As a psychologist friend of mine says, “Man cannot live on kale alone.” We’re hardwired to enjoy sugar; the key, of course, is choosing the right kinds of unrefined sugar and practicing moderation (that’s my way of saying you can’t go out and eat a jar of jelly beans just because your brain needs energy). There’s no refined sugar in any of these sweet bites, nor is there any gluten. That’s important for people with gluten sensitivities, as gluten consumption for them may cause a host of ailments, including depression, nerve damage, anxiety, and headaches. But what we did put in is amazing, in terms of both taste and satiation, balancing good fats and fiber to go along with the sweet, meaning you’ll feel full after just a few bites and avoid the brain fog that comes with a sugar overload. I’m proud of the creativity of my talented colleagues who helped me come up with inventing these goodies: there’s something here for everyone, and the ingredients offer a host of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory brain benefits. (Did I mention that chocolate is a mood elevator? Did I have to?!)
Slow-Roasted Spiced Peaches
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP • PREP TIME: 10 minutes • COOK TIME: 1½ hours
I owe this one to my mom, who taught me all about peaches, in her own inimitable style. Didn’t matter what peach dish she was making—peach kuchen, peach cake, peach you-name-it—Mom had a scrumptious way with peaches. These peaches are simple and absolutely intoxicating; take peaches at the height of their season and toss them with cinnamon, ginger, and just a spritz of lemon juice. You’ll find yourself making excuses to be in the kitchen while these goodies roast, cause they just smell
soooooo good. Thanks, Mom! These can be served with the
Blackberry Parfaits with Sesame Brittle. Triple this recipe and use it to fill a
cashew crust, or keep it simple and spoon them over Greek yogurt.
1 tablespoon Grade B maple syrup
1½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, or 1½ teaspoons ground
4 peaches, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons very thinly sliced fresh mint
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the maple syrup, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the peaches and stir gently until they are well coated.
Spread the peaches on the lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 1½ hours, until the peaches are moist and about a third their original size, stirring and redistributing them halfway through the baking time. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the peaches and any remaining juices to a bowl. Gently stir in the mint, then let sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to meld. Serve warm or at room temperature.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: ½ cup; Calories: 189; Total Fat: 4 g (1 g saturated, 3 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 20 g; Protein: 2 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 204 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Campfire Style Seasonal Fruit Fondue
WITH CHOCOLATE
MAKES 4 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 10 minutes • COOK TIME: 5 minutes
At our house we firmly believe that chocolate—brain-boosting, mood-enhancing chocolate—goes with anything. Doesn’t matter what time of year: take a seasonal fruit and nut combo for a chocolate dip and it invariably shows taste bud superpowers. Starting in the fall, we pair pears and almonds, then move into winter with a banana-walnut duet. Spring blooms with strawberries and macadamia nuts, while summer serves up cherries and almonds. And just because I can, I’m delivering on an unofficial fifth season—call it Indian summer—where figs and pistachios take to the plate, thus proving that no matter what hemisphere you inhabit, chocolate never goes out of season.
2 ripe but firm pears, halved, cored, each half sliced into 6 slices
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted almonds
2 bananas, peeled and sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted walnuts
1 pint strawberries
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted macadamias
2 cups cherries with stems
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted almonds
12 fresh figs
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pistachios
3 ounces dark chocolate (at least 68% cacao content), finely chopped
½ teaspoon grapeseed oil
Tiny pinch of salt
Arrange the fruit on a serving plate and place the nuts in a small bowl. Place the chopped chocolate in a pan or bowl set over another pan with a little boiling water. Add the oil and salt and stir until melted and smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture into a bowl and serve alongside the fruit and nuts. To eat, dunk a piece of fruit into the chocolate and sprinkle with nuts.
COOK’S NOTE: To create individual dessert plates, dip separate pieces of fruit in the melted chocolate. Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with a pinch or two of nuts. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
PER SERVING: Calories: 88; Total Fat: 5g (2 g saturated, 3 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 15 g; Protein: 1 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 6 mg
STORAGE: Not applicable
Pumpkin Tart in a Cashew Crust
MAKES 12 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 20 minutes • COOK TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes
This one was a culinary conundrum: how to make a certifiably delicious, completely over-the-top pumpkin filling without the refined sugar blast of condensed milk in pumpkin pie filling? The answer was in a combination of molasses and coconut milk, which gives the kind of mouthfeel that had my husband, Gregg (who considers pumpkin its own food group), giving this recipe a thumbs-up. If you haven’t encountered the gluten-free grain teff before, it’s a true nutritional powerhouse—and the tiniest whole grain in the world; a hundred grains of teff equal one wheat kernel. I love teff’s light, nutty taste, which perfectly complements the cashews in this tart.
1½ cups cashews
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup ghee, melted
3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
2 organic eggs
1 (15-ounce) can organic pumpkin
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
3 tablespoons molasses
1 (13.66-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 9-inch pie plate with a neutral oil.
To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the cashews, teff flour, baking powder, and salt. Process until the cashews are broken into fine bits. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the ghee and maple syrup; stir to combine well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and, using your fingers, press firmly into a thin and even layer to the top of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. It will have puffed up a bit, so cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before filling. It will settle into the pan.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. To make the filling, in a large bowl or stand mixer, lightly beat the eggs (they should not get foamy). Add pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg and stir to combine. Mix in the maple syrup, molasses, and coconut milk. Pour into the warm tart shell and bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling no longer jiggles and has small cracks in the surface.
Serve in thin slices.
COOK’S NOTE: If the crust puffs up on the initial baking and doesn’t flatten while it’s cooling, use the back of a fork to press it down.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: 1 slice; Calories: 311; Total Fat: 22 g (11 g saturated, 6 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 25 g; Protein: 7 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 183 mg
STORAGE: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Chocolate Cherry Walnut Truffles
MAKES ABOUT 20 TRUFFLES • PREP TIME: 15 minutes • COOK TIME: 2¼ hours
My dad, Jay, had this delightful habit; whenever you told him something that struck his fancy, he’d roar, “That’s FANTASTIC!” and gleefully clap his hands for emphasis. This was doubly true if you told him he was getting chocolate for dessert. Jay never met a piece of chocolate he didn’t like, and I have a feeling that just hearing what’s in these truffles—dates, cherries, and walnuts, smothered in chocolate, rolled in coconut and curry—would’ve given him cause to offer up a standing ovation. Studies suggest walnuts may boost memory, while chocolate, as we all know, is the ultimate mood-boosting agent. One bite of this dessert and you’d be hard-pressed to feel any stress.
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces dark chocolate (64 to 72% cacao content), very finely chopped
½ cup walnuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup pitted and halved Medjool dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sea salt
¼ cup finely diced dried cherries
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
¼ teaspoon curry powder
Stir the boiling water into the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds. Using a small whisk, stir until the chocolate is completely melted and glossy.
Coarsely grind the walnuts in a food processor, then add the cocoa powder, dates, vanilla, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt, and process for a minute. Then add the chocolate mixture and process until smooth, another minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir the cherries into the chocolate mixture. Cover and chill for approximately 2 hours, until firm.
On a plate, mix the coconut, curry powder, and a pinch of salt. Scoop up approximately 2 teaspoons of the chilled chocolate mixture and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms, then roll it in the curried coconuts to coat. Repeat with the remaining mixture, then place the truffles in an airtight container and chill thoroughly before serving.
COOK’S NOTE: If you want to give the truffles a golden hue, toast the coconut in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: 1 truffle; Calories: 72; Total Fat: 4 g (1 g saturated, 1 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 9 g; Protein: 1 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 16 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container for 2 days
MAKES 6 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 20 minutes • COOK TIME: 1 hour
Every season needs a crisp; this is my homage to fall. I use two different pears, Anjou and Bosc, for their slightly different consistency and taste. Cranberries add just the right amount of sweet and tart. An added bonus: cranberries benefit the brain’s synapses.
4 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cubed
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cubed
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Grade B maple syrup
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup coconut oil or ghee, melted
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flour
½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
To make the filling, combine the pears, cranberries, ginger, lemon juice, water, syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and toss until the fruit is well coated. Transfer the fruit mixture to a 2-quart baking dish or a 10-inch pie plate.
To make the topping, combine the walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, oil, coconut, oats, syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Spoon the topping evenly over the filling and lightly press with your fingers until the fruit is covered and the dish is full. Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, until the fruit is soft. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: 1 cup; Calories: 361; Total Fat: 25 g (8 g saturated, 4 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 31.5 g; Protein: 7 g; Fiber: 7 g; Sodium: 137 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 10 minutes • COOK TIME: 20 minutes
This is layered yum in a cup. The blackberries are a compote, which become sweeter by the minute as it boils down to a warm sauce. It alternates in the cup with layers of luscious Greek yogurt, which is full of probiotics. The sesame-maple brittle is the final touch, adding a bit of crunch. So pretty.
1½ cups frozen blackberries
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
1½ teaspoons Grade B maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 scant teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamon
Pinch of sea salt
2 cups organic plain Greek yogurt
To make the compote, combine the blackberries, orange juice, zest, syrup, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture bubbles, pulls away from the sides of the pan, and becomes syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the brittle, preheat the oven to 375°F and turn the oven light on. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the oil on the parchment paper with a paper towel, covering the parchment with a thin, even film of oil.
Put the maple syrup, sesame seeds, cardamom, and salt in a small bowl. Pour the mixture onto the oiled parchment paper, then tilt the pan to spread it evenly. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, staying close to the oven and keeping watch. The syrup will first become bubbly, then, after another 2 or 3 minutes, the sesame seeds will take on a nice golden color and the syrup will turn a deep amber color. At this point, remove the brittle from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
Using a thin metal spatula, lift the hardened brittle and break it into randomly sized pieces. (To make it easier to break into pieces, you can pop it into the freezer for about 5 minutes.) Use immediately or store in an airtight container.
Fill each of 4 parfait glasses with 1 tablespoon of compote, then ¼ cup of yogurt, then 1 tablespoon of compote, then ¼ cup of yogurt, and top with a piece of the sesame brittle.
VARIATIONS: If you have fresh blackberries, all the better. Just add 2 tablespoons of water to the recipe. If you don’t have blackberries, use blueberries, strawberries, and/or raspberries.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: ½ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons compote; Calories: 143; Total Fat: 1 g (0 g saturated, 0 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 39 g; Protein: 2 g; Fiber: 11 g; Sodium: 1 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Julie’s Best Nectarine Blueberry Crisp
MAKES 6 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 20 minutes • COOK TIME: 40 minutes
Eating a crisp is heaven’s way of saying you must have done something right (or nice) today. My cooking buddy, a serious baker, says crisps need to look “abundant.” All I know is that her nectarine and blueberry crisps, which served as my inspiration here, take abundant to the limit. The smells that suffuse the kitchen as this dish bakes are absolutely intoxicating, nectarines and blueberries blending with coconut oil, cinnamon, and nuts to create an olfactory orgasm. (Can I say that? Wait, I just did!)
8 nectarines, unpeeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick wedges
3 cups blueberries
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup coconut oil or ghee, melted
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flour
½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make the filling, combine the nectarines, blueberries, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss until the fruit is well coated. Transfer the fruit mixture to a 2-quart baking dish or a 10-inch pie plate.
To make the topping, combine the walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, oil, coconut, oats, syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir well. Spoon the topping evenly over the filling and lightly press with your fingers until the fruit is covered and the dish is full. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: 1 cup; Calories: 328; Total Fat: 25 g (8 g saturated, 4 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 22 g; Protein: 7 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sodium: 136 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
WITH FRESH STRAWBERRIES
MAKES 4 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: 5 minutes
When most people think of pudding, lemon isn’t the first place their minds go, but it’s a great choice. Lemon pudding is nice and light, and this version is almost like key lime pie filling. The coconut milk base offsets the tartness of the Meyer lemons while offering up a fat that the body can easily assimilate.
1 (13.66-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
2½ tablespoons dried kudzu root, ground (see Cook’s Note)
3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
¼ cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint strawberries, sliced, for garnish (optional)
Pour ½ cup the of coconut milk into a small bowl and add the kudzu. Whisk until well combined and set aside, whisking from time to time. Put the remaining coconut milk, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and vanilla into a heavy saucepan and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then whisk in the kudzu slurry. Continue to cook, whisking often, until the mixture becomes bubbly and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into four ½-cup sized ramekins and let cool. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. To chill, cover with plastic pressed on the surface of the pudding. Serve with the strawberries, either warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
VARIATION: Substitute blueberries or blackberries for the strawberries.
COOK’S NOTE: Grind kudzu root with a mortar and pestle, or use a rolling pin to crush it.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: ⅓ cup; Calories: 131 Total Fat: 10 g (9 g saturated, 0.5 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 10 g; Protein: 1 g; Fiber: 0.5 g; Sodium: 57 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Grown-Up Chocolate Pudding
WITH RASPBERRIES
MAKES 4 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: 5 minutes
Talk about fun rendezvous. This little devil took a while to figure out, so my recipe tester, Catherine, and I kept meeting halfway between our homes. We’d sit in Catherine’s VW bug and she’d pull out a small container of the pudding; we’d taste, figure out what needed to be tinkered with, and off we’d go on our separate ways. I wanted something that would take me back to that comforting feeling pudding gave me as a kid, yet be a little more sophisticated for an adult palate. What we ended up with was a cross between pudding, custard, and pot de crème. If that sounds a bit decadent, well, guilty as charged. Coconut milk, dark chocolate (mood enhancer!!), cinnamon, cardamom … yup, this one will get your motor purring.
1 (13.66-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1½ tablespoons ground kudzu root
3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3½ ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint raspberries
Pour ½ cup of coconut milk into a small bowl and add the kudzu. Whisk until well combined and set aside, whisking from time to time. Place the remaining coconut milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a heavy saucepan, whisking to combine. Heat over medium flame until the mixture simmers, then whisk in the kudzu slurry. Continue to cook, whisking often, until the mixture thickens and becomes bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate and vanilla. Pour into six ½-cup size ramekins. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. To chill, cover with plastic pressed to the surface. Serve with the raspberries either warm, room temperature, or chilled.
COOK’S NOTE: Cacao content is the amount of pure cacao in a chocolate product; the higher the percentage, the more antioxidants the chocolate contains. And if you’re into addition by subtraction, higher cacao percentages also mean lower sugar content.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: ⅓ cup; Calories: 262; Total Fat: 21 g (16 g saturated, 3 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 19 g; Protein: 3 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sodium: 80 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Lola’s Favorite Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies
MAKES 16 COOKIES • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: 15 to 17 minutes
I asked my editor if I could get away with a two-word headnote for this: “Eat these!!” But she said, “No, Rebecca. You need to say more.” Sigh. How about “Eat these now!” That’s what my dog Lola did. We left them on the kitchen table, wrapped in layers of parchment and foil. Lola didn’t care. Her doggy delight senses shorted out her inhibition system (such as it is), and when we returned to the kitchen, she had jumped up on the table like a mountain goat and absconded with eight cookies. Fortunately, the chocolate content was low enough, and Lola big enough, that the vet said she’d be fine; she was, but there was no dinner for her that night. These are flourless, a blend of almond butter, egg, vanilla, cocoa nibs, and chocolate chips. The chocolate is guaranteed to elevate your mood. It sure elevated Lola’s!
1 cup organic unsalted almond butter
1 organic egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips (70% cacao)
¼ cup cocoa nibs
⅛ teaspoon fleur de sel or another large crystal salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Place the almond butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Incorporate the chocolate chips and cocoa nibs. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, evenly space scoops of the mixture on the baking sheet. Press down with a spatula or back of the spoon to slightly flatten. Sprinkle each cookie with a bit of fleur de sel. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies bounce back when touched. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then using a spatula transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for another 10 minutes.
VARIATIONS: Substitute cashew butter for the almond butter.
Substitute ¼ cup of dried cranberries for ¼ cup of the chocolate chips.
COOK’S NOTE: Coconut palm sugar is gaining popularity because of its naturally low glycemic load. It is produced from the nutrient-dense nectar of the tropical coconut palm tree flower, which is dried in a drum to become a delicious whole brown sugar that adds a depth of flavor and natural color. Check out the
Resources to see where this natural sweetener is available. If you don’t have coconut palm sugar, you can substitute turbinado sugar.
PER SERVING: Serving Size: 1 cookie; Calories: 208; Total Fat: 12 g (3 g saturated, 6 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 11 g; Protein: 4 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sodium: 32 mg
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
