Archive for Vegan

Best Gluten Free, Vegan, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Monday, February 20th, 2012

Last week I explained what GLUTEN FREE means in this post here. Today I am sharing with you a Super awesome, Vegan and Gluten Free, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I adapted from Leslie Durso’s blog (the Veggie Dreamgirl) here. Yes, it is possible to be Vegan, Gluten Free, and Super Delicious. TRY these cookies and see for yourself.

The Ingredients:

 

Always buy Organic when you can:

  • 1 cup creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1 cup Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar (or half and half)
  • 1 small Banana, well mushed
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • dash of Vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

How to Make Them:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Mix all of the ingredients, minus the chocolate chips
  • Blend well, making sure that the banana is well mushed up
  • Add the chocolate chips, then stir
  • Use a spoon to scoop out the balls onto a buttered pan (not Vegan, but makes ‘em tasty)
  • Press the balls flat, or or else they won’t fully bake and the’ll be shaped like balls
  • Bake for 12 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let cool
Note: these are gooey cookies thanks to the Peanut Butter & Banana, but fear not. You can safely eat the dough, raw or cooked, since it doesn’t contain any eggs.

 

Enjoy!!!

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The Ultimate Gift Guide for Valentine’s Day

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)
Friday, February 10th, 2012

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I have ALL your bases covered with this ULTIMATE Gift-Giving Guide! Have a sweet one :) xoxo

1. For Him:

Though it’s traditional for the lady to receive chocolates, our men need a little recognition too. John Kelly Chocolates makes the most delicious truffle fudge bites that quite literally melt in your mouth and send you to Heaven. John Kelly’s packaging is masculine and sleek, making it the perfect present to gift your guy.

2. For Her:

Gentleman, if you want to score some serious points with your lady this Valentine’s Day, invest in a gorgeous box of chocolates by K Chocolatier. Intoxicate her with the delicious vodka balls, or her delight her with the dark chocolate truffles that were once hand-made for Jackie O. When the chocolate’s all gone, the box with paper mache roses can be used for keepsakes for years to come.

3. For the Kids:

Teuscher Chocolates from Switzerland not only makes some of the most delectable chocolates, but also they boast the most whimsical and playful packaging. Treat your daughter to a small ladybug box, or your son to a lion box. But don’t forget to treat yourself to their famous, signature champagne truffles first! Totally divine.

4. For the Health Nut:

Not everyone is excited to sink their teeth into butter and sugar. Fear not, now health nuts can receive sweet love this Valentine’s day too with a box of Benchic Chocolates. These homemade, raw, organic, and vegan treats are made with only six simple ingredients that are all actually good for you! And the craziest part? The even taste extraordinary.

5.For Mom:

No one deserves a little TLC more than Mom. Honor her with these delicious and gorgeous gems of chocolates by Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates.

6. For Dad:

Let Dad know he’ll always be your first Prince Charming with some exquisite chocolates from La Maison du Chocolate. These fine treats are shipped in daily from France and come in these sweet and masculine book boxes.

 

7. For Your Girlfriends:

Whether your friends are in relationships or not, show that they are loved with darling, cellophane-wrapped baggies of these delicious mini-cookies by Baking Betty’s. Each treat is baked from scratch and made to order. Their signature cookies sport soft and sweet marshmallows that make them effortlessly light and totally enjoyable!


8. For Your Guy Friends:

Yes, even your platonic guy friend or brother can partake in this holiday thanks to your thoughtfulness. Be their hero with a box of Cookies By Joey. These massive cookies are legendary for their extreme deliciousness. Indeed, they may be the best cookies he’ll ever have. Make sure he shares though or his friend status will be seriously jeopardized.

9. For the Office:

There’s something for everyone in a box for Fairtytale Brownies. These individually wrapped gourmet, Belgium brownies are soft, rich, and divine. With flavors like peanut butter, mint, walnut, toffee, and more, you’re sure to have a happy ending.

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Thinny Thursday, the Skinny on Raw Desserts

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Someone on Twitter recently asked me what Raw Desserts are, so I’m taking this Thinny Thursday to explain. Raw Desserts are basically a God-send if you’re abstaining from refined foods, white sugar, flour, are Vegan, Gluten-free, and like sweets! According to About.com, a raw food diet consists of “raw, vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit” so as to not lose their enzymes and nutritional value. These desserts are sweetened with natural and unrefined ingredients like dates, agave nectar, coconut and fruit. Additionally, they use crushed or pureed nuts to make the base of these treats. While Raw Desserts can be high in nut fat, every ingredient is usually a healthful item with minerals, vitamins, protein, and fiber. You can usually find Raw Desserts in a refrigerated area of a health food store like Whole Foods. Below is an image of one of my favorite Raw Chocolate Treats by Hail Merry (see review here).  Yum!


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Organic Gummy Bears by Yummy Earth, DD Approved!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)
Thursday, January 19th, 2012

You may have seen my recent posts about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in our food and my deep sadness over how sick they are making our nation (for more, click here). When I was a kid I ate my share of sugary cereals and Candy Candy Candy everyday! Yes, everyday I would go to am-pm after school to buy a treat!! And then go home and eat Lucky Charms! And while it wasn’t “good” for me then, it wasn’t the same grade of poison that today’s candy is with its High Fructose Corn Syrup made from corn seeds that were cross-bread with insecticides by Monsanto’s scientists. Bleh! I wonder how I’ll feel someday, letting my future kids go trick-or-treating when I know how detrimental today’s candy is to their health. It really bums me out as Halloween is a holiday that is near and dear to a DD’s heart! In this vein I’ve kept my eyes peeled for candy that children can have now that won’t alarm their systems with a barrage of chemicals, artificial colors, unpronounceable substances, and GMOs. I came across these Organic, Gluten Free Gummy Bears by Yummy Earth at Whole Foods and they are totally delicious! They even have that perfect, tough consistency that a Haribo Gold-Bear has (my childhood favorite). Sure they don’t come in the same technicolor rainbow as other candies, but they also don’t have those toxic colors that contribute to ADHD (see here). I’m really glad that I found Yummy Earth. They carry other organic candies that I hear are phenominal… particularliy the lolipops. Yummy Earth is DD Approved with 5 Shiny Cherries!

Ps:  I like to freeze my Gummy Bears. It takes longer to eat them and I enjoy how my mouth has to melt each one. :)

Pps:  Click here to ask the FDA to label foods with GMOs so that you don’t have to shop in the dark.

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Macrobiotic Strawberry Shortcake & Tiramisu at M Cafe- Not Bad!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)
Thursday, October 20th, 2011

The other day I had a lunch with my favorite girls at M Café in Beverly Hills. M Café is an organic, macrobiotic restaurant, which means dessert-wise, everything is prepared without eggs, dairy, or refined sugars. When I told the girls that our upcoming desserts were sweetened with brown rice syrup instead, my friend dryly responded, “I didnt’ know brown rice was sweet.” Ha! We were surprised. :)

The Strawberry Shortcake was nothing short of delightful (even though we had an ugly strawberry on top). The rice syrup worked brilliantly as a substitute for refined sugars and the fresh strawberries gave a perfect balance of natural flavors.

The Tiramisu was not nearly as exciting in my book. It was fine for a plain, sweet cake, but that’s all it was… sweet.  Where was the flavor? The kick of coffee?? The spike of alcohol? The dash of salt? Boo- while pleasantly sweet, I found this rendition of a Tiramisu to be bland and flavorless.

Overall, we were impressed by the healthy, macrobiotic feet that M Cafe had pulled off with their cakes. Furthermore, we didn’t feel “gross” after eating desserts that were made from wholesome ingredients. A nice win win all around.

For more information on M Cafe, click here.

XOXO

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Kanom Krok, One of my Favorite Treats in Thailand!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)
Thursday, October 13th, 2011

One of our favorite treats in Thailand was Kanom Krok, a coconut milk and sugar mixture that’s poured into dimpled pans, topped with a yummy seasoning, and cooked into delicious little hot cakes that are crispy on the outside, and goopy on the inside. Ohlord do I miss these!!!  Our favorite ones were topped with a banana slice or coconut bits, but they also had savory options like spring onion and sesame seeds.  I just came across this video recipe on the web if anyone is interested in making them! 

XOXO

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Mint Chocolate Milkshake from Cafe Gratitude

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

What does a Dessert Darling eat the day before her wedding? Why, a healthy milkshake, of course! Thankfully there was a Cafe Gratitude in the adorable town of Healdsburg where I could take all of my bridesmaids for a special, pre-wedding lunch. While the girls ordered fabulous, savory dishes, I happily settled for this Chocolate Mint Milkshake that I could justify thanks to the Vitamineral Green that they sneak in there. The shake was incredibly yummy and I think I’ve officially become obsessed with Cafe Gratitude!

To learn more about Cafe Gratitude, a California organic, vegan restaurant chain that features amazing Raw desserts, click here.

Thank you Autumn Reeser for snapping this photo!

XOXO

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SCOOPS Gelato, Perfect for this HEAT!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

5 Cherries
The Heat is ON!  No complaints here! This just means I get to eat more of my favorite dessert… gelato!

The other day I finally checked out SCOOPS, a charming little gelateria that serves both traditional gelato as well as vegan, gluten and lactose-free options made with soy milk. This gelato holds true to the Italian tradition of using milk instead of cream, which results in a markedly lighter fair. This fresh rendition is incredibly desirable during a heat-wave (and a diet, for those counting cals)!

In addition to great consistency, Scoops boasts unique and original flavors like Mascarpone Butterfinger, Honey Lavendar, Red Velvet Cake (with cake and icing in it!) and their best selling “Brown Bread,” which is an incredible combo of brown sugar with crunchy Grapenuts! Mmm. Five cherries all the way!~

Gelato-crop“Brown Bread” on top of Honey Almond and gluten-free Pistachio

For more info on SCOOPS in Silverlake, click here and SCOOPS Westside, click here. 

XOXO

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Fōnuts, So Good You Could Go Nuts?

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)
Friday, September 2nd, 2011

I was really excited to see a new little bakery open up on 3rd Street where “Kiss My Bundt” used to be.  This wasn’t just any bakery, however, it was a Faux-Doughnut and coffee shop.

Faux-Doughnuts, you wonder?! Yea, everyone else in line was scratching their head over that one too. So these donuts are baked, not fried… doesn’t that just make them ring shaped cakes? Anything else “healthier” about them? Oh, ok, some are gluten-free (almond meal), some are vegan, and some don’t use white-sugar (errr, but they use brown sugar, which, pardonne-moi, is the same idea).  Ok, so I tried a Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut and a Gluten Free, Vegan Lemon fōnut.

The chocolate selection was a complete waste-of-space that reminded me of Snackwells Devil Food Cake cookies. Bummer. The Lemon fōnut though, was far tastier… and heavier.  This super dense dessert surely had even more calories than a real donut! Hmm, sorry guys, I’m not sure I’m really on board here!

If you need Vegan or Gluten Free desserts, or a sense of adventure, then by all means, check out Fōnuts. The two fōnuts that I had were so wildly different in desirability, that who knows, maybe there’s an amazing option there that I never even tried. At the end of the day though, if you really want a donut? Why go faux?

For more info on Fōnuts, click here.

XOXO

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Raw, Organic Chocolate Pudding by Stinkey Monkey. Incredible~

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)
Friday, August 12th, 2011

I found this little cup of raw, Chocolate Pudding by Stinkey Monkey and am positively giddy about how delicious such simple and wholesome ingredients can be!

This organic, diary free, glutten free, soy free, and low-glycemic treat is made with coconut meat & milk, matcha powder, vanilla bean, cacao powder, palm sugar, and himalayan salt. The cool, whipped consistency reminded me of a rich and delicious mousse.

While palm sugar isn’t quite as low as Agave nectar on the glycemic index, it is incredibly tasty and makes natural desserts taste just as sinful as “real” ones.

For more information on Stinkey Monkey Pudding, click here.

XOXO

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