Hand Dessert- Brown Sugar Scrub and Whipped Coco-Cacao Butter Cream

Since starting my detox a couple weeks ago, I've eliminated almost everything processed and synthetic, and decided to make my own beauty products! The aroma of these products satisfy your sweet-tooth while leaving your hands smooth and supple all day long!

Brown Sugar Hand Scrub

2 cups raw brown sugar
2 cups coconut sugar
1/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/4 cup castor oil
1/4 cup coconut oil

Combine sugars together in a medium bowl with a fork to break up lumps. Melt coconut oil in a glass jar in microwave and combine with other oils. Add to sugar mixture with a fork. Pour into glass jar.
Use a tablespoon amount on both hands, scrubbing for approximately one minute before rinsing with warm water. Follow with Coco-Cacao Butter Cream once to twice a week.


Whipped Coco-Cacao Butter Cream

2 cups coconut oil, softened
1/4 cup cacao butter, melted
1/4 cup castor oil
1/4 cup sweet almond oil

Whip coconut oil in a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Combine cacao butter, castor oil and almond oil in a measuring cup with a spout. Slowly add to coconut oil and whip for 10 minutes. Mixture will resemble meringue. Pour into glass jar. Use as needed.

Protein Bar Cookies

 

Packed with protein, Omega-3 and 6, fiber and anti-inflammatory spices, these cookies are also low-glycemic, dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free and contain no cholesterol or trans-fats. Perfect for a 3 o'clock snack!

 

Ingredients

 

1 tbsp ground flax seeds

30 ml water

½ cup flaxseed oil

½ cup organic raw blue agave nectar

2 tbsp organic coconut milk

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup quinoa flour

½ cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp baking soda (alum-free)

2 cups gluten free oats

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

½ cup Enjoy Life dark chocolate, roughly chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Combine flax with water and allow to stand 5-10 minutes to thicken.Mix oil and agave in a large mixing bowl.  Add flax mixture and coconut milk. Beat well. Stir together flours, spices, salt and baking soda. Add dry mixture to wet, blending well. Add oats, walnuts and chocolate. Chill ½ hour for easier handling. Roll into 2-3” cookies and space 1.5” apart on cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until just done. Cool on wire rack. Makes 18

 

Nutrition facts (per cookie):  

Calories: 262, Fat: 16 g, Sat. Fat: 4 g, Sodium: 100 mg,  Carbohydrates: 27 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 11 g, Protein: 5 g, Omega-3: 4g, Omega-6: 3 g

 



Gelato al Mascarpone Affogato

In celebration of the first day of spring, in which actually feels like the first day of summer, I wanted to make a frozen variation of my favorite dessert, tiramisu! Rich mascarpone gelato is dusted with cocoa powder then a shot of espresso poured over top and served with Savoiardi.

Ingredients

1 cup 35% cream
1 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise and seeds
500 gr. mascarpone
Cocoa Powder
Espresso
Savoiardi

To make the gelato, Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add along with bean to cream in a saucepan. Bring cream to boil, then heat to low and allow vanilla to infuse for 5 minutes.
Discard bean. In meantime, beat egg yolks with sugar with wire wisk until sugar is dissolved.
Whisk in milk. Pour half cream mixture into egg mixture to temper eggs, then pour egg mixture back in saucepan with cream and heat at medium low for 5-6 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Do not allow mixture to boil.
Strain in fine sieve in bowl and put in water bath for about 1/2 hour, stiring occasionally.
When custard is cooled, cover with plastic wrap pressing on top of so to prevent skin from developping.
Chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Combine custard with mascarpone with wire wisk until homogeneous.
Pour in ice cream machine and follow directions.
Freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.

Put one or two scoops of gelato in serving bowl. You will need to allow gelato to set at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping as it is very dense. Dust with cocoa powder and pour over a shot of hot espresso. Serve with one or two Savoiardi.

Cook for the Cure Annual Pink Party!

This past Sunday I hosted a party to raise money (and awareness) for the CBCF (Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation). With the help of my dear friends, we raised $300! I had a buffet style dinner around my kitchen island and set up the dining room with pink tableware. The menu was as follows:

Appetizers:
Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Tapenade
Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Ball rolled in chopped walnuts and pink peppercorns
Baked Brie with Cranberries in phyllo dough
Nachos with Pink Salsa (salsa and sour cream)

Main:
Quinoa Tabouli salad with pomegranates
Penne alla Vodka
Rainbow Trout
Roasted Garlic Couscous

Dessert:
Strawberry Cupcakes with Pink Ribbon white chocolate toppers
Pecan Balls rolled in pink icing sugar
Pizzelle dusted with pink icing sugar
Pink Popcorn

Beverages:
Cream Soda
Raspberry Gingerale
Rose Wine (White Zifandel)
Pink Chambord Vodka
Cranberry Juice
Cosmos

I then taught the girls to make gingerbread cookies and royal icing which we coloured pink. Pics are below. I look forward to next year's event to be bigger and better!



Recipe of the week: Zuccotto

Zuccotto is a typical dessert from Florence. The shape of the cake is said to resemble the dome of Florence's famous church, il Duomo.

Ingredients

12" round sponge cake layer
1/4 cup Brandy
1/4 cup Amaretto or Frangelico
120 gr. almonds
120 gr. hazelnuts
180 gr. dark chocolate
600 ml whipping cream
1/2 cup icing sugar

Toast almonds and hazelnuts under broiler for 5 minutes. Allow to cool before roughly chopping.
Cut cake is slices 1/2" thick on the diagonal, in triangular shapes. Combine liqueurs and brush one side of each section of cake with mixture. place sections of cake, unbrushed side against sides of tin, against the inside of a 10-cup capacity round-based bowl which as been lined with a layer of plastic wrap (leaving 5" overhang all around), with the narrowest end of cake on the bottom. Alternate crust and not-crust sides of cake to give striped effect. Fill the gaps with pieces of moistened cake. Trim edges of cake so they are level with the top of the bowl.
Chop 60 gr. of dark chocolate and melt remaining chocolate in microwave, at 20 second intervals until completely melted. Whip together cream and icing sugar until stiff then fold in nuts. Divide mixture in half. Fold chopped chocolate in one half and melted chocolate in other half.
Spoon white cream mixture evenly over entire cake surface, leaving a cavity in the center of the bowl. Fill in cavity with chocolate mixture. Moisten remaining cake with liqueur and arrange on top to cover surface completely.
Wrap bottom with overhanging plastic wrap and chill overnight. Invert over serving plate and dust top with combined sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder.