Keep It Sweet Desserts

Rich and creamy no-churn peanut butter ice cream with swirls of milk chocolate and peanut butter.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~1½ quarts

Ingredients

For the ice cream base:

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
130g (1/2 cup) salted creamy all-natural peanut butter
475 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream

For the peanut butter swirl:

150 (~2/3 cup) salted creamy all-natural peanut butter

For the chocolate swirl:

240g good quality milk chocolate disks or bars, roughly chopped

Instructions

Make ice cream base:

In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk and sea salt until smooth
In the separate bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
Once cream is ready, fold it into peanut butter mixture
Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container
Make peanut butter swirl:
Microwave peanut butter for 15 seconds
Drizzle half of peanut butter swirl over top
Make chocolate swirl:
In a small microwave-safe dish, heat chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted
Pour half of milk chocolate over ice cream; use a knife to marbleize chocolate and peanut butter into ice cream
Repeat with remaining ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate
Wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight

Notes

Base from Martha Stewart

Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Pretzel Ice Cream

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts

Peanut Butter Ripple Chocolate Ice Cream

Blog, Recipes

Double Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

July 11, 2016 Keep It Sweet 2 Comments

Rich chocolate ice cream full of dark chocolate chunks; no churn ice cream for the chocolate lover!

Anyone who has raised a toddler knows that meal time can go in any direction. On a good day, your child will happily eat everything on his or her plate. On a bad day, a child yelling “no eat” or food tossed “accidentally” onto the floor may result. Some days a little game playing (“oh, do you want to use my fork today?” or “how about mommy gets you some special sauce?”) will do the trick. Then there are days when chicken is too much effort to chew and half of it gets spit out.

So when we recently had to give L a medicine that was combined with food, I decided ice cream would be the best bet if we wanted to be 100% sure he would finish it. He is my child, after all. So when I ran out of the all-natural Turkey Hill chocolate he’d been eating, I had to dig into my own stash (what, you think I share my ice cream?). I wasn’t so sure he’d be able to eat those big chocolate chunks but what do you know, my kid who can’t always chew his chicken made his way through every.single.bite. My child for sure!

And really, I can’t blame him. This double chocolate chunk ice cream is the ultimate ice cream flavor for the chocolate lover. The rich dark chocolate base is creamy and basically perfected with the addition of chocolate chunks. And since it’s toddler approved, you know it’s good.

Double Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Rich chocolate ice cream full of dark chocolate chunks; no churn ice cream for the chocolate lover!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~1½ quarts

Ingredients

473 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
50g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) dark unsweetened cocoa powder high quality
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) pure vanilla extract
195g (1¼ cups) roughly chopped 55% dark chocolate

Instructions

In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa and vanilla; mixture will be very thick and you want to remove any cocoa clumps; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
Once cream is ready, gently fold half of it into sweetened condensed milk mixture; gently fold in remaining cream until fully combined; fold in chocolate chunks
Pour ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container; wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight

Peanut Butter Ripple Chocolate Ice Cream

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

Drumstick Ice Cream Cake

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Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Cookies {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

May 12, 2016 Keep It Sweet 7 Comments

These easy-to-make soft and chewy cookies are made with wholesome ingredients that make them the perfect kid-friendly snack!

Before I tell you all about my new snack obsession these cookies, I need to tell you about the cookbook, Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Flight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body.

Before you think I’m crazy or hypocritical for talking about a detox book, let me assure you that I’m not telling you to forego all desserts and sweet treats. But I do want to introduce you to this cookbook, written by my friend Amie Valpone, that talks about finding the best diet for you. Amie used her experience and long arduous journey of healing her body (read more here) as the inspiration for her book. In it, she discusses what foods she learned work for her body and what don’t. She then walks you through how to do an elimination diet and slowly add foods back to find out what is best for you. I found this very informative and fascinating because it’s not all about dairy and gluten (the usual suspects), but also addresses peanuts, canned foods and eggs. While eliminating a food group is not right for me, I know there are many people who experience digestive issues and auto-immune diseases that could greatly benefit from the exercise. What I appreciated most from the book is that Amie is thoughtful and knowledgeable and not judgmental at all. She’s sharing her story to help other people that may be suffering like she was.

The book has so many recipes that I want to try (Honey Cinnamon Quinoa Granola, Curried Lentil Soup, Peach Arugula Salad…) but I started with these Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Cookies because they looked super easy and I had most of the ingredients on hand!

The cookie recipe came together really quickly. You basically just stir a bunch of ingredients together, scoop and bake. No mixer, no chilling dough, easy! Once baked, the cookies are soft and chewy with enough chocolate to feel like a real treat and the warming flavors of cinnamon and cardamom (<- great surprise flavor). However, the other ingredients made me feel good enough to share them with L for snacking. If the chocolate covered hands and mouth was any indication, I’d say he was as much a fan as I was.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Cookies

These easy-to-make soft and chewy cookies are made with wholesome ingredients that make them the perfect kid-friendly snack! They are gluten-free and vegan, too.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

Makes: 20 cookies

Ingredients

7g (1 tablespoon) ground flaxseed
45 milliliters (3 tablespoons) water
250g (2 large) very ripe bananas
128g (1/2 cup) almond butter (I used a salted creamy almond butter)
30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) maple syrup
13g (1 tablespoon) melted coconut oil (I substituted butter because that’s what I had)
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
200g (2½ cups) gluten-free rolled oats
50g (1/3 cup) gluten-free dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
2½g (1/2 teaspoon) aluminum-free baking powder
1g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside
In a small bowl, combine the flaxseeds and water, let sit for five minutes
In a large bowl, mash bananas; stir in almond butter, maple syrup, oil and vanilla; add flax mixture and stir until combined
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients; stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined (do not overmix)
Use a tablespoon or small cookie dough scoop to drop small mounds (~2 tablespoons each)onto prepared baking sheet
Bake cookies 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and center appears set; allow to sit on pan for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool

Notes

Recipe from Eating CleanIf baking for someone with a gluten-allergy, make sure to check all ingredient labels for gluten-free
I found that the cookies were best enjoyed the day of baking and then stored frozen in a ziplock bag after that. I let them thaw for about twenty minutes or in the microwave before enjoying them.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites (gluten-free and vegan)

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links. I received the cookbook, Eating Clean, for free but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Banana Energy Balls (gluten-free and vegan)

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free)

Blog, Recipes

Blood Orange Chocolate Truffles

March 7, 2016 Keep It Sweet 5 Comments

Rich and decadent dark chocolate truffles with a hint of blood orange. These are the best homemade candy!

Over the last few years it’s gotten increasingly harder to schedule plans with friends. Between kids, family obligations and the seemingly speed-of-light passing of time, everyone’s schedules fill up fast. The “let’s do this again, and soon this time!” inevitably turns into the passing of another two months until another date is made. Top that with the winter season leading to at least one child being sick and getting friends together really becomes an unfortunate challenge.

So when we were able to get four of our favorite couples (plus kids!) to our place for dinner, we wanted to make it lots of fun. The night started early (5pm ha!) so that everyone could bring their babies without worrying about childcare. It was definitely a risk to sign up for 4 children under the age of three in one apartment during the witching hour, but we went for it.

Matt and I decided to go Mexican with dinner and break all the rules by making a recipe for chicken enchiladas we hadn’t cooked before (luckily America’s Test Kitchen is always dependable!). Plus, there was plenty of chips and guacamole to go around, even after L ate half of the guac. Add to that cilantro lime rice, Mexican-spiced beans, cumin-roasted cauliflower and salad.

I kept things seasonal and festive with spicy blood orange margaritas (that I’m still thinking about) and thought, why not have a blood orange dessert as well? So these Blood Orange truffles (along with a soon-to-come recipe for banana pudding) made their appearance.

Now, I know that orange and chocolate is a traditional flavor pairing that some people love, but historically it really hasn’t appealed to me. However, these truffles were quite extraordinary. The blood orange brought a fruitfulness to the truffles that complimented the bitterness of the dark chocolate at just the right level. That flavor, with a sensational melt-in-your-mouth richness made them a huge hit. In fact, my friends were a bit in disbelief that I had in fact made the truffles myself.

I promise you, though, that these are a lot easier than you might think. The most complicated part is tediously rolling the individual truffles but it’s very much worth the effort. Additionally, you can make these up to one week ahead of time if stored in the fridge. Just make sure not to eat them all before you gift or serve them. That is no easy feat.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Blood Orange Chocolate Truffles

Rich and decadent dark chocolate truffles with a hint of blood orange. These are the best homemade candy!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 20 truffles

Ingredients

79 milliliters (1/3 cup) heavy whipping cream
1g (1 teaspoon) blood orange zest (~1 orange)
142g chopped semi-sweet chocolate
57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) blood orange juice (~1/3 orange)
10g (2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder (you won’t use all of it)

Instructions

Combine heavy whipping cream and orange zest in a small heavy-duty saucepan; heat over low-medium heat
Bring to a light rolling boil then remove from heat; immediately pour through a mesh strainer over chocolate and whisk until smooth
Whisk mixture until chocolate is completely melted; whisk in butter and orange juice until smooth
Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight
Once firm, use a small or cookie dough scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles; they will be slightly soft and sticky; freeze for fifteen minutes to set
Once set, roll truffles in cocoa powder and store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to eat
Bring to room temperature before serving

Notes

Adapted from my lemon truffles
May store in refrigerator up to one week

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

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Lemon Truffles

Blog, Recipes

Brown Sugar Caramel Pear Crisp

February 19, 2016 Keep It Sweet 2 Comments

Warm caramel pear crisp topped with a crisp oatmeal topping is perfect the cold late winter days.

Every February I get that feeling that Spring isn’t too far away. And while in some parts of the states that is probably true, here in the Northeast we don’t get real spring weather until close to May. So to make it through that long cold stretch, we need warm, comforting dessert.

Crisps, crumbles and cobblers never fail to disappoint. Warm sweet fruit topped with a flavorful crumbly topping, often served with ice cream… what’s not to like? Here I took advantage of the plethora of pears we had while they are still in season. They paired so well with a brown sugar caramel. If you want, you can serve the crisp with ice cream and additional caramel sauce (the recipe makes more than enough for the crisp itself). However, this was really good enough to stand on it’s own. The pears almost melt in your mouth and the oatmeal-ful topping is so satisfying.

Brown Sugar Caramel Pear Crisp

Warm caramel pear crisp topped with a crisp oatmeal topping is perfect the cold late winter days.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: Serves 6

Ingredients

Topping:

55g (~1/2 cup) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
40g (~1/2 cup) old fashioned oatmeal*
70g (~1/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
½g (¼ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
55g (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:

700g sliced ripe pears (about 4 large)
15g (~2 tablespoons) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
⅓ cup brown sugar caramel sauce (recipe below)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar
Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
Prepare filling; in 9-inch round shallow baking dish (like a pie plate), stir together pears, oat flour and caramel sauce
Distribute topping evenly over top of fruit
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, if you see that topping has started to get to brown early, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time

Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce

Brown sugar-based caramel sauce adds a special element to the pear crisp!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 1 cup

Ingredients

234g (1 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
118 milliliters (1/2 cup) whole milk
5g (1 teaspoon) salt

Instructions

Place the sugar, butter, and salt in a medium-sized heavy-duty pot over medium heat; stir until the butter and sugar have dissolved
Sir in milk; increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook for four minutes (mixture should come to a boil within one minute); immediately remove from heat and stir; pour into a heat-proof bowl to cool
Store in refrigerator up to one week before using; re-heat gently in microwave to loosen before using

Notes

Adapted from Recipe from The Level Headed Chef

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Apple and Pear Crisp

Winter Fruit Crisp

Blog, Recipes

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

January 25, 2016 Keep It Sweet 6 Comments

Cookie dough dip made with brown butter, cream cheese and lots of chocolate chips is a perfect super bowl treat!

Sometimes I’m a really good wife.

And sometimes, I make pure crack cookie dough dip when my husband’s on a diet. Sorry, Matt.

But can you blame me? We were in the midst of a massive snowstorm with an animal a toddler to keep busy and Super Bowl recipes to create. Brown butter cookie dough was clearly the only option.

Truthfully, if Matt had caved and eaten some, I think he would have agreed that each bite was worth every.single.calorie. But he stuck to his healthy eating and I was left to enjoy the creamy, sweet, deliciousness all to myself. Well, almost… I actually brought some to my neighbors (snow day mvp?), because I like to fit into my jeans, too.

I think I made a version of cookie dough dip a few years ago when it was first making waves around the internet. It was good and everything, but this brown butter version is even better. It’s a super indulgent and delicious way to enjoy the nuttiness of a deep brown butter-infused dessert. And cookie dough dip is pretty much the ultimate recipe to make for the Super Bowl because it’s a dip. It goes perfectly with the pretzels everyone’s already snacking on but also pairs well with graham crackers and animal crackers. Plus, it’s super easy to whip up and you can make it ahead of time and then keep it in the fridge until party time. One more bonus? It’s accidentally gluten-free. Extra party friendly.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Cookie dough dip made with brown butter, cream cheese and lots of chocolate chips is a perfect super bowl treat!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

Makes: 3 cups

Ingredients

142g (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
226g (1 8-ounce package) light cream cheese, softened at room temperature
117g (1/2 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
80g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract
5g (1 teaspoon) salt
190g (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

*Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and place in fridge until completely cooled for (about 30 minutes)
Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of a mixer with paddle attachment; add cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed or until well combined
Add sugars, vanilla and salt and beat on medium speed until completely combined
Stir in chocolate chips
Serve immediately or store covered in refrigerator up to three days
Serve with graham crackers and pretzels

Notes

*Make sure you give yourself enough time to completely cool the brown butter(about thirty minutes); once that is done the dip takes only about five minutes to make!
Adapted from the many recipes online found by searching “cookie dough dip”

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars

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M&M Cookie Dough Cups

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Grown Up Puppy Chow Popcorn

January 11, 2016 Keep It Sweet 12 Comments

Salted chocolate and peanut butter popcorn dusted with a light layer of powdered sugar.

I grew up in a popcorn family. During high school, we’d eat gigantic bowls of air-popped popcorn doused in Old Bay seasoning as an afternoon snack. At night, it’s a frequent TV-watching accessories at my parents’. And around Christmas, my mom and I bought at least 5 big popcorn tins between the two of us. So when we were planning Christmas day festivities with an afternoon of gingerbread house making, an indulgent popcorn treat seemed to be the perfect snack.

In fact, my sister and I have been talking about making puppy chow popcorn forever. Chocolate, peanut butter, crunchy popcorn, how could we not?

I made a couple of changes to the original recipe like reducing the powdered sugar (trust me, you don’t need it any more sweet) and adding some sea salt, because, duh. This recipe makes a huge batch of chocolate and peanut butter covered popcorn for any snacking occasion. And since the biggest snacking occasion of the year is coming up soon (ahem, the Super Bowl), I just had to share it. Trust me when I tell you to make this. My popcorn-loving family was very, very happy.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Grown Up Puppy Chow Popcorn

Salted chocolate and peanut butter popcorn dusted with a light layer of powdered sugar.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Makes: 12 cups

Ingredients

70g (10 cups) popped popcorn
250g (1½ cups) semi sweet chocolate chips or disks
130g (1/2 cup) creamy peanut butter
57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, in ½ inch thick slices
4g (1 teaspoon) sea salt
55g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar

Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside
Place popcorn in a very large bowl (you will need room for stirring)
Place chocolate, peanut butter and butter in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup; heat in microwave for 30 seconds and then stir; repeat until mixture is completely melted; stir in salt
Pour over popcorn and stir until completely coated
Sprinkle powdered sugar over popcorn and then stir until completely mixed; spread out over prepared baking sheet and place in fridge to chill for 45 minutes or until set

Notes

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

All Day I Dream About Food

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Over 30 Gluten-Free Desserts Without Any Weird Ingredients

January 8, 2016 Keep It Sweet 3 Comments

Over 30 delicious gluten-free desserts made with ingredients that are already in your kitchen!

You probably have at least one friend who avoids eating gluten. And with new year’s resolutions underway, they might be even more common. When you don’t bake gluten-free recipes often, it can be intimidating to try to make one. Many recipes call for a variety of specialty flours or gums. While I’ve used almond flour and quinoa flour, I’ve never been motivated to invest in an array of gluten-free flours beyond that (and they can be expensive!). As a result, when baking for friends or family members who don’t eat gluten, I stick with dessert recipes that are naturally gluten-free. This tends to be a successful strategy because as you can see below, there are still a ton of options.

One important note, though. If you are baking for someone who has a serious gluten-allergy, cross contamination of flours can be a serious issue. Make sure that your dishes, utensils and counter surfaces are completely clean and that all ingredients are specifically labeled gluten-free. Something like oatmeal, for example, is naturally gluten-free, but some brands may be made in facilities that are not completely gluten-free.

Looking for more? Some of my favorite gluten-free bloggers are:

London Bakes

Feed Me Phoebe

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

Blog, Recipes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie

January 4, 2016 Keep It Sweet 3 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StartWithJifPowder #CollectiveBias

A green smoothie that tastes like a sweet treat! This peanut butter, chocolate and banana smoothie is a perfect way to start your new year.

I mentioned in my weekly post that I’m trying to continue to eat intuitively. Since being pregnant and having L, I’ve learned a lot more about what works for my body. Apparently nonstop dieting isn’t the only answer. It’s surprising to me, and actually, I’m almost afraid to say it out loud, but listening to my body seems to work.

For me that means eating a balanced diet (lots of produce, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts) about 80% of the time. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are generally in that capacity. Well-rounded snacks are also important. In fact, what I’ve learned keeps me feeling my best is eating regularly and avoiding that “I’m starving and need to eat everything in sight feeling.” No resulting binging. No uncontrollable cravings. And then at the end of the day, I don’t feel bad having my cookies or ice cream.

This self-discovery has been completely freeing. I’m no longer overwhelmed by self-imposed restrictions and find myself feeling generally better on a regular basis. Food hangovers are few and far between and I’ve been wearing the same size jeans since May (seriously, I myself am shocked). Plus, and maybe even the biggest benefit, is that I’m setting a positive example for L. This is the new me that I hope to hold onto through 2016 and beyond!

Now, it’s no secret that I am and always have been a peanut-buttter-aholic. My brother and sister-in-law even bought me a peanut butter of the month club for my birthday! I’m always excited to try different versions but almost always go back to the basics. Peanuts or peanuts and salt. That’s why I was eager to try the new Jif Peanut Powder. It is made from just one ingredient, you guessed it, (fresh roasted) peanuts. As a result, you can personalize it to your peanut butter eating preferences.

You can find the Jif Peanut Powder in the peanut butter section at Walmart!

It really is a perfect new addition to my pantry. I’ve started adding it to smoothies for some extra protein and fiber along with a delicious peanut butter flavor. It blends really well and doesn’t add a ton of calories (which is good, because let’s be honest, a smoothie is never going to replace a full meal). So when I pump up a smoothie with balanced ingredients like spinach, fruit and Jif Peanut Powder, I’m left feeling satisfied until my next meal.

The smoothie I’m sharing here is super easy (only seven ingredients including ice), full of nutrition (hello green veggie) and completely satisfying for your early morning or afternoon sweet tooth. Go get yourself some peanut powder and make it as part of your breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Trust me, it will leave you feeling good. And for me, that’s what eating intuitively is all about.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie

A green smoothie that tastes like a sweet treat! This peanut butter, chocolate and banana smoothie is a perfect way to start your new year.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Snack, Breakfast

Makes: 1 large smoothie or 2 small smoothies (475 milliliters / 2 cups total)

Ingredients

¾ cup Silk Almond Milk (I like unsweetened original or vanilla)
15g (3 tablespoons) JIF Peanut Powder
5g (1 tablespoon) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
28g (1 cup) loosely packed fresh spinach
150g (~1 large) frozen ripe banana, sliced
80g (½ cup) ice cubes

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender in order listed above
Turn on low speed and slowly increase to high speed; blend for two minutes or until completely blended and smooth (time may vary depending on blender strength)

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Peanut Butter Banana Energy Balls

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Blog, Recipes

Lemon Truffles

December 23, 2015 Keep It Sweet 3 Comments

No-bake white chocolate lemon truffles are a refreshing change of pace for the holidays. Make this sparkly treat for your New Year’s Eve festivities!

Sometimes you just want to make something that tastes good and is extra pretty.

These lemon truffles are such a gorgeous little treat that you can’t help but ooooh and aaaaah over. They sparkle on the outside while the inside showcases an ultra creamy filling. The essence of lemon is present but not lip-puckeringly so and balances perfectly with the sweet white chocolate.

The truffles do require some lead time because you want to make sure there is plenty of time for chilling. Otherwise, you will end up with a bit of a sticky mess. It’s worth it, though. You can display them in a fancy candy dish and most people would assume that they were the result of a high-end candy shop purchase. They are gorgeous and festive which lends them quite well to a New Year’s Eve celebration. And thinking way ahead, keep them in mind for special Valentine’s Day gifts.

Lemon Truffles

No-bake white chocolate lemon truffles are a refreshing change of pace for the holidays. Make this sparkly treat for your New Year’s Eve festivities!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 20 truffles

Ingredients

79 milliliters (1/3 cup) heavy whipping cream
1g lemon zest (~1 lemon)
142g chopped white chocolate
57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) lemon juice (~1/3 lemon)
½ cup shimmering sprinkles

Instructions

Combine heavy whipping cream and lemon zest in a small heavy-duty saucepan; heat over low-medium heat
Bring to a light rolling boil then remove from heat; immediately pour through a mesh strainer over chocolate and whisk until smooth
Whisk mixture until chocolate is completely melted; whisk in butter and lemon juice until smooth
Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight
Once firm, use a small or cookie dough scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles; they will be slightly soft and sticky; freeze for fifteen minutes to set
Once set, roll truffles in topping and store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to eat
Bring to room temperature before serving

Notes

Adapted from these white chocolate truffles

No Churn Lemon Ice Cream

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

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Peppermint Chocolate Pavlova Parfaits

December 9, 2015 Keep It Sweet 1 Comment

Holiday parfaits layered with peppermint whipped cream, fluffy meringue and shaved chocolate.

I’m having a bit of a moment with pavlovas. Something seemingly simple can be playful and surprising when you translate it into a new and different flavor combination. Over the summer we enjoyed a refreshing lemon berry combo then warmed up in the fall with cinnamon and caramelized apples. Now we are turning towards Christmas with peppermint and chocolate.

I’m going to be honest and tell you that my main motivation for a new pavlova recipe was the extra meringue stored in my freezer. Since I’d bagged it up and then packed a million more things in there it was somewhat crumbled so I decided to make another pavlova parfait. It’s actually the perfect dessert for serving at a dinner party because you can make pretty individual servings for everyone to enjoy. On top of that, it’s naturally gluten-free so if you have a crowd, you don’t have to worry about some dietary constraints. Dessert storage win!

This dessert was a huge hit with my friends who didn’t even get the pretty servings. Theirs got compiled into a big tupperware for easy transporting. Besides, with peppermint whipped cream no one was overly concerned with how their dessert looked.

Peppermint Chocolate Pavlova Parfaits

Holiday parfaits layered with peppermint whipped cream, fluffy meringue and shaved chocolate.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

12 cocktail glasses or glass bowls
1 pavlova broken into bite sized pieces (can substitute broken meringue cookies as well)
591 milliliters (2 ½ cups) heavy whipping cream
4 milliliters (3/4 teaspoon) peppermint extract
80g (6 tablespoons) granulated sugar
8g shaved dark chocolate

Instructions

Prepare peppermint whipped cream; in the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream and peppermint extract at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form
Put about ¼ of a cup of whipped cream on the bottom of each glass; top each with about ½ tablespoon shaved chocolate; layer with ⅓ cup of broken pavlova in each glass;
Dollop remaining whipped cream on top of each parfait along with additional shaved chocolate
Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator until ready to enjoy

Notes

Make ahead tips:
Pavlova can be made and kept at room temperature up to two days or frozen up to one month (store in a ziplock bag carefully because it is delicate)
Parfaits best prepared and served on same day but can be enjoyed within three days

Chocolate Chunk Meringues

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Peppermint Mocha Truffles

November 25, 2015 Keep It Sweet 5 Comments

Rich dark chocolate truffles with a hint of coffee and splash of peppermint. The best no-bake edible Christmas gift!

Peppermint mocha is my ultimate holiday weakness. The drink, the sweets, everything. In fact, despite the fact that I’ve mostly given up fake sweeteners and usually drink coffee sans sugar, the skinny peppermint mocha latte is my once or twice a year guilty pleasure treat that I truly savor. Last year I remember drinking one as we took L, just a newborn then, on a walk. It was a chilly late fall day and he seemed to be going through an eat-every-hour growth spurt. That peppermint mocha latte was my little break.

There is something so sinful about peppermint mocha treats. The rich deep chocolate flavor combined with a pop of mint is so satisfying. In making these truffles, I chose to go with an extra-dark chocolate for a base to keep them from being too sweet. That, combined with some instant espresso and a splash of peppermint extract, creates a great balanced flavor.

The recipe isn’t all that complicated. In fact, the hardest part is just rolling out all the truffles. I’d even recommend doubling or tripling the batch if you plan on making them for gifts or parties.

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

Rich dark chocolate truffles with a hint of coffee and splash of peppermint. The best no-bake edible Christmas gift!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 2 dozen truffles

Ingredients

79 milliliters (1/3 cup) heavy whipping cream
3g (1 teaspoon) instant espresso
142g finely chopped dark chocolate (72% or higher), any type
57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
½ milliliter (1/8 teaspoon) peppermint extract
Toppings-I like peppermint baking pieces (finely chopped), crushed candy canes and holiday sprinkles

Instructions

Whisk together heavy whipping cream and espresso in a small heavy-duty saucepan; heat over low-medium heat
Bring to a light rolling boil then remove from heat and immediately pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth
Whisk mixture until chocolate is completely melted; whisk in butter and peppermint extract until smooth
Chill mixture in refrigerator for two hours or until it is firm
Once firm, use a small or cookie dough scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles
Roll truffles in topping and store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to eat
Bring to room temperature before serving

Notes

Adapted from the Lindt Chocolate Passion Recipe Book
Truffles should be enjoyed within two weeks for best results
Recipe can be easily doubled

Thick and Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Brownies

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Brown Sugar Chai Spiced Caramel Fondue

November 20, 2015 Keep It Sweet 2 Comments

A chai spiced caramel sauce perfect for holiday entertaining.

I’m very enthusiastically jumping onto the chai bandwagon! There’s no looking back now. (In fact, can we take a quick moment to drool over Christina’s chewy chai bars?)

In all serious, though, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be joining me. The flavors of chai are so warm and comforting. Cardamom is what really makes it special, but the clove, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper (yes, black pepper!), round it out. The spicy flavor tones end up being perfect to balance out a sweet brown-sugar based caramel.

I served this caramel fondue as a dip when we had friends over on a recent Sunday afternoon. It was able to sit out for a few hours as the flavors developed. And actually, there was a little bit leftover and it tasted even better the next day (a dream for holiday entertaining plans)! I loved dunking graham crackers into the fondue along side my almond milk latte, but I did catch some people even dunking their blondies. Yes, my friends are geniuses.

Brown Sugar Chai Spiced Caramel Fondue

A chai spiced caramel sauce perfect for holiday entertaining.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 1¼ cups

Ingredients

195g (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) light brown sugar, tightly packed
30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) water
118 milliliters (1/2 cup) heavy cream
9g (2 teaspoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Whisk together brown sugar and water in a small heavy-duty saucepan; place over medium-high heat and cook without stirring for 3-4 minutes or until a deep amber brown and bubbling; remove from heat and immediately whisk in heavy cream and butter until smooth (be careful as the hot caramel may bubble up)
Stir in remaining ingredients and then briefly stir over medium heat until smooth
Serve warm; for a thicker dip (and for flavor more intensified), allow to cool in refrigerator for several hours before gently reheating

Notes

Adapted from Food and Wine
Can be stored in refrigerator up to one week

Salted Caramel without a Candy Thermometer

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Fall Pavlova with Caramelized Apples and Cinnamon Whipped Cream

November 4, 2015 Keep It Sweet 7 Comments

A special Thanksgiving dessert that happens to be gluten-free. This fall inspired pavlova is layered with cinnamon whipped cream and caramelized apples.

While I have a hard time understanding the idea of being “too full” for dessert, some people have brought this concept to my attention in the past. And apparently, at Thanksgiving, this can be a thing. So with the tables full of pies (and, at our house, cookies, brownies and cakes, too), I thought it would be nice to (in addition to all the other good stuff of course) add a lighter dessert option so that even if you can’t have one more bite, you really can.

The beauty of a pavlova, is that you start with a light and airy meringue shell that can be topped however you may please. I usually think of pavlova as a summer dessert, but given that the meringue is generally a neutral flavor, putting a fall twist on it wasn’t so farfetched. Swapping berries out and caramelized apples in is a good start. Then, plain old whipped cream gets amped up a bit with a hint of cinnamon. A slice of this dessert is sweet but satisfying.

Fall Pavlova with Caramelized Apples and Cinnamon Whipped Cream

A special Thanksgiving dessert that happens to be gluten-free. This fall inspired pavlova is layered with cinnamon whipped cream and caramelized apples.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 8-12 servings

Ingredients

1 pavlova prepared at least three hours in advance (it must have time to completely cool)

Caramelized apples:

28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
340g (~3 cups / 2 medium) apples, thinly sliced (I prefer to use a crisp apple like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
235g (~1 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice (from ~1/2 lemon)
5g (1 tablespoon) ground cinnamon
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract

Cinnamon whipped cream:

237 milliliters (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
1g (2/3 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
27g (~2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the caramelized apples:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter; stir in apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and vanilla;
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened and liquid is syrupy, about 10 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool completely (whipped cream will become soupy if they are too warm)

Make whipped cream

In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream and cinnamon at medium speed until
foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form
When everything is ready, generously top pavlova with whipped cream and then with Caramelized apples
Serve immediately

Notes

Make ahead tips:
Pavlova can be made and kept at room temperature up to two days or frozen up to one month (store in a ziplock bag carefully because it is delicate)
Apples can be cooked a few hours in advance and stored in refrigerator; bring to room temperature before putting dessert together

Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

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No Churn Blueberry Crisp Ice Cream

August 3, 2015 Keep It Sweet 9 Comments

Another amazing no churn ice cream recipe full of homemade blueberry sauce and buttery crisp topping. No ice cream maker, no problem!

Sometimes weeks are just insane. Last week was crazy for numerous reasons, add to that, my husband didn’t have an operating cell phone for five days, but I managed to make this ice cream and that made everything better.

That’s a lie, it didn’t fix everything, but it made the stress of what we were going through much more palatable. Besides, this isn’t any old ice cream. This ice cream is basically two desserts in one.

So if you are completely strange anything like my sister, and you like fruit crisp and you like ice cream but DON’T like them together because of the contrasting temperatures (seriously, who are you?), this ice cream pretty much has solved your life’s biggest problem.

No Churn Blueberry Crisp Ice Cream

Another amazing no churn ice cream recipe full of homemade blueberry sauce and buttery crisp topping. No ice cream maker, no problem!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~1½ quarts

Ingredients

Crumble:

55g (~1/2 cup) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
40g (~1/2 cup) old fashioned oatmeal*
70g (~1/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
1g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
55g (1/4 cup / ½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Blueberry filling:

140g (~1 cup) fresh blueberries (frozen can be substituted for slightly longer cooking time)
25g (~2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
5g (~1/2 tablespoon) cornstarch

Ice cream:

16 fluid ounces (2 cups) heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
5 millimeters (1 teaspoon) vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Instructions

Make crumble

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and cinnamon
Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy
Spread mixture out in parchment paper and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside to cool

While crumble is baking, make blueberry sauce

Place blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium pot stove with medium heat
Stir occasionally until some of the berries begin to break down and juice begins to form (~4 minutes)
Turn the heat to high, add cornstarch and stir quickly until sauce reaches desired thickness (1-2 minutes)
Place sauce in refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes

Once ready, finish making ice cream

In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean; fold in blueberry sauce
Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture
Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan and drop one third of crumble over top (use fingers to break into pieces); top with remaining ice cream and then with half of remaining crumble; wrap well with seran wrap or tin foil
Freeze for 6 hours or overnight before serving
Use remaining crumble for serving

Notes

Sauce and crumble can be made up to one week before putting ice cream together, refrigerate each in an airtight container until ready to use
Blueberry filling from this mixed berry sauce
Topping from this fruit crisp

Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies

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Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

July 6, 2015 Keep It Sweet 8 Comments

Moist, flavorful gluten-free banana cake topped with a sweet light white chocolate whipped cream.

I’ve mentioned it before, but when I bake gluten-free treats, I tend to steer towards those that are lower maintenance on the ingredient spectrum. I don’t like to keep stock of a ton of different flours because I can’t use them fast enough. Almond meal/flour, though, is pretty versatile. I’ve used it in a few different recipes. It’s even used in macarons. If I was smart, I’d use it more often in savory cooking as well (think veggie burgers, meatloaf, etc.).

Anyway, this cake is right there in the simple ingredient list. Just almond meal and other ingredients most bakers regularly have stocked in their pantries. The best part? It was seriously good. Matt almost always turns his head at gluten-free desserts but went for seconds (maybe thirds?).

And let’s take a minute to talk about the white chocolate whipped cream. If you love white chocolate you will go crazy over it. If you don’t, like me, just trust me and put this whipped cream on your cake. It is the perfect flavor compliment. Just so, so good.

I served this cake to a friend who doesn’t eat much gluten anymore. It was a few days after her birthday so I knew there had to be a dessert to celebrate. Seriously, when you have friends that cook dinner for you right before AND after your baby is born, you make them birthday cake. End of story!

Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Makes: 6-8

Ingredients

White Chocolate Whipped Cream
115g good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
177 milliliters / 6 fluid ounces (3/4 cup) heavy whipping cream
44 milliliters (3 tablespoons) water
½g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
Cinnamon for topping (optional)
Gluten-Free Banana Cake
411g (~1⅓ cups / 4 medium) ripe bananas, mashed
250g (~5 large) whole eggs at room temperature
235g (~1 cup packed) light brown sugar
5 milliliters / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g (~2½ cups) almond meal or flour
6g (1 ¼ teaspoons) baking powder
3g (1/2 teaspoon baking soda)
2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
3g (½ teaspoon) salt
1g (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg

Instructions

Start the whipped cream
Place chocolate in the large bowl of an electric mixer
In a small pot, bring the cream and water to a low rolling boil in a saucepan and immediately pour over the chocolate; let stand for 30 seconds and then stir well
Let stand for 10 minutes and then whisk until mixture is smooth; whisk in salt
Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for three hours or overnight
Make the cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper; grease top of parchment paper as well; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together bananas, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla
In a separate large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients
Whisk dry ingredients into wet but do not overmix
Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 –60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
Let the cake cool for ten to fifteen minutes before carefully removing from pan and placing on wire rack
Allow cake to cool completely
Finish making whipped cream
Once mixture is completely chilled, use whisk attachment of mixer and beat on high speed for about three minutes or just until stiff peaks begin form, do not overbeat
Spread over the cooled cake immediately; sprinkle with cinnamon if desired
Keep cake in refrigerator until about a half our prior to serving; best enjoyed day of making

Notes

Cake barely adapted Delicious Every Day
Whipped Cream from Food 52

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Blueberry Banana Bread

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Peanut Butter Ripple Chocolate Ice Cream

May 26, 2015 Keep It Sweet 18 Comments

You don’t need an ice cream maker to make this ice cream! Rich chocolate ice cream with a ribbon of salty peanut butter.

If you love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do, you’ve no doubt had a variation of this ice cream flavor before. I know, not as creative as this recipe or this one, but trust me, necessary. Because, one: you can always use another no churn ice cream recipe and two: I have a follow-up dessert that revolves around this one and trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Peanut Butter Ripple Chocolate Ice Cream

You don’t need an ice cream maker to make this ice cream! Rich chocolate ice cream with a ribbon of salty peanut butter.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~1½ quarts

Ingredients

16 fluid ounces (2 cups) heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
50g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder (any kind will work, I used a lighter cocoa powder for a more milk-chocolatey flavor)
15 milliliters 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
200g (~¾ cup) creamy peanut butter
1g (¼ teaspoon) salt

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa and vanilla; mixture will be very thick; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
Once cream is ready, gently fold ⅓ of it into sweetened condensed milk mixture; gently fold in remaining cream until fully combined
Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container; microwave peanut butter for 15 seconds and stir in salt; drizzle half of salted peanut butter over top then run a knife through peanut butter to marbleize; repeat with remaining ice cream and peanut butter
Wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight

Notes

Base from Martha Stewart

No Churn Oreo Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

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Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

April 20, 2015 Keep It Sweet 12 Comments

The prettiest parfaits layered with lemon whipped cream, fluffy meringue and fresh berries.

I’d love to say that I had this big “creative” idea to turn a pavlova into a parfait but that would be a lie. In fact, I had all intentions of sharing a perfectly pretty pavlova with you until mine crumbled a bit too much and looked like an all around hot mess.

But while it looked eh it tasted perfect. The baked meringue was light and crispy on the outside and fluffy and soft on the inside. It was way too delicious to throw away. And while the resulting dessert wasn’t exactly what I planned, it actually worked out better. I really enjoyed serving the individual glasses to friends. It’s not my usual serving choice but it was just right.

Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

The prettiest parfaits layered with lemon whipped cream, fluffy meringue and fresh berries.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 6 individual servings

Ingredients

6 cocktail glasses or glass bowls
1 pavlova broken into bite sized pieces (can substitute broken meringue cookies as well)
355 milliliters (1½ cups) heavy whipping cream
44 milliliters (3 tablespoons) lemon juice (~1 lemon)
53g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
2½ cup fresh berries washed and dried (I used a mix of raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries)

Instructions

Prepare lemon whipped cream; in the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream and lemon juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form
Put about ⅓ of a cup of whipped cream on the bottom of each glass; layer with ⅓ cup of berries in each glass; follow that layer with crumbled pavlova (enough to reach the rim of each glass)
Dollop remaining whipped cream on top of each parfait along with a couple of berries
Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator until ready to enjoy

Notes

Pavlova can be baked up to three days in advance. Just store in an airtight container and break into pieces right before putting together parfaits
Parfaits prepared and served on same day but can be enjoyed within three days

Get some of everything at once for the perfect bite!

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Monster Cookie Dough Ice Cream (No Churn!)

March 9, 2015 Keep It Sweet 17 Comments

Vanilla ice cream loaded with monster cookie dough (peanut butter oatmeal cookie dough with M&Ms and chocolate chips!). You will enjoy cookie dough in every bite!

I think the deep freeze is over (said crossing fingers and knocking on wood). And in case it’s not obvious, I (and everyone else in the northeast) am more than ready. I’m ready for shorts, flip-flops (okay, I’d settle for being outside without a puffy coat), walks with L and warm weather food. I’m ready for ice cream, lots of it.

Okay, let’s be real. I’ve been eating ice cream all winter long. Maybe not quite as much ice cream as I ate last summer, but plenty still. The main difference is that I currently eat it with the heat turned up while wearing a massive sweatshirt and wool socks. Last week, when I remembered that I had some heavy cream about to expire, I was inspired to go churn up make some super easy and delicious ice cream once again. I asked on Facebook and Twitter what flavor I should make and Erin suggested monster cookie dough. Genius much?

Monster cookies are typically peanut butter oatmeal cookies loaded with M&Ms. How could that possibly be a bad thing? And what tastes good as a cookie almost always tastes better as cookie dough. So translated into ice cream we are in clear delicious territory. Not to mention that this ice cream really is LOADED with cookie dough. No searching with the spoon to find the little chunks (don’t pretend you don’t do that). Seriously, cookie dough in every bite.

Monster Cookie Dough Ice Cream (No Churn!)

Vanilla ice cream loaded with monster cookie dough (peanut butter oatmeal cookie dough with M&Ms and chocolate chips!). You will enjoy cookie dough in every bite!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: Makes ~1½ quarts

Ingredients

16 fluid ounces (2 cups) heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
1 recipe for oatmeal cookie dough (see below)

Instructions

In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
While whipping cream, pour sweetened condensed milk into a separate large bowl and mix with vanilla
Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture; fold in cookie dough
Pour ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan
Wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight

Notes

Base from Martha Stewart

Monster Cookie Dough Ice Cream (No Churn!)

Edible Monster Cookie Dough

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

65g (~1/4 cup) creamy peanut butter
14g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
28 g (~2 tablespoons packed) light brown sugar, firmly packed
25g (~2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
5 milliliters / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g (~¾ cup) rolled oats
½g (¼ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
½g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
56g (~1/4 cup) mini M&Ms
53g (~1/4 cup) mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla
Gradually stir in oats, cinnamon salt just until combined
Stir in M&Ms and chocolate chips
Set aside to make ice cream

No Churn Peanut Butter Ripple Chocolate Ice Cream

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Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups

February 12, 2015 Keep It Sweet 18 Comments

Rich homemade candy cups filled with peanut butter caramel sauce and topped with the perfect amount of flaky sea salt.

I told you I had something up my sleeve for the caramel sauce. I don’t even think I need to talk too much about these little candy cups, the pictures say it all. Last minute Valentine’s Day treat perhaps?

4.0 from 1 reviews

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups

Rich homemade candy cups filled with peanut butter caramel sauce and topped with the perfect amount of flaky sea salt.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12 candy cups

Ingredients

10 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce
Flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge for fifteen minutes or until chocolate is set
Remove pan from fridge and spoon caramel sauce into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon); if caramel sauce has been chilled and is firm, microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir for a more workable consistency
Spoon melted chocolate over caramel and around edges so that coated on all sides; sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt if desired (and it should be desired)
Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

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Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

February 9, 2015 Keep It Sweet 11 Comments

Everybody loves caramel sauce but peanut butter caramel sauce takes your traditional ice cream topping to another level!

I haven’t been doing a ton of baking since L was born. I’ve been having a little trouble motivating myself and finding my creativity. In fact, when I made these cookies, I ended up taking more pictures of L than I did the cookies. Whoops! He is just too cute sometimes and I can’t help myself.

So when I saw this recipe, I was obviously excited.since I decided to make peanut butter caramel sauce the next day. My mom was here helping with L and I took about ten minutes in the kitchen to whip this up. Basically the best way to spend a few minutes away from that little monkey if I have to.

The sauce turned out pretty darn amazing… I kind of feel like I should always have a batch of it on hand. Other than eating it straight from the jar with a spoon you can do so many things with this sauce… ice cream sundaes (obviously), cake, Oreo bars….. the list goes on! AND I have a new idea coming to you later this week.

Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

Everybody loves caramel sauce but peanut butter caramel sauce takes your traditional ice cream topping to another level!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 1¼ cups

Ingredients

160 grams / 5⅝ ounces (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
[45] milliliters / 3 tablespoons water
117 milliliters / 4 fluid ounces ( ½ cup) heavy cream
29 milliliters / 1 fluid ounces (2 tablespoons) milk (any type)
2 grams (1 teaspoon) coarse or flaky sea salt
77 grams / 2 ¾ ounces (¼ cup) creamy peanut butter (not all natural)

Instructions

Combine the sugar and water in a medium* heavy-duty saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves
Let boil for several minutes without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, watching closely so it doesn’t burn; Once the caramel begins to darken, the rest of the process happens very quickly (see photos above for caramelization process)
As soon as most of the sugar water mixture is a deep amber, whisk in the cream (be careful as mixture will bubble up) and remove from heat immediately
Whisk in milk and sea salt
Place pot back over low heat and quickly whisk in peanut butter; remove from heat as soon as combined
Serve warm or store covered in refrigerator up to two weeks**

Notes

Adapted from my salted caramel and this peanut butter caramel
*If doubling, use a large pot and allow extra time for caramelization
**For thicker sauce, chill in refrigerator for a few hours before using or serving; re-heat gently before serving

How to Make Salted Caramel

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Peanut Butter Banana Energy Balls {gluten-free, vegan}

January 5, 2015 Keep It Sweet 12 Comments

A no-bake treat and healthy snack made with just a few ingredients. These naturally gluten-free energy balls are so convenient to have on hand!

Every day since L was born, you would think I hadn’t eaten in a week. Seriously, I’m so hungry ALL the time. He eats every three hours and I do too. Sometimes I have time to make myself a big salad and inhale it in about three minutes. Sometimes I have him on my lap while I try to cut the chicken on my plate into bite sized pieces with just one hand. Other times I have him in the Baby K’tan and try not to spill food on his head (there may or may not have been an incident with turkey). And sometimes I just need something to grab. While I definitely eat a lot and have my fair share of dessert, I’ve been trying to eat mostly healthy every day since having him. Snacks like these little energy balls have saved me. I’ll often grab three or four out of the freezer and pair them with a couple sticks of string cheese for a surprisingly filling and healthy snack that you can eat with one hand. New mom win!

Peanut Butter Banana Energy Balls {gluten-free, vegan}

A no-bake treat and healthy snack made with just a few ingredients. These naturally gluten-free energy balls are so convenient to have on hand!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 30 bite-sized energy balls

Ingredients

245g(~2 medium) ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
32g (2 tablespoons) creamy natural peanut butter (I prefer salted)
20g (2 tablespoons) chia seeds
1g (~1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
80g (1 cup) old-fashioned oats
80g (1 cup) old-fashioned oats, ground
24g (¼ cup) PB2, peanut flour or protein powder

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside
In a medium bowl, combine bananas, peanut butter, chia seeds and cinnamon
Stir in oatmeal, ground oats and PB2 until well combined
Use a tablespoon or small cookie dough scoop to divide up dough and then use your hands to roll into balls; place on prepared baking sheet
Freeze for two hours before placing balls to store in a ziplock bag or Tupperware container
Freeze for up to one month; energy balls can be enjoyed frozen or at room temperature

Notes

*If making for someone with a gluten sensitivity, make sure that all ingredients are certified gluten-free
These run about 40 calories / piece; I like eating a few at a time with some string cheese for a filling snack

Vegan & Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Fig Granola

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Vegan Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream

Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites

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Skillet Apple Crisp with Brown Butter Sauce {gluten-free}

October 9, 2014 Keep It Sweet 13 Comments

Served warm, this skillet apple crisp is just what you need to fill you up at the end of a cool Fall day!

This apple crisp is warm and hearty and perfect for the end of a chilly day (or in my case, mid-morning on a hot day in mid-August…). You can make it in a skillet which I love, it gives the dessert a nice rustic feel and encourages everyone at the table to help themselves to a generous serving. The brown butter sauce is the perfect addition because the crisp itself is almost light. The sauce basically adds a richness that you might not be able to find in a fruit heavy dessert.

Of course you can still add some vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream, but I found that the addition of that brown butter topping really makes this a very satisfying dessert on its own. I’m not kidding when I say I enjoyed this mid-morning. It was impossible to resist fresh out of the oven once the photos were taken. Besides, all of those fresh apple chunks and oats make this sort of kind of healthy. Right???

Skillet Apple Crisp with Brown Butter Sauce {gluten-free}

Served warm, this skillet apple crisp is just what you need to fill you up at the end of a cool Fall day!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

Topping:
55g (~1/2 cup) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
40g (~1/2 cup) old fashioned oatmeal*
70g (~1/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
55g (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Filling:
~8 cups chopped apples, peeling optional (from 908 grams or about 7 medium whole apples) (preferably granny smith or honeycrisp)
28g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
15g (~2 tablespoons) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
15 milliliters / 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
14g (1 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar
Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
Prepare filling; in 10 or 12-inch skillet, stir together apples, granulated sugar, oat flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly with topping
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, if you see that topping has started to get to brown early, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time
Remove crisp from oven and immediately prepare brown butter glaze

Notes

Adapted from my Summer Berry Skillet Crisp
*If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
The apple crisp can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold

Brown Butter Sauce

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
100g (~3/4 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
15 milliliters / 1 tablespoon milk, any type
5 milliliters / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Brown the butter; heat butter in a small heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (you should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter)
Pour butter into a medium heat-proof bowl (do NOT leave behind the sediment, it adds flavor); whisk in sugar, milk and vanilla
Immediately pour glaze over hot apple crisp and serve

Notes

Recipe from Martha Stewart, originally seen on i am baker

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Creamy and Refreshing Lemon Ice Cream (No Churn)

August 4, 2014 Keep It Sweet 18 Comments

Another ice cream recipe that doesn’t require an ice cream maker! This Lemon Ice Cream is super creamy and quite refreshing, a wonderful summer treat!

Sometimes when I enjoy a lemon dessert, I feel like a traitor to my former self. I was so sworn against lemon anything forever and now I feel like such a hypocrite. But you know what, I’ll get over that, because now is the time to embrace new tastes and delicious, refreshing summer flavors.

That isn’t to say that I’m not ultra picky about lemon sweets (even more picky than I am about all sweets, hard to believe). Lemon bars still kind of gross me out, as does lemon meringue pie. But when lemon desserts are done right, they can be quite delicious. Not too sweet and not too tart are the most important factors. And then there is texture. This ice cream for example, has just enough lemon flavor to make it a refreshing treat, but it is also ultra creamy and has the potential to fulfill all of your ice cream loving needs. Have a small scoop on a hot night or use it in an ice cream sundae. This blueberry sauce would probably be perfect for that. If you are really smart, you will make this ice cream right now so it’s ready for my recipe that’s coming on Thursday. Hint, hint!

5.0 from 3 reviews

No Churn Lemon Ice Cream

Another ice cream recipe that doesn’t require an ice cream maker! This Lemon Ice Cream is super creamy and quite refreshing, a wonderful summer treat!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 1½ quarts

Ingredients

(2 cups heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6g (~2 tablespoons) lemon zest (from ~2 lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from ~1 lemon)

Instructions

In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice
Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture
Pour ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container
Freeze for 6 hours or overnight before serving

Notes

Base from Martha Stewart

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No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts

July 24, 2014 Keep It Sweet 20 Comments

Creamy chocolate ice cream filled with crunchy sweet and salty candied peanuts. No ice cream maker needed!

I was hesitant to make an ice cream that Matt wouldn’t like (ahem, peanut hater), but ultimately I couldn’t resist. Besides, he’d choose a vanilla base any day while I am a sucker for chocolate. Especially when that chocolate has something fun in it. These crunchy chunks of candied peanuts are the perfect compliment to the creamy chocolate base. Again, this ice cream is so easy to make. It’s joining my ever-growing list of no-churn obsessions.

No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts

Creamy chocolate ice cream filled with crunchy sweet and salty candied peanuts. No ice cream maker needed!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~1½ quarts

Ingredients

473 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
50g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder (any kind will work, I used a lighter cocoa powder for a more milk-chocolatey flavor)
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
1¼ cups Salty Candied Peanuts (recipe below)

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa and vanilla; mixture will be very thick; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
Once cream is ready, gently fold ⅓ of it into sweetened condensed milk mixture; gently fold in remaining cream until fully combined; fold in candied peanuts
Pour ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container; wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight

Notes

Base from Martha Stewart

Salty Candied Peanuts

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 2½ cups

Ingredients

150g (1 cup) chopped peanuts, roasted and unsalted
110g (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
20 milliliters 4 teaspoons water
2½g (1/2 teaspoon) table or kosher salt

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
Cook peanuts, sugar and water in a small heavy duty sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring regularly until sugar begins to caramelize
When mixture begins to bubble, stir quickly until sugar is completely crystalized (it will appear very sandy and dry), about 3 minutes
Continue to cook while stirring constantly until sugar re-melts and turns a dark golden brown (~3 minutes); be careful not to burn
Remove from heat and stir in salt
Spread nuts out onto prepared baking sheet and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes; break peanuts up into small chunks and place in an airtight container until ready to use (up to two weeks)

Notes

From Baking Bites

I hope you aren’t sick of the ice cream recipes yet…

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream (No Churn)

July 14, 2014 Keep It Sweet 30 Comments

Super creamy pumpkin ice cream with a cinnamon brown sugar swirl. No ice cream maker needed for this recipe!

It was so much fun reconnecting with my best friends from childhood this weekend. I was only with them for one night but we had such a good time. We had dinner at Amada and then a few of us were up talking for a couple of hours in the room. I stayed up to the record hour of 1am (well, I didn’t really sleep much so it was practically an all-nighter for me). Only someone you know from the age of seven can get away with trying to wake up a baby in your belly. Ha! And only someone you’ve been best friends with since fourth grade knows that all you want after a night out is to get back to the room, change into PJs and have the options of many snacks.

But this ice cream… I made it a few weeks ago, shared a little bit, and then ate most of it myself. Matt doesn’t love pumpkin but did admit that it was pretty darn good. Pretty darn good is an understatement. The flavor was fantastic, the texture was so creamy and the cinnamon bun swirl… well, what do you think?! Make this immediately so that you can enjoy it later. Trust me.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream (No Churn)

Super creamy pumpkin ice cream with a cinnamon brown sugar swirl. No ice cream maker needed for this recipe!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~1½ quarts

Ingredients

475 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
160g (2/3 cup) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
2g (3/4 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
½g (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
120g (~1/2 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
6g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon

Instructions

In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
While whipping cream, in a separate large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg
In a separate small bowl, combine brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon; set aside
Once cream is ready, fold it into sweetened condensed milk mixture
Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan and drop half of brown sugar mixture over top; top with remaining ice cream and top with remaining brown sugar mixture; wrap well with seran wrap or tin foil
Freeze for 10 hours or overnight before serving

Notes

Base from Martha Stewart

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Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple

July 3, 2014 Keep It Sweet 14 Comments

This healthy version of ice cream is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

I’ve got another ice cream recipe for you that doesn’t require an ice cream maker! Although, this one is a little different. When I was in the midst of a baking rampage a few weeks ago, Matt asked if I could try to make something healthy. Well, wish granted! This isn’t your typical ice cream, and I’m not going to lie, it’s not as creamy as the fat-filled regular version. But when you want a sweet frozen treat that is on the healthier side, this banana ice cream is perfect.

I’m not the first person to make banana ice cream in a blender, I’ve seen it done about four million times before. But for my purposes, I wanted a flavor that felt a little more indulgent and didn’t leave my sweet tooth and cravings completely unsatisfied. The fudge ripple and chocolate chunks through definitely do the trick!

2.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple

Fudge Ripple Makes ½ cup Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~3/4 quart (3-6 servings)

Ingredients

610g (~4 large) frozen bananas, sliced
60 milliliters (1/4 cup) almond milk
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
65g dark chocolate, chopped (check to make sure dairy-free if Vegan)
¼ cup chocolate ripple (see below)

Instructions

In a high-speed blender (I used a Vitamix) combine frozen bananas, almond milk and vanilla for several minutes or until completely combined; should be the consistency of soft serve yogurt
Fold in chopped chocolate and pour into a regular sized loaf pan
Drizzle with fudge ripple; cover with seran wrap or tin foil and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving

2.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Chunk Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Ripple

Fudge Ripple Makes ½ cup Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ½ cup

Ingredients

50g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
50 milliliters (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) light corn syrup
60 milliliters (1/4 cup) water
25g (~1/4 cup) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1 milliliter (1/4 teaspoon) vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder; whisk constantly until mixture comes to a low boil
Cook for one additional minute, still whisking and then remove from heat
Stir in vanilla
Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour or until ready to use (up to two weeks)

Notes

Recipe from David Lebovitz via Epicurious

No guilt necessary!

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{Gluten-Free} Summer Berry Skillet Crisp

June 16, 2014 Keep It Sweet 9 Comments

A summer berry crisp topped with buttery oat crumble. It just so happens to be gluten-free!

I know I’ve talked about this before, but I have a serious issue when I see summer fruit at Costco. I can NOT buy enough. A few weeks ago, I needed food for five days, just five. Now, given my current insatiable pregnancy hunger, I do eat enough for an extra person, but I’m pretty sure that either way, Matt and I can not possibly consume 4 pounds of blueberries, 4 pounds of strawberries and 1 pound of blackberries in just five days. Believe me, I’ve tried. So what’s a person to do when they have an excessive amount of fruit? Bake of course.

I generally don’t let a season pass without making at least one warm fruit crumble of sorts. They are almost too easy to make and compared to some of my typical baking, they are definitely on the lighter side. Of course a generous helping of ice cream is always necessary, but hey, a pregnant lady needs calcium! This might be one of my favorites because it is heavy on the blueberries. There was one summer where I swear, we made blueberry crisp multiple times a week throughout the entire season. So between the nostalgia, and the wonderful bursts of flavor, this crisp definitely made me happy.

{Gluten-Free} Summer Berry Skillet Crisp

A summer berry crisp topped with buttery oat crumble. It just so happens to be gluten-free!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

Topping:

55g (~1/2 cup) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
40g (~1/2 cup) old fashioned oatmeal*
70g (~1/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
55g (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:

450g (~4 cups) blueberries
370g chopped strawberries (from 465 grams / 1 pound whole)
400g (~4 cups) blackberries
57g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
15g (~2 tablespoons) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
14g (1 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar
Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
Prepare filling; in 10 or 12-inch skillet, stir together fruit, granulated sugar, oat flour, lemon juice and butter; sprinkle evenly with topping
Bake for about 30 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, if you see that topping has started to get to brown early, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time

Notes

Adapted from my Winter Fruit Crisp and Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp*
If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
You can replace fresh berries with frozen but cooking time may increase
This warm berry crisp is best served family style with generous scoops of ice cream
The entire dish can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold

No Churn Blueberry Crisp Ice Cream

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Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

Brown Butter Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Blondies

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{Gluten-Free} Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 27, 2014 Keep It Sweet 13 Comments

Brown butter chocolate chip cookies are made with quinoa flour and almond meal to satisfy your gluten-free and gluten-loving cookie cravings.

It’s pretty much common knowledge that cookies can cure almost anything. So when a friend of mine was going through a hard time, I immediately wanted to send her some. She happens to be gluten-free so I wanted them to be something special and taste just as good as the gluten-full versions that she misses! Well, these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies definitely fit the bill. They are thick and chewy and oh so satisfying. Between the brown butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and salt, the flavor is full and well-rounded. The combination of quinoa flour and almond meal made them feel substantial and satisfying, not at all dry or bland.

{Gluten-Free} Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown butter chocolate chip cookies are made with quinoa flour and almond meal to satisfy your gluten-free and gluten-loving cookie cravings.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 13 large cookies

Ingredients

110g (~1 cup) quinoa flour
90g (~1 cup) almond meal
3g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
4g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
76g (1/3 cup) unsalted browned butter, cooled*
295g (~1¼ cups tightly packed) light brown sugar
50g (1 large) egg at room temperature
17g (1 large) egg yolk at room temperature
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
160g (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, baking soda and salt; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined (1-2 minutes); add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until well-combined (1-2 minutes)
Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula and add dry ingredients; mix on low speed just until combined; do not overmix
Stir in chocolate chips and place dough in refrigerator to chill for thirty minutes
While dough is chilling, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and two line baking sheets with parchment paper or slipats
When ready to bake, use a large cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about ¼ cup each) on top of parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart
Bake for 13-14 minutes or until cookies have lightly browned around edges and are slightly firm to the touch

Notes

*To brown the butter, heat it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately. You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter
Best eaten day of baking; store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze for up to one month

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BLUEberry Buttercream Cups

May 12, 2014 Keep It Sweet 14 Comments

These Blueberry Buttercream Cups are the perfect no-bake chocolate treats. They are so easy to make.

I think I might be a little obsessed with buttercream candy cups now. First there were the Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups and then I made these Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups. The thing is, this is such an easy dessert to make. I was able to do all of the work and clean up in the time it took Matt to go to the driving range. I could have eaten them all and he wouldn’t even have had a clue. Sometimes that is the best kind of dessert.

So when I was thinking endlessly of some sort of fancy gender reveal post, I’m glad that it finally occurred to me to make some buttercream cups again. I still don’t have high energy levels so it’s hard to motivate myself to make anything overly complicated. Besides, blueberry buttercream plus chocolate – it’s like a gourmet truffle on crack.

Wait, what? Did I say gender reveal? The filling might not be super blue (I’m trying to stay away from artificial coloring right now), but it is blue! And that’s pretty much my favorite color since we found out that we are having a boy a couple of weeks ago! It actually wasn’t a shock, everyone seemed convinced of that a couple of months ago. If I had been told anything else, I wouldn’t have believed the doctor anyway. I grew up with a sister so this whole boy world is new and exciting for me. And besides that, finding out the sex made things feel SO much more real. We’ve even started looking at furniture and all of the cute room decorations out there. Seriously, how is everything baby so darn cute? And Matt? I don’t think I’ve seen him this happy in the entire 10+ years we’ve been together. That might be the best part!

BLUEberry Buttercream Cups

These Blueberry Buttercream Cups are the perfect no-bake chocolate treats. They are so easy to make.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12 candy cups

Ingredients

227g good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
1½ cups Blueberry Buttercream (see below)

Instructions

Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

Blueberry Buttercream

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
240g (1½ cups) powdered sugar
⅛ cup blueberry puree (made from ¼ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries)
½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on high speed for several minutes until light and creamy
Scrape the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar; beat on high speed until combined
Scrape the sides of the bowl and add blueberry puree, vanilla and salt; mix on medium speed for one minute; beat on high speed for at least five minutes and until frosting is light and creamy; if it appears too thick, continue to beat for another couple of minutes or until it reaches desired consistency

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Dear Pottery Barn Kids – you might just be the end of my bank account.

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Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups

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Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

April 9, 2014 Keep It Sweet 41 Comments

These dark chocolate candy cups are filled with a delicious creamy buttercream. They are a gluten-free, no-bake treat for any occasion.

Today’s post is exciting because I’m part of a huge group of blogging ladies celebrating Steph’s virtual baby shower! This sweet and talented blogger is due to have a baby girl in just a few weeks and I am so excited for her. I’ve never met Steph in real life, but through talking online I already know what a kind, friendly and lovely person she is. Not to mention she is writing a delicious looking e-cookbook!

For the virtual shower, I went with one of my favorite party staples, a bite-size pickup dessert. I love small desserts at parties because they give guests the chance to try a little bit of everything. These candy cups are a new variation of the Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups I shared a few weeks ago. This version swaps the filling for a simple vanilla buttercream tinted in pink and perfect for a (girl) baby shower. Of course you could make them blue for a boy as well. I also left out the Oreos this time to keep them gluten-free and Passover appropriate (just in time!). I think this will be a nice treat to share at our seder on Tuesday night. Scroll down to see what treats everyone else is sharing!

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

These dark chocolate candy cups are filled with a delicious creamy buttercream. They are a gluten-free, no-bake treat for any occasion.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12 candy cups

Ingredients

227g good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
1½ cups Vanilla Buttercream (replace food coloring with just 2 drops red food coloring); optional

Instructions

Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters

Don’t forget to take a look at what the other bloggers are bringing to the shower!

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes from Sarcastic Cooking

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake with Lemon Drizzle from Greens & Chocolate

Super Chewy M&M Blondies from The Realistic Nutritionist

Strawberry Cinnamon Twist Knots from A Kitchen Addiction

Lemon Shortbread with Salted Chocolate Drizzle from The Lemon Bowl

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream from A Zesty Bite

Blackberry and Mango Curd Pie from Joanne Eats Well With Others

Pecan Sticky Buns from Warm Vanilla Sugar

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins from Garnish with Lemon

Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Susie Freaking Homemaker

Super Simple Sugar Cookies from Espresso and Cream

Raspberry Acai Frozen Margarita from Nutmeg Nanny

Berry Coconut Frozen Yogurt from The Law Student’s Wife

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups from Keep it Sweet Desserts

Broccoli Salad with Honey Toasted Walnuts from The Roasted Root

Neapolitan Baked Doughnuts from Climbing Grier Mountain

Giant Pink M&M and Raisinette Cookies from Steph’s Bite by Bite

No-Bake Rhubarb Cheesecake Parfait Cups from Hungry Girl Por Vida

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from A Cedar Spoon

Freckled Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade from Take a Megabite

Vanilla Anise Cupcakes from Blahnik Baker

Mini Vanilla Bean Layer Cakes from The Baker Chick

Mini Blackberry Hazelnut Meringue Cakes from Eat Your Heart Out

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Pink Champagne Pops

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

Blog, Recipes

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache

January 13, 2014 Keep It Sweet 13 Comments

Rice Krispie treats are all grown up with the addition of salted caramel and a rich mocha ganache. Make this special treat for Super Bowl or your next gathering and watch the Rice Krispie treats disappear!

Last Monday we talked the how-tos on making salted caramel. Just a few ingredients and no thermometer; the basics really aren’t that hard. Now that we have that covered, I figured you could use some new recipes for the salted caramel that you won’t want to stop making (and eating).

These sweet and salty rice krispie treats are a fun and easy no-bake treat to make. They might be the perfect pick-up treat for the Super Bowl in a few weeks. The salted caramel krispie treat base is slightly gooey so they are best stored in the refrigerator. The mocha ganache is rich and really makes them something special. I liked them with and without the ganache topping, though.

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats with Mocha Ganache

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 24 servings

Ingredients

Mocha Ganache

10 ounces dark chocolate (I used 70%), coarsely chopped
4 fluid ounces cup extra-strong brewed coffee (4 fluid ounces hot water + 1 heaping
teaspoon + of instant coffee)
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature and sliced

Rice Krispie Treats

1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows
6 fluid ounces (3/4 cup) salted caramel sauce
7 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

Mocha Ganache

Set up a double boiler; bring water to a simmer in medium pot over
low-medium heat
Place heat-proof bowl of chocolate over the pot
Pour the coffee over chocolate
Continuously stir until chocolate is melted and smooth
Remove bowl from heat and whisk in the butter until creamy
Set ganache aside to cool, stirring occasionally

Rice Krispie Treats

Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray; set aside
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter
Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted
Remove from heat and stir in caramel sauce until well combined
Stir in Rice Krispies
Use a greased spatula to press mixture down into prepared baking dish
Spread mocha ganache evenly over top of treats and sprinkle with flaky sea salt
Chill in refrigerator for one hour or until set
Cut and serve; leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to one week

Notes

Heavily adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

White Chocolate Cinnamon Bun Rice Krispie Treats

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Rice Kripie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Vanilla Cookie Krispie Treats

Blog, Recipes

How to Make Salted Caramel Without a Candy Thermometer

January 6, 2014 Keep It Sweet 25 Comments

This basic recipe for salted caramel is all you need for the perfect sauce or dessert component.

I’ve decided that January will be salted caramel month on the blog. There are a few recipes that I’ll be sharing over the next few weeks that incorporate one of my favorite dessert components, but I didn’t want to dive into them without going over the basics. This salted caramel sauce recipe is easy to make, even if you don’t have a candy thermometer! It only requires a few basic ingredients, your stove, a heavy duty pot and a whisk. The sauce is perfect for topping ice cream, fruit crisps, pies and other desserts but it also is great for enhancing things like cookies and cakes. After you try it once, you might never go back to store-bought caramel!

How to Make Salted Caramel Without a Candy Thermometer

This basic recipe for salted caramel is all you need for the perfect sauce or dessert component.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 1 cup

Ingredients

¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons milk (any type)
½ tablespoon coarse or flaky sea salt*

Instructions

Combine the sugar and water in a medium** heavy-duty saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves
Let boil for several minutes without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, watching closely so it doesn't burn; Once the caramel begins to darken, the rest of the process happens very quickly (see photos above for caramelization process)
As soon as most of the sugar water mixture is a deep amber, whisk in the cream (be careful as mixture will bubble up) and remove from heat immediately
Whisk in milk and sea salt; serve warm or store covered in refrigerator up to two weeks***

Notes

*If looking to make a basic caramel sauce without the extra salt flair, reduce to ½ teaspoon
**If doubling, use a large pot and allow extra time for caramelization
***For thicker sauce, chill in refrigerator for a few hours before using or serving; re-heat gently if desired

Over 25 Recipes Using Salted Caramel

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Salted Caramel & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins Made with Quinoa Flour {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

November 7, 2013 Keep It Sweet 28 Comments

Light and moist pumpkin muffins that are quick and easy to make. Void of dairy and gluten, these muffins are allergy friendly, too!

Wow, it seems like forever ago that I made these muffins! It was actually towards the beginning of October because I brought them when we visited my sister in Boston. Now we are in November and I am counting down the days until I see my her for Thanksgiving! This is for sure the longest stretch of time I’ve gone without seeing Jessica in years. We’ve actually been able to catch each other on the phone a couple of times a week… nice, but not the same. With Jessica up in Boston and most of my best friends spread out from Philadelphia to Florida, I sure miss the women in my life!

Luckily there are various forms of fall carbs to comfort me. Pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins are one of my all-time favorite fall treats. My mom’s pumpkin bread is truly the best and I’ll definitely be enjoying that on Thanksgiving. For my gluten-free friends, though, I’ve found something that isn’t so far off. This recipe for gluten-free pumpkin muffins is so easy and doesn’t require any crazy mixing of flours. Just got some quinoa flour and you are set!

Knowing that these are gluten-free, I could tell. But if you had made them for me and didn’t tell me I don’t think I would have noticed. Does that make sense? The texture was pretty great (light and moist but not quite as hearty as the regular version) and the flavor is just how I like it, classic pumpkin.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins Made with Quinoa Flour {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

Light and moist pumpkin muffins that are quick and easy to make. Void of dairy and gluten, these muffins are allergy friendly, too!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients

6 ounces (~1½ cups) quinoa flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup canola oil
4⅛ ounces (~1/2 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
3¾ ounces granulated sugar (~1/2 cup)
2 large eggs or 1 x-large egg + 1 x-large yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a regular sized muffin tin with butter or non-stick spray
In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (quinoa flour through ginger); set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (pumpkin through vanilla)
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined
Distribute evenly in prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about ⅔ of the way full
Bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of muffin
Store in a ziplock bag or airtight container at room temperature for a few days or freeze for up to one month

Notes

Very slightly adapted from Espresso and Cream who had adapted from With Style & Grace

Gluten-Free Banana Cake

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Gluten-Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Banana Breakfast Bake

Blog, Recipes

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bake {gluten-free, dairy-free}

October 28, 2013 Keep It Sweet 17 Comments

This make-ahead breakfast bake is healthy, hearty and tasty! Full of pumpkin, bananas and oatmeal, you will feel good serving this to your family for breakfast.

Confession: This recipe is already on the blog.

But…. ouch! I realize that something like this is hard to photograph, but those pictures were just so bad. And the writing? I think it took me a year to find my voice. Every time I read an early post it just feels so awkward. It’s almost as bad as reading your diary from middle school. Yikes, was that really me?

I’m hoping to go through some other old posts to do them over as well. I’m sure some of my recipe directions weren’t as clear as they can be and I’d just really love to have better pictures of some poor desserts that are stuck looking ugly. Did this really happen? Did I think this was appetizing (scroll down)?

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bake {gluten-free, dairy-free}

This make-ahead breakfast bake is healthy, hearty and tasty! Full of pumpkin, bananas and oatmeal, you will feel good serving this to your family for breakfast.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

6 ounces (~2 cups) rolled oats*
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1½ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
6 fluid ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk (skim milk or soy milk can be subbed)
4 fluid ounces egg replacement or egg whites (equivalent of about 3 egg whites)
5 ounces (~1/2 cup) mashed brown ripe bananas (~2 small or 1 large)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until mixed
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 23-28 minutes in middle of oven, or until a knife comes out clean from center
Serve immediately or store covered at room temperature up to three days; can also be wrapped and frozen for an easy weekday breakfast

Notes

*Check that your ingredients are labeled gluten-free if avoiding gluten
There is no added sugar to this recipe, if you are looking for a very sweet breakfast, I suggest topping with maple syrup
Additional toppings might include greek yogurt, nut butter, sliced almonds and cooked fruit

P.S. Head over to Erin’s site for a Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway!

And in honor of learning how to use a camera, I created a fun little GIF.

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Cinnamon Chip Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

My Favorite Pumpkin Bread

Blog, Recipes

Homemade Peanut Butter & Fig Granola {Gluten-free}

September 3, 2013 Keep It Sweet 11 Comments

Easy homemade granola with chunks of dried figs and a crunchy peanut butter base.

I made a batch of this granola early in the summer. The first day I made myself a bowl with yogurt and blueberries then proceeded to eat most of the chunks out of the leftovers. Luckily the base was still good and when my sister said she really liked it I decided it was worth blogging.

Granola is so easy to make, but I don’t have a lot of self control when it is around. Luckily in this batch I kept the added sugars to a minimum so it is fairly healthy. Calorie-wise it is about 100 calories per quarter cup.

Homemade Peanut Butter & Fig Granola

Easy homemade granola with chunks of dried figs and a crunchy peanut butter base.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Makes: 3 cups of granola (6-12 servings)

Ingredients

5 tablespoons natural salted creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups old fashioned oats (make sure to choose a gluten-free variety if avoiding gluten)
4 dried figs, chopped into small pieces (about the size of a peanut)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place peanut butter in a medium-sized heat-proof bowl; microwave for thirty seconds or until peanut butter is slightly melted
Stir in maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon
Fold in oatmeal and dried figs
Spread granola out onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes and remove granola from oven; toss on pan and place back into oven immediately
Bake 5 – 10 minutes or or until lightly browned and allow to cool
Store in an air-tight container up to two weeks

Notes

Adapted from Julie’s Peanut Butter Granola

Reminder: Keep it Sweet Desserts is up for an American Made Award for the second year. Last year we did really well, this year I’m determined to do better! You can VOTE up to SIX times DAILY! I’d really appreciate your votes and sharing with friends. The winner will be selected based on VOTES and will be honored at the American Made workshop in October.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Key Lime Crispy Bars with Toasted Marshmallow Cream {Gluten Free} (Guest Post)

August 12, 2013 Keep It Sweet 6 Comments

A refreshing no-bake gluten-free marshmallow treat that is easy to make and perfect for a summer sweet tooth! Topped off with a toasted marshmallow cream, these aren’t your typical marshmallow treats!

Well, we are off to Hawaii tomorrow for our vacation. I couldn’t be more excited! This is the longest vacation I’ve taken since starting Keep It Sweet Desserts, and that is giving me a little anxiety. However, my plan is to zone out as much of the real-life stress as possible and just soak up the Hawaii sunshine and relax for 8 days. In all of the pre-vacation craze, my awesome sister offered to take a little work off my hands and guest blog for me today! The soon-to-be Harvard student made a twist on one of her favorite no-bake treats that I think you will enjoy! Thanks, Jess!!!

I’m not a big dessert person. Chocolate-y things don’t really do it for me, and I don’t ever “crave” sugar. Having said that, though, there are a couple of sweets that I LOVE. 1) Anything to do with marshmallows and 2) Anything to do with Key Lime. Since I am gluten free, S’MORES are a no-go and key lime pie just isn’t the same when you take away the crust. So when I found these key lime marshmallows in my local Walmart, and the new gluten free Vanilla Chex Cereal, I knew what I had to do. I had to make key lime rice crispy treats. And so I did.

Like all rice crispy treat recipes, this is super simple, and all I did was substitute Rice Krispies cereal for Vanilla Chex.

I wasn’t happy with the slime-green color of my crispy bars, so I decided to make a marshmallow cream to drizzle over it. Enter: toasted marshmallow cream.

The best part about these is that there is no waiting involved. Enjoy and happy eating.

Key Lime Crispy Bars with Toasted Marshmallow Cream {Gluten Free}

Serves 24

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of butter (or margarine), divided
2 cups plain marshmallows
2 cups key lime marshmallows
6 cups gluten-free Vanilla Chex Cereal
1 ½ cups Marshmallow Fluff

Directions:

Spray a 13 x 9 pan with baking spray and set aside
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large saucepan over low heat; add Marshmallows and stir until completely melted; remove from heat
Add Chex and stir until coated
Press cereal and marshmallow mixture into prepared baking pan
In the same saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with Marshmallow Fluff; stir until thin and creamy
Pour Fluff mixture over cereal
Cut and serve

Don’t forget to enter the fun Keep it Sweet Desserts giveaway!

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Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free}

July 15, 2013 Keep It Sweet 18 Comments

A summer fruit crisp topped with buttery crumb topping and crunchy pistachios. It just so happens it is gluten-free!

I don’t know if I mentioned this on here, but my sister was living with us for a few months. Her NYC lease ended in April, she relocated to my Parents this past weekend and then she moves to Boston in August. She is going to Harvard for grad school, no biggie. Ahem, huge biggie!

Jessica has about ten times the social life that I do, so she wasn’t around all that much while she lived here. Given the tight space (her “bed” aka air mattress was surrounded by packaging materials), I don’t blame her. It wasn’t the most glamorous of places to live. When she was around, though, it was really nice. The apartment is already feeling empty in her absence! Really, New York is feeling empty in her absence! I’ve been here for seven years, and minus her semester abroad, so has she. I have a feeling there will be a ton of trips to Boston in my near future.

Over the last month or so I’ve tried to spend extra time with her. Between girl’s night, days at the pool, Glee marathons and going away parties it has been a blast. Last week we even had a couple of her friends over for a mid-week barbeque. The best part of mid-week entertaining? Dessert. I stuck with something easy, summery and light-ish. This fruit-filled dessert is topped with an oatmeal based crumb topping that I added pistachios to for a salty contrast and crunch. You can use any fruit, really. I used some lackluster blackberries that were better off in a dessert and giant juicy peaches. Oh, and I am way too lazy to peel off the skin, so you can peel it if you prefer.

Blackberry, Peach and Pistachio Crisp {Gluten-free}

A summer fruit crisp topped with buttery crumb topping and crunchy pistachios. It just so happens it is gluten-free!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

Topping:

2 ounces (~1/2 cup) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
¾ ounces (~1/4 cup) old fashioned oatmeal*
1½ ounces (~1/3 cup) salted pistachios, roughly chopped
2.5 ounces (~1/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
2 ounces (1/4 cup / ½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:

1½ pounds (3 large / ~4 cup yield) peaches, thinly sliced, peeling the skin is optional
14 ounces (~4 cups) blackberries
2 ounces (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
½ ounces (~2 tablespoons) oat flour* (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ ounce (1 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9-inch baking dish (or one of comparable volume) and set aside
In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal, pistachios and brown sugar
Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
Prepare filling; in a very large bowl, stir together fruit, granulated sugar, oat flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and butter
Spread filling into prepared baking dish; sprinkle evenly with topping
Bake for about 35 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, if you see that topping has started to get to brown early, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time

Notes

Adapted from my Winter Fruit Crisp
*If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
The entire dish can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Apple and Pear Crisp

You should probably hurry to place a last minute order for the Smoked Sea Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blog, Recipes

How to Make Macarons and Some Super Bowl Ideas

January 28, 2013 Keep It Sweet 22 Comments

This past Saturday, Matt and I actually had a few hours with nothing on the agenda and I actually had energy, shocking! So I finally experimented with something I’ve been wanting to try forever, macarons!

I’ve loved macarons since I first tried them at the famous La Duree in Paris almost six years ago.

(Oh to be 22….)

Since then, I’ve tried a range of not-so-good specimens to just perfectly light and crisp shells sandwiched with creamy decadent fillings (this girl’s macarons are not a joke!).

Famous for their difficulty and challenges, I was terrified that my first attempt would be a failure. However, when I saw Annie’s step-by-step instructions for a fail-proof Italian method, I knew I had to try it. Plus, Matt said he would help so I knew there was another person to help make some judgment calls.

To keep things simple, I just used made a plain shell. I really wanted to get the hang of a basic recipe before playing around with it and potentially messing with the structure. Since I had some basic chocolate buttercream on hand, it worked for the filling. Next time, however, I’ll definitely try something more exciting like red velvet, peanut, or S’mores (or one of the other bazillion flavors I have pinned). I would also prefer a lighter swiss meringue buttercream instead. I think it would complement the macaron texture better.

All in all, I was thrilled with a pretty successful first attempt! I think it helped that there was almost no humidity and I really took my time. While I am clearly not an expert after that, I thought I’d share some tips that I used and / or will use going forward.

Tips for Making Macarons:

Equipment

Definitely make sure you have a kitchen scale and candy thermometer, this is the kind of recipe you want to be precise with
Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are really clean before you start, any grease will prevent the egg whites from forming a meringue (I wipe the equipment with white vinegar before starting)

Ingredients

Choose fresh ingredients; my almond meal was at the almost stale state and while I have a very sensitive palate, I can definitely tell that something is slightly off in flavor
Speaking of almond meal, I used Trader Joes; I think next time I’d look for some that is finer or pulse it through a food processor a few times to eliminate any interference with the clean, crisp texture

Process

Read the directions a few times to make sure you understand how each step works; setting up your mise en place certainly helps
Be patient! Almost every time I make some form of meringue I get paranoid that it won’t work, it just takes a few minutes more than I expect
Take your time folding the meringue into the almond meal paste, it is very delicate
Also take your time as you pipe your shells, that way yours might actually end up all the same size (mine definitely range!)
Be careful removing the shells from your parchment paper or slipat as to not break them

Storage

Store macarons for several days in refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer; bring to room temperature before serving

Even though it felt like a lot of work at the time, now I’m so excited to make them again. Now that I know what the batter is supposed to feel and look like, I’ll be a lot more confident for the next go around.

Oh, and in case you are looking for some fun ideas for your Super Bowl snacking on Sunday, check out some of the links below!

Fun Pick-up Desserts for Super-Bowl

My “Party Apps” Pinterest board has a ton of great recipes

Super Bowl Party Ideas from Young Married Chic (also check out these push-up pops!)

Super Bowl Recipes from Baked by Rachel

Upscale Party Food ideas from the Novice Chef

14 Super Bowl Recipes from Incredients Inc.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Blog, Recipes

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

January 7, 2013 Keep It Sweet 11 Comments

I made this fruit crisp so long ago, I had to hunt through piles and piles of notes and butter-stained papers to find it. Well, I guess Thanksgiving wasn’t that long ago, but right now it feels like a lifetime.

Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts. I mean, anything that is served warm with ice cream is always good, but since there is fruit you can pretty much rationalize that it is healthy, too. This version is a good compromise since it is made with oatmeal and oat flour. Butter, sugar, what? Just look at all that fruit!

I’ve actually been making a version of this for years but wanted to take out the gluten so that my sister could also enjoy it for the holiday. Honestly, you don’t miss a thing. I could not taste a difference and neither could any of our guests.

Winter Fruit Crisp {Gluten-free}

A warm and comforting winter dessert! This fruit crisp is full of apples, pears and cranberries.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12-18 servings

Ingredients

Topping:

4 ounces (~1 cup) oat flour (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
3⅜ ounces (~1 cup) old fashioned oatmeal
5.5 ounces (~2/3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
4 ounces (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes

Filling:

6 medium apples (preferably a combination of honey crisp and granny smith)
3 large pears, any type (ripe but still firm)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
5⅝ ounces (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
1⅜ ounces (~1/3 cup) oat flour (I pulsed my oatmeal in the food processor until it was the consistency of flour)
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
3 ounces (6 tablespoons / ¾ stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9x13 or two 8-inch square baking dishes and set aside
In a medium bowl, prepare topping; mix together oat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar
Add butter and use fingers to combine until mixture is slightly lumpy; set aside
Prepare filling; In a very large bowl, stir together fruit, granulated sugar, oat flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and butter
Spread filling into prepared baking dish(es); sprinkle evenly with topping
Bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until filling is bubbling, apples can be poked with a fork and topping is browned; if you see that topping has started to get to brown, lightly cover with tin foil for remainder of baking time

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit
*If serving to someone with a gluten allergy make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free
Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
The entire dish can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake; may require extra cooking time if cold

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

You might also like:

Blackberry, Peach & Pistachio Crisp

Blog, Recipes

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

November 15, 2012 Keep It Sweet 18 Comments

1 week. 7 days. Some amount of hours that does not feel like enough.

That’s how much time there is until Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so excited for the holiday, but boy did things get crazy really fast! It seems like just yesterday I was in the summer lull and just like that I’m organizing and delegating (SO thankful for family members who like to help!) for Thanksgiving dinner all the while coordinating hundreds of corporate orders to go out over the next 30 or so days.

My current mantra: do anything and everything possible ahead of time. If I had the space, I’d have all of my UPS boxes made and piled for the mass exodus that will be taking place in the form of Fudgy Caramel Pecan Brownies. I’ve even started chopping the gazillion pounds of chocolate that will be transformed into Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies and so on. I actually thought I was so smart to pull out the food processor to help but when it started to smell like fire I decided that chopping would be my arm workout for the day. If there is one added benefit to being super busy that I didn’t expect, it would be the fact that I don’t actually have to workout because this job can be extremely physically demanding.

Anyway, back to my main point, getting ahead. I have a gazillion amazing desserts planned for our Thanksgiving dinner (between my mom and I there might be more desserts than people), but I’m definitely trying to get some done in advance and sneak them into my day when I have a few free moments. That is where these No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars come in! They took almost no time to make (oh, except for that chopped chocolate that you know I love…), and once they are done you can stick them in the freezer until the day you want to eat them. Not all holiday desserts have to be complicated!

5.0 from 1 reviews

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 24-48 servings depending on desired size (I cut them into small pieces to compliment the rest of the dessert spread!)

Ingredients

6½ ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped
1½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
5½ cups Rice Krispies
½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
¼ cup toffee bits

Instructions

Line a 13x9 baking pan with tin foil and set aside
Pour Rice Krispies into a large bowl and set aside
In a medium saucepan, melt together chopped chocolates (not chips), corn syrup and butter, stirring constantly until combined
Remove from heat and pour over Rice Krispies; use a spatula to combine
Add chocolate chips and toffee bits and combine
Spread mixture into lined pan and pack down using the back of the spatula
Cover pan and place in refrigerator to chill for at least four hours
Once chilled, remove foil from pan and slice into squares to serve
Store tightly in a cool place up to two days or wrap and freeze until the day of

Notes

Slightly adapted from Nigella Kitchen
If making these gluten-free, check that all of your ingredients are specifically marked as such.

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Looking for other EASY desserts to add to your holiday menu?

Apple Cinnamon Blondies

Chewy Ginger Cookies {Gluten-Free}

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Six Fun and Easy Ice Cream Desserts

White Chocolate Cinnamon Bun Rice Krispie Treats

22 Easy Desserts That Make You Seem Like a Pro

Chewy Gooey Cinnamon Toffee Blondies

And of course, that is where I can help!

Blog, Recipes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

July 7, 2012 Keep It Sweet 24 Comments

Well, I think/hope that this will be the last banana recipe for a little while. As I said before, the banana consumption in my apartment has a direct correlation with our workout frequency and things are finally back to normal at home. We are headed to Napa later this week so the motivation of a trip filled with food and wine (plus actually wanting to fit into my summer clothes) has helped. Even Matt got motivated by vacation and is back on the Insanity track. Funny how my husband going back to the gym makes me want to workout more.

So this recipe is another win for not-so-decadent but satisfying. If you look at the ingredient list (peanut butter, oatmeal, bananas) you will probably agree that these could make for a breakfast on-the-go, afternoon snack OR dessert. They look a little bit like cookies but are a little softer and chewier, almost like a cookie/muffin top hybrid. The chocolate in the peanut butter is enough to satisfy my cravings and the sweetness in the bananas means that you don’t need to add any sugar. I may or may not have snuck a few of these right out of the freezer for a treat.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bites {Gluten-free} {Vegan}

Healthy chocolate, peanut butter and banana cookies.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 40 oatmeal bites

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (make sure to use a gluten-free brand if avoiding gluten)
1 cup Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter
1 cup mashed ripe banana (~2 medium bananas)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined
Use a mini cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to scoop batter onto prepared sheets about 1 inch apart
Bake 7-10 minutes or until they are firm

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Blog, Recipes

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}

June 25, 2012 Keep It Sweet 43 Comments

Gluten-free banana bread that is moist and just as delicious as regular. No crazy ingredients needed.

Besides my tight shorts, another symptom of my less than stellar gym attendance is an abundance of browning bananas in my kitchen. They are the pre-workout snack of choice in our apartment and when they don’t get eaten it means Matt and I are slacking.

Let’s just say that this recipe and that pie are not the last banana recipes you will see for a while. Oops.

I claimed to have made this gluten-free treat for my sister, but after eating slice after slice of this surprisingly moist and flavorful banana bread, I’ll call myself out. It may be made with almond meal, but you will not miss the flour at all. The texture is almost spot-on and the blueberries and chocolate more than make up for anything you could possibly be missing.

Again, I chose the recipe because it is no-fuss gluten-free baking. Some other almond-meal based desserts I’ve made include Chewy Ginger Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}

Gluten-free banana bread that is moist and just as delicious as regular. No crazy ingredients needed.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: Serves 8-12

Ingredients

120 grams / 4¼ ounces (~1½ cups) almond meal
100 grams (2 whole) eggs + 90 grams (3) egg whites, lightly whisked
2 fluid ounces / ¼ cup canola oil
170 grams / 6 ounces (~3/4 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
200 grams / 7 ounces (~1 cup or 2 medium) mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried
½ cup dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 5x10 loaf pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for blueberries and chocolate chunks; whisk just until combined
Gently fold in blueberries and chocolate chunks
Pour batter into prepared baking pan; bake for 45-55 minutes or until top is no longer wet and a knife comes out clean from center
Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing

Notes

Adapted from The Wannabe Chef

Get the recipe for Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Frozen Yogurt here!

For some other easy gluten-free recipes, just check out the gluten-free tag!

Blog, Recipes

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Frozen Yogurt

May 24, 2012 Keep It Sweet 29 Comments

This week has been full of ice cream but I’m sending you off on a long weekend with a real bang – I made something frozen and delicious and dare I say it…. healthy! This frozen yogurt is full of great things like nonfat greek yogurt and blueberries, but even better than that it is full of flavor. In an effort to kick off summer eating dessert while having clothes that fit I’ll be filling up on lots of this yogurt over the next few weeks. While blueberry and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations, I see many more flavors happening very soon.

So many of you have left me extremely supportive comments, facebook messages, tweets and Instagram notes over the last few weeks and it is just so overwhelming. I know a lot of you are curious as to what is going on behind the scenes with my business. I’m thinking about posting a “day in the life” if that interests you.

As for how things are going… I am pleased to say that I couldn’t be happier. The site launched just over two months ago and already I’ve processed over 100 online orders, catered several events, provided favors and gift fillers to a few different people and delivered desserts to a TV show’s cast and crew. In the few moments that I’m not baking, I’m networking and and strategizing ways to grow the business. When I’m not doing either of those things, I’m brainstorming new recipes for the blog, Seasonal Desserts and Cookie of the Month Club.

The best part of everything has been the feedback that Keep It Sweet Desserts has received thus far. It seems a bit silly that I am still nervous every time I send a package or deliver an order, because people are really loving my sweets. While there has been a little bit of PR, most of the business so far is word of mouth. Many customers are those who have received a box of cookies as a gift and are now passing on the sweets to someone else. I could not ask for much more satisfaction than that.

Thank you again for being there for me through all of this!

Blog

Summer Fun with Nestle Drumsticks and a Giveaway!

May 23, 2012 Keep It Sweet 47 Comments

<Giveaway details at the end of the post>

So clearly I like ice cream. And while I love coming up with different types of ice cream cakes, pies, etc., sometimes it is nice to have someone else do the work for you. Because on an ideal summer day, I’m not standing by a hot oven. I’m going for a morning walk, grabbing an iced coffee, sitting by the pool or the beach with a good book and ending the day with a barbeque and ice cream or frozen yogurt.

And while in our area we haven’t had too many beach days yet, we have had a few warm sunny days here there that were perfect for long walks and dinner made on the grill. Sometimes there is nothing better than a night full of friends, good (low maintenance) food and a big bottle of wine.

As soon as I found out I was being given an opportunity to host a dinner party to try out Nestle’s new Drumstick Pretzel Dipped Cones, we invited our friends Matt and Deena over. My Matt loves to grill so he made the call on making steak and lobster tails (but really, who am I to object to that?) so that left me on call for some veggies and dessert. I made a big salad, steamed some corn and called it a day. The food prep took far less time than hiding all of my baking tools and ingredients.

We might have reached a minor hiccup in the plans when we temporarily locked ourselves out of the apartment with nothing but the proteins to grill, but minor details.

Dinner was delicious! Matt spent a few minutes seasoning the food ahead of time, but was at the grill for less than 20 minutes. Good food with more time for friends and relaxing = win.

Dessert obviously revolved around the Nestle ice cream cones. My friend, Matt, was very excited about this.

But I am a baker/food blogger after all so who am I to just serve pre-made ice cream cones for dessert? Instead I threw together a make-your-own ice cream bar with the cones as one of the options. In addition, we had brownies, hot fudge (recipe below), peanut butter sauce (recipe below), oreo crumbs and jimmies. The ice cream sundaes were the perfect end to a perfect day, thank you Nestle for this opportunity!

Homemade Peanut Butter Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2/3 cup natural salted creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a small saucepan, whisk ingredients together over low heat; continue to whisk until smooth and creamy
Best served immediately
Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

Homemade Hot Fudge
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, whisk ingredients together over low heat; continue to whisk until smooth and creamy
Best served immediately
Adapted from Serendipity Sundaes

Do you want to to try out Nestle Drumstick Pretzel Dipped Cones or one of their other varieties? I’m giving away coupons for two free boxes for you to enjoy. Just leave a comment below saying anything by Thursday, May 24th at midnight est.

Blog, Recipes

Chocolate Chunk Meringues

April 9, 2012 Keep It Sweet 31 Comments

How was everyone’s weekend? I can’t help but be envious of anyone who got an Easter basket yesterday. For my entire life I’ve wanted one, is that weird? You better believe that I will be taking advantage of the post-Easter candy sales, though! I hope I can get my hands on some of those solid milk chocolate Hershey’s eggs with the pastel candy shells, they have been my favorite Easter candy forever.

While I didn’t get an Easter basket, I did have a wonderful weekend, one of the best in a while. We spent both Friday and Saturday nights with family for the Passover seders. It was such a nice treat that we got to be with both my family and Matt’s family on Saturday.

I have to admit that the weekend highlight, though, was Saturday morning and afternoon. That was the first day since I don’t remember when that Matt and I got to just relax and do whatever we wanted for the better part of a Saturday. It started with sleeping “late” (i.e. 7am) and then proceeding to be in my PJs all day while we watched TV and started planning a vacation. Speaking of which, would someone like to plan that vacation for us?

After months of working around the clock every.single.day. and a head full of stress, it was the best Saturday I could have asked for. It was sad to see the weekend end, but next weekend we are going on a mini getaway to Philly. We had a credit for a hotel stay so we are taking advantage of it to get some time to ourselves. Any suggestions of things we should do are welcome. Note: I grew up outside of Philly so we have already done all of the regular tourist stuff.

For Saturday’s seder, I brought dessert of course. After being on my feet all week I was happy to have some leftover Matzo Crack and Flourless Brownies (special requests) from Passover orders. I did want to make a little something else, though. With all the extra egg whites I had in my fridge, I had big plans for a fancy pavlova. However, tired feet and lack of sleep got the best of me so I stuck with something simple, meringue cookies. I spiced them up with chopped chocolate chunks and you know what? These were such a hit! I’ll say it again, the key to Passover desserts is sticking with things that aren’t meant to be something else. Naturally flourless is key.
Chocolate Chunk Meringues
Makes ~6 dozen meringues
Note: Before making your meringues, make sure your mixing bowl and whisk attachment are very clean. I wiped mine down with white vinegar to ensure there was no leftover grease to prevent the meringue from forming.

Ingredients:
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
8 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at medium speed until the mixture has formed soft peaks
In crease the speed to medium high and slowly add the granulated sugar, one heaping tablespoon at a time
Keep mixing for several minutes until the meringue is stiff and glossy
Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the chocolate
Use a teaspoon to drop meringues onto prepared baking sheets about 1/2 inch apart (they do not expand much in the oven)
Place baking sheets in the middle and lower portions of the oven; bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until meringues are firm and no longer spongy; the edges may start to brown
Remove parchment paper from the baking sheets and allow to cool; store in an airtight container away from humidity up to three days
Adapted from Food and Wine

There is another dessert giveaway on Chocolate and Carrots today! Go check it out and say hi to Caroline:-)

Blog, Recipes

Chewy Ginger Cookies {Gluten-free}

April 2, 2012 Keep It Sweet 16 Comments

Chewy Ginger Cookies {Gluten-free}

Today I’m guest posting over on All Day I Dream About Food. In case you’ve never been to Carolyn’s blog, she has an impressive collection of low carb and gluten-free desserts. The woman has a real talent in the kitchen! These cookies are another example of easy gluten-free baking: No complicated ingredients and so easy to make! Definitely go to say hi and see the recipe.

In other news, if you want to try some desserts on my website Julie at Willow Bird Baking and Lynn from The Actor’s Diet are hosting Keep It Sweet Dessert giveaways! Be sure to check them out.

Blog

What to Bake for Passover

March 28, 2012 Keep It Sweet 35 Comments

In case you didn’t notice, we are officially moved over to my new site! You may want to double check that your feed or email subscription are coming from the right place. Please let me know if you are having any problems as we are still working out some glitches… which may include disappearing recipes.

———————————————————————–

I am a little bit all over the place this week! Monday’s post never happened and it is a small miracle I’m getting this one up today. The new website launched Sunday afternoon and I’m already busy fulfilling orders like a mad woman. It looks like next week I’ll be up to my eyeballs in matzo! While the first influx of orders seemed overwhelming at first, once I took a step back and got organized with lists and spreadsheets I felt a lot better. That really has been the key for me working from home this last week and a half… lots of lists and very specific daily schedules.

Some of you commented that you were interested in hearing about the business so I’ll definitely give you some updates on how things are going and how life has changed. For one thing, I think my blog post regularity might come in waves. Whenever I have some KISD downtime, I work on the blog… but sometimes there is none. I’ll do my best to keep the new recipes coming, though! And be on the lookout for special discounts or giveaways in upcoming posts.

Next week Passover starts and for those of you who don’t know, it means 8 days without bread, or really anything with leavening… plus a whole list of surprising rules like no peanuts or chick peas (depending on your sect). Let’s just say I follow the holiday to the best of my ability. My biggest Passover pet-peeve, though, is the recreation of foods that just aren’t meant to be made without flour, especially when it comes to dessert. Trust me, a kosher-for-Passover chocolate chip cookie is jut not going to be very good. So as a result, I’ve made some recipes that lend themselves to being Passover friendly without even trying:

Chocolate Truffles 3-ways

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

cookie 14

Flourless Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

cookies 9

Low Fat Banana Cheesecake with Almond Crust with Mixed Berry Sauce

slice of cheesecake 8

Mint Chocolate Chip Meringues

Mint Chocolate Chip Meringues 2

Blog, Recipes

Spring Cleaning Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover’s Bark

March 23, 2012 Keep It Sweet 43 Comments

One week down and I’m feeling really good about this working from home thing. I’m sure that some of the beginner’s high will die down after a while, but I’m glad to be off to such a productive start! Sure, I might have left out half of the baking soda in a cookie recipe and taken a batch of brownies out of the pan when they were still warm and too fragile to move, but it can’t all be perfect. The upside (or downside?) of baking mistakes is that I get to eat those batches. Hmm, maybe I need to be a bit more careful or I’m going to have to start doing INSANITY multiple times a day!

Speaking of baking mistakes, it seems that any time I make anything that requires melted chocolate for dipping I melt double or triple the chocolate I need. A couple of weeks ago I found myself with a big bowl of melted chocolate and didn’t want it to go to waste. I quickly flipped through my drawers and found a few bags of candy that were due to be used up. Lots of chocolate and lots of peanut butter but not too much for some candy fun! You can find the recipe for this highly addictive Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover’s Bark on Fox!

Oh, and an exciting heads up! The new website should be up by Monday so keep an eye out for the blog move. I’ll be keeping everyone updated via Twitter and Facebook, but any RSS or e-mail subscribers are going to have to re-subscribe once the move is complete.

Recipes, Uncategorized

Vanilla Cookie Krispie Treats {Gluten-Free}

March 19, 2012 Keep It Sweet 27 Comments

I decided to start this working from home thing with a bang.

5:15am wake-up

6 am INSANITY workout

6:45 try not to die while writing my blog post

I feel the 3pm exhaustion coming on already. Luckily, in a time like that, there are super easy desserts to make that have everyone falling in love. Seriously. I brought these Vanilla Cookie Krispie Treats to my sister’s birthday party and her friends all thought I was a culinary genius. I tried to explain to them that they took about 15 minutes of work from start to finish but they just wouldn’t believe me. Guess I’ll just have to continue to look like a kitchen rockstar even when I’m unable to move.

Vanilla Cookie Krispie Treats {Gluten-Free}
Serves 20

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 10.5 -ounce bag marshmallows
3 cups gluten-free rice krispies
3 cups roughly chopped gluten-free vanilla sandwich cookies (about 20 cookies)

Directions:
Spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat
Stir in marshmallows until melted (will take several minutes)
Remove from heat and stir in cereal and cookies until completely coated
Press into prepared baking dish; wax paper helps to press the mixture down minimal sticking
Allow to cool before cutting into squares and serving; store in an air-tight container for up to a 5 days

Blog, Recipes

Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies

March 12, 2012 Keep It Sweet 39 Comments

Today is my last Monday.

And if feels incredible. Ever since I gave my two-weeks notice at work, that heavy feeling that has haunted me for so many Sunday nights and Monday mornings over the past several months has been gone. No more anxieties about what crazy work politics or project stresses might come up that week. No worrying about today’s priorities and if they will get done. Really, it is incredible.

Now, that isn’t to say that I’m not feeling a new sort of anxiety. As I get closer to the launch of my new site and dare I say it, new life, things in that world seem scarier and more intimidating. Right now I’m set to launch two weeks from today and as that day gets closer new thoughts of self-doubt form every day. Maybe my cookies aren’t as good as I think. Maybe this shipping plan is completely wrong. Maybe my brownies are too fudgy to make it to California. Maybe I am just completely insanely nuts for leaving my day job and embarking on this new world. And that is only a small portion if it.

Leaving the corporate world to start my own business and work on something I am 100% passionate about is absolutely exciting, but it has its own nerve-racking elements that just come with the territory. And as much as they like to keep me up at night just a bit, I think that is a good thing. Because honestly, what better motivation is there to succeed than the fear of failure?

This Monday is the end of an old world and the beginning of a new me.

On a completely unrelated note, I made these cookies for my sister’s birthday a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to make a few gluten-free recipes that didn’t include any crazy ingredients. This recipe calls for almond meal which you can actually make yourself by grinding raw almonds in a food processor. Almond flour is finer and might even improve the consistency, but either way you should end up with a chewy cookie oozing with chocolate and how can that be bad?

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes 26 cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk together almond meal, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vanilla, and and brown sugar
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until combined
Stir in chocolate chunks
Scoop cookie dough balls with a cookie dough scoop (2 tablespoons each) onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper 1-2 inches apart
Bake ~8 minutes or until cookies are firm
Allow to cool before serving
Adapted from Une Gamine dans La Cuisine who adapted the recipe from Elena’s Pantry

Blog, Recipes

Vegan Mango Shake

December 19, 2011 Keep It Sweet 36 Comments

It is amazing what a week can do.

One week out of the office and I’m smiling more often than not. Now, that smiling could be related to to the number of chocolate chip cookies that have come out of my oven in the last few days, the fact that I’ve gotten to sleep past 6 am for 10 days, or maybe even the fact that I made the best ever blondies last week. Other possible factors include sugar free peppermint syrup at Starbucks (got to save calories when I can), cookie baking and dinner parties with this girl, or the fact that I got to spend a good portion of my day Sunday relaxing with the husband. Likely it is all of the above and more. It’s funny that when things aren’t going well we can find a million and two things to complain about, but when things are good, we don’t appreciate each of them like we should.

Wow, a week out of vacation and I really am drinking the stay-at-home kool-aid. I better brace myself for January 3rd (also adding to the list: I am thankful for January 2nd being an official holiday).

So did I mention all the cookies I’ve been making? I’m actually shocked at how much butter and sugar I’ve gone through in the last few weeks. In fact, I need to restock at Costco asap so that the madness can continue. In the midst of my baking marathons, I’m trying not to eat everything that comes out of my oven. Mostly because I’m supposed to gift and share these sweets with others, but also because I have a very unforgiving metabolism and I am determined not to run out of clothes to wear when I get back to work in a couple of weeks. And to prevent myself from going into absolute cookie comatose, I need to find some less indulgent desserts.

Luckily, when I was going through my chosen blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I fell across this mango shake. An easy dessert that is healthy too, perfect!

Sidenote: This month’s SRC blog, Samayal Arai, has a lot of interesting recipes. If you are ever looking for an eggless baked good, you will find a ton of options!

[print_this]

Vegan Mango Shake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups frozen mango

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla or plain)

1 packet of sweetener (I used Stevia)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender until mixture is thick and frothy

Serve immediately topped with cinnamon and/or whipped topping of choice

Adapted from Samayal Arai

[/print_this]

What’s making you smile today?

`[pinit]`

Blog, Recipes

Gooey Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars {Gluten-Free}

November 21, 2011 Keep It Sweet 20 Comments

These gooey and delicious oatmeal bars are made with just basic ingredients, they are gluten-free and guilt-free!

Ever since I made these bars a couple of months ago, my sister has been asking me to make a pumpkin version. I’m sorry it took so long but glad I squeezed this recipe in before Thanksgiving. These are so easy to make and as a welcome change to the other holiday desserts, these aren’t actually all that bad for you!

Gooey Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars {Gluten-Free}
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats (oatmeal is naturally gluten-free but may be processed with other gluten foods; check the package if serving anyone who has a gluten allergy)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie seasoning
3/4 cup smooth natural salted peanut butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray
Whisk together oatmeal and baking soda; set aside
Beat peanut butter and pumpkin on high speed until light and creamy
Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy
Add egg whites and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined
Stir in oatmeal mixture
Pour batter into prepared pan
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean
Allow to cool before slicing
Store at room temperature in a covered container up to 2 days or
freeze up to 1 month
Adapted from the Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

What are you most Thankful for this year? After a rough couple of years for some loved ones, I’m especially thankful for my family’s health.

`[pinit]`

Blog, Recipes

Mint Chocolate Chip Meringues

October 18, 2011 Keep It Sweet 33 Comments

Sometimes you need a light and refreshing cookie to balance out desserts like this. As the cooler weather is moving in, the comfort of indulgent cookies, cakes and pies is more and more appealing. However, I’m determined not to gain weight as we get through the winter. In fact, I’d like to get rid of the couple of pounds that have snuck up on me over the last several months.

But don’t expect things to get all diet-y around here. I really believe in balance and balance includes indulging in real butter-filled desserts in moderation. But usually sometimes, one cookie or one slice of cake just doesn’t do it. It is a time like that when something a little lighter is best. That way you can have 10 4 cookies instead of 2.

I find that meringue cookies are a little underrated. It used to be a nice treat when we would come home to a fresh batch of chocolate chip meringue cookies waiting in the kitchen. The light and crispy exterior complimented by a chewiness just in the center makes for a nice change of pace. Adding in the mini chocolate chips is a bonus.

While my mom always went with the classic meringue, I decided to change things up with a mint chocolate chip version. Just a little bit of crème de menthe adds a nice flavor touch to the cookies.

The thing that made baking these cookies a little more fun than usual was a new toy in the kitchen. OXO sent me some kitchen supplies including this OXO Egg Beater. It is so much easier than trying to beat the eggs by hand but you get to feel more active than using an electric mixer. Plus, it is great for making a small batch when a regular electric mixer can’t reach the bottom of the bowl. I even used the egg beater when making breakfast today. The fact that it is dishwasher-safe makes it an every day tool!

[print_this]

Mint Chocolate Chip Meringues

Yield: Makes 28 meringues

Ingredients

2 egg whites at room temperature (not from the carton)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon creme de menthe
2/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Cooking Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
In a large bowl, beat egg whites with OXO egg beater using high speed (or an electric mixer with the whisk attachment) until lightly foamy
Add cream of tartar and continue to beat until mixture is very foamy
Add in half granulated sugar and beat until mixture is a creamy white
Add crÃ¨me de menthe and remaining sugar
Beat at high speed until meringue has formed a thick better that is a glossy white and stiff peaks form from beaters or whisk
Lightly fold in chocolate chips
Use a teaspoon to drop spoonfuls of meringue on to baking sheets
Place baking sheets in center of oven and turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for two hours or until firm and crisp

Adapted from Emeril [/print_this]

Disclaimer: I received the OXO Egg Beater and other kitchen accessories as a part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program. All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Any tips on eating desserts in moderation? I would love to learn how to do that!

Blog, Recipes

Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars (Gluten-Free)

September 20, 2011 Keep It Sweet Leave a comment

My busy schedule these days has been keeping me from as much time in the kitchen as I would like. There are so many recipes that I’ve been dying to try, but they keep getting put on the back-burner. Luckily, I found a really easy but tasty dessert to make this past weekend.

These bars actually are derived from the back of my gluten-free oatmeal package. They are on the bag as cookies, but baking them in bar form just seemed so much easier at the time. I’m glad I did because they baked up to be the perfect chewy, gooey bars! You would never know that there is no butter or flour in these babies!

[print_this]

Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars (Gluten-Free)

Yield: Serves 24

Ingredients

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats (oatmeal is naturally gluten-free but may be processed with other gluten foods; check the package if serving anyone who has a gluten allergy)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup smooth natural salted peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Cooking Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray
Whisk together oatmeal and baking soda; set aside
Beat peanut butter on high speed until light and creamy
Beat in applesauce
Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy
Add egg whites and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined
Stir in oatmeal mixture
Stir in chocolate
Pour batter into prepared pan
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean
Allow to cool before slicing
Store at room temperature in a covered container up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month

Note: Adapted from Trader Joe’s oatmeal package.[/print_this]

Do you have any good gluten-free recipes?

Blog, Recipes

The Best Homemade Applesauce

September 15, 2011 Keep It Sweet Leave a comment

Before coming back from our weekend away, I had to take advantage of the apple picking available!

We went to Windy Hill Farm which had a decent selection of apples to choose from. I was really excited to see they had my favorite variety ready to go.

Besides the beloved Honey Crisp, we got a selection of Cortlands, Paula Reds and Macintosh. Macintosh apples remind me of being a kid. My family used to go to Lambertville and New Hope every fall to pick pumpkins, buy apples and run around the scarecrow maze. We always loaded up on the Macintosh apples.

This was my first time actually picking the apples from trees. They gave us a map and had very clear signs that made it easy to navigate through all the apple trees. Other than the bug bites all over my feet (note to self: don’t wear flip flops to go apple picking on a warm day), it was so much fun. I would have taken home bushels and bushels of apples if I could have.

We went with 1/2 bushel, maybe 7 pounds of apples?

Check out this slideshow to to see Matt’s favorite part of the apple picking!

View Full Album

I’ve never had a Paula Red before, but when the woman at the farm said they make great sauce our ears perked up. I like jarred applesauce in small doses, but there really is nothing like homemade applesauce.

Monday night as soon as we got home, Matt got to cooking! With a little bit of my input, he basically made the applesauce himself. Let me tell you, it was amazing! I tried to save some to take photos in daylight but the applesauce was too good. We finished the whole batch for dessert. Oh and yes, this happened to be Matt’s birthday dessert… what kind of baking blogger am I?

Seriously, homemade applesauce with vanilla frozen yogurt was the perfect end to the weekend! You know, since I hadn’t had quite enough dessert yet.

[print_this]

The Best Homemade Applesauce

Yield: Makes ~2 cups of applesauce, serves 2-4

Ingredients

7 medium apples, peeled and chopped (we used a combination of Paula Reds and Macintosh)
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
the juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Cooking Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot
Cover pot and let cook over low heat for 10 minutes
Remove cover and stir
Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for additional 10-15 minutes stirring on occasion
Remove from heat when sauce has reached desired consistency (for a more chunky sauce cook for less time)

[/print_this]

Adapted from Heather’s Dish

What apples would you pick? Monica at the Yummy Life has a great list of apples that tells you what kinds are best for eating, cooking and baking.

Blog, Recipes

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

June 2, 2011 Keep It Sweet 37 Comments

I had big baking plans for last night, but with the temperature around 90 degrees, turning on the oven just seemed wrong. A no-bake dessert probably would have been a good solution, but Matt has been asking me to make chocolate almond butter for a few weeks now. It shouldn’t have taken so long to get to it because homemade nut butter is so easy to make, but I get lazy sometimes!

Not sure if I mentioned this on the blog, but we have a never-ending stock of Hershey’s Kisses in the apartment. Dark chocolate kisses and milk chocolate kisses with almonds to be exact. I use them every chance I get and probably will continue to do so until they are gone.

By the way, do you know how good a 10-pound bag of Hershey Kisses smells? I wish we had a hiding place for the chocolate because it is haunting my senses!

Anyway, I put a handful of Kisses to good use in this Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter. It worked out well because the nut butter is creamy and chocolaty, but not overly sweet. I love using it on sliced banana, over ice cream or even by the spoonful. Now that I think about it, Matt better act fast or I may eat the jar before he gets a chance!

To make the nut butter, grind almonds in food processor until creamy, stopping to scrape the sides every minute or so

Once creamy and wet, add vanilla and melted chocolate

Blend until completely combined

Store in an old nut butter jar or tupperwear

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Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

Yield: Makes ~1 cup or 16 tablespoons of almond butter

Ingredients

2 cups salted roasted almonds
12 dark chocolate Hershey Kisses, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

Grind almonds in food processor until creamy, stopping to scrape the sides every minute or so
Once creamy and wet, add vanilla and melted chocolate
Blend until completely combined
Store in a jar or tupperware at room temperature for up to a month

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Inspired by Oh She Glows

What do you think I should do with all these Hershey’s Kisses?

Blog

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

April 28, 2011 Keep It Sweet 43 Comments

You know I can’t go anywhere with only one dessert. That just isn’t my style.

So, once I made cheesecake with berry sauce for Jessica’s Passover dinner, I had to make something else. Originally I planned to make Passover brownies. They weren’t a ton of work, but the idea of separating eggs and whipping them separately just wasn’t in the cards that day. I wanted something easy.

I went through my gmail recipe folders to see what else I could make. As soon as I found this recipe I knew it was the one. A few months ago, I made these Flourless Chocolate Cookies with my mom and my family ate most of them that day. There isn’t any butter, so they are healthy, right?

These cookies are easy to make and are really delicious. The inside is chewy and fudgey, but the outside is light and crisp like a meringue.

Start with some good quality cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar and salt

Whisk these dry ingredients together

Add in 2 egg whites

Whisk the egg whites into the dry ingredients; if the batter does not get thick and glossy like below, add one or two more egg whites as needed

Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake the cookies on parchment paper until the top of the cookie is glossy and the outside forms cracks

Recipe from Recipe Girl

Happy almost weekend! What are your plans?

Blog

Mixed Berry Sauce

April 26, 2011 Keep It Sweet 44 Comments

I’ve been wanting to make a variation of this sauce for a while now: something that would take a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the next level (because let’s face it, vanilla will never be chocolate), add texture and flavor to a slice of basic angel food cake, or be so pretty you want to put it on top of everything.

This Mixed Berry Sauce is made with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. It has a wonderful balance of sweet and tart as well as a lovely texture from the slightly decomposed berries. Last weekend I served the sauce alongside my banana cheesecake and it was a huge hit.

It was so easy to make that I will definitely make it again. Whip it up and take it with you to a barbeque to serve with store-bought pound cake (I won’t tell) and vanilla ice cream. Make it Saturday morning and pour it over fluffy pancakes or even greek yogurt.

Start by combining mixed berries, sugar and lemon juice on medium heat over the stove

Stir occasionally and break down some of the larger berries with a spoon

Continue until all berries are slightly soft and a juice begins to form

Add cornstarch and stir in quickly

Turn the heat up to high and stir constantly until sauce reaches desired thickness

cooking sauce 6

5.0 from 2 reviews

Mixed Berry Sauce

Easy Mixed Berry Sauce made with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~2 cups of sauce

Ingredients

2 cups mixed berries (frozen or fresh)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or up to half a lemon to taste)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Start by combining berries, sugar and lemon juice on medium heat over the stove
Stir occasionally and break down some of the larger berries with a spoon
Continue until all berries are slightly soft and a juice begins to form
Add cornstarch and stir in quickly
Turn the heat up to high and stir constantly until sauce reaches desired thickness
Store in refrigerator up to 1 week

Notes

Adapted from Serndipity Sundaes

What would you do with this sauce? Drinking it IS an option;-)

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No-Bake Blueberry Pie