Food is the centerpiece of almost all holidays, but I decided this year that it doesn't have to be the bane of my healthy eating efforts. Even though I always tend to eat more than usual when I sit down to a holiday feast (I think this is primarily because all of my holidays are spent at my parents house where it appears that their fridge is a revolving door and the shelves are filled as quickly as they are emptied) My aim this Easter is to lessen the diet damage by switching up the traditional Easter treats for a more healthier version.
1. Healthy Hot Cross Buns
What you need:
220G WHOLEMEAL FLOUR
50G ROLLED OATS
1 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
1 TEASPOONS DRIED YEAST
1/2 CUP MILK- YOUR CHOICE OF DAIRY, RICE, ALMOND, SOY
1 TABLESPOON HONEY
1 TEASPOONS VANILLA BEAN EXTRACT
1/4 CUP MACADAMIA NUT OIL OR OLIVE OIL
1 FREE RANGE OR ORGANIC EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN
80G RAISINS
50G CURRANTS
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 160 C. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
Mix the wholemeal flour, oats, cinnamon, yeast and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
Warm the milk, vanilla and honey just a little until just slightly warm, then pour into the mixing bowl along with the egg and oil.
Mix the dough for about 6 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Add the dried fruits and mix through. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or glad wrap and leave the dough to double in size in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Knock back the dough and tip in onto your working bench. Kneed a little then shape into 10 rolls. Place on baking tray, cover lightly and allow to rise for another 30 minutes or until double in size.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Cool then if you like pipe a cross made from either white or dark chocolate on top.
Enjoy!
Makes 10 hot cross buns
NOTES:
These buns are delicious lightly toasted with a light spread of macadamia nut butter.
Add sun-dried cherries and dark chocolate in place of raisins and currants.
Add sun-dried figs, apple and walnuts in place of raisins and currants.
Sprinkle with a few oat flakes before baking for a rustic effect or brush with egg wash before baking for a lovely glace finish.
2. Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
What you need:
For the cupcakes
2 CUPS WHOLEMEAL FLOUR
1 CUP PLAIN FLOUR
2 TEASPOONS BAKING SODA
1 1/2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
1 TEASPOON GROUND GINGER
1/2 TEASPOON GROUND NUTMEG
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 CUP LIGHTLY PACKED BROWN SUGAR
1/4 CUP CANOLA OIL
2 EXTRA LARGE EGGS
1/2 CUP PLAIN YOGURT
4 CUPS CARROTS, GRATED
1/3 CUP GOLDEN RAISINS
For the frosting
4 OUNCES LIGHT CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1 CUP ICING SUGAR
1/4 CUP FINELY CHOPPED WALNUTS
What to do:
FOR THE CUPCAKES
Preheat oven to 170 C. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and oil for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the yogurt, carrots, and raisins. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
Using a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into paperlined muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
FOR THE FROSTING
Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and icing sugar. Spread each cupcake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with walnuts. Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
Makes 12 cupcakes
3. Healthy Cacao Easter Eggs
What you need:
5 TABLESPOONS CACAO POWDER (COCOA IN ITS RAWEST FORM USUALLY FOUND IN HEALTH FOOD STORES)
5 TABLESPOONS COCONUT OIL
5 TABLESPOONS CACAO NIBS
1-2 TABLESPOONS PALM SUGAR
A PINCH OF HIMALAYAN SALT
What to do:
Mix cacao powder with coconut oil until thoroughly blended. Add cacao nibs, palm sugar and Himalayan salt and mix well. Place the mixture into Easter egg moulds and refrigerate.
Enjoy!
Makes 9 medium sized chocolate eggs
And one yummy healthy treat to help celebrate ANZAC Day on 25th April.
4. ANZAC Biscuits
What you need:
1 CUP ALMOND MEAL (GROUND ALMONDS)
1 CUP ORGANIC ROLLED OATS
1 CUP ORGANIC DESSICATED COCONUT
1/2 COCONUT SUGAR OR REREFINED RAW SUGAR
1/4 CUP OIL (OLIVE, MACADAMIA, SUNFLOWER, AVOCADO)
2 TABLESPOON HONEY
1/2 TEASPOON BICARBONATE SODA
1 TABLESPOON WATER
What to do:
Preheat oven to 130C–150C. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, coconut, sugar, oats.
In a small pot combine the oil and honey and slowly heat.
Mix the bicarb and water then add to the honey oil mixture and remove from the heat. The mix should froth up in the pot.
Pour into your dry ingredients and mix through well. Add a touch more water if needed – but the more you mix the softer the dough will become. Form into small biscuits and place onto a baking tray with enough room between to spread.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool and enjoy!
Makes 24 cookies
1. Healthy Hot Cross Buns
What you need:
220G WHOLEMEAL FLOUR
50G ROLLED OATS
1 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
1 TEASPOONS DRIED YEAST
1/2 CUP MILK- YOUR CHOICE OF DAIRY, RICE, ALMOND, SOY
1 TABLESPOON HONEY
1 TEASPOONS VANILLA BEAN EXTRACT
1/4 CUP MACADAMIA NUT OIL OR OLIVE OIL
1 FREE RANGE OR ORGANIC EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN
80G RAISINS
50G CURRANTS
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 160 C. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
Mix the wholemeal flour, oats, cinnamon, yeast and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
Warm the milk, vanilla and honey just a little until just slightly warm, then pour into the mixing bowl along with the egg and oil.
Mix the dough for about 6 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Add the dried fruits and mix through. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or glad wrap and leave the dough to double in size in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Knock back the dough and tip in onto your working bench. Kneed a little then shape into 10 rolls. Place on baking tray, cover lightly and allow to rise for another 30 minutes or until double in size.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Cool then if you like pipe a cross made from either white or dark chocolate on top.
Enjoy!
Makes 10 hot cross buns
NOTES:
These buns are delicious lightly toasted with a light spread of macadamia nut butter.
Add sun-dried cherries and dark chocolate in place of raisins and currants.
Add sun-dried figs, apple and walnuts in place of raisins and currants.
Sprinkle with a few oat flakes before baking for a rustic effect or brush with egg wash before baking for a lovely glace finish.
2. Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
What you need:
For the cupcakes
2 CUPS WHOLEMEAL FLOUR
1 CUP PLAIN FLOUR
2 TEASPOONS BAKING SODA
1 1/2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
1 TEASPOON GROUND GINGER
1/2 TEASPOON GROUND NUTMEG
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 CUP LIGHTLY PACKED BROWN SUGAR
1/4 CUP CANOLA OIL
2 EXTRA LARGE EGGS
1/2 CUP PLAIN YOGURT
4 CUPS CARROTS, GRATED
1/3 CUP GOLDEN RAISINS
For the frosting
4 OUNCES LIGHT CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1 CUP ICING SUGAR
1/4 CUP FINELY CHOPPED WALNUTS
What to do:
FOR THE CUPCAKES
Preheat oven to 170 C. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and oil for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the yogurt, carrots, and raisins. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
Using a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into paperlined muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
FOR THE FROSTING
Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and icing sugar. Spread each cupcake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with walnuts. Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
Makes 12 cupcakes
3. Healthy Cacao Easter Eggs
What you need:
5 TABLESPOONS CACAO POWDER (COCOA IN ITS RAWEST FORM USUALLY FOUND IN HEALTH FOOD STORES)
5 TABLESPOONS COCONUT OIL
5 TABLESPOONS CACAO NIBS
1-2 TABLESPOONS PALM SUGAR
A PINCH OF HIMALAYAN SALT
What to do:
Mix cacao powder with coconut oil until thoroughly blended. Add cacao nibs, palm sugar and Himalayan salt and mix well. Place the mixture into Easter egg moulds and refrigerate.
Enjoy!
Makes 9 medium sized chocolate eggs
And one yummy healthy treat to help celebrate ANZAC Day on 25th April.
4. ANZAC Biscuits
What you need:
1 CUP ALMOND MEAL (GROUND ALMONDS)
1 CUP ORGANIC ROLLED OATS
1 CUP ORGANIC DESSICATED COCONUT
1/2 COCONUT SUGAR OR REREFINED RAW SUGAR
1/4 CUP OIL (OLIVE, MACADAMIA, SUNFLOWER, AVOCADO)
2 TABLESPOON HONEY
1/2 TEASPOON BICARBONATE SODA
1 TABLESPOON WATER
What to do:
Preheat oven to 130C–150C. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, coconut, sugar, oats.
In a small pot combine the oil and honey and slowly heat.
Mix the bicarb and water then add to the honey oil mixture and remove from the heat. The mix should froth up in the pot.
Pour into your dry ingredients and mix through well. Add a touch more water if needed – but the more you mix the softer the dough will become. Form into small biscuits and place onto a baking tray with enough room between to spread.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool and enjoy!
Makes 24 cookies
