Archives for December 2013

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles + a $500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

December 6, 2013 · by Ari ·

Classic cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle cookies made with bold vanilla sugar. Crunchy on the outside with the perfect soft baked texture inside. Vegan and gluten-free, so almost everyone can enjoy!

Psssst: There is a really sweet giveaway at the end of this post that you don’t want to miss!

The other day I had a craving for sugar cookies. I almost never make sugar cookies, so it was weird. I asked Steve if he thought that sounded too plain. He thought about it for a second, and then, overly proud of himself for his creative contribution, he said “What about cinnamon sugar cookies???” Silly boy, those are snickerdoodles, and yes, they are awesome.

I have always been a huge snickerdoodle fan. Have you ever had those huge ones at Paradise Bakery? I can’t even handle them. I’m pretty sure they use something really awful like shortening to get the texture that perfect.

And can we talk about how my screen keeps yelling at me with that awful red squiggly line every time I type the word snickerdoodle? Snickerdoodle, snickerdoodle, snickerdoodle. I even googled it to make sure I wasn’t spelling it wrong. Get with the program, computer, and stop yelling at me!

At Healthy Living Summit, my BBFF {blog-best-friend-forever} Nicole gave all the girls in our room this amazing vanilla sugar. It was love at first site smell.

Such a simple idea, but a really easy way to take your baked goods to the next level, especially if you’re as vanilla bean obsessed as I am. More than anything–chocolate, peanut butter, even fro yo, I love all things vanilla bean. It’s such a distinct, clean flavor, and you don’t see it as often as you would think.

I thought a lot about what I wanted to use it for, and eventually decided snickerdoodles were the perfect vehicle–with the vanilla sugar baked inside and a crunchy, sweet cinnamon vanilla sugar coating, you get the most out of the vanilla flavor. These were some of the best cookies I’ve ever made, and everyone I gave them too was a huge fan. They have the same perfect texture as my chai snickerdoodles that I loved so much, with just the twist of extra vanilla flavor. They are definitely a must for your holiday cookie exchanges!

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 1/2 - 3 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles

Classic cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle cookies made with bold vanilla sugar. Crunchy on the outside with the perfect soft baked texture inside. Vegan and gluten-free, so almost everyone can enjoy!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or 2 cups white whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup apple butter
3/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For coating:

1/4 cup vanilla sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, vanilla sugar, maple syrup, and almond milk until well combined. Add vanilla, then add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
In a wide, shallow bowl, combine remaining vanilla sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Lightly spray hands with nonstick spray, then roll dough into one inch balls. Roll in the sugar mixture to coat completely, then transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. They may look underdone, but do not over bake. They will set more as they cool. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

If you do not have vanilla sugar, you can easily combine the seeds with 1/2 vanilla bean with your total 1 cup sugar before baking. Mix together thoroughly, then divide out your 1/4 cup for coating.

https://arismenu.com/vanilla-bean-snickerdoodles/

Giveaway details:
The giveaway will be open from Friday December 6th, 2013 until Wednesday December 11th, 2013 (@ 11:59pm EST). You must be 18 years old to enter and you must live in the USA. One winner will receive a $500 Amazon gift card.

Please check out my fellow healthy recipe blogging buddies that are also hosting! They all have amazing recipe, beautiful photos, and lots of greatness to share with you!

Mizuno Wave Rider 17 Review

December 4, 2013 · by Ari ·

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own.

You guys, I have the hardest time with shoes. Can we talk about the fact that I own, like, 10 pairs of running shoes, and literally no fancy, dress-up shoes? It’s ridiculous. It seems like practically every other month I convince myself that it’s time for new running shoes, but I can spend hour in DSW and still come out empty handed.

Although I buy running shoes all the time, I definitely tend to stick to what I know. I had 7 versions of the same pair of stability shoes until my PT suggested I switch to a neutral shoe, and then…same story. Many versions of the same neutral shoe, but when I received the opportunity to try something new, I jumped at it! My normal shoes definitely don’t have that super-light, speedy feel, so I was excited (and a little nervous) to try something different.

The verdict? True love. I took these babies out for a little spin just 3 days after my century. I thought my legs would feel like lead, but the entire run felt GREAT! I’m still struggling with figuring out all my many aches and pains, and getting the perfect combination of tricks together so that my anti-runner body hates running just a little bit less (my mind loves it, my body just is slow to get with the program…). This run truly felt that way–no pain, I felt great, and I ran way faster than I expected–that’s always a plus. 😉

Here’s the stats in technical lingo:

U4ic midsole delivers lightweight, resilient cushioning.
Dissolving upper fit with new DMF execution and soft, supple mesh materials.
SmoothRide Engineering for a brilliant run.
Lateral Forefoot Sculpting for smooth touchdown and transition.
Blown rubber forefront with deep flex grooves for optimal flexibility and cushioning.

Let me translate:

OMG SO LIGHT!!! Wait? Are there shoes on my feet? Oh yeah, but they only weigh 7.8 ounces. That makes up for the 7800 ounces of Thanksgiving food in my stomach, right?
Oooohhh I can wiggle my toes! It feels wonderful and soft up there!
Yay!! These feel great–no clunkiness.
I have no idea what that actually means, but it probably helps make the shoes feel so awesome.
Flexible, yet supportive.

So would I buy an other pair? Heck, yes! My only slight discomfort was that due to the flexibility/fit of the shoe on my foot, I got a small blister on my pinky toes the first 2 runs. However, I gave myself a bit of time to get used to them and break them in, and that’s no longer an issue! I feel like it was just a small, personal thing that most likely won’t happen to others, and honestly, I love them so much, it was totally worth breaking them in. Not to mention, almost any new shoe requires a few break in runs.

The Wave Rider 17 will be released on December 5th in lots of pretty colors to choose from. If you’re anything like me, that is a total selling point! 😉 They would make a great gift for any neutral shoe runner in your life, or a nice Christmas present to yourself! I honestly didn’t think I would notice the difference with this new design and light weight (I mean, I’m not breaking any records over here), but I really did. My feet felt…lighter, and ya know what? I freaking loved it.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

December 3, 2013 · by Ari ·

Rich, chocolatey cookies overflowing with pieces of sweet, crunchy peppermint bark, topped with crushed candy canes–a chocolate and peppermint lover’s dream! On a whim, I decided to buy a bag of peppermint bark baking bits at TJ’s. I knew it probably wasn’t the greatest idea. I took it out of my basket more than once, but I just kept imagining all of the wonderful things I could bake with it! I LOVE peppermint bark. Every year, it’s pretty much the biggest act of willpower to stop myself from buying a bag of the Ghiradelli peppermint bark, and eating the whole thing in one sitting. Buying the bag to eat a few in “moderation” isn’t even an option. I figured at least these ones were chopped into reallllly tiny pieces. Plus, when I bake, I give things away. If I try to give away the store bought candy I just purchased, I feel a little silly. So I bought this bag of baking chips, and I was trying to decide what to do with it. Then I looked at the back of the bag, and there was a recipe. A recipe that called for use of the entire bag. Perfect. No bark left over means no pieces getting shoveled down my mouth by the handful. It’s a win-win situation. Especially when the cookies turn out ridiculous-stop-everything-I’ve-found-the-solution-for-all-the-world’s-problems-amazing. These cookies are soft, chewy and filled with delicious chocolate flavor, complemented by the bright refreshingly sweet peppermint, and topped with crunchy candy canes for some extra texture. To me, the secret to a perfect cookie comes in the texture combinations. A slight crunch on the outside with an extra soft, almost dough-like inside. And you know how I KNOW they were a success? I brought them to a showcase where a bunch of kiddos happily gobbled them down without any clue that they were eating health(ier) cookies. Kids are the best testers because they are ridiculously honest, and happy, chocolatey faces tell all. **Note: All photos on this post were taken by my husband. I made these last year before I was exclusively taking the photos for my site. I could make them again (they are so good), but his photos are gorgeous, so I decided to keep them. 🙂

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Rich, chocolatey cookies overflowing with pieces of sweet, crunchy peppermint bark, topped with crushed candy canes--a chocolate and peppermint lover's dream!

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or gluten-free baking blend*
1 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1 and 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 bag Trader Joe's peppermint bark baking bits
1 candy cane, crushed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
In a large bow, beat together cream cheese and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated, then beat in extracts. Slowly beat in dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Fold in baking bits.
Use a small cookie scoop to transfer dough onto prepared baking sheet. Press a pinch of crushed candy cane into the top of each dough ball. Bake for 10-14 minutes until set. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container for about 1 week.

Notes

*Recipe tested with white whole wheat flour, but I've subbed my gf blend in very similar recipes and it has worked great. You may need to reduce baking time, so check cookies around 7-8 minutes.

https://arismenu.com/peppermint-bark-cookies/

Dark Chocolate Sunflower Butter Truffles

December 2, 2013 · by Ari ·

Rich and intense dark chocolate sunflower butter truffles are perfect treat to bring to a Christmas party, and make a great edible gift! Vegan, gluten-free and filled with intense chocolate flavor!

I have a confession. After the first round of making these truffles, I officially swore off truffle making forever. Not because I wasn’t in love with them, but because I’m, um, a little…slow on the learning curve. At least with things like this. I don’t have that whole hand-eye-coordination thing, and tasks that require care and patients are realllllly not my thing.

Then I tasted them. And I ate my words…in the form of an entire batch of truffles. Totally worth it.

So I did, in fact, make them again. andagainandagainandagain. Each time it got easier, and by the most recent batch, I even referred to it as “enjoyable” and “therapeutic”. WHO AM I???? It turns out, once you get the hang of it, they really don’t take that long. So pour yourself a glass of wine, put on your favorite holiday movie, and enjoy the process, because once you are finished and you take your first bite, I guarantee you will fall in love.

These truffles are so rich, and decadent. The deep flavor of dark chocolate mixed with creamy, nutty sunflower butter, topped with intense Dutch cocoa powder–it is a chocolate lover’s dream.

**Note: All photos on this post were taken by my husband. I made these last year before I was exclusively taking the photos for my site. I could make them again (they are so good), but his photos are gorgeous, so I decided to keep them. 🙂

Dark Chocolate Sunflower Butter Truffles

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 truffle

Dark Chocolate Sunflower Butter Truffles

Rich and intense dark chocolate sunflower butter truffles are perfect treat to bring to a Christmas party, and make a great edible gift! Vegan, gluten-free and filled with intense chocolate flavor!

Ingredients

12 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/3 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk, at room temperature (can sub regular sweetened condensed milk)
1/3 cup sunflower butter

For coating:

6 oz dark chocolate, melted
Approx 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder for dusting (or Hershey's Special Dark)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the 12oz melted dark chocolate, sweetened condensed coconut milk and sunflower butter until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and use a small spoon or extra small cookie scoop to transfer chocolate mixture in approx 1/2" balls. If they don't look perfect and round right now, don't worry! Once all of the mixture has been transferred, refrigerate for 1 hour. You can stick them in the freezer as well.
Once the truffles have chilled, roll each truffle in your hands until round and smooth. Melt 6 oz dark chocolate in a wide shallow bowl. Pour 1 cup cocoa powder in a similar wide and shallow bowl. Use a fork to roll each truffle in melted chocolate until fully coated then in cocoa powder. Once truffle is fully coated, use your fork to gently place it back onto lined baking sheet. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.

https://arismenu.com/dark-chocolate-sunflower-butter-truffles/

Gingerbread Granola

December 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

All the flavors of classic gingerbread in a spiced, nutty flavorful granola with big snack-worthy clusters. Vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect edible gift! Friends! I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting for months to share holiday recipes with you! I am still so full from Thanksgiving weekend that I almost can’t even think about anymore food. Almost… But this granola is so special that I actually haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I made it. In fact, I’ve already run out, and usually I try to think of an other granola I’d like to make so I can share a new recipe, but I think I have to make this one again because it’s literally all I can think about. I had my doubts going in. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the pure gingerbread flavor to sit just right in a nutty granola, and when I tasted the batter (yes, I taste unbaked granola), I was sure the molasses flavor was going to overpower everything. You know how the best ginger molasses cookies are the ones rolled in sugar? Well, they’re my favorite. Just before baking, I made a game time decision to sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the batch, and it was the BEST idea. I only used 2 tablespoons (on a 12ish cup recipe), but it added that extra sweetness that I would want from my gingerbread, and helped tone down the molasses a bit. Feel free to altar the sugar and spices to fit your preferences. I use a very simple basic granola recipe for all of my granola and just tweak things here and there to bring the flavor profile I want. The recipe is hard to mess up, and super adaptable to your tastes. The recipe is super simple and easy to make, plus it makes a HUGE batch of granola, so if you’re doing edible gifts for any of your friends/family/teachers/coworkers/bike shop employees (my husband insists), you’ll only need one batch, and you’ll still have some left over for you, because trust me, you’ll want some. In fact, you won’t want to share any of it once you sample a cluster. Trust me, those big granola clusters are even more addicting than even the softest ginger cookies.

Gingerbread Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 12 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Gingerbread Granola

All the flavors of classic gingerbread in a spiced, nutty flavorful granola with big snack-worthy clusters. Vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect edible gift!

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
2/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
Generous pinch salt
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup apple butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300. Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the apple butter, molasses, brown sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined, whisking constantly.
Add the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Divide mixture evenly between your 2 prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each baking pan with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 1 hour. Lightly toss granola half way through. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I’ve never made a batch last any longer than that, but it’s still great a month in!

https://arismenu.com/gingerbread-granola/