2020 is rolling right along and Valentine's Day is approaching quickly. I heard a report today that said people will spend $150 and up this year on presents for their loved ones. That's a lot of candy and flowers! Why not make something from the heart for the heart day? Today we'll look at sweet treats that are easy to make and full of love.
LINZER HEARTS
Your sweetheart will love these jam filled cookies.
2½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup palm shortening or grapeseed oil
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup raspberry jam
Combine almond flour and salt in a food processor
Pulse in shortening, honey, and vanilla until dough forms
Between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out dough ¼ inch thick
Chill dough in freezer for 30 minutes
Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out 2 hearts of the same size
Cut out center of one heart with a small heart shaped cookie cutter
Press thumb into solid heart to make an indentation, fill with jam
Place cut-out heart on top of jam covered heart
Bake at 350°F on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 5-7 minutes until brown around the edges
Cool and serve
https://elanaspantry.com/linzer-hearts/
LOW CARB RED VELVET CUPCAKES
These cupcakes are perfect for Valentine's Day.
1+ 3/4 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
2/3 cup Swerve Confectioner Sweetener (No substitutes)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder (Hain brand is grain-free)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp whole milk (or full fat coconut milk)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring (Watkins brand is a more natural alternative). Gel color is more concentrated, only use about 1 tsp or less.
Frosting
1 eight oz container cream cheese, room temperature (Kite Hill for dairy-free)
2.5 tablespoons butter, softened (Earth Balance Spread for dairy-free)
1 cup Swerve Confectioner Sweetener
2.5 tablespoon whole milk (or coconut milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start with your wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together your milk, eggs, olive oil, vanilla extract, food coloring and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until smooth, but do not over-blend.
Then sift the Swerve Confectioner, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder over top and incorporate into batter with whisk.
Finally, sift your almond flour into the batter-be patient, it takes just a few minutes. Using a large spoon to push it back and forth over the sieve can speed it up. When you’re down to the last bit, you can just add that in unsifted. Mix the sifted almond flour into batter until smooth. Use batter immediately.
For Cupcakes: Spoon batter into muffin liners 2/3 of the way full. Making sure your oven is preheated, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then rotate muffin tin by 180 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Keep in mind, oven times can occasionally vary, so keep an eye on them. Remove from oven and let them cool COMPLETELY before removing from pan. If you’re in a rush, place them in the freezer for 25 minutes, works like a charm!
With a hand mixer, blend together your softened cream cheese and butter.
Add milk + vanilla extract and blend again. Finally, sift in Swerve, salt and then blend one last time. Chilling the frosting will thicken it. You can also add more Swerve for a thicker texture or more milk to thin it out. *Double frosting recipe for layer cake.
Pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes, serve and enjoy!!
https://lilaruthgrainfree.com/low-carb-red-velvet-cake-cupcakes/
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
It's time for creamy chocolate.
FOR THE VANILLA LAYER
1 cup cashews (soaked for at least 10 min)
¾ cup coconut milk
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tbs. coconut sugar
1 tsp. Heilala vanilla powder or extract
pinch of salt
START WITH THE VANILLA LAYER
In a food processor or high power blender (we use our Vitamix) whiz the cashew, coconut milk and coconut oil until smooth.
Add the Heilala vanilla and coconut sugar and whiz til well combined.
Taste test. Yum.
Get 4 cute jars or glass bowls and pour or spoon in the first layer of vanilla mousse.
Place these jars into the fridge.
Place the vanilla filling aside.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER
½ cup coconut oil
1 tbs. raw cacao powder
1 tbs. coconut sugar
½ tsp. Heilala vanilla powder or extract
pinch of salt
NOW FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER
Place all the ingredients in to the food processor (don't worry about washing the excess vanilla mix, ain't nobody got time for that!).
Whiz until super smooth. The friction from the blending with allow the chocolate to melt and combine together.
Get your jars out of the fridge and pour or spoon in the first chocolate layer.
Place back in to the fridge for a couple minutes to allow the chocolate to firm up a little.
Continue this method with alternating layers of choc and vanilla until you have used all the mixture.
Top with chopped strawberries, if your jars are too small, serve the strawberries on the side.
Place the jars in to the fridge for at least an hour or prepare the day before and leave overnight.
Take out of the fridge at least 20 mins before serving as the choccy layer will be a little hard.
Top with fresh fruit.
https://themerrymakersisters.com/best-paleo-valentines-day-dessert/
AVOCADO TRUFFLES
If you haven't tried avocado and chocolate, you are in for a treat.
1 ripe avocado mashed
3/4 cup dark chocolate melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. Ceylon cinnamon
cocoa powder
Melt dark chocolate.
In a separate bowl, mash avocado. When chocolate is smooth, pour into mashed avocado and stir together. Add in vanilla and cinnamon.
When combined and clump-free, place in refrigerator for about a half hour. When cooled and hardened, scoop into 10-12 balls and roll until smooth.
Roll each ball in cocoa powder and serve. Place any remaining truffles in air tight container.
https://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/avocado-truffle-chocolates-recipe
CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
Did you know that you have enjoy your veggies in a decadent dessert?
For the crust:
2 cup raw pecans
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the filling:
2 cups raw cashews (no need to soak)
1 cup peeled & diced zucchini
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
Prepare the crust by placing the pecans in a food processor fitted with an S-blade, and grind them into fine meal. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients, and process again until well combined. Line the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper, then press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the freezer to set, while you prepare the filling.
In a high-powered blender or food processor, process the raw cashews until they are a fine powder. Add in the zucchini, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt, and blend again until a smooth and creamy batter is formed. Add in the melted coconut oil, and blend again to fully incorporate the ingredients into a uniform filling.
Pour the filling into the frozen pie crust, and allow to set for 8 hours, preferably overnight. Serve directly from the freezer, for best texture.
https://detoxinista.com/raw-chocolate-cheesecake/
RASPBERRY CURD HEARTS
Perfect little pies.
Base / crust:
1 cup coconut flour
4 large eggs
1/2 cup powdered Swerve
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp sugar-free vanilla extract
Raspberry curd:
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup powdered Swerve
15-20 drops stevia
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp unsalted butter or coconut oil
2 tbsp water
Topping:
1 cup fresh raspberries
Optional: lemon zest for garnish
Start by preparing the curd. Place 2 cups of the raspberries into a pan.Low-Carb Raspberry Curd Heart Tarts
Add the lemon juice and zest, stevia and water. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and blend in a food processor or use a hand blender.
Place the mixture into a fine-mesh sieve and push through using a spoon. Discard the seeds and place the smooth raspberry mixture back in the pan.
Meanwhile, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Place the egg yolks into a bowl and mix with arrowroot powder until smooth. Make sure there are no lumps before you add it to the blended raspberries.
Add the egg yolk mixture to the raspberries and process well. Bring to boil over low-medium heat while stirring at all times. When you see bubbles, cook for one more minute and take off the heat. Add the butter and stir until smooth.
Transfer the curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressing it tightly to the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill in the fridge for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the tart base. Preheat the oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F (fan assisted), or 195 °C/ 380 °F (conventional). Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with melted (not hot) coconut oil and vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds. Leave some coconut oil aside for greasing the tart pans or use coconut oil spray.
Add Swerve and mix in well.
Add sifted coconut flour and process until the batter is thick. The coconut flour will absorb all of the moisture.
Divide the batter into equal part and press it in the greased non-stick tart pans and up the sides to create a "bowl" shape. Place the tarts on a baking sheet and transfer into the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 minutes and keep an eye on the tarts, as the coconut flour may easily get burnt.
Note: I used 8 mini heart-shaped 10 cm (4 inch) tarts with removable bottom. Alternatively, you can use any silicone pans which work equally well. If you use other types of pans, the crust may get stuck to the bottom.
When done, remove from the oven and let them cool down. Carefully remove the tart base using a sharp knife to lift them up if needed.
Take the curd from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap.
Spoon the curd on top of each crust.
Top with fresh strawberries and lemon zest. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge
https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/lchf/Healthy-Raspberry-Curd-Hearts
Enjoy these Valentine's treats. Your loved ones will be delighted with these desserts. Nothing tastes better than food prepared with love.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Here's to your health! Happy Baking!
Lori