Small Steps Living

#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Wholefood Choc Chip Cookies

It’s no secret. I’m a cookie lover.

So here’s my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I offer a few variations. Try them out and see which you prefer. They have received ticks of approval from my husband (win!) and all the mums and kids at playgroup. One little might (hello Luca!) was going so crazy for them I had to hide the container!

Print Recipe
 Wholefood Choc Chip Cookies
Wholefood Choc Chip Cookies
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cup / 170g wholemeal spelt flour (or wheat, buckwheat or gluten-free flour)
  • 1/2 cup / 60g LSA (ground linseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds) *
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup / 70g maple syrup **
  • 1/3 cup / 70g macadamia oil **
  • 1 tsp vanilla (extract, vanilla bean paste or seeds of half a vanilla bean)
  • 40 g dark chocolate chopped in large chunks (I like Green and Blacks or Lindt – both 85%)
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cup / 170g wholemeal spelt flour (or wheat, buckwheat or gluten-free flour)
  • 1/2 cup / 60g LSA (ground linseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds) *
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup / 70g maple syrup **
  • 1/3 cup / 70g macadamia oil **
  • 1 tsp vanilla (extract, vanilla bean paste or seeds of half a vanilla bean)
  • 40 g dark chocolate chopped in large chunks (I like Green and Blacks or Lindt – both 85%)
Wholefood Choc Chip Cookies
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
  2. Add all the ingredients, apart from the chocolate, to a mixer and beat until coming together.
  3. (Tmx – speed 4, 15 seconds)
  4. Then add your chocolate chunks and mix through until distributed
  5. (Tmx – reverse, speed 3, 5 seconds)
  6. Place walnut sized round balls on a baking tray lined with baking paper and flatten gently.
  7. Cook for 10-12 minutes
  8. Remove from oven and leave to cool (if you can) before eating.
Recipe Notes

Variations:

* Instead of LSA you could use – almond meal OR ‘Magic seed mix’ OR extra flour

** Instead of maple syrup and macadamia oil you could use raw honey and melted coconut oil

I have also tried this using 120g room temperature butter and 50g rapadura sugar. They were crumblier but totally delicious.

Oh and a friend said “you know what I love most about these is the big chunks of chocolate” so don’t chop it up too fine.

Enjoy x

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#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Wholefoods Chocolate Icing

My kids have jumped on the icing bandwagon, and let’s all admit it – sometimes cake is better with icing. I don’t like the idea of highly refined icing sugar (we don’t have it in our house) so when I wanted to pimp my Basic Vanilla Cake I created this.

It went down a treat. The kids loved it and so did the husband!

Print Recipe
 Wholefoods Chocolate Icing
Wholefoods Chocolate Icing
Servings
Ingredients
  • 100 g cashews *
  • 80-100 g avocado approx one medium avo
  • 6 medjool dates
  • 1 heaped tbls or 30g raw cacao
  • 2 tbls / 50g raw honey
  • 2 tbls / 50g water
Servings
Ingredients
  • 100 g cashews *
  • 80-100 g avocado approx one medium avo
  • 6 medjool dates
  • 1 heaped tbls or 30g raw cacao
  • 2 tbls / 50g raw honey
  • 2 tbls / 50g water
Wholefoods Chocolate Icing
Instructions
  1. Put all items in a high speed blender for two minutes. In the thermomix I do speed 4-5 and scrape down the sides a few times.
  2. * For a smoother result soak cashews in water for fifteen minutes before hand and drain before use. Or grind down into a cashew meal.
  3. ** Soak the dates in boiling water for five minutes and drain before use for an even smoother result
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#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Basic Vanilla Cake

A while back on Facebook I mentioned I was perfecting a recipe for a delicious Basic Vanilla Cake, so happy to say it been tested a few times and now it’s ready for you to try out (I hope, although I’m sure the kids wouldn’t mind if I had another go!)

I even tested it on my harshest critic – a friends daughter who is very fussy with cake. It is not a particularly sweet cake so I had added the icing included below.

Today is my mum’s birthday and I can’t be there with her in Melbourne so this cake was my way to celebrate.

Print Recipe
 Basic Vanilla Cake
vanilla-cake-600x600
Servings
Ingredients
  • 80 g rapadura sugar
  • 130 g room temperature butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 250 g white spelt flour
  • 150 g milk of choice I use coconut
For The Icing
  • 250 g of cream cheese
  • 25 g milk
  • 50 g maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Servings
Ingredients
  • 80 g rapadura sugar
  • 130 g room temperature butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 250 g white spelt flour
  • 150 g milk of choice I use coconut
For The Icing
  • 250 g of cream cheese
  • 25 g milk
  • 50 g maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
vanilla-cake-600x600
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a loaf tin with baking paper (can also use round cake tin).
  2. Cream butter and sugar with electric beaters until a light golden colour.
  3. Add eggs one and a time while still mixing until a lovely smooth texture.
  4. Add all other ingredients and mix on medium speed until well combined.
  5. Pour into tin and cook in oven for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
To Create The Icing:
  1. We are not a big icing family but sometimes the occasion calls for it. Combine in blender until it forms an icing texture. Then spread over cold cake and enjoy!
Using a Thermomix
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a loaf tin with baking paper (can also use round cake tin).
  2. Add sugar to the bowl and mill 10 seconds speed 9. Add butter and mix speed 4, 1 minute.
  3. Add eggs one at a time while mixing at speed 4 until well combined.
  4. Add the other ingredients and mix on speed 4 for thirty seconds.
  5. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat if needed.
  6. Pour into tin and cook in oven for 30 minutes, or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
Recipe Notes

A few notes on the cake:

The step with milling the sugar gives a softer texture, but it’s not totally necessary.

If you wanted to make it dairy free, then you could replace the butter with macadamia oil.

Other icing ideas are:

Sprinkle the top of the cake with extra rapadura sugar before baking – it will cause a beautiful caramel effect on top of the cake.

Grind down 50g rapadura sugar and blend with 50g butter and 1 tbls cacao for chocolate icing

Cover with whipped cream and grate some dark chocolate on the top

Enjoy, and let me know how you get on!

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#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Cashew Bliss Balls – two ways!

What’s not to love about a bliss ball? It’s a ball of bliss, it satisfies when I want ‘a hit’, the kids eat them.

I’ve got my Not-Too-Sweet Choc Almond Bliss Balls here, but today it’s cashews. I really like the effect when you grind the cashews right down into nut butter. It makes the balls so moist and delicious.

There are stacks of options and so much wholefood healthy yum to be had, you just can’t really go wrong. Put some wholesome ingredients into your blender and whiz!

Here are a couple of my fave recipes using raw cashews and my Thermomix (never fear I’m sure other blenders will work too).

Print Recipe
 Cashew Bliss Balls – two ways!
Cashew Bliss Balls – two ways!
Servings
Ingredients
Cashew Bliss Ball-a-rama #1
  • 100 g raw cashews
  • 150 g shredded coconut
  • 8 pitted medjool dates
  • 100 g pepitas
  • 1 tbls chia seeds
  • 1 tbls raw cacao
  • 1 tbls of tahini
Cashew Bliss Ball-a-rama #2
  • 200 g raw cashews
  • 6 pitted medjool dates
  • 2 tbls raw cacao
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tbls chia seeds
  • 1 tbls raw honey
Servings
Ingredients
Cashew Bliss Ball-a-rama #1
  • 100 g raw cashews
  • 150 g shredded coconut
  • 8 pitted medjool dates
  • 100 g pepitas
  • 1 tbls chia seeds
  • 1 tbls raw cacao
  • 1 tbls of tahini
Cashew Bliss Ball-a-rama #2
  • 200 g raw cashews
  • 6 pitted medjool dates
  • 2 tbls raw cacao
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tbls chia seeds
  • 1 tbls raw honey
Cashew Bliss Balls – two ways!
Instructions
To Create Cashew Bliss Ball-a-rama #1
  1. Grind down the cashews and coconut in your blender or tmx (speed 9, 20 seconds) until coming together like a butter. Add all the other ingredients and blend on speed 9 for 30 seconds.
  2. Roll into balls and coat with coconut and/or chia seeds if you like, or equally amazing just as is.
  3. I love the sesame hit from the tahini! So good!!
To Create Cashew Bliss Ball-a-rama #2
  1. Add cashews to thermomix and mix on speed 9 for thirty seconds or until a nut butter has been formed.
  2. Then add in all other ingredients and blend on speed 9 for thirty seconds
  3. Roll into balls and coat in dessicated coconut. (Made twenty balls. Wow. Delicious.)
Recipe Notes

Let me know which of these two recipes you like most and share your fave bliss ball recipes in the comments below.

Lisa x

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#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Easy One Bowl Chocolate Raspberry Cake

I made this cake up out of necessity. I got to creating when I really needed a cake but didn’t have a few staples on hand. It came up an absolute treat (read – I can’t stop eating or making it!). I experimented with how it would turn out as cupcakes – once again amazing.

The addition of the raspberries is not 100% necessary but because I don’t generally add icing to my cakes, it adds a lovely touch of sweetness. And who doesn’t love a raspberry?

Print Recipe
 Easy One Bowl Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Easy One Bowl Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Servings
Ingredients
  • 220 g white spelt flour
  • 1 x 270g tin coconut milk
  • 100 g rapadura or coconut sugar
  • 40 g cacao or cocoa
  • 50 g desiccated coconut
  • 120 g room temperature butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 100 g frozen raspberries
Servings
Ingredients
  • 220 g white spelt flour
  • 1 x 270g tin coconut milk
  • 100 g rapadura or coconut sugar
  • 40 g cacao or cocoa
  • 50 g desiccated coconut
  • 120 g room temperature butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 100 g frozen raspberries
Easy One Bowl Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
  2. With a thermomix – place all ingredients, except raspberries, in bowl and mix on speed 4-5 for 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat.
  3. With other appliances (go the hand held beaters!) just place all ingredients, except raspberries, in your mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
  4. (The raspberries you can either sprinkle over the top of the cake once the mixture is in the cake tin or gently fold through the mixture in the bowl).
  5. Place mixture in a lined round or square cake tin. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave in tin to cool for ten minutes before removing. Alternatively, this makes at least 12 large cupcakes. Just reduce cooking time to 25 minutes. Enjoy x
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#4 Snacks and Dessert

Nut Free Dairy Free Muesli Bar

I have been looking for a muesli bar recipe that I really like. One that is the perfect consistency (crunch and chew in equal measure). But nothing was really hitting the spot. So I created this dairy free, nut free muesli bar out of necessity. I’m thrilled with it. And after taste-testing at playgroup this morning, it got thumbs up from the mums and the kids – woohoo!

I made mine in the thermomix, but you do not need one in order to make it. I have provided instructions for both below.

Print Recipe
 Nut Free Dairy Free Muesli Bar
muesli-bar-600x600
Servings
Ingredients
  • 120 g / 4 tbls honey
  • 60 g / 1 tbls heapedcoconut oil could replace with butter
  • 2 tbls coconut sugar could use rapadura sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 250 g / 2 1/3 cup oats
  • 50 g / 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  • 60 g / 1/3 cup pepitas
  • 60 g / 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbls chia seeds
  • 60 g / 3 chopped dates
  • 60 g / 6 chopped dried apricots
Servings
Ingredients
  • 120 g / 4 tbls honey
  • 60 g / 1 tbls heapedcoconut oil could replace with butter
  • 2 tbls coconut sugar could use rapadura sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 250 g / 2 1/3 cup oats
  • 50 g / 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  • 60 g / 1/3 cup pepitas
  • 60 g / 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbls chia seeds
  • 60 g / 3 chopped dates
  • 60 g / 6 chopped dried apricots
muesli-bar-600x600
Recipe Notes

The recipe is very forgiving so if you want more coconut then add more coconut. If you don’t have any apricots – then don’t add them! I think you get what I’m saying. Let me know what you think.

(Someone contacted me saying this mixture was too crumbly. The addition of 1 egg will help it hold together better, it does make it a bit more ‘cake’ like though. If you want to add an egg or two then do so when mixing all ingredients. I prefer it without, but wanted to provide the option!).

x

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#1 Breakfast #4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Healthy and Moist Banana Oat Muffins

I woke up early this morning. Before everyone else. It was nice to get up in the peace and quiet and move around on my own.

But of course, that didn’t last long. My three-year-old was up about 15 minutes later and sat on the bench and helped me make some muffins. These muffins turned out great and so I thought I’d share the recipe. If the kids hadn’t eaten porridge before they were out of the oven I would have given it to them for breakfast (it’s what I had!)

Print Recipe
 Healthy and Moist Banana Oat Muffins
Banana Oat Muffins
Course Breakfast, Snacks and Desserts
Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup rapadura sugar
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup of full-fat natural yoghurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 cup macadamia oil
  • 2 bananas mashed
Course Breakfast, Snacks and Desserts
Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup rapadura sugar
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup of full-fat natural yoghurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 cup macadamia oil
  • 2 bananas mashed
Banana Oat Muffins
Instructions
  1. Pop the oven on to 180 degrees. Grease a 12 hole muffin tin.
  2. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl, then add oats and rapadura sugar and stir to combine.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, yoghurt and oil together then pop in the mashed bananas and give it a good old stir.
  4. Then add the wet to the dry and stir gently until combined.
  5. Spoon the mixture into your muffin tin and cook for twenty minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes (if you can keep your hands off them!) and then remove from pan. Scrummy x
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#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Not-Too-Sweet Chocolate Almond Bliss Balls DF, GF

I experimented with a new method of making bliss balls today and they came up a treat! My kids are far more likely to eat them if they aren’t too ‘nutty’. The smoother the consistency the better. So I ground the almonds first. Small thing but made a big difference.

So here’s a delicious bliss ball that contains stacks of goodness! Everyone here loves them. They are not overly sweet. Thermomix and conventional instructions below.

Print Recipe
 Not-Too-Sweet Chocolate Almond Bliss Balls DF, GF
Not-too-sweet Chocolate Almond bliss balls
Servings
Ingredients
  • 200 g raw almonds or almond meal if using a normal blender
  • 10 medjool dates
  • 30 g fine coconut
  • 50 g sunflower kernels
  • 20 g raw honey (you can use normal honey but I get raw honey from the market which means it hasn’t been treated with heat to remove all the goodness)
  • 30 g raw cacao (get this awesome product from the health food store. Replace anything that has normal cocoa with it and you’ll be doing yourself a favour. Once you have it you’ll never go back. It’s pure it’s good for you and there are stacks of healthy chocolate recipes you can make with it)
  • 20 g chia seeds
Servings
Ingredients
  • 200 g raw almonds or almond meal if using a normal blender
  • 10 medjool dates
  • 30 g fine coconut
  • 50 g sunflower kernels
  • 20 g raw honey (you can use normal honey but I get raw honey from the market which means it hasn’t been treated with heat to remove all the goodness)
  • 30 g raw cacao (get this awesome product from the health food store. Replace anything that has normal cocoa with it and you’ll be doing yourself a favour. Once you have it you’ll never go back. It’s pure it’s good for you and there are stacks of healthy chocolate recipes you can make with it)
  • 20 g chia seeds
Not-too-sweet Chocolate Almond bliss balls
Instructions
Here’s how you do it with a thermomix:
  1. Add raw almonds to the bowl and blitz on speed 9 for 6 seconds
  2. Add all other ingredients and mix on speed 9 for twenty seconds. If you want the mixture wetter, add some coconut oil or a little more honey, but this amount should be fine. Roll into small balls and keep in the fridge.
Here’s how you do it with a blender:
  1. Add all ingredients to the blender and mix until a fine, crumbly texture is achieved. As mentioned above if you want the mixture wetter, add some coconut oil or a little more honey, but this amount should be fine.
  2. Roll into small balls and keep in the fridge.
Recipe Notes

It’s that easy!

The mixture is very forgiving, if you don’t have the chia seeds, then don’t add them. If you don’t have sunflower seeds then up the amount of almonds. The possibilities for delicious bliss balls are endless. So experiment, google – whatever!

Enjoy

Lisa x

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#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

‘Leftover Porridge’ Cakes

I hate wasting food. Which means my kids drive me nuts! So I am often inventing meals from leftovers. I’m sure I’m not alone here. The other day I pureed up some day-old roast veggies that were cooked in rosemary and red onion, gently heated it through and served it on a plate topped with smoked salmon for my husband and I for lunch. Yum!

Print Recipe
 ‘Leftover Porridge’ Cakes
‘Leftover porridge’ cakes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of leftover cooked porridge
  • 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour (you could use normal wheat flour if you prefer)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of sultanas
  • 1/4 cup of rapadura sugar (you can use brown sugar but rapadura which is available at the health food store is a healthier option)
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of leftover cooked porridge
  • 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour (you could use normal wheat flour if you prefer)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of sultanas
  • 1/4 cup of rapadura sugar (you can use brown sugar but rapadura which is available at the health food store is a healthier option)
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
‘Leftover porridge’ cakes
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a mini-muffin tin with butter or oil (I used macadamia oil or olive oil would work too). It makes around 16 mini-cupcakes. (Feel free to try larger cupcakes moulds but I have a feeling that the cakes would end up not rising and being a little too dense. These ones are a perfect snack size.)
  2. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until fully combined. The mixture should be thick and sticky.
  3. Then divide the mixture evenly (about a large teaspoon full for each cake). Remember they will rise.
  4. Put into the oven for twenty minutes or until cooked through.
Recipe Notes

So delicious still warm. Or not. Either way I think you’ll love them. Let me know!

Lisa x

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#4 Snacks and Dessert Recipes

Kale Chips – the yummiest way to eat kale (that I’ve found anyway)

There are a few different types of kale but this is the one with the curly leaves. You can get darker, smoother leaved kale too. If you’re wondering why it’s such a ‘buzz ingredient’ at the moment, here’s why: it is anti-inflammatory, it builds immunity, is a detoxifier and aids weight loss, assist in relieving joint pain – THE LIST GOES ON! The biggest benefit for me is as an energy booster.

OK, so how to make kale chips.

Print Recipe
 Kale Chips – the yummiest way to eat kale (that I've found anyway)
Kale Chips
Servings
Ingredients
  • A bunch of kale
  • Enough olive oil to coat the leaves
  • Sea salt
Servings
Ingredients
  • A bunch of kale
  • Enough olive oil to coat the leaves
  • Sea salt
Kale Chips
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees (fan forced).
  2. Break up the kale into smaller pieces by removing the leaves from the stem (if you need to, wash the kale first and dry in a tea towel). Place on a baking tray and line with baking paper if you like (I’d run out).
  3. Drizzle oil over leaves and use your hands to make sure they are well coated. You don’t want it dripping in oil but we need good coverage. Next, generously sprinkle with sea salt.
  4. Pop the tray into the oven and wait and watch. There is no magic number for how long it takes but I’d say around 8-10 minutes they are starting to crisp up. You want them crispy and brittle. If they are still chewy then put them back in for a few minutes longer. You’ll know when you’ve got it right because they’ll taste awesome and will break apart easily and they’ll look like this:
    Kale Chips
Recipe Notes

After a bowl of kale chips I am jumping off the walls – I get so much energy. And my husband and kid like them too – so they don’t last long. Try them. Trust me. You are doing yourself such a massive favour and it’s easy because they’re yummy!

Enjoy x

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lisa-optin

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