Danish Tea Ring - A Family Favorite!

Every Christmas season, my family would bake warm, doughy, gooey, goodness, called a Danish Tea Ring. 

This pastry is easy to make, just a little time consuming. As I have previously mentioned, yeast has never been my friend, so I use a bread machine to make my dough. I use the Basic Sweet Dough recipe from the Cuisinart Recipe book that comes with their bread machine. You can find the recipe on page 63 at this link: Cuisinart Bread Machine Cookbook. 

If you are one of the humans that yeast favors, you can make a standard sweet bread as the base without a bread machine. 

I use all organic ingredients for a tastier treat.  

I made the giant ring you see in the picture to the left  for my co-workers so I made a 2 lb loaf. It made a huge tea ring that easily fed 25 people. 

When I make it for home, I use a 1 lb loaf. 

If you are using a bread machine, make sure to use the dough setting or you will end up with a nice loaf of sweet bread. Tasty, but not what we are going for. 


While the dough is rising, get a stick of butter and 8 oz of cream cheese out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. 

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 stick of real butter
• 1 block or tub of cream cheese (8 oz)
• 3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar (depending on size of ring you are making)
• 2-4 Tablespoons cinnamon (depending on size of ring and how much you like)

Optional:

• Fruits like dried cranberries, blueberries, or raisins
• Nuts of choice

Making the Ring

Regardless of method you are using (machine or manual) let the dough go through it's first rising and then dump onto the countertop so you can roll it out (I layout 3 sheets of plastic wrap over my countertop to make it easier to clean up). 

Punch down the dough (get all the air out of it) and then let it sit for 10 minutes to rest. 


Roll the dough out until it is about 1/4" thick. 

Spread butter over the entire dough surface, making sure to get all the way to the edges. 

Do the same with the cream cheese, over the entire dough, all the way to the edges. 

Sprinkle with brown sugar or succanut until butter and cream cheese are covered. Then sprinkle the cinnamon. Make sure you put on a good amount of cinnamon or the flavor will be more bland. 

Roll the dough from the long end. Do not roll from the short ends or you will get a thick roll that is too short to turn into a circle. 


Cut off the rough ends so you have a nice smooth end to join.  Press the ends together to join the dough so no filling will leak out when you bake it. Transfer this ring to a baking pan lined with tin foil and sprayed with a no-stick spray. I use "Air Bake" pans to keep the bottoms of my baked goods from browning too much. 



Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut 3/4 of the way through the dough every 1". Cut the whole way around the ring. Be careful not to cut through the tin foil on the pan. 

Twist each cut section clockwise so that you can see the filling inside. It looks best if you pull each piece towards the outside of the ring slightly as you twist. Twist every section in the ring. 


Put the ring into a warm area, free of drafts and let rise until almost doubled in size. 

Bake at 350' for 15-20 minutes, until the ring turns golden brown. 

While the ring is cooling slightly, you can make a glaze or a cream cheese frosting. 

The best cream cheese frosting recipe I have found is from that same Cuisinart Bread Machine Cookbook on page 62. 

If you want to use a simple glaze, mix a cup and a half of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and then add water or milk one tablespoon at a time until its at the desired consistency. Drizzle over the warm Tea Ring. 

My frosting is slightly beige colored because I used vanilla extract instead of almond. If you want a whiter frosting, be sure to use a clear extract. 

I hope you enjoy this Danish Tea Ring as much as my family does! 

Enjoy! 
Laureen 

MMMMmmmm Muffins

Have I mentioned I like baked goods? MMMmmmmm Hot from the oven, yummy, fluffy, baked goods. With my eating plan cutting out all wheat and sugar, it has put a big dent in my enjoyment of baked goods. This isn't just a gluten free thing, it's a no wheat thing so gluten free flours are out. 

I have found a way to make cookies, both baked and no-bake but I wanted more. This morning I jumped into muffin making with both feet, and by am I glad I did! YUM!

These muffins use buckwheat flour, which is not a wheat, surprisingly. Buckwheat is made from the seeds of a fruit which are in the same family as rhubarb. See this wikipedia link for more info: Buckwheat. Since it isn't a wheat there is no gluten in it naturally. I am eating for heath these days and buckwheat seems much healthier to me than overly processed wheat. 

I also used almond meal or flour and some gluten free oats. These 2 ingredients made the muffins more dense and hearty than what we made in my Rum Cake Donut Muffin recipe.

To replace the sugar, I used Xylitol and Stevia. Both of these sweeteners are natural and do not include chemicals. Stevia is an herb and Xylitol is made from birch. Neither of these sweeteners raise blood sugar nor impact the pancreas. 

Taking all of that in mind, here is the recipe.  

Note that the buckwheat will make them dark. The batter will be dark and the muffin will be dark. But the flavor is great. Give them a try!  


Healthy Muffins (makes 32 mini muffins)

1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal or flour
¾ cup gluten-free oats 
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup coconut oil
½ cup organic birch Xylitol
1 packet Stevia
1 egg (for vegan, substitute a flax egg)
¾ cup almond milk (or coconut or hemp)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Whisk together the flours, oats, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, add coconut oil, sugar, egg, and milk. Mix to combine until thoroughly blended.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir only to combine.

Coat your muffin pan with a little coconut oil cooking spray and scoop the batter evenly among the cups. I filled a 24 mini-muffin tin and had enough for another 8.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. The muffin should spring back when you lightly touch the top.

Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and allow them to cool another half hour or so. 

Topping

Ingredients: 
3 Tablespoons Earth Balance "butter"

3 Tablespoons Xylitol or 1 teaspoon Stevia
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl or on the stove. Mix the sweetener and cinnamon in a second bowl. Quickly dip the muffins in the butter and then roll them in the sweetened cinnamon. I just did the tops but you can do the whole muffin if you want--you just may need to double your topping recipe to cover all the muffins.

Tap off any excess cinnamon and they are ready to eat. 

I am loving the fact that I don't need flour or sugar to make a yummy treat. Hope you enjoy them too! 

Laureen

Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

When I was young we used to make a chocolate oatmeal peanut butter no-bake cookies. I loved them. Sometimes we were lucky if they made it onto the wax paper. We would all grab spoons and dig in.

But since February, I have removed all sugar, dairy, and wheat from my life, not to mention peanuts. This makes it hard to make a good cookie. 

Last night I was craving chocolatey goodness so I decided to remake the standard recipe to align with my current eating plan. Here is a link to the original recipe: Chocolate Peanut-Butter No Bake Cookies

The original recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar, cocoa powder, a stick of butter, and a cup of peanut butter. All no-nos for me at the moment. 

While mine didn't turn out as gooey as the originals, they are pretty darn tasty and satisfied my cravings. The cookies from the recipe below are for those of us that love dark, bitter chocolate. If you prefer a sweeter cookie you can add more Stevia, or if you are ingesting sugar, you can add honey, maple syrup, etc. 

Chocolate Oatmeal Almond Butter No Bake Cookies

 

5 Tablespoons block cacao (unsweetened)
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance "butter"
1 Tablespoon Stevia (more if you want a sweeter cookie)
1 cup almond butter
1 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups oatmeal

Melt the cacao, coconut oil, butter, milk, and Stevia in a pan on the stove. Don't boil. Just melt everything well. 
 
Remove from heat and add almond butter. Mix well. If it isn't melting into the chocolate mixture, put it back on the heat for a minute. 

 
Add the vanilla and oatmeal and mix well. If the mixture is too dry add more almond milk a Tablespoon at a time until mixture is a thick dough consistency. Taste the cookies, adjust sweetness levels. 
 
Roll into balls and put on wax paper to cool. Enjoy! 





Nom, nom!
Laureen

Healthy Traveling

I am on a business trip for 13 days. When I travel it is more stressful than being at home and I used to soothe that stress by treating myself to things I usually wouldn't eat: pancakes, cookies, catered food for lunch, pasta at business dinners, desserts, an extra glass of wine... You get the picture. 

Well now I am working to stick to my healthy eating and eliminate all sugar, artificial sweeteners, wheat, gluten, rice, beans, dairy, and caffeine. So much for pancakes and pasta dinners.

As I eat healthier and more pure foods (no processing at all), I am finding joys in the simple things. And I am thrilled to have found a way to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

After leaving the airport, I made a bee line for the organic grocery store that is closest to my hotel. I had created a shopping list before my trip and wanted to have as much food on hand as I could so I wouldn't be tempted to grab something. Being hungry, tired, and stressed is a sure fire way for me to eat pizza and cake (not "or", "and"). Not exactly wheat, gluten, sugar, or dairy-free. 

I have found that one of my most favorite and crave reducing items is a granny smith apple with almond butter. Make sure the almond butter is freshly ground and has no added sugar. 

If I want a little sweetness, I sprinkle Stevia on of the almond butter. It is so darn good! I cut up the apple into slices so it provides that comfort food feel and spread the almond butter on thick. 

The best part about this eating plan is that I don't have to limit the quantity of the food I eat. So I can apply the almond butter liberally to each apple slice. 

Try my latest treat. I am sure you will like it as much as I do. It is filling, has great fiber, protein, and healthy fats. And it tastes so darn good! 

Here's to your health! 
Laureen

Turning cravings into opportunities

So I did it. I fell off my new eating plan. I don't like to call it a diet because I am not doing it to lose weight as much as to regain health. 

I had to travel for work and I discovered something. Choosing gluten-free food does not mean it is also dairy and sugar free. Should be obvious, right? But I wasn't thinking. And then I tried to not eat anything I knew to be bad and ended up starving. And then I ate bread. 

I was trying to stick to the plan. I ordered soup and sparking water from room service. I made sure the soup didn't have any cream in it. That it was purely vegetables and protein. The tray arrived and there was the bread. Hot, fresh, crusty french bread. 

I didn't just fall off my plan, I dove off head first. I even ate butter on it. 

Then the next day, I was really tired so I had coffee (also not on plan) and because I don't like bitter and I was riding my wheat/gluten high, I had cream and honey in it. The rest of the day didn't get much better. 

So now I am working to regain composure and am running to catch that health wagon I dove off a few days ago. 

But the cravings are back. I want something baked. And warm, and sweet. 

I looked back at the Breakfast Cookie recipe and realized I could make a slightly sweeter version to get me over these cravings. 

These are the new, sweeter, cookies.

Craving-Killer Cookies

All ingredients should be organic. I have included links to items so you can see what they look like before you go searching for them. Or if you are like me and work all week, order them using Amazon Prime and have them delivered to your door. 
 
1 1/2 cup freshly ground almond butter (my local organic grocery sells fresh ground)
1 large egg
3/4 cup almond, hemp or coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
heaping 1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
heaping 1/4 cup chia seeds
heaping 1/4 cup hulled buckwheat groats
 
2-3 teaspoons Stevia
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (aluminum free)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a large food processor bowl, add almond butter and egg. Blend to combine. Add milk and vanilla and almond. Blend until thoroughly mixed. The mixture should start to look like a batter. 

Add hemp, chia, and buckwheat and mix to combine. If the dough is looking dry, add more milk. The chia seeds will absorb quite a bit of liquid and you don't want the batter to be dry. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until mixed. I taste it and see if I like the taste. If it needs more sweet, I add more Stevia. If it needs more spice, I add more cinnamon and nutmeg.

Preheat over to 350'. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough. Place about 2" apart on the cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10 minutes or until set. You can leave the glaze off if you prefer.

(Optional) While cookies are baking:
1 teaspoon stevia
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Mix the cinnamon and stevia in a bowl and set aside. 

Put a tablespoon of coconut oil into another bowl. 
 
Immediately when cookies come out of the oven, dunk the top of the cookie into the coconut oil and then into the cinnamon and stevia. Repeat until all cookies have been dipped. 


These are working to kill my sweet cravings and to keep me on plan. I hope you like them
Enjoy!

Avocado Dip - Super fast and easy!

Avocados. MMMMMmmmmm. I can't believe they're healthy. They taste so darn good. 

I had 3 avocados sitting on my counter and all became ripe at the same time. I have searched Pinterest enough to know I can mash them and freeze them. But I was hungry too, so....

Recipe time!

Avocado Dip

1 Avocado
1/8 cup Tomato
1/8 cup onion
1 Tablespoon cilantro
1 Tablespoon lime juice
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Peel and cube the avocado and toss into a bowl. Mash up the avocado with a fork a bit. Leave some chunks. Dice tomatoes and onion and toss into the avocado mash. Chop cilantro and add into the bowl. Pour in lime juice and add spices to taste. If you aren't sure where to start, start with 1/8 teaspoon of each and then add more if you want.  Mix all together and enjoy! I eat mine with Gluten-free crackers.

SUPER Easy Avocado Dip

You can totally cheat here. Most if the ingredients you add to the avocados also make up salsa. Buy a good fresh salsa, mix into the mashed avocado, add some onion powder and salt. And Viola! Done! 

Seeds for Breakfast

I am eating a new way and finding new things that taste good. I know my new way of eating is working for me because my body is already starting to feel better. 

One of the nice things about the way I am eating is that amounts don't really matter. My hunger registers seem to be resetting themselves and I now eat to my hunger level. My old eating habits seemed to make me feel hungry almost all the time.

I have found a mix of seeds and groats that I really enjoy for breakfast. This mixture is filling and tastes really good. It's crunchy and chewy and just overall yummy. 

Seed Cereal

1/2 Cup Hemp seeds
1/2 Cup Chia seeds
1/2 Cup Buckwheat groats 

Mix these 3 ingredients together and store in an air-tight container. This will make enough for 3-5 days depending on how hungry you get in the mornings. 

The night before you want your breakfast (or at least an hour before):

~3/4 Cup of Almond, Hemp, or Coconut Milk
1 Packet Stevia
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Scoop out as much as you want for breakfast the next morning. A quarter cup is a nice amount to start with.

Cover with almond, hemp, or coconut milk. Make sure all grains are covered and there is extra milk on top. The seeds and grains will soak up the milk and thicken. Add the packet of Stevia and stir. If you don't want this really sweet, you might use a half to 3/4 of the packet of Stevia. I find using the whole packet makes it a bit sweet for me. 

Cover and put in refrigerator for at least an hour. It really is best if you let it soak up the milk overnight. 

When ready to eat, add the cinnamon and stir. The chia seeds will have absorbed a lot of the milk and some will be clumped together. Mix until the cereal is a consistent texture. 

Enjoy! 
Laureen

Roasted Cauliflower Red Pepper Dip

The Olympics are on. I love watching sports, as does my husband. And of course you have to snack while you watch. I mean, the Olympics are on almost 24/7!

This year we have had a crimp put into our snacking because we have both been directed to cut out wheat and sugars from our diets. Somehow veggie sticks don't cut it night after night. I mean, I can snack on a celery or carrot stick, but man does not live by plain veggies alone.

I made crackers a week or so ago (see Base Cracker Recipe and Alternatives) so I had them available, but they needed a little something. Beans have been removed from my diet so hummus and other dips like it were out. It was time for me to get creative. 

Bring in the roasted veggie dips. For some reason I thought of combining cauliflower and red pepper. Not sure why, it just sounded good. And turns out, it really is! 

Roasted Cauliflower Red Pepper Dip

1 large red pepper
1 small head cauliflower
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 whole head of garlic
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1/3 cup(s) walnuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoons Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Clean a large red pepper, removing the seeds and inner membrane. Cut the red pepper into large chunks, about 1 1/2 - 2" squares. Remove the core from the cauliflower and cut the florets in half or thirds depending on how big they are. You want the size of the cauliflower to be about the same as the pepper so it will roast evenly. 

Crush and press a head of garlic (you can use more or less depending on how garlicky you want the dip). 

 

Put cauliflower, red pepper, and garlic into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and red pepper flakes and toss to completely coat. If all chunks of cauliflower and red pepper are not coated with olive oil, add a bit more. The veggies don't need to be drenched but will roast better if they have a thin coating of oil. 

Put veggie mixture onto a baking pan (I put tinfoil on mine to make it easier to clean after). Roast in 350' oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until fork tender. To tell if it is fork tender, poke the pepper and cauliflower pieces with a fork to see if they are soft. You don't want them mushy, but the fork should pierce the veggie pretty easily. The cauliflower will begin to brown on the edges.

Let the pepper/caulifower/garlic mixture cool almost completely. 

In a food processor, add the walnuts and roasted veggies. Pulse until combined then process until almost smooth. Add spices, olive oil, and lemon juice and process until smooth. 

 

Taste and adjust spices to your liking. 

Enjoy!

Laureen

Breakfast Cookies; Gluten Free and Packed with Nutrition

My husband recently had an appointment with a naturopath. One of the outcomes of his appointment was a change in diet. We had started on the road to eating healthy years ago, cutting out all non-organic foods and removing white sugar and flour even if it is organic. 

So now we need to remove all gluten, all dairy, and have certain foods only once a week. All chips and snacks need to be homemade because store bought gluten free products still contain a lot of sugars or cost an arm and a leg. 

We have found things to eat but many of them are time consuming. In an effort to make more "grab and go" foods, I created a "breakfast cookie" recipe. 

My grandmother used to make us breakfast cookies when I was a kid. Hers were primarily a chocolate chip cookie base with some healthier cereals tossed in instead of chocolate chips. They were sweet and yummy. 

Laureen's Breakfast Cookies

All ingredients should be organic. I have included links to items so you can see what they look like before you go searching for them. Or if you are like me and work all week, order them using Amazon Prime and have them delivered to your door.

1 cup freshly ground almond butter (my local organic grocery sells fresh ground)
1 large egg
1/8 cup almond, hemp or coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

heaping 1/8 cup shelled hemp seeds
heaping 1/8 cup chia seeds
heaping 1/8 cup hulled buckwheat groats
 
3 packets Stevia
1/2 tsp baking soda (aluminum free)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt

In a large food processor bowl, add almond butter and egg. Blend to combine. Add milk and vanilla and blend until thoroughly mixed. The mixture should start to look like a batter. 

Add hemp, chia, and buckwheat and blend to combine. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until mixed well. 

Preheat over to 350'. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough. Roll into a ball and place about 2" apart on the cookie sheet. 

Press down on each ball with a fork to flatten a little. Cook for 10 minutes or until cookie is set. 

Let cool and enjoy!
Laureen

Breakfast of Champions

The Olympics are in progress. I am a huge fan of the athletes and what the Olympics have meant to the world. They are a way for countries to come together in peace. Wars used to stop during the Olympics. Victories were decided through sport. 

My life revolves around the Olympics when they are on. We upgraded our backup systems so we could record all coverage on all 4 channels. Crazy, I know, but we love it. 

Today, we started our day with a red, white, and blue breakfast. Gluten free and super yummy. 

It starts with quinoa flakes, which turn into a hearty hot cereal. Then we added chia seeds, buckwheat groats, hemp seeds, slivered almonds, blueberries, and strawberries. Super healthy, packed with nutrition, and red, white, and blue. If you want it sweeter, sprinkle some Stevia on top.

You can make healthy food fun and the flavor of this combination is incredible. 

Hope you are enjoying the Olympics too!

Laureen

 

Gluten Free Crackers - Base recipe and alternatives

My husband was recently told to not eat gluten or any sugar. No honey, no sucanat, no coconut sugar, no wheat or oats at all. I immediately started my quest to continue eating foods we love without the ingredients that harm us.

I found some cracker recipes on Pinterest and they looked good but I wanted more flavor. I took a little from one recipe, a little from another and came up with this. 

These really are as good as they look. My first attempt at making crackers, first time using parchment paper (I know, I know), and look how yummy they look! This picture wasn't even enhanced.

Gluten Free Crackers (Base recipe) 

2 cups almond flour or meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon white sesame seeds (or 1 T black seeds and 1 T white)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
 
1 egg
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon water (if needed)

Makes 18-20 crackers

Alternatives:

Herbed - I added Italian herbs to mine. Add:

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil 
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (in addition to the half called for in the base recipe
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (in addition to the half called for in the base recipe 

Instructions: 

Mix all dry ingredients. You can mix this together in a tightly sealed container and store it as a dry cracker mix. 

Add in wet ingredients and mix until ingredients come together to form a dough. 

Preheat oven to 350'. 

Put a sheet of parchment paper on a counter so you can roll out your dough on it. Dump the dough out onto the parchment paper and using your hands kneed it into a ball. Smash down the ball into a disk. 

Put another piece of parchment paper on top of the disk of dough and roll out until the dough is about 1/4" thick. The dough rolled really easily for me and it was easy to make it too thin on the edges. 

When the dough is rolled to the right thickness, peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Use a pizza cutter to cut the crackers into approximately 1" squares. Move the entire sheet of parchment paper, with cut crackers onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake at 350' for 10 minutes. Check the crackers. The edge crackers should have started to brown and the center should be set but not quite crispy. Remove any edge crackers that look done. They are ready for eating. The center crackers will need to still be cooked more to crisp up. Use a small spatula to break the crackers apart and put space in between them so the edges can brown. 

Pop the pan back into the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes until crackers are browned and more crisped. 

We ate almost all of these crackers in one sitting because they tasted so good. They would also be good with toppings. 

Enjoy! 
Laureen