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Christmas Tree pastry

Hello everyone!

Well, we have reached the end of the year. This is when all the festivities and exchanging of gifts happen. But this is also a great time to feel uplifted and joyful. This is the time to have hope as we get another chance to start again.

12 months, 12 recipes. This is my last one for the year and it is probably a dessert that does not top the healthy list but everything is in moderation and it is nice to indulge once in a while. What better time than Christmas!

This is a quick dessert if you are running out of time. I hope you enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 square sheets of puff pastry.
  • Nutella or Cadbury dark or milk chocolate.

METHOD

  1. Cut the two sheets in a Christmas tree shape (use a ruler). It does not have to be perfect.
  2. One is the base, and one is the top. Place the base on a large chopping board and spread the melted chocolate or Nutella on the base. Then place the other pastry on top.
  3. If you have a cookie cutter in the shape of a star, cut two stars in the 3rd pastry and spread chocolate on the base of the star then put the second star on top and set aside.
  4. Once your Christmas tree pastry has got both bases covered, place your star on top of the tree. Then use a small knife and gently slice the sides of the tree in a horizontal way making sure the middle of the tree is not sliced.
  5. Then start twisting the branches on the side of the pastry upwards but do it gently. Two twist is plenty.
  6. Brush your Christmas tree with a little bit of milk then place almond flakes on the pastry.
  7. Baked in oven until the pastry has that golden brown colour. Do not bake it for a long time. Keep checking and as soon as you see that light brown crispy colour take the pastry out.
  8. Place your pastry in a rectangular dish and sprinkle red and green MNMS all around the plate to give it that Christmas colour look. You can sprinkle icing sugar on it if you wish. I usually sprinkle coconut sugar for a healthier version.
  9. Eat with Vanilla ice cream.

If you are using Cadbury see the method below to melt.

Cadbury milk chocolate melted

  1. Pour water in a frying pan and use a dish that can sustain heat and place it in the frying pan.
  2. Break the chocolate bars and place them in the dish and let them melt on the stove on a low flame. It should take only 5-10 seconds for them to melt.
  3. Spread quickly on prepared pastry.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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Cultivating True Connection & Intimacy- December 2023

As Above, So below: A monthly guide to consciously align your focus so you can flow with the changing energies of the planets

Read more
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Healthy brownie

Today I have a delicious Brownie recipe that is also very healthy, moist and tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 bananas
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup almond butter or cashew butter
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • A handful of dark chocolate chip for the batter
  • Another handful to decorate.
  • Crushed walnuts

METHOD:

  • Line a square pan with baking paper and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
  • Crush the bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Use a fork and press the bananas until there are no lumps.
  • Add the egg, the almond butter and the cocoa powder and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the dark chocolate chip but don’t mix too hard. You want them to stay as a whole in the batter.
  • Pour batter into your pan and decorate with the chocolate chip cookie on top with crushed walnuts.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes until the top looks set but check with a skewer first to see if it is dry inside before removing from oven.
  • Eat with some vanilla ice cream if you wish.
  • (The bananas can be replaced by a cup of gluten-free flour but add 2 eggs to the batter).
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Banana (flourless) pancakes

This month’s recipe is very simple and quick to prepare. If you cannot tolerate flour and you love pancakes, there is a nice alternative to traditional pancakes and this recipe is full of good nutrients.

This is my flourless pancake with a cheeky twist. You can make 4 – 5 small pancakes from this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

  • One banana – ripe
  • One egg
  • A teaspoon of chia seeds
  • A teaspoon of desiccated coconut
  • Butter for the pan
  • A large pan

METHOD

  1. Mash your banana with a fork.
  2. Mix an egg with the mashed banana and mix with the fork again until combined.
  3. put a teaspoon of chia seeds and a teaspoon of desiccated coconut in the batter then mix gently.
  4. Smear the pan with a little bit of butter and use a soup ladle to pour the batter in the pan. You should get 4 to 5 pancakes in the pan.
  5. Please keep an eye on your pan as the pancakes cook fairly quickly. Flip them with a spatula to cook the other side once you notice that the bottom is nice and not liquid anymore.
  6. Eat your pancakes with blueberries and blackberries, rice malt syrup, honey or some vanilla ice cream.
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Apple pie for winter months

In Heidi’s full moon column this cycle, she mentioned that we should be having warm foods, including things like soup and broth. Nourishing foods that satisfy us.

If you check under the Zodiac tab, you will see a soup recipe for winter but for today I chose an apple pie recipe for you. Apple pie is warm food for winter. Imagine yourself sitting in front of the heater with a cup of your favourite brew and some apple pie to warm your lungs.

Before we move on to the recipe, I would like to add that I played around with a few ingredients before coming up with this recipe. I cannot have a lot of pastry as my sugar will spike. Cakes with puff pastry or dough affect my glucose level, but I love apple pie with cream.

Today I have this amazing recipe and I use a healthy alternative to replace the pastry.

HEALTHY APPLE PIE

INGREDIENTS:         

  • paleo granola – I use half a packet
  • Butter – unsalted – I use quite a lot, about 150g
  • 8 apples (I use Link Lady)
  • A pinch of cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • Water as necessary

METHOD

  1. Switch oven to 200º.
  2. Peel your apples (reserve the peel if you want to make apple jam).
  3. Remove the core and cut each apple into 6 slices so that they cook faster.
  4. Put your apple in a pot, add a little bit of water, cardamon, vanilla essence and a pinch of cinnamon and let it cook. Keep adding water as necessary. Just enough so the apple does not stick to your pot but don’t boil the apple.
  5. The apple slices only need to be half-cooked since you are going to fully cook them in the oven. The pot is just to get the apple soaking in the spices.
  6. Mix the granola and melted butter in a bowl together with a wooden spoon. It doesn’t have to be mixed thoroughly because you will have to blend the mix. Once it is a bit sticky, add a little water, then pour the mixture into the blender. The mixture must be of a certain consistency, not liquid but not dry. Have a play around with it and add butter and water as necessary.
  7. Check on your apples that they’re not cooked thoroughly. Use a fork to see if it they are still a little bit crunchy.
  8. Use a spatula and press the granola in the dish making it mould to the round shape of the pie dish.
  9. Pour your half-cooked apple into the pie dish then cover with the other half granola mixture. Again, use a spatula to make it flat.
  10. Lower the oven temperature to 160 degrees and bake your pie. Keep checking regularly.
  11. Your pie is ready when the granola has a light golden colour, but you can also use a fork to check if the apples are soft inside.

I serve the pie with some coconut cream and eat it warm.

This is a very healthy dessert or can be great for afternoon tea.

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