This blog is mainly about my tips for the yummiest, sweetest and healthiest of treats. This, my first tip, always, and I mean always wear oven gloves whenever you go near a oven, because my sister didn’t wear oven gloves, once, about a year ago and she burnt her hands on the oven when she was taking out a chocolate cake she had made.
Some of my healthy suger treats.
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry.
Combat chocolate’s not-so-healthy side by using it as a semi-sweet jacket on super foods, like strawberrys! Dip and let set in the refrigerator until the chocolate coating has hardened.
Can’t get more simple than this. Any piece of fresh fruit should offer enough natural sugar to fill those cravings. Plus, it’s definitely the healthiest choice and you get added nutrients and fiber!
Baked Apple
This treat is easy to make ahead and reheat, or whip up in an instant right when you want it. Stuff the apples with oats, nuts, and just a little honey for sweetness.
Pudding
Chocolate, vanilla, pistachio—take whichever flavor you like most and whip some up with skim milk. Enjoy ½ cup without any guilt! Top with some fresh berries for added fiber.
Fruit and Cottage Cheese
Not only does this option satisfy sweet teeth, it provides a perfect serving of filling protein, too. If plain fruit isn’t sweet enough, try drizzling with honey or mixing in a teaspoon of cocoa powder.
Frozen Grapes
Pop a vine in the freezer for a few hours and out comes a long-lasting, slightly sweet treat packed with antioxidants and other nutrients.
Animal Crackers
A small handful of animal crackers is not just an ideal snack for kindergarteners. A good-sized handful (about 16 crackers) has just about 120 calories and only 7g of sugar.
Hot Chocolate
Skim (or soy) milk can make a healthful base to this slightly sweet drink—just don’t overdo it on the chocolate syrup.
Waffle-wich
Time to give that Eggo a makeover. Start with a whole-grain version of the classic frozen waffle. Toast to desired crispiness and slice in half. Top one half with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and 2 sliced strawberries. Top with other half, and enjoy!
Trail Mix (with Dark Chocolate)
A small serving of a healthy mix of nuts like almonds and pistachios with a few nice chewy pieces of dried fruit (like cranberries or cherries) and some dark chocolate pieces makes a great snack mix with good nutritional value too.
“Banana Butter” Rice Cake
Here’s a surprise: Bananas are so sweet on their own they can help sweeten any treat. Mash ½ a ripe banana until mushy, and swirl in a teaspoon of peanut butter. Spread on a rice cake, and enjoy!
Yogurt Dipped Fruit
This one’s sweet—literally. Start by making the yogurt coating mixture by combining 1 cup of your favorite Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar. Blend until completely smooth. Now get dipping: Coat your favorite fruits (grapes, bananas, apple slices, and strawberries work well) in the yogurt mixture and set on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Once full, place the sheet in the freezer until the yogurt hardens. (The sugar is what creates the semi-hard shell on the outside of the fruit. If you like, you can omit the sugar and just keep the fruit frozen so the yogurt “shell” stays intact.)
Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
When ice cream cravings hit, try whipping up some of this frozen blueberry-based treat.
So, long story short, these sugar cookies are a great transition to Spring. They are bright and floral, but can be enjoyed with a nice hot cup of tea. With a little nook cut into them, they rest effortlessly on the side of a coffee cup. You can make them with any shape, really, and I look forward to making a festive batch in the distant holiday season when hot cocoa comes back into my life.
All of our guests bit into these sorting cupcakes to find out which Hogwarts house they belong to. As proud Hufflepuffs in our every day lives, we were reluctant to abandon our yellow for Slytherin, but it was fun to venture into the dark side for a night.
Divide the icing into as many colors as you want to use, and mix in the dye. Try to look at leaves for inspiration; you want the colors to be more natural looking and less neon, otherwise the cookies will look more like rainbows than leaves.
Fleur's tips for Sweet Treats! 