Valentine’s Day Sweet Treats
Like life, Valentine’s Day just isn’t as much fun without delicious food, or better yet — desserts! These two healthy Valentine’s Day sweet treats are sure to bring pleasure to your palate.
Remember: Pleasure is important in creating a fast metabolism. When you enjoy the food you eat, you actually work with nature to speed things up. Pleasure stimulates the secretion of endorphins, reduces stress hormones, increases the metabolism and helps it burn fat. Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Phase 3 | Serves 8 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 17 minutes
Yields 1 large tart or 4 tartlets
Ingredients:
Chocolate Cream
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup raw cacao powder
- ½ cup birch xylitol
- 4 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
Crust
- 1 cup shelled raw pistachios
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons birch xylitol
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries
Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees F. To prepare the chocolate cream, combine almond milk, cacao, xylitol and arrowroot powder in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to thicken (this should only take 1 to 2 minutes). Whisk the coconut oil into the chocolate cream right after it thickens and is taken off the heat. The heat from the cream will melt the coconut oil. Set aside to cool and refrigerate until it sets.
In the meantime, prepare the crust. Place shelled pistachios in a food processor. Pulse a few times until they’re chopped. Add almond and coconut flour, xylitol and almond milk. Pulse until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
Press dough into a rectangular 14 x 4.5 x 1 tart pan (you can also use a round 9-inch tart pan or 4 individual tartlet pans), making sure it goes all the way up the sides. Gently poke it with a fork and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
To assemble the tart, gently spread the chocolate cream on the tart shell. Arrange raspberries on top and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Berry Nutty Pudding
Phase 3 | Serves 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 17 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, and cherries)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 5 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons birch xylitol
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
- 1/3 cup raw, shelled pistachios, chopped
Directions:
Combine frozen berries and lemon juice in a bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of almond milk and arrowroot powder until completely dissolved. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup almond milk, xylitol, cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Simmer for 15 minutes and remove lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Whisking constantly, add arrowroot mixture and vanilla, continue cooking over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add coconut oil, whisking until it melts completely. Set aside to cool.
To assemble, prepare two 6 ounce glass cups. Spoon about a tablespoon of berries at the bottom of each cup. Spoon some of the almond milk cream, add a layer of chopped pistachios, spoon some more almond milk cream and top with the remaining pistachios and berries.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Like life, Valentine’s Day just isn’t as much fun without delicious food, or better yet — desserts! These two healthy Valentine’s Day sweet treats are sure to bring pleasure to your palate.
Remember: Pleasure is important in creating a fast metabolism. When you enjoy the food you eat, you actually work with nature to speed things up. Pleasure stimulates the secretion of endorphins, reduces stress hormones, increases the metabolism and helps it burn fat. Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Phase 3 | Serves 8 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 17 minutes
Yields 1 large tart or 4 tartlets
Ingredients:
Chocolate Cream
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup raw cacao powder
- ½ cup birch xylitol
- 4 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
Crust
- 1 cup shelled raw pistachios
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons birch xylitol
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries
Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees F. To prepare the chocolate cream, combine almond milk, cacao, xylitol and arrowroot powder in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to thicken (this should only take 1 to 2 minutes). Whisk the coconut oil into the chocolate cream right after it thickens and is taken off the heat. The heat from the cream will melt the coconut oil. Set aside to cool and refrigerate until it sets.
In the meantime, prepare the crust. Place shelled pistachios in a food processor. Pulse a few times until they’re chopped. Add almond and coconut flour, xylitol and almond milk. Pulse until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
Press dough into a rectangular 14 x 4.5 x 1 tart pan (you can also use a round 9-inch tart pan or 4 individual tartlet pans), making sure it goes all the way up the sides. Gently poke it with a fork and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
To assemble the tart, gently spread the chocolate cream on the tart shell. Arrange raspberries on top and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Berry Nutty Pudding
Phase 3 | Serves 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 17 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, and cherries)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 5 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons birch xylitol
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
- 1/3 cup raw, shelled pistachios, chopped
Directions:
Combine frozen berries and lemon juice in a bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of almond milk and arrowroot powder until completely dissolved. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup almond milk, xylitol, cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Simmer for 15 minutes and remove lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Whisking constantly, add arrowroot mixture and vanilla, continue cooking over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add coconut oil, whisking until it melts completely. Set aside to cool.
To assemble, prepare two 6 ounce glass cups. Spoon about a tablespoon of berries at the bottom of each cup. Spoon some of the almond milk cream, add a layer of chopped pistachios, spoon some more almond milk cream and top with the remaining pistachios and berries.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
