Healthy Sweets

I am all about sweetness. That is my weakness. So I alter what I can to get similar results. I do NOT use artificial sweeteners most on the market have a horrible after taste and are not good for your body. I use natural, unprocessed sweeteners. Agave Nectar is what I use the most.

Now I can eat without the guilt, sugar hang over and general nasty feeling I have after I eat something LOADED. Don't get me wrong, when I go to the Cheesecake Factory I get cheesecake! I am just coming to realize as I get older my body can't handle what it use to. When I was 16 I worked at Cold Stone Creamery. An amazing ice cream shop. I got so creative and made so many wonderful things! I ate that 100% creamy goodness 2-3 times a week without even blinking! Now??? I got the smallest size they had one night and I felt sick half way through. SO, for all of you who can't eat like you are 16 any more here are some sweet treats that might perk up your day.

Warning: if you do NOT like dark chocolate tone down the cocoa to 2/3 cup and vanilla down to 1 tsp. If you like the kind of chocolate that leaves a wonderful bitter bite of cocoa after taste in your mouth after the sweetness is gone this recipe is for you.

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

(Lactose free, sugar free)

4 3/4 cups Rice Dream or any rice milk

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup agave nectar (look for it at any health food store)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

whisk it all together in a bowl and pour it into an ice cream maker. Make according to directions. The finished product will have the consistency of frozen yogurt so put it in the freezer for a few hours to firm it up.

(My mom also makes a killer fresh peach ice cream that is sugar free. I can't remember that one off the top of my head.)

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(reduced fat, sugar, gluten)

1/2 c butter substitute of your choice (make sure you can use it for baking first)

2/3 c brown sugar

1/2 c agave nectar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 c spelt flour ( reserve 2/3 c) (spelt flour is processed differently and is easier on the stomach to digest. It is a lighter flour and you will need to use more than a normal cookie recipe. You can find it at a health foods store)

1 1/4 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 bag chocolate chips

I think the chocolate chips I used were called "The good life" They were gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free. I thought for sure they would taste like bits of wax. Not at all! They are mini chocolate chips too, perfect to dump in banana bread... I digress.

Mix all wet ingredients until creamed. Mixture will be slightly liquidy. Add dry ingredients save the last 2/3 cup of flour till the end. Slowly mix in the last bit of flour until your dough is a solid consistency. NOT gooey. If it is still gooey after the 2/3 c add a little more flour at a time. The 2/3 (or less) should be enough. Drop small spoonful onto the pan and bake @ 375 for 7-10 minutes.

This recipe is still in perfecting stage. If it doesn't come out right (too cakey) don't worry it happened to me too. Whenever you start substituting things you have to adjust others. Any cookies made with agave nectar will tend to be like a very soft cookie, slighty cakey, but still darn delicious. Baking is an art in chemisty and I love chemistry. I am trying this one again next week.

These are a couple to get you started... enjoy!