dark chocolate sea salt caramel cookies

I went almost two weeks with NO sugar in my life (besides fruit). For a sugar-aholic like me, that was really hard. My original idea was to last the entire month of April but I am heading to Florida this week to visit friends and then Ireland the week after that. I like to enjoy my vacations and enjoy = indulge in my mind.

For the past two weeks, I cut out sugar, most dairy, grains, and alcohol. I pretty much only ate fruit, veggies, meat, eggs, beans, olives, and nuts. The plan I kind of followed is called Whole 30. I adjusted it here and there by putting a tiny sprinkle of goat cheese on my salads and eating some beans and dried fruit.

Other than that, I did really well and after two days I stopped craving ALL THE FOODS all day long. 

My favorite thing about the Whole 30 concept is that you just eat real food all the time. I don't know if I lost much weight but I felt amazing. I was waking up every day at 6am, wide awake and ready to go.

After two weeks, I was ready to treat myself so I made chocolate sea salt caramel cookies. I also made myself sick with over eating but it was worth it :). 

The cookies are amazing. I used the same base recipe as my favorite cookies and cream cookies and added in chopped dark chocolate and tiny pieces of Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel caramels, which added a nice, salty touch. If you can't find these caramels, any caramels will work and you can sprinkle the cookies with a tiny bit of sea salt to achieve the salty/sweet flavor.

dark chocolate sea salt caramel cookies (makes about 3 dozen)
-2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1/2 cup butter (softened or left at room temp for a few hours)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 large egg whites
-1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (I used 1/3 of a bar of 72% cacao dark chocolate but any type of chocolate or chocolate chips will work)
-about 8 caramel candies, chopped into small pieces (I used Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel caramels but any kind will work)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and stir with a whisk.  Set aside.
3. Put sugars and butter in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined.  Add vanilla extract and egg whites and beat for another minute.  Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Lastly, mix in the chocolate.
4. Roll the dough into balls about 1"-1 /2" in diameter and press a small piece of caramel into the center. Put the cookies on baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper (or coated with non-stick spray).  
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on pans for two minutes and then transfer them to wire racks or a plate in order to cool completely.  

chia seed pudding - three ways

The past few months I have seen chia seed pudding on just about every blog. I was kind of skeptical because, why mess with pudding? And maybe the texture would be gross? But I am making a huge effort to health up my diet (my eating has been out of order since Christmas....actually since Thanksgiving) and decided to try a healthier option to quell my sweet tooth.

I whipped up a basic batch last week and guess what? It's really good! And healthy. And you can add whatever you want as a topping. It makes for a fun breakfast.

After my first attempt, I decided to try it again with a few variations. I tried cinnamon (perfect for breakfast), double chocolate (a perfect dessert when you are trying to not always eat ice cream), and banana (a perfect sweet snack).

Making chia seed pudding is easy. You just mix a few things together and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to set. You can use any non-dairy milk you like. My favorite is unsweetened coconut milk but unsweetened almond milk would be really good too.

chia seed pudding - three ways

-cinnamon (1/4 cup chia seeds, 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Coconut milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
-double chocolate (1/4 cup chia seeds, 1 1/4 cup Silk Unsweetened Coconut milk, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons honey, chopped dark chocolate - about 1/4 cup)
-banana (1/4 cup chia seeds, 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Coconut milk, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 mashed banana)

Put the ingredients of each in three separate bowls, mix together, cover, and refrigerate for at least four hours before eating. These puddings will last for about a week. The banana version will last just a few days because the banana starts to brown.

I have been eating the "cinnamon" version every morning topped with berries. It is kind of like plain yogurt so you can top it with whatever you might put on plain yogurt.  Also, the chocolate is amazing with a few raspberries on top.

If you're interested in trying this simple recipe, grab some non-dairy milk such as Silk. I have always been pretty grossed out by cow milk but the Silk products taste really good and they're a great way to add more plants to your diet.

Stop by Silk, register, and get a coupon for your next purchase.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

mini pumpkin nutella swirl cakes

Every Fall I make something pumpkin.  I am not a crazy - pumpkin-in-everything kind of person, but I do like it.  Originally, I wanted to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins but I was out of chocolate chips so I went with the one thing I rarely neglect to restock - nutella. I decided to make mini pumpkin bundt cakes (a muffin tin is fine too) swirled with nutella.  They were perfect - I want to swirl nutella into all my baked goods :).

mini pumpkin nutella swirl cakes (makes 12 mini bundt cakes or 12 muffins)
-2 cups all purpose flour
-3 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup white sugar
-one can of pumpkin puree
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 large egg
-1/2 cup of nutella

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg until well combined.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Heat the nutella in the microwave for about 20 second (you don't want it to be hot, just slightly pourable) and stir into the batter.  Don't stir until it is completely mixed in.  Just do a few turns of the spoon so that it is swirled into the pumpkin batter.
5. Spray a muffin pan or mini bunt pan (I got one at Target and love it) with non-stick spray and fill with the batter.
6. Cook for about 25 minutes.  Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for about ten minutes before removing.  Store in an air tight container for up to three days.  

cookies and cream cookies

I love a lot of what I make {if I don't love it, I don't post about it :)} but these cookies were the best things EVER.

They are my new go-to cookie.  Everyone needs a go-to cookie.  I used my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that I found it a few years ago in Cooking Light magazine and used crushed oreos instead of chocolate chips.

Amazing.

I love Oreos.  They might be little processed bits of sugar and who knows what else, but they are justsofreakinggood.  I also really love the Trader Joe's version JoJo's.  The Trader Joe's version has a really nice vanilla flavor that it just a little different and so tasty.  They also make a mint version around the holidays....which means, come December,  mint cookies and cream cookies will be my new favorite holiday cookie.

If you love Oreos or JoJo's or any version you must make this recipe.  I ate at least ten cookies in one day.  I could.not.stop.

cookies and cream cookies {makes about 3 and a half dozen}
-2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-3/4 cup white sugar
-1/2 cup butter (softened or left at room temp for a few hours)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 large egg whites
-4-6 crushed oreo cookies {or a similar cookie}

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and stir with a whisk.  Set aside.
3. Put sugars and butter in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined.  Add vanilla extract and egg whites and beat for another minute.  Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Lastly, mix in the oreos.
4. This dough will be slightly crumbly, so roll into balls about 1"-1 /2" in diameter and press onto baking sheets that have been coated with cooking spray {or parchment paper}.  
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on pans for two minutes and then transfer them to wire racks or a plate in order to cool completely.  

sunday dessert - jam filled mini chocolate cupcakes

Confession - I made these little cupcakes on Friday but was still consuming them on Sunday....so it counts as my Sunday dessert.

I am actually a little surprised these lasted until Sunday.  They are mini - so you know how it goes with any mini dessert, you think you can eat ten in one sitting.  Or is that just me?  Mini candy bars are my kryptonite.

I found out Friday morning {via instagram} that it was national doughnut day and immediately had a doughnut craving.  As I drove around, running my usual Friday errands, I was hoping to see a doughnut shop....but I never saw one.  A drive thru Tim Horton's or Dunkin' Donuts would have been ideal but this isn't the Midwest.  Damn you healthy Southern California!

I went home with an unsatisfied sweet tooth craving and decided to make my healthy-ish chocolate cake recipe into mini cupcakes and fill them with this homemade jam.  The homemade jam filling was a last minute decision and I am so glad I did it.

Filling a cupcake or muffin with something sweet makes it instantly more amazing than its unfilled friends.  SO good!  Try them, they aren't too unhealthy and it will be a great way to use up those four pounds of strawberries Trader Joe's tricked you into buying.

jam filled mini chocolate cupcakes
-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-2/3 cups sugar
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-1 cup warm water
-homemade {or stor bought} jam - about a cup of it

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini muffin {or regular size muffin pan} with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients {cocoa powder, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder}.  Add the oil and water to the mixing bowl and stir all together.  I like to a use a wooden spoon for this.
3. Fill each muffin cup a little less than half way.  Next, put about 1/2 teaspoon of jam on each muffin, then fill the rest of the cup with more batter.
4. Bake these cupcakes for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Let them cool for a few minutes in the pan and carefully remove them and set on a plate.  
5. Dust with a little powdered sugar and eat! These are best consumed within a few days.  

If you use regular a regular size muffin pan, this recipe will make about 12 large cupcakes.  Since these cupcakes have a low fat content, I find that paper liners stick too much. Instead, I opt for nonstick spray.

sunday dessert - chocolate chip cookie souffles

Just about every Sunday I make some sort of dessert.  I am going to try to share my Sunday desserts with you guys whenever they happen.  Some weeks I just don't make a dessert and some weeks I repeat recipes and some weeks I don't feel like taking pictures :).   Hopefully I will get around to at least two Sunday dessert posts every month.

You might not know this about me but I love sweets.  And by love I mean obsessed with them and have no self control.  One way I have found to control my sweet tooth is to have limited portions at my disposal.   I would love to make a big ol' chocolate cake but there are only two of us and my husband isn't a big fan of cake {I know!} so if I ended up making a cake, I would be eating it for days.

Through my plan to create desserts with limited portions, I have discovered a love of souffles.  They are easy, you can make just one or two at a time, and they seem a lot more indulgent than they actually are.

This chocolate chip cookie souffle I created is SO good.  I have made these several times this past month and yesterday, I finally perfected the recipe.  These souffles are perfect when you are craving a cookie but you don't want several dozen sitting in your kitchen, tempting you all week long....

chocolate chip cookie souffles {serves two}
-2 1/2 tablespoons flour {I use whole wheat, but all purpose works too}
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-1 tablespoon brown sugar
-1 egg, separated
-1 1/2 tablespoon milk
-a tiny bit of butter or butter spread {I like to use earth balance} and white sugar to coat the ramekins
-about 1 tablespoon chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare two ramekins by coating with a tiny bit of butter or butter spread {about 1/4 teaspoon per dish} and dusting with a tiny bit of white sugar.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar.  
3. Mix the milk into the dry ingredients and separate the egg.  Add the yolk to the dry ingredients/milk and put the white in a different bowl.
4. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg white until soft peaks form.  This should take about 45 seconds to a minute.
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the rest of the ingredients.  Be sure to mix until all is combined but don't overmix to the point that the volume from the egg whites is lost.
6. Pour the batter into the two dishes and top each one with a few chocolate chips.
7. Bake for about 20 or 23 minutes...just until the top is golden and puffed up.

These souffles are amazing with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream....enjoy!

mocha banana shake

I love making coffe milkshakes in the afternoon when I want a little sweet snack/pick me up.  Typically, I blend a cup of cold coffee {leftover} with chocolate soy milk or vanilla almond milk, maybe a scoop of ice cream, and some ice.

I think this is the perfect afternoon treat, so when Silk asked me to try out their new soy milk latte drinks, I was happy to oblige.  I buy Silk products all the time {the chocolate soy and unsweetened vanilla almond milk are my faves} and the new latte drink did not disappoint.  Truthfully, it's a lot better than I expected.  The drink has a nice coffe-chocolate taste ratio and is not super sweet.  I like a little sweetness in coffee drinks, but I hate when they are sting-the-back-of-my-throat-sweet.  

The best part of the new Silk latte drinks is that they have no artificial sweeteners and are just 100 calories per serving.  I cannot stand the taste of artificial sweeteners.  Give me real sugar any day of the week.

My mocha banana shake is just 150 calories but tastes super rich.  Neil actually walked in the kitchen as I was enjoying it, tasted it, and was shocked that it wasn't an actual ice cream shake.

Mocha Banana Shake {makes one}
-1 small banana {or 1/2 a large one}, frozen
-1/2 cup Silk Mocha Latte
-whipped cream {optional}

All you need to do to make this shake is slice a banana, freeze it for a few hours, and blend it for about 3 minutes with the Silk mocha latte.  Pour in a glass and top with a little whipped cream.  Prepare to enjoy it - seriously SO good!

If you have never blended a frozen banana before, you are in for a treat.  Blending a frozen banana for a few minutes creates a soft serve like consistency and it is so amazing.  It's not quite soft serve, but it's a pretty close second and so much healthier :).

Silk is offering all of you a dollar off coupon of their new ice latte drinks - just click the image at the bottom of this post....go get some!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Continue this conversation on twitter using the hashtag #TasteSilk and tagging @LoveMySilk

nutella chocolate chip cookies

Yesterday my niece helped me make nutella chocolate chip cookies.  She's three, so she  spent most of her time licking out the nutella coated measuring cup.   It was a big help as it prevented me from standing over the sink, licking up all that nutella.

The cookies we made are amazing.  Like seriously amazing.  I cannot stop eating them.   My family left this morning so I have two dozen cookies left to eat.....and no help.  It is kind of dangerous and I feel a little sick from all the sugar.

These cookies are rich and should probably be eaten with a glass of water or milk, if you're a milk drinker.  I am not a milk drinker.  Never have been.  When I was a kid and wouldn't eat my dinner my mom would sometimes make me drink a glass of milk in order to get some nutrients.  This happened often as I rarely ate my dinner.  I would sit for hours refusing to eat until I was threatened with milk or some other punishment and then I would shove down bites of cold fish or meatloaf or whatever else was being forced upon me that night.  The torture!  

Sorry, where was I?  Oh yeah, nutella cookies - make them.  Use them to bribe your kids to eat their dinner.  Eat them all yourself and feel sick.  Whatever, just make them.  You won't regret it.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies {makes about three dozen}

-1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

-1/2 cup white sugar

-1/2 cup packed brown sugar

-1/2 cup butter {at room temperature}

-1/2 cup nutella

-1 teaspoon whipped cream vodka or some other flavored vodka or vanilla extract

-1 egg

-1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.

2. Beat the room temperature butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, about two minutes.  Add the sugars and continue to mix until well combined, about another three minutes.

3. Add in the nutella, egg, and vodka or vanilla extract and mix for another minute.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low until just combined.   

5. Fold in the chocolate chips and put spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets.  Bake for eight to ten minutes, remove from the oven and let sit on the cookie sheets for about five minutes, then move to a plate or wire rack to cool.   

The cookies might seem under baked when you remove them from the oven, but they will finish off while sitting on the hot cookie sheets.  The end result is a perfectly chewy cookie.  Resist the urge to leave them in the oven for any longer than ten minutes or else you won't end up with a chewy cookie.

Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Like many of you out there, I have become a Pinterest addict.  A few weeks ago, I spent hours pinning holiday cookie recipes.  One that kept popping up on my radar was a chocolate cookie made with devil's food cake mix.  It looked super easy -  so I made up my own variation.

Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies {makes about 4 dozen cookies}
-1 box of devil's food cake mix 
-2 tablespoons of melted butter
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup water
-crushed up candy canes...or you could use mint chocolate baking chips
-sprinkles {optional}


1. Put everything {but the candy canes} in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.  The dough becomes very stiff, so be prepared to get an arm workout in.
2. Once all is combined, fold in the candy cane pieces.
3. Spread parchment paper out on baking sheets and spray with a little non-stick cooking spray.
4. This dough is stiff, but also very sticky.  To avoid making a mess of everything, I used two small spoons to spoon the dough out onto the baking sheets.  I filled one spoon up with dough and used the other to push it onto the baking sheet.  These cookies will spread, so only use about a quarter sized amount for each cookie.
5. Sprinkle with red and white sprinkles {optional} and bake for about 12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
6. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before removing.

To Die For Healthy Chocolate Cake

I am a big fan of Bethenny Frankel and have heard her sing the praises of her no butter, no egg, low fat chocolate cake but to be honest, I figured it would taste like cardboard.

Out of curiosity, I decided to try it.  I made 2 small changes - I used all purpose flour instead of oat flour and topped my cake with a little powdered sugar instead of peanut butter glaze.

In summary, I was wrong.  So wrong.  This cake is to die for.  Ridiculously easy to make and so rich and delicious.  I made it in less than 10 minutes, baked it for 35 minutes and ate in within a few days.  So good!

To Die For Healthy Chocolate Cake (adapted from Bethenny Frankel's The Skinnygirl Dish)
-1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 cup warm water
-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
-powder sugar (for dusting)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until just combined. 
3. Coat a loaf pan or 9" round cake pan well with non-stick cooking spray and pour in the batter.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Dust with powder sugar before serving.