Healthy Dessert Recipes
Just as there’s no point running a race if there’s no finish line, there’s almost no point eating dinner without dessert. Usually a sweet reward, the word “dessert” originally comes from the French dessevir, meaning, “to clear the table.” The custom of a post-meal course is likely very old, dating back to the simple enjoyment of fruits and nuts. Our western tradition of dessert as a sweet, decadent treat, however, is much newer, a result of the 19th century rise of the middle class and the...
read moreChocolate Chip Cookies
What causes the chocolate chip cookie to stand the test of time is its ability to win over the hearts of old and young alike. You would be hard pressed to find a person who didn’t enjoy some form of chocolate chip cookie, and so this amazing, simple dessert is still sought out by people looking for a great treat to make for themselves and for friends and family. And, fortunately for people who are following alternative diets, such as vegans, people with gluten intolerance, and those who are looking for healthy alternatives to...
read moreGluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
It’s an easy scenario to imagine: in anticipation of houseguests, you’ve spent hours in the kitchen preparing a delicious snack. Always mindful of your guests’ dietary needs and preferences, you’ve ordered vegan chocolate chips, tracked down a recipe for vegan cookies, and made all the necessary substitutions in your recipe. But once your guests arrive and it comes time to sample your snacks, several of them are forced to pass, citing a strict gluten free diet. Today, more people than ever are coming to appreciate the...
read moreDairy Free Chocolate Coins
The current trend of using chocolate coins for promotional purposes or to celebrate special occasions is most likely derived from the tradition of Hanukkah gelt (Yiddish for “money”). Long before there was interest in dairy free chocolate coins, Jewish adults gave real coins as gifts to children in order to enhance their holiday experience. In the twentieth century, American chocolate makers caught on to the coin idea and began producing chocolate gelt, candies shaped and stamped like coins and wrapped in foil. These coins often...
read moreSoy Chocolate Milk
The stature of chocolate milk as a mainstay of American culture and lore needs little elaboration. From “chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows,” to Ralphie’s obsession with downing Ovaltine to acquire his beloved decoder ring in the mail, chocolate milk has been a mainstay of popular American culture throughout the 20th century. Strictly speaking, chocolate milk is a sweetened milk drink flavored with cocoa. The two traditional ways to enjoy chocolate milk are either as a pre-mixed beverage, or by mixing it on your own....
read moreVegan Chocolate Chip Cake
Interestingly enough, the appeal of a chocolate cake containing no animal products came long before vegetarianism and veganism became popular lifestyle choices the world over. During and following World War II in Great Britain, which at the time imported roughly 70% of their foodstuffs per year, the Ministry of Food instituted rations on several dietary staples, including butter, bacon, sugar, and eggs. Each citizen had to register with local shops, and a coupon-based system was set up to ensure that individuals only received the amount of...
read moreVegan Chocolate Mousse
Traditionally a specialty of French and Belgian restaurants, mousse is a creamy dessert made from egg and cream, usually in combination with chocolate or pureed fruit. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the dish made its way into American and British restaurants. To achieve this dessert’s particular light, fluffy, yet extremely rich consistency, raw eggs whites are normally beaten before being mixed with the other ingredients. The resulting mixture is then chilled to maintain aeration. An inherently classy dish, mousse is often served...
read moreVegan Candy
Okay. Let’s not dwell on the fact that candy, as a basic concept, is usually just not that good for you. This much is a given: wiping away the world’s candy supply might make the human race a good deal healthier, and would put an end to some rather unsavory cravings we all experience from time to time. Ah, but that wouldn’t be much fun now, would it? Life, after all, has its moments of difficulty among the joy, and those moments occasionally cry out for a decadent, sweet treat. Let us not forget that ode to sweet delights:...
read moreVegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the moment of its accidental invention at the Toll House Inn back in 1933, the chocolate chip (or “Toll House”) cookie has been a staple of American snacks. Having run out of Baker’s chocolate to make her cookies, Ruth Graves Wakefield broke pieces of semi-sweet chocolate into chunks, hoping they would melt during the baking process and mix with the batter. Luckily for us, the chocolate did not mix in, and the chocolate chip cookie was born. Wakefield then sold her recipe to Nestle in exchange for a lifetime supply of...
read moreVegan Brownies
The vegan brownie is a modern adaptation of a very old snack whose origin is clouded in mystery. But with a treat as widely beloved as the brownie, it’s no wonder crowds line up to take credit for its discovery! Popular American folklore claims the brownie came to be when a careless cook forgot to add baking powder to his chocolate cake recipe. Who exactly this legendary cook was, though, is anyone’s guess. More recently, the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago has claimed ownership of the brownie’s inception during the...
read moreVegan Chocolate Frosting
You know that old idiom that is used to describe one great thing happening, and an additional great thing happens on top of that? Sure you do: the second great thing is called the “icing on the cake.” This saying comes from the widespread appeal of icing, or frosting, a sweet glaze used to cover or decorate baked goods, such as cakes or biscuits. Traditionally icing is made of sugar, and also contains butter, water, egg whites, milk, or flavorings. As versatile as it is delicious, frosting can be customized for an incredible...
read moreVegan Chocolate Cakes
The vegan chocolate cake is a relatively recent entry into the longstanding history of this famous desert. There is much debate over whether or not that decadent, notoriously bumbling and disconnected Marie Antoinette ever actually suggested “Let them eat cake,” as her solution to the bread-shortage that left thousands of peasants starving in the French streets. What is clear is that the cake, traditionally a sweet, baked desert, has been a part of countless historical special events. Cakes are often chosen for dessert after meals...
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