Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up on your favorite recipes. There are lots of simple swaps you can make to modify a recipe and make it healthier!
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Rainbow Layer Cake [Recipe]
It’s my birthday week!!!
So I made myself a cake.
Actually, I made this cake on the 4th of July… but I consider the whole month my birthday. Therefore, this was a marriage equality-4th of July-birthday cake.
Regardless of the occasion, there’s no better show-stopper than cutting into this Rainbow Layer Cake at a party and revealing the vivid layers of color.
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Seasonal Baking: Fluffy Fig Scones
Seasonal baked goods are worth a cheat meal.
As if I need an excuse…
When a friend brought me figs from her dad’s yard, I knew exactly what I was going to do with them.
You could use dried figs to make these scones, but why? The juicy sweet fruit-candy is plentiful right now.
This recipe for fig-laced scones is one of my all-time favorites. I make a batch once a year when figs are in season… it’s self-preservation, really. If I make them, I eat them.
Over time I have lightened the recipe up a tad, but not to the detriment of taste or texture.
These are not your typical dried out coffee shop scones. They are quite moist, flaky, and full of rich figgy flavor. These free-form scones could masquerade as a muffin top in a pinch.
To sweeten these I used some “real” sugar, but also incorporated a NuNaturals Stevia blend. Using a mix rather than replacing all of the real thing avoids any problem of aftertaste.
Maple extract is another great addition – you can achieve that rich maple flavor without having to add sugary syrup. If you don’t have maple extract, try adding a vanilla or almond extract.
If you make these now, you’ll have them ready to eat while you cheer on the 4th of July race-runners. Or to inhale after YOU run your own race. I’ll be cheerleading for the world’s largest 10K with one of these and a cup of coffee in hand. Stupid knee injury.
[Tweet “These Fig Scones are 100x better than anything in a coffee shop!”]
Fluffy Fig Scones
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Keywords: bake breakfast brunch snack figs spring summer
Ingredients (14 scones)
- 4 1/4 C all-purpose flour
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/4 C NuNaturals Fiber Baking Blend (or more regular sugar)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 stick (1/2 C) salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 pound fresh figs (~6 large)
- 1 C buttermilk (I made mine with just under 1C almond milk and 1T lemon juice)
- 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 T cream
- Palm (or raw) sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter until you have pea-sized pieces. I find it’s easiest to just use my (clean) hands to do this.
Once combined, dice up your figs into 1 inch pieces and toss them in with the dry ingredients/butter mix.
Add milk, cream applesauce, and extract and briefly stir, just enough to bring the batter together. Do NOT over-mix.
the batter is moist, so I just make these free-form scones. Scoop ~1/4 C blob of the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Mix together your egg yolk and cream to form a wash. Lightly brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
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Totally off subject, but I laughed so hard when a friend posted this on Facebook that I have to share:
“NBC Gymnastics Trials Announcer: ‘This young lady has certainly turned into quite the confident beam-worker.’
If I said that about a 14 year-old girl, I’d be arrested.”
What are your plans for the 4th? Any race-runners?
What is your favorite scone flavor?
Healthy Baking 101
December would be one of my favorite months if it wasn’t so coooooold
(Yes, I just whined that).
Last night I attended a Holiday Ball with a good friend. We had a blast getting all dressed up and dancing to some disco jams. There were photogs all over, so I’ll be posting some of pics when I find them online.
Then we went to The Ritz for a drink. This is a side-show not to be missed.
Parking: $5
Glass of Champagne $12
Fabulous shoes that gave me blisters: $124
Watching 20-something blonde girls hanging all over potential Sugar Daddies: Priceless
Overall, a very successful night. True to fashion, we ended up at a restaurant at 3am. This is how I know my habits have changed though – we went to R. Thomas (not Waffle House) and I ordered a raw plate (not some eggy-pancakey-syrupy monstrosity). It was quite satisfying.
Needless to say, this morning I needed some coffee to get going. I like to try new things, so the mini bags of coffee at World Market are perfect for me. This morning I had Pecan Pie – my favorite holiday coffee so far. Best enjoyed oatmeal and a healthy scoop of Trader Joe’s Crunchy Valencia Peanut Butter. It has the perfect amount of sweet, salty crunchiness (if you’re into that sort of thing).
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Since I’m in the festive holiday baking mood, I thought it would be appropriate to share some tips for making your goodies a little less fatty more healthy.
‘Tis the season to fight off the “fat” pants! 🙂
Healthy Baking 101
- Sub whole-wheat flour for half of the white flour called for
- Cut out some of the sugar in super-sweet dishes (reducing by just 1 T will save you 48 calories!)
- Replace an egg with 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup of an egg substitute
- Reduce butter by replacing 1/2 with something else to compliment the flavor of your goodies (try: applesauce, pumpkin puree, non-fat yogurt, mashed bananas, low-fat buttermilk)
- Go topless (hang on to your shirts if you’re near a window please!) with your cakes – icing can add 130 calories, so try just dusting cakes with powdered sugar and/or cocoa or keep it simple by frosting only the top)
- Use the low-fat version of cream cheese, sour cream, milk, yogurt, etc.
- Sneak in the sweet without the sugar using Stevia powder or drops (you can also get flavored drops for an extra punch)
- Get on the powder with cocoa-based goodies instead of chocolate chips ! Quick math lesson: 6 T of cocoa +1 T canola oil + 1 T fat-free sour-cream = 2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate (saving you 85 calories and 14 g of fat)
- Cooking spray work just as well as butter for your non-stick needs
- Replace whipping cream with evaporated skim milk
Keep in mind when using replacements:
- Applesauce is an acidic ingredient, so you may want to add a little (start with (1/8 tsp) baking soda to smooth the flavors
- When using applesauce to replace fat, try whole-wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose. It is more tender and, without the fat, less protein = better
- Watch the flavor – healthier recipes are often bland because fat is a flavor carrier. Add 1-2 tsp of canola oil to help it out, or consider incorporating lemon/orange/lime-zest
- To keep it light and fluffy: Mix dry and liquid ingredients in separate bowls, adding liquids to dry, and don’t mix too much
- Don’t over-bake. This may seem obvious, but desserts are more susceptible to becoming dry and crumbly with less fat.
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Happy Baking!
Do you have a favorite healthy baking secret?
What is your favorite holiday treat?
