With holiday gatherings and seasonally inspired dinners in full swing, and Christmas just around the corner, my mind is unavoidably drawn to warming images of festive feasts and friends gathered around heaps of sweets, treats, and nostalgic nibbles. But you know what’s not so festive? Crushing a bunch of refined sugar and foods you might be sensitive to, and feeling like garbage all season long...
Read moreDark Chocolate Cherry Almond Oat Cookies (gluten-free)
Can I get an “amen” for hearty, chewy, and densely delightful cookies? While I have a wide assortment of cookie recipes here, and of course never say no to variety, I very regularly opt for a biscuit that feels more like a meal than a delicate nibble. I find them so satisfying AND they really do make fantastic prep foods for grab-and-go treats…
Read moreSpiced Apple Galette (gluten-free)
I’ve always been a pie girl. To me there’s nothing quite like the combo of warm baked fruit and a light and crumbly crust for those comfy cozy fall-time feels. But for many, this classic comfort dessert seems a bit too daunting with all the steps. Well my friends, may I introduce to you the galette…
Read moreGrain-Free Gingerbread
In North America, when we think of “gingerbread” we often think of people-shaped cookies with gumdrop buttons and icing sugar smiles. While these are more accurately referred to as “gingerbread men” the only thing they have in common with traditional gingerbread is that telltale spicy flavour profile. Classic gingerbread is just that, bread. Or perhaps more accurately, a loaf. Because of this, it is also known as gingerloaf, pain d'épices ("spice bread") in French, or lebkuchen (“loaf cake”) and pfefferkuchen ("pepper cake") in German. Whatever you call it, it’s damn tasty and wonderfully warming especially during the winter months when most mouths savour the spicy flavours of this delightfully dense folk food...
Read moreSpiced Sweet Potato Loaf
The fall baking frenzy has officially begun in the Whole Happy kitchen! To be quite honest, I bake a tonne all year round (if you haven’t already noticed, coming up with alternative baked good recipes is one of my favourite things to do), but there’s something special about baking during this season. Perhaps it’s the inherently warming and comforting nature of baked goods that lend so well so that cozy fall vibe. Perhaps spending time indoors when the whether gets colder and wetter doesn’t feel so bad when you have something sweet and aromatic wafting from the oven. Or perhaps it’s because autumnal produce lens so well to sweet treats like pumpkin spice muffins, apple cinnamon pudding, and spiced plum cake, and as I’m sure you can guess…sweet potato loaf...
Read moreLeftover Coffee Loaf
I’ve made chocolate cake with leftover coffee before, but wanted to make something a bit denser and loaf-like that would pair well with some melty butter and a warm beverage of sorts. Plus, I was missing the baking soda and a portion of the almond flour from my Chocolate Espresso Cake recipe and had some leftover coconut cream on hand that I was itching to use up...
Read moreManuka Honey Turmeric Lemon Tarts
Now, as you can probably imagine, the course was rather heavy in the dairy, gluten, and refined sugar department – all things that as you can see I often avoid with my Whole Happy recipes – so many of my old cooking school recipes have been recently adapted to suite my GF and DF amis, including this delightful tarte au citron creation below...
Read moreLight and Fluffy Grain & Nut-free Waffles
You may have noticed that a lot of my recipes are rather nut-heavy. Why? Well, so many of my clients avoid grains for their wellness goals, and nut-based flours can be a fantastic alternative in baking, crusting, and pancake-making (amongst many other things). However, I always caution clients that switching one bad habit, or problematic food, with another isn’t a good idea either...
Read moreButter Pecan Bars
Here’s a holiday treat that is safe for the GF folks in your life (you might be included in this), but so yummy the non-GF people won’t mind…or even notice! No, they’re not dairy-free if that’s a concern for you, and yes, there’s a hefty serving of sweeteners like coconut palm sugar and maple syrup terrible for blood sugar control, but as long as you’re using quality ingredients, and only having a small piece, the harm is arguably minimal. And in all honestly, if you can avoid the refined sugar, refined flour, chemical-laden, shit-storm that consumes so many people’s lives at this time of year, you’re doing alright in my books...
Read morePumpkin Pie Power Balls
If you’re like me, you spend your fall season in a pumpkin-y haze. Pumpkin-spice lattes, pumpkin pie smoothies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, and then of course classic pumpkin pie…if there’s a way for me to infuse pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger into something I’ll do it. Well, here’s one more seasonal treat to add to the list – pumpkin pie power balls...
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