients:

1 flaky pie crust  (see recipe above)

4 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces

¾ cup Rapadura (dehydrated cane sugar juice)

2 tbsp arrowroot

grated rind of one orange

2 tbsp butter

 

Directions:

1. Toss rhubarb with Rapadura, arrowroot and orange rind and let stand for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, line a shallow pie plate with flaky pie crust, reserving enough to make a lattice-work top.

3. Fill pie crust with rhubarb mixture, dot with butter and cover with lattice work.

4.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

5.  Reduce to 350 degrees and bake another 40-45 minutes.

6.  Serve with whipped cream (see recipe above.) 

 

Chocolate Pudding

Serves 6-8

 

Ingredients:

½ cup raw honey

3 tbsp raw cacao (coco powder will do too.)

¼ brown rice flour (to thicken mixture.)

1/8 tsp sea salt

2 ¾ cups raw milk or cream for pudding (we used cream for extra creaminess:)

½ cup cream for whipped cream

2 tbsp real butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp real maple syrup (optional: used to sweeten whipped cream.)

 

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together honey, cacao powder, flour and salt.

2. Place over medium heat and whisk in milk or cream slowly.

3. Bring to a slight boil and cook, whisking constantly until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

4. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla.

5.  Let cool briefly and serve warm or chilled.  

6.  Serve plain or topped with homemade whipped cream, chopped nuts and coconut shavings.

 

Spice Cake with Butter Cream Icing

Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions

Serves 8-10

 

Ingredients:

½ cup whole yogurt

½ cup butter, softened

¼ tsp sea salt

1 ½ cup bulgur flour

¼ cup water

1 cup Rapadura (dehydrated cane sugar juice)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground white pepper

2 tsp baking soda

 

Icing

4 egg whites, at room temperature

pinch of sea salt

1 cup Rapadura

2 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup butter, softened

 

Cake Directions:

1. Blend yogurt, butter, flour, salt and water.

2. Beat in Rapadura, vanilla, spices and baking soda until dough is smooth.

3. Line two buttered 8-inch cake pans with rounds of parchment paper and dust the pans with flour.

4. Divide the batter between the two pans, spread to fill the pans and bake at 300 degrees for about 1 hour.

5.  Loosen the layers immediately, but let layers cool before removing from pans.

6. Carefully remove any rough edges.

 

Icing Directions:

1. Beat butter until smooth and creamy. 

2.  In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks.

3. Gradually beat in Rapadura and vanilla.

4. Spoonful by spoonful beat in the butter.  Chill well.

 

Assemble cake on a decorative plate, applying icing in between the layers and to the top and sides.

 

Share these healthy holiday desserts with your friends and family by clicking the “like” button.

 

Tell me what healthy sweet treats you plan to make for your holiday celebrations by leaving me a comment to this post.

 

To indulging in healthy holiday desserts,

 

Melissa  Koerner