While this dessert is by no means healthy, I must warn you, it is to die for so worth every bite really!. If for the most part your lifestyle is healthy, you shouldn’t feel guilty indulging once in a while. If I didn’t I would probably go insane.

What I always do is create my own versions of everything, especially when it comes to desserts, that way I can control the ingredients and make things a bit healthier…that to me is priceless.

To be honest, I have never been a bread pudding fan, but after trying it at this restaurant in Tennessee my opinion of it suddenly changed.

While I didn’t use any heavy cream or butter in my version, the result was just superb. I think the bourbon is what made the difference. Either way, I know I am going to be making this apple bourbon bread pudding for time to come.

When I  cooked the apples I didn’t bother to peel them. You can do if you like but there is no need, more fiber for you otherwise!

If you like bread pudding I think you are going to love this version. If you don’t want to use the bourbon you can use apple juice. I think that would work too.

Anyhow, I leave you with this apple bourbon bread pudding that I hope you like. Be warned, it is very addictive.

Enjoy!

Apple bourbon bread pudding

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 16-20 servings

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 loaf challah bread cut into 1 1/2 inch slices (or brioche)
• 5 eggs
• 24 oz evaporated milk
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 5-6 organic apples, chopped
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 1 tbs coconut sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the bourbon for 15 minutes or until they become soft and plump.

In the meantime, in a cast iron skillet, or any other skillet of your choice, place the coconut oil and apples, stirring occasionally. Cook them until they are translucent and almost soft. Add the sugar, and cinnamon and cook for another 2 minutes or so.

Drain the raisins, reserving the bourbon, and add them to the apple mixture. Set aside.

In mixing bowl add the eggs, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla, reserved bourbon, maple syrup and combine with a wire whisk.

In a 9x13 rectangular baking dish add a layer of the challah bread followed by the apple mixture. Pour 1/3 of the egg mixture over and add another layer of the challah bread. Pour the rest of the egg mixture over the bread and let it sit for 30-45 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the bread pudding for 50-60 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let it rest to cool and serve as desired.

Keep bread pudding refrigerated. Before serving warm it up slightly in your microwave. Serve it with ice cream or however you prefer.

NOTE: This makes quite a big batch of bread pudding but you can half the recipe if you like and just have one layer of bread for this recipe.

The post Apple bourbon bread pudding appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have not used my bundt pan in for ever. I am so glad I did. This apple and caramel pound cake turned delicious.

Have you ever tried goat’s milk caramel? I think I am so hocked. I got this caramel sauce from Fat Toad Farm. All their products are made with fresh, natural and simple ingredients.

What I also like about Fat Toad Farm, is that it is a family-run goat dairy farm in central Vermont. The process of making this caramel is somewhat different. Rather than saturating their caramel sauce with sugar, they rely in the process of caramelization to obtain the no so sweet flavor. The caramel is also heated and hand-stir to obtain the perfect thickness.

This caramel sauce is truly la crème de la crème. I have never tried such high quality caramel sauce before. The perfect sweetness, thickness and flavor.

For this apple and caramel pound cake I used the cinnamon flavor caramel, but you can use any other flavor of your choice.

I also used two medium size apples but I think you can use more if you like. I actually wish I did. Next time I will use at least four apples.

Her can see some Fat Toad Farm’s Holiday Gift Collection a selection of their unique and delicious goat’s milk caramel flavors – including our NEW Holiday Limited Edition Irish Whiskey Cream Caramel – You can also visit their store for other options.

I think the apple and caramel cake was truly a winner. My family was eating it like there was no tomorrow. I still have some cake leftover. I am sure I will be eating at least two pieces today.

Enjoy!

Once your pound cake cools down completely you can decorated and frost it with the cream cheese mixture followed by the caramel and chopped walnuts. You can add more of the caramel and walnuts if you like. I store my pound cake on a cake stand for up to two days.

Apple and goat's milk caramel pound cake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 12-14 servings

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 organic eggs
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup unrefined sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3-4 medium apples, finely chopped

Creme cheese icing

• 4 oz low-fat creme cheese
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1-2 tbsp almond milk, depending on consistency desired

Garnish

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup Toad Farm Caramel Sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, with a wire whisk or a stand mixer, mix the eggs, sugar, olive oil, vanilla extract and almond milk. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and chopped apples. Transfer batter to prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until tester comes out clean. I baked mine for 55 minutes. Cool pound cake for 10 minutes before unmolding and set on a wire rack to cool completely

On the mean time, in a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese icing ingredients. Top pound cake with creme cheese mixture and garnish with the chopped walnuts and caramel sauce.

There will be between 12-14 servings depending on how big you cut them.

 

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 14 servings.

The post Apple and caramel pound cake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

What can I tell you… I know fall is still about 3 weeks away but I just couldn’t resist to make these Apple and oatmeal cookies. 

I have had several recipes on my fall to do list for a while. A lot of them are really good recipes so I thought I start early.

I am planning on posting a fall round up very soon. Perhaps right before the fall so that you can have a little bit of a resource with some fall baking ideas. I hope to tackle many more this year but I think you will like the list that I have in store for you.

On another note, I though I let you know that I am in TN visiting some relatives and enjoying our condo. Not that you care but I thought I just throw it out there.

We don’t get to come to TN often because of work, kids schedules and all, but at last we were able to take a few days out of the summer and enjoy some relaxing family time.

Because cooking and baking never takes a brake, not matter where I go, I always manage to make a few new recipes here and there. That is just me, I love cooking and baking way too much. I guess lucky for you :-)

Anyways, these Apple and oatmeal cookies are just plain sensational. They are on the softer side. Not crunchy at all but even still a cookie to be enjoyed.

If you get to try them let me know how you liked them. My family were pleased with them.

Enjoy!

We really enjoyed these cookies. They were soft and chewy but not crunchy. A different texture for sure. These are perfect for the fall. If you like apple pie you will like this cookies for sure. One thing I noticed is that these are best eaten the first two days after baking.

Apple and oatmeal cookies

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 24-26 cookies

Total Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup unrefined sugar
• 1 organic egg
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 organic apples, finely diced
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp apple spice
• 1/4 tsp aluminum baking soda
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds, optional
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two cookies sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set a side.

In a large bowl whisk together the egg, oil, milk and vanilla. Add the remainder of the ingredients and with a spatula mix until the ingredients are well incorporated.

With a medium cookie scoop, place batter onto the cookie sheets leaving some room in between the cookies as they will expand while they bake. I kind of flatten them with the cookies scoop just a little bit. Bake for 14-16 minutes.

Leave cookies for a couple of minutes in the cookie sheets before transferring them to cookie wire racks to cool completely.

NOTE: Eat within 2-3 days of baking.

 

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 26 cookies and using 2 tbsp of the chia seeds.

The post Apple and oatmeal cookies appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have not made juice in for ever. This To the max green Juice is superb.

While we love to drink smoothies most of the time, I like to have a refreshing veggie juice once in a while. The only thing about having juices is that the fiber is not included in them, and that to me it is very important. I have to device a way to use the scraps and maybe incorporate them into some sort of muffins or pancake next time. I hate wasting them.

However, I am going to make it a mission to at least have a couple of homemade juices a week. I have had my juicer put away to long, but no more!

When drinking juices, pretty much the sky is the limit. I like to use ginger to counter act the flavor of the strong veggies, in this case the kale, parsley and celery. I just love ginger. I wanted to point out a few of the nutritious facts of the ingredients I used, their properties have great health benefits.

Kale is very high in bet carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C and rich in calcium. Kale is a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zezxanthin.Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.

Parsley is a very potent antioxidant. Parsley’s volatile oils—particularly myristicin—have been shown to inhibit tumor formation. Myristicin has also been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. The activity of parsley’s volatile oils qualifies it as a “chemoprotective” food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens.

Ginger aids in digestion, alleviates high blood pressure, treats nausea and morning sickness and lowers LDL cholesterol.

Celery has antioxidant properties, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganese. Many of its phytonutrients fall into the category of phenolic antioxidants that have been shown to provide anti-inflammatory benefits as well.

On another note, I can’t wait for fall baking. There are pretty much just 4 weeks for fall. Smelling apples, pumpkin and cinnamon are one of my favorite things while baking. I have a few great fall baking recipes lined up, so stay tuned for that.

Until my next post, I leave you with this amazing nutritious To the max green Juice.

Enjoy!

This juice is just awesome. Talk about getting some super nutrients. A great way to start the day.

To the max green juice

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 organic apples
• 2 organic pears
• 2 tbs fresh ginger root unpeeled, I used more
• 4 stalks organic celery
• 1 cup parsley, stems and all
• 1/2 lbs fresh kale

Directions:

Process all the ingredients through a juicer. Drink immediately.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 4 servings.

The post To the max green Juice appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have been wanting to make these organic apple chips for a long time so after contemplating the recipe for a while I just felt I had to go ahead and try them.

I am so glad I did because I will be making this for time to come. Not only because they were really good but because they were easy, healthy and trying with pears next time is something that I really want to do next.

I was press for time while making these so I kind of skipped the rotating and turning of the pans. They still came out great though so I think you can go ahead and do the same thing I did.

I also did not have a mandoline, just a knife, so my apple slices could have been a bit thicker than normal, even still they turned out as chips and where really good.

I stored my chips on a zip log bag for a day. That is how long they lasted.

I hope you get to try these. They could be a great healthy gift for the coming holidays.

Enjoy!!

Here is the before and after pictures. You can see that my apple slices aren’t that thin since I used a knife instead of a mandolin. Even still they were really good. These are the perfect snack for any one.

Organic apple chips

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 6-7 large organic apples
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250F. Line two cookie sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.

Slice apples thinly crosswise, using a sharp knife or a mandoline.

Arrange slices on cookie sheets in one layer. Brush the first side of the apple slices lightly with maple syrup and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

Bake for 45 minutes ( bake for one hour if you think your slices are a bit thicker. I did since I didn't have a mandoline), then flip and brush the other side with syrup and sprinkle again with cinnamon.

Bake for another 45 minutes to an hour. Turn the oven off and let them sit in the oven until ready to serve. They will crisp up.

Store in an glass airtight container of zip log bag.

Recipe slightly adapted from texanerin baking

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 4 servings.

The post Organic Apple chips appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I think that is is safe to say that I have been using apples quite a bit lately. Still have more apple recipes to come though, so far I think some sort of pudding and cheesecake, which I have not made in a long time.

This donuts sure were good. A bit messy, and like always, really hard to get out of the donut pan. Even though I tend to grease and flour the baking pan really well, I always have trouble getting them out. Either way, even though they may not look perfect they are really really good.

The recipe for the batter came from my whole grain strawberry donuts recipe that I tweaked just a bit and my recipe for the caramel sauce that I used for the drizzle.

You can just sprinkle some confectioner sugar over the top of the donuts if you prefer, or just leave them as they are. However, these donuts are not sweet at all so if you plan to leave them plain you can use 1/3 cup of sugar instead.

Here are some other donut recipes I have whipped together in the past that I think you may like.

Whole grain strawberry donuts
Triple chocolate whole grain donuts
Triple chocolate donuts with home made sprinkles
Blueberry whole wheat donuts
Superb healthy donuts

Anyhow, I think my next post will probably have apples as well. Until then

Enjoy!!

Spend time buttering and flouring the donut pans really well. Even though I am pretty thorough with this step I always have trouble getting the donuts out :-( As you can see here I place some chopped apples at the bottom of each hole before adding the batter and for others I placed the apples over the batter. I don’t know which I liked best.

Here you can see the donuts before and after applying the topping. They were not perfect but super good. According to my husband, the best baked donuts I have made. Just don’t go over board on the caramel. A little goes a long way.

I think I might have gone a bit over board on the caramel :-) Oh well…it was good!!

I used both confectioner’s sugar and caramel for these donuts but you can use which ever you like or just leave the donuts as is. Also for some apples I placed the apples in the bottom before adding the batter and for others I place the apples on top of the batter. I don’t know which ones I liked best.

Baked Apple caramel donuts

Yield: 9 donuts

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
2 organic eggs
1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
3/4 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 apples, chopped

Caramel Sauce

1/4- 1/3 cup caramel sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare pan by spraying donut pan with cooking oil and dusting with flour.

In a bowl, with a wire whisk, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and oil. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk until combined. Divide apples and place them at the bottom of each donut hole. Fill each 3/4 full.

Bake for 17-20 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes in the pan and then remove the donuts to a wire rack to cool completely.

Drizzled the caramel over the donuts and serve.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 9 donuts

The post Baked Apple and caramel rustic donuts appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.