Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Gluten Free

A Bitter Christmas…

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I have been hesitant to post all my numerous chocolate recipes because I always eat 100% dark chocolate! The majority of people don’t have a taste for the bitterness of this dark of a chocolate, but I think the bitterness makes it the best! 100% dark chocolate does not have any room for milk or sugar, just chocolate. This makes the flavor intensely dark.

Well, I have finally decided to share a few of my chocolate recipes, even though most people won’t like them. For you sugar eaters out there who can’t handle the bitterness of 100% dark, please feel free to add a few stevia drops or a drizzle of honey to this recipe.

Grain-Free Bitter Chocolate Cake for One

~Like I said above, please feel free to add a drizzle of honey or some liquid stevia drops to the recipe before baking so that it may satisfy your liking of chocolate. This cake is meant to serve one person, but feel free to double, triple or quadruple the recipe. The cake is gluten free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I like using Hershey’s Dark cocoa because it has a great, intense flavor)
  • 2 Tablespoons of squash puree, like pumpkin, sweet potato, or butternut squash
  • splash of vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • water
  • Optional: 100% dark chocolate bar (I used Baker’s)

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix all of the above ingredients together. Then add a splash of water until it reaches the consistency of a thick pudding. Pour batter into a mini bread pan or a muffin tin (It makes about 4 muffins). If using, chop the 100% dark chocolate bar over the top of the batter. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

More Ideas: Try adding mint extract to the batter to make a mint chocolate cake. Also, use different topping like nuts to personalize the cake to your liking.

Oooo....yum...the chocolate pieces on top are nice and melty! Also, for those counting calories, the whole cake is only 120 calories. It is one big cake, too! Most people would probably stop eating it halfway through because it is very large.

I made this cake last night while I was watching Tim Allen’s Santa Clause.

LOVE this movie! So heart-warming and fun!

You definitely know it’s Christmas time when ABC starts showing a Christmas-Related movie every night! What’s on tonight while I bake myself another Bitter Chocolate Cake?

The Polar Express. Another great holiday film. I loved the book, too! Have you read it?

 

This recipe is a shout-out to those who asked for more grain-free recipes; those who like bitter chocolate cake more than the sweet kind; those who love bitter chocolate; and of course, all others who enjoy chocolate for their taste and health benefits!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

  1. Would you like me to post more of my chocolate recipes? I have tons of them ranging from grain-free pancakes, to mousses, to puddings, to breakfast parfaits.
  2. Have you tried 100% dark chocolate yet?? If not, then DO IT! I’m begging you to! Pick up some Baker’s chocolate squares or a Ghiradelli bar in the baking aisle of your grocery store. When you try it, roll it around in your mouth and actually taste it. Don’t go by your first bite. Take another bite and think about chocolate-not the other chocolate-flavored impersonators out there!
  3. Last question-I promise! What do you think of all the holiday movies showing at this time of year? Personally, I love having an upbeat, sometimes corny movie to watch every night. I love all the Christmas films because they put me in such a great mood! There is no way that I could choose a favorite because there are so many good ones out there!

 

Raw Coconut-Iced Bark

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I’m a genius.

One day while making some homemade coconut butter, I had a flash of genius…

“Coconut oil solidifies at cold temperatures. If I mix it with nuts and fruit I can make my own ‘bark.’ “

As soon as I realized this, I did blurt out, “I’m a genius!”

Yes, I am extremely humble.

 

Raw Coconut-Iced Bark

~This bark recipe does not have to be raw. It can be anything you like!

Ingredients

  • Coconut Oil (Raw, unprocessed coconut oil tastes the most coconut-ty. However, you can use a non-raw coconut oil if you do not like the taste of coconut)
  • Filling-Choose any combination listed below, or be creative and add more!
    • Nuts or Seeds (peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
    • Fruit (dates, raisins, cherries, cranberries, blueberries, goji berries)
    • Extravagant Extras (coconut shavings, cacao nibs, dark chocolate pieces)
    • Grains (The first time I made this I did not add any grains, but if you would like to add puffed rice, puffed millet, or oats, go ahead! The puffed millet tastes great in the bark, and it fills up spaces for those counting calories)
    • Extracts (I have not yet tried adding any extracts, but I think it would taste great! Peppermint extract, vanilla, almond, chocolate, or even orange extract!)

Mix your fillings in a bowl. Then, drizzle coconut oil over the top. Mix this around until the bark’s fillings are evenly coated in oil. The oil will be the binder, so make sure there is enough of it. If you don’t add enough the bark will simply crumble.

Next, lay a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet. Spread the bark mixture across the paper in an even layer. Place the bark in the freezer, and wait for about ten minutes. This should be enough time for the coconut oil to solidify.

In the freezer...

Break pieces off of your bark to enjoy!

I adore this recipe! It is very versatile, and can be made into anything you might crave. I am dying to try a peppermint bark…first I have to buy some peppermint extract!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is one of your favorite holiday traditions?

I love my family’s advent calender. Ours is a big cloth with a Christmas tree on it. Every day we get to reach inside a pocket and pull out an ornament to hang on the tree. Today is the first of December, so I wonder what the first ornament is going to be!

Peanut Butter, Bananas, and Chocolate-Oh My!

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I Love Peanut Butter.

I Love Chocolate.

I Love Bananas.

Put them all together, and you have the perfect snack.

Step 1: Make Chocolate Pancakes

I made these delicacies by mixing 1 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 egg, 1 tsp baking powder, splash vanilla extract, and adding liquid (almond milk) to desired consistency.

Step 2: Make Art

Spread with a good amount of peanut butter-don’t be skimpy! One of my pet peeves is when people skimp on the peanut butter-don’t do it! Then, top with sliced bananas and shaved unsweetened chocolate (like Baker’s or Ghiradelli. Both found in the Baking aisle of most grocery stores)

Step 3: Admire your art

Step 4: Devour

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is one of your favorite food combinations?


 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Hello! Just stopping by to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What are you thankful for?

Tennis Update:

Today is the first day of the tournament, so wish me luck! I have Katie’s Fudge babies to give me some energy:

They don't look that pretty, but trust me-they are good!

Mmmmm...num num!
I'm good to go!

I am full of energy, and I am hugging a Vegan for Katie’s Hug a Vegan month! Double whammy 🙂

#11 Friends By Recipes: Kiki’s Toasted Coconut Crust

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I don’t have an excuse this time for not posting. I didn’t have coconut? I didn’t have cashews? Well, those are true, but I just didn’t feel like posting 🙂 I had a vacation 🙂

Well, this is my last day for my Friends by Recipes Challenge. This post features an idea from a frequent reader, Kiki:

“Hi Alex! I really love the new ideas I learn about on your blog site! I especially love coconut. Could you try to make a coconut crust for your “cheescake”? I think that would be really tasty!”

I have a confession. This commenter is my mom! She has been begging me to do a coconut-crusted cheesecake, so she took her opportunity in the Friends by Recipes Challenge.

First, I mixed 1 egg white with 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shavings. Then, I pressed the mix into a muffin pan. Finally, I baked it in the oven at 350* for 5 minutes. Then broil until golden. After this, I used THIS RECIPE

The crust after being toasted.

Voila!

If you want a completely raw cheesecake try mixing coconut shavings and coconut oil together, and then freezing it. It should solidify nicely in less than five minutes!

Thanks for the great idea, mom! I love you 3>

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What are you doing for Thanksgiving? I will be playing in a tennis tournament out of state…Too bad because my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving! You all know how I love to cook! What is your favorite holiday?

Also, I may not be by my computer a lot this week, so I probably won’t be posting for a while again 🙁 Unless someone would like to do a guest post?? Anybody? If you do, email me at spoonfulofsugarfree@gmail.com. Thanks! Have a Happy Turkey Day!

#10 Friends by Recipes: Adobo-Rubbed Pork

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Welcome to day 10 of my Friends by Recipes Challenge! Debpieper sent me this wonderful recipe for Adobo-Rubbed Pork from Clean Eating Mag.

 


This was extremely easy to make, and I love the addition of the black bean pico de gallo. I am so sorry, but I did not get a picture of mine this time! Thursdays are my busy days, and I made everything in the morning so that it would be ready for me to throw in the oven when I got home.

Little did I know that I would be having a 5 hour tennis camp workout with a 15 minute break thrown in instead of 2 hours, 1 hour break, and another 2 hours of tennis. You could say that I was hungry and exhausted.

As soon as I got home, I threw the pork in the oven, took a shower, put some pj’s on, and devoured the meal without taking pictures! Oh well, you can see what I ate on these pictures provided by Clean Eating Mag:

 

Thanks, Deb, for giving me this nourishing, tasty meal when I needed it!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is the most tiring workout you’ve ever done? One that you just felt so tired from that you just wanted to crash? I always think that sledding is so exhausting. It takes 5 minutes to clamber up a snow-filled, steep hill, and then only 15 seconds to sled down it! What would snowy, bitterly-cold winters be like without sledding, though?