Guilt-Free Sweets

{Guilt-Free Sweets}

• PB & Chocolate Pretzels
• Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Gluten-Free S'more Bars
• Creamy Blueberry Icicles
• Balsamic Buttermilk Sherbet

#PB & Chocolate Pretzels

A little salty sweet combo can cure any sugary cravings. What better combination is there than your classic salty pretzel dipped in some good ole dark chocolate and peanut butter.

 For an extra crunch, crush your favorite nut and use it as an extra topping!

Ingredients

1 square Dark Chocolate
1 teaspoon Natural Peanut Butter
10 Mini Pretzel Rod

Preparation

Microwave 1 square of dark chocolate and 1 tea-spoon of natural peanut butter until melted, and dip 1 large or 10 mini pretzel rods.

                                         AD: Lose 3-5lbs This week

#Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These oatmeal raisin cookies are thick, chewy, soft, and full of whole grains! Try these out when you’re in the mood to bake some cookies worth eating.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup organic cane sugar instead
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinna-mon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts.

Bake cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes, taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 1 dozen large cookies.

#Gluten-Free S'more Bars

For those of you with gluten in-tolerance, it's important to create a few desserts that taste as good as the real thing. This one sure does. Add a cozy fire place and you’ll have your very own indoor camping retreat!

Ingredients

1 square Dark Chocolate
5 gluten-free graham cracker sheets, broken
3/4 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter,
*cut into 1/2-inch pieces*
1 large egg
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 (4-ounce) bars semisweet chocolate *chopped*
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350° and line 8-inch square metal baking pan with aluminum foil. Allow foil to fold over edge of pan Use a food processor to finely ground graham crackers. Pulse flour and sugar to crumbs until combined. Add butter and egg and pulse until blended and moist. Press crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

                                         AD: Lose 3-5lbs This week

 Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cook cream in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, stirring until smooth.

Fold in marshmallows. Spread chocolate mixture over cooled crust. Cover and chill 2 hours and 30 minutes or until firm. Holding edges of foil, lift mixture from pan, and carefully peel off foil. Place on a cutting board. Cut into bars.

#Creamy Blueberry Icicles

If you have a creative side you’ll enjoy the process of making these creamy blueberry icicles. The process can be a little messy but the end result is a beautiful blend of flavors and colors. An irresistible combination of hon-eyed blueberries layered with tangy-sweet yogurt. Have some fun when you make this sweet treat!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain fat-free Greek yogurt
 3 tablespoon honey
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 2 cups blueberries
 1/4 cup hone

Preparation

Place yogurt in an ultra-fine sieve strainer and strain over a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Pulse yogurt, honey and vanilla in a food processor until smooth. Pour mixture into a liquid measuring cup.

 Combine blueberries and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Place blueberry mixture in food processor and puree until smooth.

 Pour mix-ture into a liquid measuring cup. Fill popsicle molds with alternating layers of yogurt and blueber-ry mixtures, leaving a 1/2-inch of space at the top of each mold. Swirl layers together with a metal skew-er. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until complete-ly firm. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before unmolding

#Balsamic Buttermilk Sherbet

What better way to beat the heat than a bowl of rich and creamy sherbet? The blend of balsamic vinegar and buttermilk is mixed to intensify the flavor of the fruits and berries.

 This unex-pected combination creates the perfect healthy substitute for tra-ditional high-fat ice cream. Enjoy this delicious frozen treat with-out a second thought of adding inches to your waistline.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen strawberry slices
1 cup frozen mango cubes
2 frozen sliced bananas
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Add all the above ingredients to a food processor and pulse until blended and creamy. This process may 3-5 minutes to fully blend ingredients. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop out ap-proximately three 1/3 cup servings per dish. Serve sherbet immediately.