Please, sir: May I have some more pudding?

Because it's the day before Christmas, and I still have TONS to do, I'm going to make this post short.

My daughter and my BFF and I got together yesterday and made some yummy, yummy recipes. First time we'd ever made these, and they both get three enthusiastic, sugar-high thumbs up!

Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes, via Seasons & Suppers. As the three of us tasted our first bites, we were all rendered speechless, except for satisfied, "mmmm's, all around. As it bakes, the mixture separates into two layers: a creamy layer on the bottom that's similar in taste and texture to a very tart lemon curd, topped by a thin layer of super-light fluffy cake.
We made these in 4 oz. Mason jars. (Everything's better in a jar!) Super cute, and -- PLEASE NOTE: in these small jars, they only take about 15 minutes to bake. We still used the hot water bath method called for in the recipe.

Bread Pudding Cupcakes, by Sugar Derby. We left out the raisins, subbed pecans, and didn't bother with the cream cheese frosting. Either plain, or topped with a bit of the neighbor's homemade salted caramel sauce, they were fabulous!

These will both definitely be part of our best desserts list now. Should be in yours, too.

Merry Christmas to all!

Bread. Pudding. Cupcakes.

There's not a whole lot I can control in this life, but here's one thing I can: This recipe is going to be made in this kitchen, some time in the not-too-distant future.

Bread Pudding Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing, by Sugar Derby. (I'll skip the raisins, but everything else? Oh, baby!)

It will need to be a day when we're having lots of people over; otherwise, we might just eat ourselves into a sugar coma. But there are worse ways to go!

60-Second Strawberry "Shortcake"

We'll get to this easy peasy snack how-to in a minute, but first, let's talk strawberry shortcake.

If you think of strawberry shortcake as Twinkie-like spongecake topped with super-red strawberries in a goopy glaze, then I'm sorry, my friend, but you have been misled.

Imagine warm, fresh from the oven, slightly-sweet/slightly-salty biscuits: think scones. Perfectly crunchy on the outside, broken open so that the tender, steamy shortcake inside can soak up the sweet sauce that results from macerating berries in sugar for an hour or so. Drizzle over that a little half & half -- just enough to moisten the biscuits a bit more -- then top it with a generous blob or two of vanilla whipped cream! Mmm... the contrast of salty and sweet, crunchy and creamy. Seriously!

I live a pretty low-carb life, but this is the one food that I will never pass up, and will eat till the strawberries are all gone, or my stomach hurts, whichever comes first! Oh, who am I kidding?! If there are still strawberries and shortcake, I'll keep eating!

And for that very reason, I don't make it too often. 

But the other day, I had some lovely strawberries on hand -- just a few -- and was trying to figure out how I could make a satisfying snack out of them. Then, inspiration!

I had a few whole-wheat crackers on hand. Store-brand Wheat Thins, if you must know. That will stand in nicely for the shortcake, I thought. And some vanilla yogurt in the fridge. A dollop of that on a cracker, and a slice of strawberry on top. How easy is that?! And pretty healthy, really.

But easy and healthy are no good if it doesn't taste good. This does! The crunchiness of the cracker simulates the shortbread crust and flavor; the vanilla yogurt is a pretty good stand-in for its more fat-laden cousin.

It's also good with a sweetened cream cheese spread -- though that knocks the health factor down a notch.

Sure, in a head-to-head battle with real strawberry shortcake, it comes up short. (Ha! Sorry!) But for a 60-second snack, it'll do just fine. Just fine! And with a lot less guilt.

Recipe Roundup: 12 Things to Do With Avocado

Just rounding up a few avocado recipes. Because they're so good for you!

Here are a few of my own, followed by others by trusted sources.

Salmon with Fresh Avocado Salsa

BLT's without the bread

Ancho-crusted Salmon with Avocado Crema

Ina Garten's Guacamole Salad, with my variations. 

(Note: it's not the texture of guacamole; just the ingredients.)

Turkey-Bacon-Avocado Sandwich. The photo is from Pioneer Woman, and her recipe includes some fancyin'-up, like pesto, but really, I think a simple sandwich of turkey, bacon, avocado, Swiss or provolone cheese, tomato if you like, and a bit of mayo on some crusty whole-wheat toast doesn't need a recipe -- and is just the best sandwich ever! 

Hint: When eating at Jason's Deli, order the California Club on whole wheat toast (instead of the standard croissant). Order it with steamed veggies on the side, and that is one guilt-free lunch!

And here are some others I've found around the web...

Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Chopped Salad (Can you tell I love avocado with bacon?) This looks so amazing! And inspired by a dish from a Salina, KS restaurant -- Go, Kansas!

Avocado-Tomato-Mango Salsa, from AllRecipes: 5 stars and almost 700 reviews! This sounds like it would be great on fish, pork -- or chips!

Kiwi Salsa from Simply Recipes

The top-rated Avocado Smoothie from AllRecipes.

Avocado Ranch Dressing, also via AllRecipes. (I like that site because you're getting the opinion of not just one person, but hundreds.)

Avocado Egg Salad, from Pioneer Woman. (I've been meaning to try this forever. Gotta make it happen soon.)

And to finish off our avocado buffet: Chocolate (Avocado) Pudding, anyone? from HowSweetEats.

Emergency blueberry crumble for one

Blueberries in the freezer, snow outside on the ground, and a hankerin' for something warm and sweet. What to make, that's slightly healthy but also bona fide comfort food?!

Blueberry crumble, of course! (Blueberries are a super food. Old fashioned oatmeal's not bad either.)

Based on this recipe for Microwave Blueberry Crumble (four servings), here's a version that goes together super fast and easy (less than five minutes!), can be made sugar-reduced, and is scaled to make just one serving. And if you use gluten-free oatmeal and cornstarch, it could also be gluten-free!

I'm including instructions for topping it with a bit of vanilla-flavored cream, but you could, of course, top it with ice cream instead. Depending on the severity of your emergency and the contents of your freezer.

Emergency blueberry crumble for one

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 t. sugar (or one Splenda packet)
3/4 t. cornstarch
2 T. old fashioned oats
2 T. packed brown sugar (or 1 T. brown sugar Splenda blend)
1 T. chopped pecans
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and/or a wee pinch of nutmeg
1 T. cold butter (no exceptions)
3 T. heavy cream
splash of vanilla extract

Place the blueberries in a 4- to 5-" microwave-safe dish (I used the cover of an extra-wide butter dish). Sprinkle the sugar and cornstarch on top. Cover and microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir and heat on high another 30 seconds. Repeat until the blueberries are softened and the sauce is slightly thickened.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Cut in the butter into the oat mixture using a fork, until the mixture resembles very coarse crumbs. You want there to still be some globs of butter, though; not completely smoothed out.

Sprinkle the oat mixture over the blueberry mixture. Cover and microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir and heat on high another 30 seconds.

Pour a splash of vanilla extract into the cream; stir till combined. Drizzle over the blueberries. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Bread pudding: the ultimate Christmas dessert!

photo by The Shiksa in the Kitchen

So, I'm fixing dinner, Christmas Eve night, and my husband says, "What are we having for dessert?" Oh my gosh -- dessert?! How on earth did I forget dessert? (I'll tell you how: I was thinking of the waffles and cinnamon rolls we were going to be having for brunch the next day!)

Then my brilliant husband goes on to say, "How about bread pudding?"

Now, if you're  not a bread pudding fan, let me tell you -- neither was I, until a couple years ago when we ordered lemon bread pudding at Carrabba's. I love anything lemon, but I'm telling you, this was heaven on a plate! Warm, sweet but with a little lemon tang, and custard-y... yum!

So a more traditional bread pudding -- simply flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and for those who like them, raisins -- seems like the perfect Christmas dessert.

And it was!

It's quick and easy to throw together, and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. We used this bread pudding recipe from All Recipes, and topped it with the Kahlua cream sauce recipe from The Shiksa in the Kitchen. (A plain vanilla cream sauce would be good, too. Orange or maple might be nice for a breakfast/brunch version.)

With these slight changes:
- Used a demi-loaf of French bread; fresh, not day-old.
- Used a 9x9" pan (rather than 8x8")
- Used brown sugar, not white.
- Left out the raisins.
- Added a little fresh-grated nutmeg with the cinnamon.
- Skipped the melted butter, but drizzled a little heavy cream over it (after pouring on the egg mixture, but before baking' I didn't measure, but probably about 3 Tablespoons.)
- Sprinkled some pecans on top. (Next time I'll use more and mix 'em in.)
- Baked for 35 minutes.

Mmmm... Imagine the warm, sweet aroma of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, with a texture I can only describe as a tender, custardy cake. If this isn't Christmas on a plate, I don't know what is! But it would be just as good at any autumn or winter dinner -- or brunch!

I might just make it again for New Year's Eve!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad - sugar free, gluten free, without CoolWhip!

Ever since I saw the recipe for Strawberry Pretzel Salad at MyBakingAddiction, I've wanted to create a sugar-free, lower-carb version. It took a couple tries to get the proportions right, but here it is!

Why is it called Strawberry Pretzel Salad instead of Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, or Strawberry Pretzel Pie? It seems that back in the days when Jello was a new-fangled thing, anything that combined jello with fruit was labeled "salad." And this is an old-timey recipe. The fact that it's survived tells you it's good! (Unlike one of my mom's favorite jello salads, which featured grated carrots in orange jello, topped with cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese. Bleck!)

To imitate the crunchy, salty crust without using actual pretzels, I went with a combination of chopped nuts. Specifically, pecans and salted pepitas. Pepitas are pumpkin seeds that have been dehulled and roasted. All of the pepitas and some of the pecans get a coarse chop, while the rest of the pecans get finely ground. The large nut pieces provide the kind of crunch you'd get from the larger chunks of pretzel, while the finely ground pecans serve as the butter that helps everything stick together. The pepitas have a more delicate crunch, while the pecans provide a sort of buttery flavor like the crust of pretzels. You could make this with just pecans, but if you want that salty kick, you'd need to add extra salt to the recipe.

You can use either 4-oz. Mazon jars -- or any other 4-oz. dish -- or 7-oz. ramekins; your serving number will vary accordingly. The neat thing about using Mason jars is that if a guest is too full for dessert, you can pop a lid on their jar and send it home with them! Lidding all the jars would also be handy if you're transporting your dessert somewhere and need to stack them. Perfect for a picnic or potluck!

Update: Thanks to questions by readers, I've now included the nutrition count at the end of this post. This dessert is certainly not NO-carb, and it does have far more carbs than protein, but it's still a lower carb recipe than the traditional strawberry pretzel salad. And sugar-free and grain-free!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad/Dessert

Fills 21 4-oz Mason jars, or 10-12 ramekins.


2/3 c. salted pepitas, chopped coarsely
2/3 c. pecan pieces, chopped coarsely
1 c. pecan pieces, ground fine
1/4 t. kosher salt
30 pkts. Splenda (or 1.25 c. granular Splenda) (OR LESS)
2  8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 c. whipping cream
1  0.6-oz. package sugar-free strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1  16-oz. package frozen sliced strawberries - no sugar added

Chop the pepitas and the smaller portion of pecans until they are mostly pea-sized and smaller. Grind the larger portion of pecans until they are beginning to stick together. (For method, see my recipe for lime cheesecake shooters.)

The pepitas, before and after:

And the pecans, finely ground and coarsely chopped:

Combine the nuts and salt, and stir until well mixed. 

Place 2 T. into each 4 oz. mason jar (or 1/4 c. into each 7 oz. ramekin). Tamp down lightly using a clean bottle or jar that's smaller than the opening of your serving dishes. (This photo is recycled from a shooter recipe.)

In a medium bowl, beat the Splenda, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. 

Whip the cream till soft peaks form. Using the lowest setting on your mixer, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, just until even in color. (Overbeating will turn the cream to butter.) 

Spoon this filling into a gallon-sized baggie and snip off the tip of the bag. You may want to do this in two batches to make it easier to handle. 

A side note... The first time I made these, I thought I'd skip the hassle of using a baggie and just carefully spoon the filling into the jars. Here's the result: on the left is the jar I spooned filling into; on the right is the jar where I piped the filling in. Much neater!

Evenly divide the filling between each jar. Place the jars into the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Placing all the jars in a large cake pan will make transporting them to and from the fridge easier.

After the cream filling is chilled, make the jello. In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Stir in frozen strawberries. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for three or four minutes. This will allow the gelatin to firm up a bit. 

Evenly spoon the gelatin between each the jars. A small gravy ladle works well for this. 

Also, having the jars in a cake pan while you fill them will save your counter tops from jello stains if, like me, you spill a little.

Place jars back into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled.

Here's the nutrition count, based on 21 servings, erythritol for the sweetener, (via myfitnesspal.com):

Amount Per Serving; % Daily Value *
Calories 205
Total Fat 19 g	29 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	7 %
Monounsaturated Fat 6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 29 mg	10 %
Sodium 111 mg	5 %
Potassium 124 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 14 g	5 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	5 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 5 g	11 %
Vitamin A	8 %
Vitamin C	31 %
Calcium	5 %
Iron	8 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet,

How many packets of Splenda equal * of sugar?

While granulated Splenda can be measured cup-for-cup in baking, it has a lot of maltodextrin in it, which affects my body about the same as, or maybe even worse than sugar. So I try to stick with the Splenda packets. I know they also contain a little filler, too, but not nearly as much as the granulated version.

One packet equals the sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar, but has nowhere near the same volume. So how do you tell how many packets of Splenda to use to sub for a tablespoon, 1/3 cup, or one whole cup of sugar? Find all those answers here, on this Splenda conversion chart.

(No, I'm not shilling for Splenda, and yes, I know it's got man-made chemicals and probably isn't the healthiest thing in the world. But sometimes, it's just the best substitute, and as long as you're not drinking buckets of it every day in your coffee, pop or tea, I think a little now and then probably won't hurt the average person.)

Individual lemon icebox pies

When I was a kid, dessert was not a forbidden thing. We almost always had some ice cream in the freezer, and/or a frozen chocolate cream pie or lemon icebox pie. I loved the lemon pie, and would sneak small slivers off of it every now and then. I suspect that the reason I never got caught was that I wasn't the only one in the house doing it, and s0 my mom probably assumed my dad was the culprit!

These mini-pies are quick and easy to whip up at home, and they have that same sweet-and-tangy appeal as the freezer pie in my memory! But these are sugar-free, gluten-free, corn syrup-free, and you control whether there's food coloring, and what kind of sweetener goes in!

Recipe for:Individual lemon icebox pies

makes 6-8, depending on serving sizes

1/2 c. pecan pieces
8 oz. cream cheese
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon (or 1/2 or 3/4, depending on how sour you like things)
4 pkts. Splenda (or sweetener of your choice, equiv. to 8 teasp. sugar)
1/2 t. vanilla
2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
1/4 c. cream
whipped cream:
1/2 c. cream
1 pkt. Splenda
1/2 t. vanilla

See my recipe for No-bake lime cheesecake shooters for the crust-making and assembly method, using 4-oz. Mason jars as the serving dishes.

Once the jars are filled and topped with whipped cream, attach the lids and place in the freezer for at least three hours. I haven't tested them for longevity, but I'm pretty sure you could keep them frozen for up to several days at least with no problem.

Remove from the freezer 45 minutes before serving time and let thaw at room temp. Remove lids, garnish if you like, and serve!

Also, this recipe is fantastic turned into cheesecake-stuffed strawberries! No freezing, for that option.

Here's the nutrition info, via myfitnesspal.com; this is for a single serving (of eight servings), with the crust, but with NO whipped cream.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving   Servings 8

Calories 163

Total Fat 16 g

Saturated Fat 7 g

Monounsaturated Fat 6 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g

Trans Fat 0 g

Sodium 87 mg

Potassium 95 mg

Total Carbohydrate 3 g

Dietary Fiber 1 g

Sugars 0 g

Protein 3 g

One-ingredient, gluten free, low carb pie crust (plus some cute dishes)

Disclaimer: If you're already familiar with my no-bake lime cheesecake shooters, you'll recognize that this post is a bit of a rehash, but I think this crust is such a problem-solver it deserves a post of its own.

This crazy-simple crust is made of: pecans! That's it! No butter needed. So it's completely gluten-free, pretty low carb, and you can be assured there's no weird man-made chemicals in it. (Pecan nutrition facts here.)

In the photo below, you can see two different blender blades that came with my bullet-style blender (currently my favorite kitchen gadget). The four-bladed piece (top center in the photo) chops things up from coarse to fairly fine, depending on how long you run it. The shorter, two-bladed one (on the left) minces things down to a fine powder or -- in the case of nuts -- butter.

In the pic below you can see the difference. The left-hand image shows the pecans after running them with the four-blade piece for a few seconds. This would work just fine for crust if this is all you have. But if you have the second kind of blade, you can grind the pecan pieces until they're so fine they begin to stick together, like in the image on the right, below. This gives you something with the look and consistency of a crust made of graham crackers and butter. Neat, huh?!

Then you just place a small amount of ground nuts in the bottom of your serving vessel, and tamp it down with the top of a bottle (securely capped and very clean, of course). I use these little shot glasses (actually votive holders form Hobby Lobby), and 1 tablespoon of pecan crumbs works perfectly. 

And you're done! With the crust, that is. Fill it with your favorite no-bake pie filling, chill, and you've got a healthy, easy -- not to mention adorable -- dessert.

Here are various dishes you could serve such in:

Cheap-o "shot glasses" (votive holders) from Hobby Lobby; you could also find these at Walmart, etc. I'm sure.

4 oz. Mason jars. If you keep the filling short enough, you can cap these for easy, spill-proof portability.

6-oz. Libby glass bowls with plastic lids. Ditto on the portability. 

Weck jars. Available in sizes from 3 to 6 oz.

Pricey but adorable individual pie pans. 8 oz; also available in olive.

(Disclosure: Some of these links go to my Amazon store.)

Individual peanut butter pies

(Note: this is a re-post, but I have added photos of the process and shot much better pics of the finished product. Amazing how much my photography has improved in a few months!)


This dessert is simple, decadent, and sugar free! Okay, if you add some chocolate on top -- and you really should -- there's a marginal bit of sugar. But for an occasional or special treat, this is a really satisfying way to get a very small amount of the sweet stuff. Sweet, and creamy, and rich -- oh my!

If you want the crunchiness of a pie crust to contrast with the smooth fluffiness of the peanut butter, add a layer of chopped peanuts or cashews, either in the bottom of the dish or between the PB and the whipped cream.

You are going to top it with whipped cream, aren't you?

My favorite way to serve it is in little mason jars, but you could also use dipping bowls, ramekins, or fancy-schmancy little individual footed trifle dishes. 

Peanut Butter Pie

1.5 cups heavy cream

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup peanut butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla

your sweetener of choice, equiv. to 1/4 cup sugar

optional toppings: chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate, peanuts or cashews; sweetened whipped cream

In a medium mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until fluffy peaks form.

In a second bowl, beat cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and sweetener and continue beating for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until fluffy and airy.

Drop three large spoonfuls of the PB mixture into the whipped cream; whip this till mostly incorporated.

Add the rest of the PB mixture in the same way...

whipping just until it's all a consistent color.

Taste. Taste again. Okay, now stop. No, stop!

No, seriously: taste it, and if you won't be topping it with sweetened whipped cream and/or sweet chocolate, add more sugar/sweetener if it's not sweet enough for you. (Now that I'm adjusted to living without sugar, I'm more sensitized to the taste, so I tend to under-sweeten things.)

Dollop the pie filling into individual small bowls, ramekins or mason jars. Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate till ready to serve. (Optional method: put some chopped chocolate and/or chopped nuts in the bottom of the jars before filling.)

Chop the chocolate.

You may set out toppings and let your guests top as they like, or prep it all and serve.

Taste. Swoon. Repeat.

Here's nutritional info, based on 8 servings, no toppings, and using Splenda for the sweetener. (Via myfitnesspal.com)

Nutrition Facts, Per Serving
Calories 388
Total Fat 41 g
Saturated Fat 26 g
Monounsaturated Fat 11 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 123 g
Sodium 256 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 3 g