wonderful Christmas sweets that are heart-healthy
Of course! This is a compilation of healthy Christmas sweets that you may have this holiday season:
1Low fat Christmas cake
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and line a round cake tin with parchment paper.
Prepare the Fruit and Nuts:
- In a bowl, combine the chopped dried fruits, nuts, and candied ginger. Add the orange and lemon zest, orange juice, and brandy or rum (if using). Mix well and set aside to let the fruits absorb the flavors.
Mix Wet Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the applesauce, yogurt, olive oil, and brown sugar until well combined.
Add Eggs:
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Fold in Fruits and Nuts:
- Gently fold in the soaked fruit and nut mixture until evenly distributed in the batter.
Bake:
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool:
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional Glaze:
- If you prefer, you can drizzle the cooled cake with a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and a small amount of orange juice.
Serve:
- Once cooled and glazed (if desired), slice and serve.
2 Very berry trifle
Ingredients:
Two cups of hulled and sliced strawberries
One cup of blueberries
One cup of raspberries
One cup of blackberries
Two tablespoons sugar (adjust according to berry sweetness)
One tablespoon of lemon juice
Regarding the Cream:
Two cups of heavy cream
Half a cup of powdered sugar
One tsp vanilla essence
Additional components:
One angel food cake or pound cake from the grocery, chopped into cubes
Add optional mint leaves as a garnish.
Instructions:
Prepare the Berries:
- In a bowl, combine all the berries. Add sugar and lemon juice, toss gently to coat the berries, and set aside to macerate for about 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the Cream:
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Trifle:
In a trifle dish or individual serving glasses, start by layering cubes of angel food cake or pound cake at the bottom.
Add a layer of the macerated berries on top of the cake cubes.
Spoon a generous layer of the whipped cream over the berries.
Repeat the layers until you reach the top, finishing with a layer of whipped cream.
Garnish:
- Garnish the top with a few whole berries and mint leaves for a fresh and festive touch.
Chill:
- Refrigerate the trifle for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the dessert to set.
Serve:
- When ready to serve, scoop out portions, ensuring each serving includes layers of cake, berries, and cream.
Optional Variations:
- You can customize the trifle by adding a layer of lemon curd, custard, or a sprinkle of crushed nuts between the cake and berries.
3 GINGERBREAD COOKIES
A traditional Christmas dessert, gingerbread cookies are renowned for their festive forms and toasty spices. Here's a basic gingerbread cookie recipe to try:
Ingredients:
For the Gingerbread Dough:
Three cups of all-purpose flour
One tsp baking powder
One-half tsp baking soda
One tablespoon of ground ginger and one-fourth teaspoon salt
one and a half tsp ground cinnamon
half a teaspoon of powdered cloves
Half a cup of softened unsalted butter
half a cup of packed brown sugar
One big egg
Half a cup of molasses
For the optional icing:
One cup of sugar powder
One or two teaspoons of milk
(Optional) food coloring
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Prepare Dry Ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar:
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add Egg and Molasses:
- Beat in the egg and molasses until well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
Chill the Dough:
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Roll and Cut Cookies:
- Preheat your oven again to 350°F. On a floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are set. The baking time may vary based on the size of your cookies.
Cool:
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Prepare Icing (Optional):
- If you want to decorate with icing, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Add food coloring if desired. Transfer the icing to a piping bag and decorate the cooled cookies.
Enjoy:
- Once the icing has set, your gingerbread cookies are ready to be enjoyed!
A tasty take on the conventional magic cookie bar, these grain-free versions don't include any regular grains. Here's how to make magic cookie bars without grains:
Ingredients:
1 for the Crust half a cup of almond flour
One-fourth cup coconut flour
1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup of pure honey or maple syrup
One tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt
Regarding the Layers:
One cup of shredded coconut without sugar
One cup of chopped dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) or sugar-free chocolate chips
One cup of chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts
One can of full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream), 14 ounces
For Topping (Selective):
Extra chocolate chips
chopped almonds
coconut shreds
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
Make the Crust:
In a bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, melted coconut oil, maple syrup or honey, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even crust.
Bake the Crust:
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until it's just starting to turn golden.
Layer the Ingredients:
After baking, remove the crust from the oven. Sprinkle the shredded coconut evenly over the crust.
Follow by adding a layer of chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate, and then add a layer of chopped nuts.
Pour the coconut milk or coconut cream evenly over the top, ensuring it soaks into the layers.
Bake Again:
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is set.
Cool and Set:
- Allow the grain-free magic cookie bars to cool in the pan. Once cooled, place them in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to allow them to set completely.
Cut and Serve:
- Once set, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Place them on a cutting board and cut into squares or bars.
Optional Topping:
- If desired, melt additional chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with extra chopped nuts or shredded coconut.
