Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free » Other Desserts

Healthy 6-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles for Attune Foods

Amy — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:00:53 +0000

Healthy and truffles don’t sound like they should go in the same sentence, do they? When I think of truffles, my mind conjures up images of decadent, melt-away chocolately centers with an exterior crunch that is just enough to give some interesting textural contrast. But I most certainly don’t think healthy.

I decided to change that.

Not the decadent, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate part. I wanted to be able to serve them to friends and have them love every bite. But why not make them healthier so you can enjoy your chocolate without worrying about the calories hanging around your thighs?

I also wanted them to be dairy-free. That’s the newest food issue in our household. For some reason, my body stopped tolerating milk products after Nate was born. I’m still in mourning and desperately hope something changes, if I must be completely honest. But that’s a whole different conversation.

To make these truffles healthy, I needed the perfect vehicle. I thought about using cocoa butter to make a dairy-free chocolate but it proved to be more complicated than I wanted to undertake. I decided on beans. Black beans in particular.

Don’t stop reading just yet…some of my most delicious chocolate recipes use beans as a base.

Are you ready to make the most incredible truffles? Hop on over to Attune Foods’ blog and get my recipe.

Note: I am a Brand Ambassador for Attune Foods. This post is sponsored by Attune. Truth be told, I loved their products before I started working with them. Their gluten-free, refined sugar-free, GMO-free cornflakes got me through the first several months of my pregnancy when I could rarely stomach anything else. So, you can rest assured that I am sharing my honest opinion of their products.

Let’s make truffles!

Waffle Cones

Amy — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:07:05 +0000

This gluten-free waffle cone recipe is easy and fun to make. It doesn’t take much time to whip up a batch of these gluten-free waffle cones, either.

At the end of last summer when I was pregnant, I found a waffle cone maker on clearance for something ridiculously cheap like eight bucks. Of course, I bought it with the intention of making waffles cones right away.

Well, I was a very tired pregnant lady. Often my best intentions ended up being traded for a long nap. And, oh, how I miss those long naps!

Fast forward to last week when I realized summer is almost over. I needed to make waffle cones. Truth be told, I’m probably more tired now than I was when I was pregnant because Nate is still working on sleeping through the night. It’s amazing how my body has adjusted, though. I can do all sorts of things while in full-on zombie mode. With coffee, of course.
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Mother’s Day Desserts

Amy — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:48 +0000

With Mother’s Day just two days away I thought I’d share some desserts that will definitely be appreciated by all the guests at your celebration, including the moms!

It’s going to be my first Mother’s Day as an mom and honestly I’m looking forward to a laid back day with my two favorite guys. I would be lying if I said that I’m going to cook up something spectacular. I’m not. It’ll just be the three of us and Joe will agree that we would both rather get some rest.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate this Mother’s Day, I’m sending special wishes to all moms for their constant love, care-taking, and selfless giving. And, for all of my mommy friends (you know who you are!) who have nurtured me through the transition to new Mommyhood, I send you very special love. Thank you for helping me to be the best mom I can be for Nate.

Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake

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Roasted Almond Caramels

Amy — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:42:09 +0000

It’s week 3 of A Gluten-Free Holiday and Alta from Tasty Eats at Home is hosting this week’s event. We’re sharing Edible Gifts so make sure to stop by her site. She’s also got an incredible give-away – more on that at the end of the post. (If you missed Week 1 and Week 2, make sure to stop by for delicious holiday recipes!)

Roasted Almond Caramels

Sweet, chewy, gooey, and a little crunch. It’s one of those totally indulgent treats perfect for giving as a gift. They have a longer shelf life than cookies so you can make them ahead of time with no worries.

These homemade caramels will delight everyone you share them with.

They’re easy to make, too. There are a few things to remember when you’re making caramels so that they come out soft.

Use a candy thermometer. Cooking the caramel to the correct temperature (260 degrees F) ensures it will set-up properly. If you cook it to a lower temperature, it will be too runny. If it’s cooked to too high of a temperature, it’ll be too hard.
Be patient. Cooking any type of sweetener to make candy takes time. It gets to a certain temperature and stays there for a while and then will make a big jump. It’ll get there. You just have to wait.
Have your cooling pan ready to go before you start cooking the caramel. Once the caramel is cooked, you’ll have to transfer it to a pan to cool. Make sure the pan is lined and ready to go.

If you want to make this recipe with all agave or all honey, go for it. The flavor will be slightly different but it’ll still be incredible.

Other Gluten-Free Edible Gift Ideas:

Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Pistachio Cranberry Biscotti
Cinnamon Roasted Nuts
Cinnamon Vanilla Granola
Cranberry Clementine Sauce
An Edible Gift Round-Up from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs
Peanut Butter Cups from She Let Them Eat Cake
Grain-Free Cranberry Walnut Granola from Daily Bites
Chocolate Peppermint Covered Marshmallows from Cook It Allergy Free
Chipotle-Maple Mixed Nuts from Tasty Eats at Home

What edible gifts are you giving this year?

Roasted Almond Caramels

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 00 minute

Yield: 48 pieces (4 dozen)

A soft, chewy caramel perfect for gift-giving.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup mild flavored honey
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 cups roasted almonds, finely ground

Instructions

Line an 8x8-inch pan with plastic wrap. Set aside.
Put the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sea salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium until small bubbles form around the edge.
Stir in the honey and agave nectar.
Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the caramel reaches 260 degrees F. This will take 30 - 40 minutes. The caramel will be a rich brown color.
Let the caramel cool in the pan for several minutes. Pour into prepared 8x8-inch pan and let sit for several hours until the caramel has thickened.
Remove the caramel from the pan. Using a sharp, oiled knife cut the caramel into 1-inch square pieces.
Fold the caramel squares in half, form into a rectangle, and roll in the ground almonds.
Cut waxed paper into 4x4-inch squares. Roll each piece of caramel in waxed paper.
Store at room temperature.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/roasted-almond-caramels/

Make sure to stop by Tasty Eats at Home – Alta is giving away 2 copies of Artisanal Gluten-Free Cupcakes. I have this book and love it!

Caramel Corn Balls

Amy — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:48:57 +0000

Gluten-free, refined sugar-free caramel corn has been on my “Recipe To-Do List” for the last year. I finally got around to making this simple, youthful treat.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make caramel corn, it’s easy. You pop some corn, boil some honey and molasses, dump it over the popcorn, stir, and make cute little caramel corn balls. Your kids can even help once the caramel has cooled enough to handle.

Some of you are thinking – why molasses? It’s made from cane sugar. Yes, it is. It’s actually what’s leftover from processing white sugar. Due to the method, molasses is very low in sucrose and also rich in copper, manganese, calcium, and iron. It’s a healthier alternative. I can tolerate it in small amounts and enjoy the flavor it brings to this recipe and others, like gingerbread.

For those that are nut-allergic, try roasted, salted pepitas or sunflower seeds. I was going for a traditional caramel corn that would take me back to my childhood. Each sticky bite brings me back to fall Ohio weekends walking though food and art festivals with my Dad.

A note about clean-up: Don’t bother trying to scrub your pot and bowl clean. Fill the pot half-full with water, cover, and bring to a boil. It’ll melt away any caramel residue. To clean the bowl, fill it with very hot water and let it sit until the caramel starts to dissolve on its own.

Other Gluten-Free Fall Recipes:

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake from SS&GF
Shepard’s Pie with Pumpkin Souffle from Tasty East at Home
Fall Harvest Lentil Soup from The Daily Dietribe
Grain-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Much love,
Amy

This recipe has been adapted from Covered in Honey by Mani Niall. I love this book and Chef Niall’s creativity! It’s not gluten-free but is filled with brilliant ideas for cooking & baking refined sugar-free.

Caramel Corn Balls

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8 popcorn balls

A festive fall recipe that the whole family will enjoy. Naturally gluten-free. No refined sugar.

Ingredients

6 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup roasted, salted peanuts (optional)

Instructions

Grease a large, heatproof bowl and wooden spoon with canola oil. It should be well coated without being overly greasy. The caramel will stick to any spot that's not covered in oil.
In a heavy bottomed, 4-quart saucepan combine the honey, water, blackstrap molasses, butter, vinegar and salt.
Bring to a boil, stirring to melt the the butter. Cover and let boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
Uncover and cook for another 4 - 5 minutes, until the temperature reaches 250F on a candy thermometer.
Add the peanuts to to caramel mixture and stir well.
Slowly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn while stirring to coat.
Once the caramel is cool enough to handle, form into equal sized balls. If desired, put a popsicle stick in the center of each ball. (Note: I suggest wearing food-grade plastic gloves that are lightly covered in canola oil. This will keep the caramel corn from sticking to your hands. If you don't have gloves, oil your hands.)
Let cool completely on wax paper. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Store at room temperature.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/caramel-corn-balls/