Heart Healthy Cherry Almond Chocolate Scones

February is Heart Health Month AND Valentines Day so I wanted to share a recipe that would be fun to make for Valentines Day that is also Heart Healthy!!

So, first of all, what makes a food heart healthy?

Generally, it has a high amount of fiber and is low on saturated fats. Of course having other cardio-protective nutrients, like anti-oxidants is great too!!

This recipe has all of those qualities!!

• The whole wheat flour and oats add more fiber than if we were to just use only white flour. Remember, whole grains are a great way to get fiber in!!

• The oil used is canola oil. I feel like canola oil gets a bad wrap, but if we look at the types of fats that are in canola oil, it is mainly made up of unsaturated fats (poly and mono) compared to saturated fats… which is a good thing for your heart!!

• Almonds are also high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. These unsaturated fats can help increase your good cholesterol and decrease your bad cholesterol.

• Chocolate and cherries contain antioxidants. Anthocyanins, flavanols and catechins to be exact!! Antioxidants protect our cells which ultimately help keep us healthy!!

So, now for the recipe!!

Heart Healthy Cherry Almond Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white flour

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 1/4 cup oats

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 TBSP baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup canola oil

• 1/2 cup mix ins (I used almonds, dried cherries and mini chocolate chips)

How To:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

3. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Mix until just combined.

5. Place spoonfuls of batter on a baking sheet (recipe should make 18-24)

6. Sprinkle to tops with sugar if desired

7. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Do not over bake!

8. Enjoy!

This can be made into a balanced snack by adding some protein!! I ate mine alongside greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter and raspberries!!

3 Ingredient Mug Cake

So…. I love to bake. And there are some nights that I just want a delicious warm baked good but don’t have the time ANDDD also don’t really want to deal with the leftovers. But this. This recipe solves all my issues :-) Easy, fast, warm, delicious, no leftovers… badda boom badda bang! Just like that!!

This is super simple and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth! And the best part… it uses banana as a sweetener!!

Okay, you gotta check this out!

3 Ingredient Mug Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe banana

• 1 egg

• 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

How to:

1. Add banana to a large mug and mash until mostly broken down.

2. Mix in egg and cocoa powder and stir until everything is fully combined into a batter-like consistency.

3. Microwave for 60-75 seconds. Batter should look cooked through and have a cakey texture.

4. Add your favorite toppings!! (Mine are peanut butter and chocolate chips!!)

*Note: use a large mug because the cake will puff up when it cooks and you don’t want it to spill over!

*Note: the riper the banana, the sweeter the cake!

Nutrition information: Calories: 185, Carbs: 29g, Fat: 6g, Protein: 9g

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!

Monster Granola Bars

YUMMMMM! These were fun to make and even better to eat!!! I actually bit into these and thought to myself, these could be a dessert… thats how good they are!! Plus, if you are like me a love to bake, it is a good way to get your baking fix in!

The nutrient breakdown of these make them a great pre-workout snack because of the quick and slow carbs. They also have some fat and a bit of protein which will help the energy last longer.

If you are wanting to utilize them as an everyday snack, pair with a piece of fruit and a hard boiled egg and it will be a well balanced snack that will provide great lasting energy!

Monster Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/8 cup avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)

• 3/8 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 2 cups oats

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

• 1/4 cup raisins

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine peanut butter, honey, oil, applesauce and vanilla in a medium bowl. Mix well.

3. Add the flour, baking soda, oat. Mix to combine.

4. Mix in chocolate chips and raisins

5. Transfer to the 8x8 pan and press down so it is evenly distributed.

6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool before you take it out of the pan.

7. Remove from the pan and cut into equal portions.

8. If you will be eating right away, store in refrigerator. If you will be storing them for snacks to grab over the next couple of months, wrap each individually in foil and stir in the freezer.

Pumpkin Cookies

It is not often that I find a dessert recipe that I like so much that I will make it again and again. I am usually always on the hunt for “the best ____” and let me tell you, these ARE the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/4 tsp cloves

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg, at room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

• 2 cups chocolate chips

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

3. Using a mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar. You want to beat it until it turns light in color and a little fluffy, usually 4+ minutes.

4. Then add vanilla, pumpkin puree, and egg. Mix to combine.

5. Add the flour mixture in 2-3 batches. Mix after each.

6. Add chocolate chips and stir until combined.

7. Using a large spoon, scoop a heaping spoonful and place it on the baking sheet. They won’t spread much when you bake them, so you can fit them fairly close (I was able to do 12 per pan).

8. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until outsides slightly brown. You want to pull them early-ish so they keep their softness!

9. Repeat until all cookies are cooked. Cool on rack and store in an airtight container.

10. Enjoy :-)

Expect to make 32-36 cookies.