My grandma once said that, in case of an emergency, she could take over for my mom and prepare all of our favourite meals, simply based on the state of my mom's cookbooks. She could flip through those cookbooks and stop at the pages that were crumpled, stained, or stuck together. In my mom's copy of Betty Crocker's Desserts Cookbook from the late '60s, the page devoted to Cream Puffs is nearly illegible.
This was one of my favourite desserts, as a child—I would get so excited at the thought of cream puffs or their elongated brethren, eclairs, that I could barely make it through the day if I knew they were on that night's dessert menu. They are surprisingly easy to make for such an impressively tasty dessert. This is my dairy-free version of the original, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Ingredients
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, bring water and coconut oil to a rolling boil.
Add flour and stir vigorously until mixture becomes a ball, with a consistency like mashed potatoes.
Remove from heat. Stir in eggs until smooth.
Drop mixture by heaping tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets, shaping with your hands to make a ball or "puff" shape.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
VEGAN OPTION: Add 1 teaspoon baking powder when stirring in the flour. Omit eggs, instead whisk together 4 tablespoons of ground flax and 3/4 cup water and use that mixture in place of the eggs. Bake for an extra 5 minutes, for a total of 25-30 minutes.
When puffs are cooled, slice in half and fill with coconut whipped cream. Drizzle with chocolate glaze (recipe below).
Chocolate Glaze:
Ingredients
In a small saucepan, melt chocolate with coconut oil.
Add icing sugar and hot water, stir until smooth. Use immediately to drizzle on top of the cream puffs.
Refrigerate glazed and filled cream puffs until ready to eat.
(Yield: About 2 dozen bite-sized puffs)
Adapted from Betty Crocker's Desserts
Want more delectable desserts? Try my Avocado Key Lime Pie, my Five-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse Pie, or my Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie-in-a-Jar.
Maybe it's part of my master plan to get really shiny hair, or maybe it's just because avocados are deliciously full of nutrients; either way, I cannot seem to get enough of that creamy green superfood these days. This avocado pasta salad has just the right amount of zing from the lemon and rich flavour from the tomatoes, not to mention the wonderful creaminess from the avocado! Oh, avocados, how I love you.
We are coming into that wonderful time of year when we all want to dine alfresco and to leave our ovens off. Barbeques, picnics, casual meals with friends; it's what this season is all about! If you're looking for a side dish for your next backyard barbeque, look no further. This pasta salad is so easy to throw together, it feeds a crowd, and there's no oven required! Now that's what I call a perfect summertime dish.
Ingredients
Prepare fusilli according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a food processor, blend together avocado, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, and olive oil. Thin with 1 tablespoon of water if needed.
Toss fusilli with the cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and avocado dressing.
Serve and enjoy!
Yield: 6-8 side servings
Want more hearty salad recipes to take to your next potluck? Try my Dill-icious Pasta Salad, my Freekeh Greek-eh Salad, or my Fiesta Quinoa Salad.
Summertime is right around the corner, and I don't know about you, but in my house that means that a plethora of frozen treats is required to keep the troops happy. Well, not just the troops—frozen treats make me happy, too! There is just something so lovely about cooling off on a warm summer's day with a delicious sweet treat.
These homemade fudgsicles are the new favourite treat in my house; my kids love them and I do, too. They are healthy, vegan, and wonderfully creamy. They are also a snap to put together—after all, in summertime the living should be easy!
Ingredients:
In a blender, combine all ingredients, and blend until smooth. The consistency should be that of a very thick chocolate milkshake.
Pour into ice pop moulds, freeze until firm (about 4 hours).
Enjoy!
Yield: 10-12 fudgsicles, depending on the size of the mould (size matters, people).
It's so easy to make! Watch me whip these up in a flash.
Want more fabulous homemade frozen treats to wow your family and satisfy your cravings? Try my Vegan Chocolate Soft Serve, my Two-Bite Ice Cream Sandwiches, or my Avocado Key Lime Pie.
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