Summer is here and baking is something that I try to avoid in the hot summer months. That is why I came up with these No-Bake Strawberry Lemonade Cheesecakes which are perfect when you just don’t want to turn on your oven. No bake, easy to make, and delicious. I just made a batch and my family is already asking to have them again next week–they are that good!

What I love about these no-bake cheesecakes is that they only require a few ingredients and come together in minutes. And the best part is that for this recipe you don’t have to turn on your oven. How great is that?

The recipe filling is made from a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and Florida’s Natural^® Brand Lemonade, which makes the filling very creamy and silky. If you would like to use maple syrup or honey instead of the condensed milk, you could. I wanted to try with something that was more of a creamy, silky consistency, and sweetened condensed milk was the perfect ingredient to achieve this texture.

These individual cheesecakes can be put into any size serving dish you like. How many servings you get will depend on the size of the jars you use. I had old glass yogurt containers, so I used them for these individual cheesecakes, but you can use any type of jars you like.

I normally make this type of dessert at night and ahead of time so that they can sit in the fridge overnight and be nice and cold the next day.

These individual cheesecakes are perfect for a summer BBQ, a family gathering or even for any 4^th of July parties you may be hosting. These no-bake cheesecakes are sweet, bright and have a fabulous, tangy flavor.

To get this flavor, I used Florida’s Natural Brand Lemonade. Florida’s Natural Lemonades are a family favorite of ours: delicious and refreshing on their own, or used in marinades, salad dressings or desserts, like these cheesecakes! They come in five tasty flavors to play around with in whatever recipe you make, including traditional Lemonade, Lemonade with Strawberry, Lemonade with Raspberry and Peach, Lemonade with Blackberry, and Zero Sugar Lemonade.

These No-Bake Strawberry Lemonade Cheesecakes are a breeze to put together. You just need just a few ingredients and the fact that they are no bake makes them even more convenient. This is the perfect individual dessert to serve your guests this upcoming holiday. 

Enjoy!

. 

No-bake strawberry lemonade cheesecake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the Cheesecake:

• 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Florida’s Natural® Brand Lemonade
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups hulled and chopped strawberries

For the Garnish:

• whipped cream
• strawberries

Directions:

Evenly divide the crumbs between 6 individual serving dishes, this will be the bottom crust layer.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes. Add in sweetened condensed milk mix until smooth.

Add in Florida’s Natural® Brand Lemonade and vanilla and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Evenly spoon cream cheese mixture into prepared serving dishes. Add chopped strawberries and repeat layer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Before serving, top with whipped cream and strawberries.

The post No-bake strawberry lemonade cheesecake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

This Lemonade Layer Cake is a classic dessert and perfect for every occasion this summer, from birthday parties and picnics, to celebrating simply making it through the week! It’s bright, zingy and full of lemony flavor—bold, tangy, and unique. Each slice is essentially a ray of sunshine in your mouth!

The cake bakes up light and moist, and together with the frosting makes the most divine combination—delicious, simple and just the right amount of indulgent. It’s ideal for hotter weather when you don’t want a heavy dessert, but you still want something sweet that will hit the spot. It’s decadent in all the right ways!

To get this cake’s bright and zingy flavor I used Florida’s Natural^® Brand Lemonade. Florida’s Natural Lemonades are a family favorite of ours: delicious and refreshing on their own, or used in marinades, salad dressings or desserts, like this cake! They come in five tasty flavors: traditional Lemonade, Lemonade with Strawberry, Lemonade with Raspberry and Peach, Lemonade with Blackberry, and Zero Sugar Lemonade.

And, last but not least, this cake is gluten-free! The fact that it’s gluten-free makes the cake light and airy. It is truly one of a kind, and proves that gluten-free baked goods can be just as good, if not better, than conventional gluten cakes.

Enjoy!

. 

lemonade Layer cake

Miryam's Original recipe

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 4 cups almond flour
• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 6 organic eggs
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup Florida’s Natural® Brand Lemonade
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup unrefined sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest

Frosting

• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1/3 cup Florida’s Natural® Brand Lemonade
• 1 cup swerve sugar substitute
• 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest
• Edible flowers or mixed berries, for decorating (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with unbleached parchment paper. Grease them lightly with butter.

In a medium mixing bowl add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, sugar and Florida’s Natural Lemonade. With a wire whisk mix until combined. Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder and lemon zest. Combine until well-mixed.

Pour batter evenly into  the two prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before removing from the pan to completely cool on a wire rack.

While the cake cools, prepare the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, Florida’s Natural Lemonade, lemon zest and sweetener in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined.

Finally, assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with second cake layer and evenly spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Finish by decorating with edible flowers or mixed berries, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.

The cake can also be covered and stored in the fridge for up to two days.

Cover any leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

The post lemonade Layer cake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love making cookies, especially chocolate cookies of any kind. Today, I tried something that I have never done before—an orange chocolate cookie. I’ve made orange chocolate truffles before, but not cookies, and they were even better than I’d imagined. Orange is the perfect seasonal flavor to welcome spring and complements the rich chocolate so well. If you like chocolate (who doesn’t?) you are going to absolutely love these gluten-free Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies. 

These Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies are simply the best. They are almost like brownies, with an intense chocolate flavor. Rich and fudgy with a touch of citrus, these will satisfy any chocolate craving.

For the orange juice that gives these cookies their delicious citrus flavor, I choose Florida’s Natural Orange Juice. Florida’s Natural comes from pure Florida oranges. There are no artificial flavors or ingredients, and Florida’s Natural only uses oranges hand-picked from their grower-owned orange groves in Florida. Plus, Florida’s Natural orange juice is full of vitamins and minerals like potassium and vitamin C.

This recipe calls for two types of chocolate, which gives the cookies their sensational brownie flavor. I wanted to keep my cookies strictly orange and chocolate so the flavors would really stand out, but you can also include add-ons to the recipe, such as walnuts or pecans that will add just a little bit of crunch.

These Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies are decadent, exceptionally tasty and perfect for any chocolate lover. If you are looking for a cookie with a rich, fudgy texture and intense chocolate flavor, this is your recipe.

Enjoy!

.

Chocolate orange truffle cookies

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp Florida’s Natural^® Orange Juice
• 12 oz dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• Flaky sea salt, optional

Directions:

Melt 8oz of the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. If using the microwave, cook in 20-second increments, stirring after each until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to slightly cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and remaining 4oz of chocolate chips together. Set aside.

Transfer the melted chocolate to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs and orange zest and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the coconut oil and mix for another minute or so on medium speed, until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.

Spoon the dough onto baking sheets, using approximately 2 tbsp of dough for each cookie, placed 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The centers will look a little soft.

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, top cookies with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

 

 

 

The post Chocolate orange truffle cookies appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

With the holidays approaching, one of my favorite things to bake are classic desserts. I have only made bread pudding once before and it turned out to be a huge success, so today I decided to try a different version. I’m excited to say that it also turned extremely well! I consider this Dark Chocolate Orange Bread Pudding the perfect dessert for the holidays ahead.

Bread pudding consists of cubed bread, soaked in a custard mixture made of eggs, sweetener and milk and/or heavy cream. I use stale or toasted bread, since it will hold its shape better when soaking up the custard mixture. Otherwise, fresh bread will tend to fall apart and become mushy.

I have seen many recipes that call for different types of bread, but I believe challah bread is one of the best options to obtain a hearty bread pudding recipe. Challah bread is slightly sweet with a unique flavor, perfect for bread pudding.  

I love the orange flavor that comes through from the Florida’s Natural orange juice in this recipe, and with the dark chocolate, the mixture is just superb. I used 100% dark chocolate bars rather than chocolate chips because I didn’t want the overpowering sweetness of milk chocolate. Also, the big chocolate chunk effect is what I was looking for, which is obtained using chocolate bars rather than chocolate chips. 

For the orange flavor, I used Florida’s Natural orange juice. As I’ve talked about in past recipes, I love this juice because it’s made from one simple ingredient—Florida oranges. I like to keep my ingredient list to a minimum, so this alone has made Florida’s Natural a favorite of mine. So, what gives the juice its fresh-from-the-grove flavor? It’s made from seven different varieties of Florida oranges.with a fresh, citrusy taste I love in my recipes.

For the holidays this year, this dark chocolate orange bread pudding will be the perfect pairing for my other recipes that call for Florida’s Natural orange juice. Altogether, this makes for an awesome, unique and well-balanced menu. The full menu consists of:

1. baked orange rosemary chicken as the main dish
2. avocado orange salad with orange honey vinaigrette. for a side
3. Dark chocolate orange bread pudding.

If you haven’t yet decided your holiday menu, I highly recommend this dark chocolate orange bread pudding with the baked orange rosemary chicken and orange avocado salad.

I know this menu was a hit at my house – especially the bread pudding! My husband is not a fan of bread pudding and he thoroughly enjoyed this version.

Enjoy!

Dark chocolate orange bread pudding

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40-60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 loaf challah bread, cubed (or brioche)
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup Florida’s Natural^® Orange Juice
• 4 oz 100% dark chocolate bar, chopped

Directions:

The bread you use should be a little dry. If the bread you are using is fresh, after you cube it, spread it out on a sheet pan and put it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes rotating the pan halfway through. Alternatively, you can leave cubed challah bread out overnight to dry out.

In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, orange juice and maple syrup. Combine with a wire whisk.

In a previously greased baking dish, add the toasted challah bread. Pour the custard mixture over the challah bread. Sprinkle the chopped dark chocolate and let it sit for 30 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the bread pudding for 40-60 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let it rest to cool and serve as desired.

Keep bread pudding refrigerated. Before serving, you may warm it slightly in your microwave. Serve it topped with ice cream, if you prefer.

The post Dark chocolate orange bread pudding appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I must say, this gluten free lemon blueberry cake turned out great. We liked it so much that I made it two times in a row. I was also able to share it with some friends and they couldn’t believe it was actually gluten free. A keeper recipe for sure!

I have been experimenting with a new ingredient to make cake frosting. When it comes to frosting cakes, I hate using the conventional confectioners sugar because of all the simple sugars it add to cake recipes. I have been using a sugar free powdered sugar called Swerve confectioners sugar. that actually doesn’t add too much of an after taste. This has been my keeper ingredient when it comes to frosting cakes for me.

I know blueberry season is almost over, but just keep in mind that you can use frozen blueberries or even any other fruit you may like for this gluten free lemon blueberry cake recipe.

For gluten free cakes I have found that a combination of quinoa, almond and brown rice flour works pretty good. I have also made a poppy seed variation of this and while it was great we preferred the blueberry kind.

Well, I hope you get to try this amazing gluten free lemon blueberry cake. If you do let me know how you liked it. I am sure you will be pretty pleased.

Enjoy!

Gluten free lemon blueberry cake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 1 1/2 almond flour
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
• 1 tsp aluminum free baking soda
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• juice of 3 lemons and zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cup Swerve confectioners sugar
• 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• juice 1 lemon and zest. If mixture is too thick, add more lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8 inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Alternatively you can grease and flour them instead. Set aside.

Add eggs, maple syrup, Greek yogurt and coconut oil in a stand mixer and combine. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and zest. Combine. Add flours, baking powder and baking soda and combine. Fold in the blueberries.

Divide mixture between prepared baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top becomes golden. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing the cakes completely from the pan.

In a stand mixer add the frosting ingredients. Pulse until you obtain a smooth homogenous consistency.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread half the frosting over the cake. Add the 2nd cake layer and spread with the remaining frosting making sure you frost the outside of the cake. Serve. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Note: Also, if you don't have all the flour at home you can do a mixture of 2 of them. It will still come out great.

The post Gluten free lemon blueberry cake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Everyone who knows me understands that when I make granola I mean business. I make large amounts of it, and by that I mean I sometimes make up to 10 lbs of granola at once. And for this Dark Chocolate and Orange Granola that is exactly what I did.

I have other granola recipes that I have made over the years but I always wanted to make a version using orange and dark chocolate. I am so glad I did.

Granola is just the perfect thing to have as a snack, breakfast or as a healthy treat with some ice cream. I have bought several granola variations in the store and none compare to homemade. One of the reasons is that store bought granola is quite expensive and the quality is actually never there. It tends to be full of sugar with hardly any nuts or other healthy ingredients like chia seed. It’s usually just rolled oats and a couple of nuts here and there.

I have found that my kids love granola as a snack after coming back from school. It has been their snack of choice—sometimes with milk and other times with plain yogurt. High in protein and fiber and low in sugar.

Making your own granola is also more economical and the quality is far superior to store bought. When making your own granola you are able to add any toppings of your choice and tailor it to your own liking. Chia seeds, unsweetened coconut and a variation of raw nuts and dried fruit are my ultimate favorites.

For the perfect orange flavor in this recipe I chose Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice. Whenever possible, I choose top notch, quality ingredients to make sure my recipes turn out when it comes to flavor, and Florida’s Natural delivers.

Florida’s Natural is made from one simple ingredient — Florida oranges. And only Florida oranges. No water, sugar or preservatives are added. The orange juice comes from pure Florida oranges. There are no artificial flavors or ingredients. I choose Florida’s Natural because the oranges are simply squeezed, flash-pasteurized and poured into cartons that ensure a fresh, straight-from-the-grove taste.

To make granola you don’t need any prior cooking/baking experience. All you need to know is how to mix together a few ingredients. No high-end cooking skills of any kind.

Besides an after-school snack, or any type of snack for that matter, granola also makes as great gift for family and friends. I started making my own granola years back and ever since I have never looked back.

I hope you get to try this amazing Dark Chocolate and Orange Granola. If you do, let me know how you liked it.

Enjoy!

Dark chocolate and orange granola

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 16 servings

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 6 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1 cup Florida's Natural orange juice
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 16 oz walnuts
• 1 cup chia seeds
• 2 cups dried unsweetened coconut
• 20 oz dark chocolate chips, vegan if need be
• 8 oz dried blueberries, any other dried fruit will work

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 275F.

In a sauce pan add the honey, coconut oil and orange juice. Heat mixture until combined.

Add the rolled oats to an extra-large mixing bowl. Pour the liquid mixture over the oats and coat the oats, stirring with a spatula.

Divide mixture among four baking sheets. Bake the granola for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and transfer all the granola back to the extra-large mixing bowl, mixing it well.

Then, again divide the granola among the baking sheets and bake for another 30 minutes, repeating this process a total of three times. You will bake the granola for a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes, removing from the oven every thirty minutes to mix, until it gets toasted and dried. I’ve found that taking the granola out of the oven, mixing it, and putting it back in helps ensure the granola is evenly cooked.

After the third round of baking, remove the granola from the oven and, while still warm, add the nuts, dried fruit, chia seeds and dark chocolate. With a spatula, mix well until all the ingredients are combined. The chocolate will melt but that is what you want. Let the granola cool completely before storing.

Store granola in the anchor hocking containers for up to eight weeks. 

The post Dark chocolate and orange granola appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.