I might confess that I have a sweet tooth, however, I am not a person to like overly sweet treats. These berry cheesecake crumb bars and not that sweet at all that is why at the end I had to add the caramel over the crumb.

Unless you are using regular jam, which I didn’t, these berry cheesecake crumb bars won’t be that sweet. My berry chia seed jam is not that sweet either so I had to use the extra caramel sauce, which in my opinion was genius. My caramel sauce is made from Goat’s milk, which I also love since it is not overly sweet either.

Make sure you don’t over cook these bars. When I baked them, I left them in the oven for an extra 10 minutes thinking I turned the oven off, which I didn’t and the bottom layer got a bit over baked, none the less, each single bar got eaten.

I have been cooking and baking none stop, and quite frankly I am a bit tired. Don’t get me wrong, baking and cooking are my hobbies and I will never stop doing that but having to take pictures virtually of almost everything I cook and bake makes it a bit tiring after a while. Sometimes I would just like to eat everything I make and not have people wait until I am done taking pictures, which sometimes can take a long time.

Anyhow, I hope you get to make these berry cheesecake crumb bars. Use any other type of jam of your choice. My choice made it extra healthy, since it was not that sweet and it was loaded with chia seeds which are a great source of Omega-3’s, a natural anti-inflammatory agents, and high in fiber.

Enjoy!

Gluten free berry cheesecake crumb bars

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 12 bars

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 tbsp almond milk
• 1/2 tsp aluminum free baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling

• 8 oz low fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup berry chia seed jam, or jam of choice

Topping

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup unrefined sugar
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce, optional

Directions:

Preheat your over to 350F.

In a medium mixing bowl mix the crust ingredients. Press this mixture onto a 8x8 square baking pan and set aside.

In another mixing bowl add the filling ingredients. With a hand stand mixer mix until the ingredients are well incorporated and you have a homogenous mixture. Spread the cheese layer over the crust followed by the chia jam or jam of choice.

In a small bowl mix the topping ingredients, except caramel sauce if using, and sprinkle over the jam. Baked the bars for 40-45 minutes. Let them cool completely before cutting. If using the caramel drizzle it over the bars and serve.

Keep bars covered in your refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

for 40-45 minutes

The post Gluten free berry cheesecake crumb bars 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 could I say about these Pumpkin spiced baked donuts. Nothing else but that they are just out of this world… and a big bonus, these are just 215 calories each!

I know fall is right around the corner, however, I can’t wait until then to bake fall related things like these donuts. It seems like I have been doing none stop though… oh well, I am sure you don’t mind.

These donuts come from one of my old recipes, triple chocolate donuts, that I made a long time ago. I just tweaked the recipe up a bit and came out with these sensational pumpkin donuts instead.

There are few pointers to consider before you try these donuts. I actually learned after a few tries so if you make them for the first time it will save you some headache.

1. Make sure you grease the donut pan generously, the little round donut hole included. I used butter for this step.
2. Let the donuts cool in the pan between 5-10 minutes before removing them and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Make sure you remove the donuts carefully, running a knife around the edges before attempting to get them out.
4. You can use any type of caramel of your choice to glaze the donuts. I just wanted to keep it extra healthy so I used the caramel sauce made out of dates.

Even though these Pumpkin spiced baked donuts have a donut form, they pretty much taste like a pumpkin muffin. I just like the donut form because it is more fun for the kids. They really think they are having the real deal, just a much better option instead.

I have still to make different versions and perhaps, even one day, I will make the fried type again.

Let me know if you get to try these pumpkin donuts, I hope that you enjoy them as much as we did.

Enjoy!

Here you can see the donuts being taken out of the pan. You have to do it nice and slow, running a knife all around the edges. Just make sure that you grease the pan generously so that the donuts don’t stick to donut pan too much.

Let the Pumpkin spiced baked donuts cool on a wire rack until they are cool completely before glazing them with the caramel. You can actually decorate them as you wish. The donuts are not that sweet at all so some sort of sweet glazed would be good.

Pumpkin spiced baked donuts with caramel sauce

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 10 donuts

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, canned
• 1/2 cup unrefined sugar
• 2 organic eggs
• 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder

Caramel

• 11 pitted dry dates
• 1/3 cup almond milk, more if you like the caramel runny
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease the donut pan and set aside.

In a bowl, with a wire whisk, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin and oil. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Whisk until combined. Fill each donut hole 2/3 full.

Bake for 17-22 minutes. Cool donuts in the pan for about 10 minutes and remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To decorate, place caramel ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Glaze each donut with it and if you like sprinkle some chopped walnuts over each donut.

Store on a cake stand for up to two days.

Tip: Make sure you grease the pan all over specially in the middle round donut piece otherwise they will stick when getting them out of the pan, probably breaking apart in the process.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 10 servings. 1 donut = 1 serving

The post Pumpkin spiced baked donuts with caramel sauce 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.

Who said you couldn’t have cake?

As long as you don’t eat a huge piece all at once or two or three pieces a day, you should be OK!! A little of this cake goes a long way…trust me. This Apple and caramel coffee cake is a healthified version with way less sugar, better quality flour, and fats. Even still, one piece would be sufficient.

For me, indulging is part of life. One way or another we should be able to indulge once in a while, because enjoying food is what everyone should be able to do, right?

For me, this cake is just insane good. Granted, this is not something that I will have on a regular basis, neither have tons of it all at once, but just a little piece and I am good to go.

I got the Apple and caramel coffee cake batter recipe from my wild berry danish cheesecake I made a while back and my cinnamon caramel sauce recipe as well. I have had it stored in the fridge for a few months, and still it is good, or so I hope.

When is fall starting? I think in about or week or so right? Fall is one of my favorite seasons, and this Apple and caramel coffee cake is my introduction to it. I am going to make many more apple desserts, or so I hope, but until then, here you have this sweet awesome cake.

Enjoy!!

Place the batter, which would be rather thick, in the prepared pan followed by the sliced apples. They don’t have to be placed perfectly.

After placing the apples, follow by placing the strudel topping over them and bake the cake for about 50-60 minutes at 350F. The right picture is the cake already cooled and ready to be drizzled with the caramel. Next time for me though, no caramel! I found this to be a rather rich cake with the streusel, caramel and all. A small slice will suffice and next time I make it, I think I will omit the caramel :-)

This is truly and awesome perfect cake for the fall. We loved it and I think you would too!!

Apple caramel coffee cake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons of aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 cup olive oil, or 1/4 apple sauce and 1/4 olive oil
• 1/3 cup unrefined sugar, or maple syrup
• 2 eggs, I always use organic
• 2/3 cups Greek plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 3 organic apples, sliced thin, any type of apples you prefer really
• 1/4 cup home made caramel sauce, optional

Streusel topping

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, you can also use pecans
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, you can also use olive oil
• 1/2 cup unrefined sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9 inch spring form pan.

In a mixing bowl mix eggs, oil, yogurt, vanilla and sugar. Add the flour and baking powder and combine. Pour thick batter onto the prepared baking pan. Place apples over the batter like in the picture.

In another bowl combing streusel topping and place over the apples. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I baked my cake for 55 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan.

Remove cake and pour caramel sauce over the cake and serve.

Nutrition facts calculate based on the recipe giving 10 servings.

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

I used organic granny smith apples and regardless of what kind of apples you used make sure you wash them really good with soap and hot water and sand them gently with a fine grit sandpaper to remove the waxy coat so that the caramel can stick.

I started coating the apples without completing this last step and the caramel would not stick….so guess what? I had to sand the apples and let my caramel sit for a while, NOT GOOD!

I had a lot of pictures I was taking while preparing the apples but I lost every single one of them. My memory card would not read the pictures I was taking and the computer wouldn’t upload them either so I had to reformat the card and as a result I lost every single shot….about 100 of the them :-(

The pictures that you see here are pretty much of the completed product and not the process. Well at least there is something.

Anyhow, this is going to be my super baking week this week just in time for Christmas gift bag preparation. Excited but overwhelm…….lets see how it goes

Enjoy!!

These caramel covered apples are the bomb. Two or three bites and I had enough :-) It definitely gives you the sugar fix need it!!
 

These caramel apples were sensational.

These caramel apples are a really nice and sweet TREAT :-) Using the Granny smith apples off sets the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate but you can use any kind of apples you wish.

This is how you can package the apples. Very simple and easy. You can make it fancier by using colorful bows and staff :-)

Rustic Caramel and chocolate covered apples

Yield: 10-12 apples

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, 1 stick
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup maple syrup
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, I used organic
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10-12 Apple sticks

TOPPING

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, melted, 1 bag
1 cup pecans, chopped

 

Directions:

In a large saucepan set over medium high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar and reduce heat to medium, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the maple syrup, mixing thoroughly, then stir in the condense milk and cinnamon.

Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 235 degrees, (soft ball stage however you can reach 245 if you like the caramel layer to be harder) this will take at least 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Immediately dip in the apples. Rotate the apple until it is well coated. Allow excess caramel to drip off then place the apples on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.

At this stage you can leave the apples as is or decorate them in endless ways. I melted the chocolate in the microwave and used a spatula to cover each apple. If doing this coat one apple at a time with the melted chocolate and immediately follow with the chopped pecans.

Let it sit until the chocolate sets.

Take a peek and look at the link below at bakingdom. She has different type of toppings.

Slightly adapted from here

The post Rustic Caramel and chocolate covered apples appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.