Deceptively Healthy Dessert: Gluten, Dairy, and Grain Free Chocolate Loaf Cake

Hello health food fans, vegans, and gluten free folks!

This recipe was suggested to me by my little brother, Kirby. I know, shocking, right?! Turns out he saw the picture of the original trending on buzzfeed. He didn't know what was in it and I changed the recipe anyway when the consistency wasn't what I wanted. Reading the recipe, I was a little skeptical, but it was better than I expected!

The Recipe: 

Cake:

• 1/2 cup plus 7 tsp pumpkin puree
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp applesauce
• 1 egg (***Dairy free by using 1/2 cup applesauce instead of egg)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp cashew butter (almond butter or peanut butter would work as well!)
• 1 1/2 tsp nutella

Glaze: 

• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp powdered sugar

The Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and ground flaxseed in a small bowl. 
3. Whisk the pumpkin, almond milk, applesauce, egg, nutella, vanilla, and cashew butter in a larger bowl using a fork.
4. Add the dry to the wet bowl and mix. 
5. Grease a 1 lb loaf pan. 
6. Add batter to pan. 
7. Push chocolate chips into batter. 
8. Bake for 30 minutes. 
9. Mix glaze in a small bowl. 
10. Apply to cake while hot. 
11. Allow cake to cool. 
12. Enjoy! 

The Calories: 

Pumpkin: 53 calories

Applesauce: 2 calories

Cashew Butter: 150 calories

Egg: 70 calories (dairy free substitution has 30 calories)

Salt: 0 calories

Baking Powder: 0 calories

Baking Soda: 0 calories

Cocoa Powder: 98 calories

Vanilla Extract: 12 calories

Honey: 384 calories

Flaxseed: 365 calories

Chocolate Chips: 201 calories

Almond Milk: 10 calories

Nutella: 33 calories

Powdered Sugar: 20 calories

__________________________________________

TOTAL: 1398 calories

This genuinely surprised me! The cake was about 9 slices, which means each slice was only 155 calories of mostly healthy ingredients. The dairy free version contains 150 calories per slice, though applesauce is less protein than eggs. 

What went right:

          The cake tasted great and was gone in one night! Kirby ate three slices and my parents really liked it too. It was rich and moist with the bitterness of dark chocolate and nicely satisfying. It came out of the pan very easily and displayed well. 

What went wrong: 

          Once Kirby was told what was in the cake, he decided he was no longer a fan. We've decided he's no longer allowed to know what's in food. I think I'll make it again and tell him it's different (shhh! ;) )

What I would do next time: 

           While shopping for almond milk, I noted that there is such a thing as dark chocolate almond milk. That is something I definitely want to try, as well as adding more glaze so it covers the entire cake. I would also like to try using half as much cocoa powder and a square of melted baking chocolate (like in brownies). It would also be interesting to use almond butter or peanut butter instead of cashew butter; the consistency of using almond might make the taste more consistent. Additionally, adding pecans or walnuts on top would add some much needed texture. Finally, I would like to serve this with a frozen yogurt, sorbet, or ice cream. Something cold and fruity would go very well with this cake. 

Overall, an amazing and simple cake that I can't wait to play with!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Hello Cupcake Lovers!!

This recipe is one of three adaptations of the Chocolate Buttercream M&M Cupcakes from New Years Eve, made on New Years Day for a dinner party with some of our close family friends, Jana, Andy, Alexander, and Larissa! 

If you have any fun cupcake-related experiences, please share them in the comments at the bottom of the page, or send me an email or google+ comment! 

The Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Cupcakes (Total Recipe makes 12 cupcakes and 6 mini cupcakes, but only 6 became this flavor and the others had additions to their filling and frosting). 

The Cake: 

• 1 cup flour
• 7/8 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp shortening (aka Crisco)
• 1.5 mashed bananas
• 1.5 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Filling/Icing: 

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Raspberry Preserves

The Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176.6 degrees C). 
2. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Cut shortening into small pieces to make it easier to mix with dry ingredients. 
4. Mash banana into another, smaller bowl. (Don't tell the kids there's banana in their cupcakes!!)
5. Add one egg to the bowl with the banana. 
6. Break other egg into a small cup or bowl and whisk so that it becomes relatively homogeneous. Pour half of this into the bowl with the banana.
7. Mix oil, milk, and vanilla extract into bowl with banana. 
8. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat. 
9. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (or butter and flour the sides of the pan). 
10. Fill cupcake liners about halfway with batter. 
11. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer (or toothpick) can poke the center and come out with some moist crumbs. You will be able to see the cupcakes rise and smell when they are done. Use the pictures as a guide as each oven is different. 
12. Allow to cool with paper towel covering. 
13. Blend ingredients for icing. 
14. Use cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with 1 tsp raspberry preserves and replace its center.
15. Fill an icing press with raspberry icing.          
16. Press into desired pattern. 
17. Sprinkle red sugar on top. 
18. Enjoy! :) 

The Calories:

Flour:  455 calories

Sugar: 665 calories

Cocoa: 70 calories

Baking Powder: 0 calories

Baking Soda: 0 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Shortening: 260 calories

Banana: 150 calories

Egg: 115 calories

Oil: 482 calories

Milk: 30 calories

Vanilla: 12 calories

Raspberry Preserves: 67 calories

____________________________________

TOTAL: 2274 calories 

Granted, this recipe was for about 12.5 cupcakes. So each cupcake really only had about 182 calories :) 

What went right: 
          They were very delicious and looked prettier than the first batch. 

What went wrong:
          This batch was less moist than the last batch. Not sure why, but might have been a minute or two over cooked, comparatively.

What I would do next time:

         Technically, this batch was basically the same as the M&M batch, and the changes were made in the other cupcakes you see below (coming soon! ;) ) 

Would I do this in college: 

          Totally! In fact, I'm working on reducing this recipe for single serving cupcakes without waste so that I can easily make a quick cupcake for a friend's birthday without having to make an entire batch. One of my least favorite things about baking is that the amounts can be so arbitrary because they depend on your specific baking equipment. One of my goals for this page is to be able to have a mix for every common number of cupcakes desired. Recipes can always be doubled, but the hard part is reducing and keeping the consistency of the original. Keep watching for single serving cupcakes :) 

Overall, a wonderful party treat and a great time in the kitchen. It took much longer than I planned to make all three different types of cupcakes, but they turned out fantastic so I don't even care. Everyone enjoyed and I had a blast baking them and honing my icing skills. 

Having a cupcake for 182 calories is actually quite good! A plain bagel has 260-280 calories, and a scone or muffin can have 350-430 calories. However, it's not particularly healthy, so if you'd like to ensure you wake up with your toned body in tact, be sure you've done any of the below before you indulge...

1. Run 1.5 miles
2. Walk 2 miles
3. Dance for 40 minutes
4. Rearrange furniture for 30 minutes
5. Play darts for 70 minutes
6. Play badminton for 40 minutes

Any of the above will burn about 200 calories, making your cupcake guilt-free ;)                                                            

Chocolate Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes

Hello friends!! 

                                                  

This recipe is one of three adaptations of the Chocolate Buttercream M&M Cupcakes from New Years Eve, made on New Years Day for a dinner party with some of our close family friends, Jana, Andy, Alexander, and Larissa! 

If you have any fun cupcake-related experiences, please share them in the comments at the bottom of the page, or send me an email or google+ comment! 

The Recipe: Chocolate Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes (Total Recipe makes 12 cupcakes and 6 mini cupcakes, but only 3 full and the 6 minis became this flavor and the others had additions to their filling and frosting). 

The Cake: 

• 1 cup flour
• 7/8 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp shortening (aka Crisco)
• 1.5 mashed bananas
• 1.5 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 strip bacon, crisp and roasted

The Filling/Icing: 

• 3 stick butter, softened
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Process:

1. Broil a strip of bacon on high until it is crispy. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176.6 degrees C). 
3. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
4. Cut shortening into small pieces to make it easier to mix with dry ingredients. 
5. Mash banana into another, smaller bowl. (Don't tell the kids there's banana in their cupcakes!!)
6. Add one egg to the bowl with the banana. 
7. Break other egg into a small cup or bowl and whisk so that it becomes relatively homogeneous. Pour half of this into the bowl with the banana.
8. Mix oil, milk, and vanilla extract into bowl with banana. 
9. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat. 
10. Mix in crumbled strip of bacon.
11. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (or butter and flour the sides of the pan). 
12. Fill cupcake liners about halfway with batter. 
13. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer (or toothpick) can poke the center and come out with some moist crumbs. You will be able to see the cupcakes rise and smell when they are done. Use the pictures as a guide as each oven is different. 
14. Allow to cool with paper towel covering. 
15. Blend ingredients for filling/icing.       
16. Use cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake and replace its center.
17. Fill an icing press with remaining icing.          
18. Press into desired pattern. 
19. Enjoy! :) 

The Calories:

Flour:  455 calories

Sugar: 665 calories

Cocoa: 70 calories

Baking Powder: 0 calories

Baking Soda: 0 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Shortening: 260 calories

Banana: 150 calories

Egg: 115 calories

Oil: 482 calories

Milk: 30 calories

Vanilla: 12 calories

1 strip of Bacon: 50 calories

____________________________________

TOTAL: 2324 calories 

Granted, this recipe was for about 12.5 cupcakes. So each cupcake really only had about 186 calories :) 

What went right: 

          They were very delicious and looked prettier than the first batch. 

What went wrong:

          This batch was less moist than the last batch. Not sure why, but might have been a minute or two over cooked, comparatively.

What I would do next time:

         Technically, this batch was basically the same as the M&M batch, and the changes were made in the other cupcakes you see below (coming soon! ;) ) 

Would I do this in college: 

          Totally! In fact, I'm working on reducing this recipe for single serving cupcakes without waste so that I can easily make a quick cupcake for a friend's birthday without having to make an entire batch. One of my least favorite things about baking is that the amounts can be so arbitrary because they depend on your specific baking equipment. One of my goals for this page is to be able to have a mix for every common number of cupcakes desired. Recipes can always be doubled, but the hard part is reducing and keeping the consistency of the original. Keep watching for single serving cupcakes :)

Overall, a wonderful party treat and a great time in the kitchen. It took much longer than I planned to make all three different types of cupcakes, but they turned out fantastic so I don't even care. Everyone enjoyed and I had a blast baking them and honing my icing skills. 

Having a cupcake for 182 calories is actually quite good! A plain bagel has 260-280 calories, and a scone or muffin can have 350-430 calories. However, it's not particularly healthy, so if you'd like to ensure you wake up with your toned body in tact, be sure you've done any of the below before you indulge...

1. Run 1.5 miles
2. Walk 2 miles
3. Dance for 40 minutes
4. Rearrange furniture for 30 minutes
5. Play darts for 70 minutes
6. Play badminton for 40 minutes

Any of the above will burn about 200 calories, making your cupcake guilt-free ;)

Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Cupcakes

Hello Cupcake Lovers!!

This recipe is one of three adaptations of the Chocolate Buttercream M&M Cupcakes from New Years Eve, made on New Years Day for a dinner party with some of our close family friends, Jana, Andy, Alexander, and Larissa! 

If you have any fun cupcake-related experiences, please share them in the comments at the bottom of the page, or send me an email or google+ comment! 

The Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Cupcakes (Total Recipe makes 12 cupcakes and 6 mini cupcakes, but only 6 became this flavor and the others had additions to their filling and frosting). 

The Cake: 

• 1 cup flour
• 7/8 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp shortening (aka Crisco)
• 1.5 mashed bananas
• 1.5 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 dark chocolate chip (for shavings)

The Filling/Icing: 

• 3 stick butter, softened
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp hazelnut powdered creamer
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176.6 degrees C). 
2. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Cut shortening into small pieces to make it easier to mix with dry ingredients. 
4. Mash banana into another, smaller bowl. (Don't tell the kids there's banana in their cupcakes!!)
5. Add one egg to the bowl with the banana. 
6. Break other egg into a small cup or bowl and whisk so that it becomes relatively homogeneous. Pour half of this into the bowl with the banana.
7. Mix oil, milk, and vanilla extract into bowl with banana. 
8. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat. 
9. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (or butter and flour the sides of the pan). 
10. Fill cupcake liners about halfway with batter. 
11. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer (or toothpick) can poke the center and come out with some moist crumbs. You will be able to see the cupcakes rise and smell when they are done. Use the pictures as a guide as each oven is different. 
12. Allow to cool with paper towel covering. 
13. Blend ingredients for filling/icing.      
14. Use cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake and replace its center.
15. Fill an icing press with remaining icing.          
16. Press into desired pattern. 
17. Shave dark chocolate on top. 
18. Enjoy! :) 

The Calories:

Flour:  455 calories

Sugar: 665 calories

Cocoa: 70 calories

Baking Powder: 0 calories

Baking Soda: 0 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Shortening: 260 calories

Banana: 150 calories

Egg: 115 calories

Oil: 482 calories

Milk: 30 calories

Vanilla: 12 calories

Hazelnut creamer: 35 calories

____________________________________

TOTAL: 2274 calories 

Granted, this recipe was for about 12.5 cupcakes. So each cupcake really only had about 182 calories :) 

What went right: 

          They were very delicious and looked prettier than the first batch. 

What went wrong:

          This batch was less moist than the last batch. Not sure why, but might have been a minute or two over cooked, comparatively.

What I would do next time:

         Technically, this batch was basically the same as the M&M batch, and the changes were made in the other cupcakes you see below (coming soon! ;) ) 

Would I do this in college: 

          Totally! In fact, I'm working on reducing this recipe for single serving cupcakes without waste so that I can easily make a quick cupcake for a friend's birthday without having to make an entire batch. One of my least favorite things about baking is that the amounts can be so arbitrary because they depend on your specific baking equipment. One of my goals for this page is to be able to have a mix for every common number of cupcakes desired. Recipes can always be doubled, but the hard part is reducing and keeping the consistency of the original. Keep watching for single serving cupcakes :)

Overall, a wonderful party treat and a great time in the kitchen. It took much longer than I planned to make all three different types of cupcakes, but they turned out fantastic so I don't even care. Everyone enjoyed and I had a blast baking them and honing my icing skills. 

Having a cupcake for 182 calories is actually quite good! A plain bagel has 260-280 calories, and a scone or muffin can have 350-430 calories. However, it's not particularly healthy, so if you'd like to ensure you wake up with your toned body in tact, be sure you've done any of the below before you indulge...

1. Run 1.5 miles
2. Walk 2 miles
3. Dance for 40 minutes
4. Rearrange furniture for 30 minutes
5. Play darts for 70 minutes
6. Play badminton for 40 minutes

Any of the above will burn about 200 calories, making your cupcake guilt-free ;)

                                                            

Fat Free Chocolate Custard Cupcakes

Hello and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Today's recipe was inspired by a combination of having a random box of pudding to get rid of before break, having a cup of Karo syrup to get rid of before break, and one of my favorite recipes, Fat Free Chewy Chocolate Cookies. 

Thanks to Emmy for baking with me, and to Emma and Lauren for being our first tasters! 

The Recipe: 

• 1 box vanilla pudding mix
• 3 cups fat free milk
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 pack hot cocoa mix
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Karo Syrup
• 3 egg whites

The Process: 

1. Boil milk on the stove and mix with pudding. 
2. Chill in the fridge for about 6 hours, or until it sets. 
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176.7 degrees C). 
4. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. 
5. Add karo syrup and egg whites. 
6. Bake in cupcake forms for about 8 minutes (depending on your oven). 
7. Allow to cool. 
8. Fill cookie press (with filling tip) with pudding and inject into cupcakes. 
9. Once all cupcakes have been filled, mix cocoa with pudding and ice cupcakes. 
10. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

Flour: 682 calories

Sugar: 387 calories

Cocoa: 98 calories

Baking Soda: 2 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Karo: 483 calories

Egg Whites: 36 calories

Pudding Mix: 90 calories

Hot Cocoa Mix: 30 calories

Milk: 259 calories

__________________________

TOTAL: 2067 calories

So it's not the most healthy, but it's much healthier than most other cupcakes, and fat free! The recipe makes 10 cupcakes, so each cupcake has 207 calories and is absolutely delicious. 

What went right: 

          If you're going to treat yourself to a cupcake, this is the cupcake to have! It's super delicious and satisfies the sweet tooth in the most lean way possible. 

What went wrong: 

           Nothing :) The only thing that could have worked better is the icing tip with the pudding. Pudding doesn't mold as easily as frosting, but is that really expected? 

Overall, an amazingly yummy, unbelievably healthy treat! 

The Workout: 

Still worried about eating that cupcake? 

Here's a quick and easy 200 calorie workout! 

Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Hello and welcome! 

This recipe is a simple classic cooked by look, feel, smell, and consistency. It's a different sort of cooking than I usually post, but it is relatively easy to do and very effective. It was inspired by my love for my little brother and made as breakfast for him when I returned home from school. This recipe is an easy way to make pancakes that much more special for the holidays, or simply an expression of care at any other time of year. 

Thanks Dad for teaching me to cook pancakes and meats with true knowledge of food, rather than merely by following a recipe. 

Thanks Kirby for being in the mood for bacon chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast so that I could cook this for you ;)

The Recipe: 

**Amounts depend on how much you want to make. The most important thing is to have an equal ratio of dry to wet ingredients, which you will know by the consistency.**

• Favorite pancake mix (yes, I know, not from scratch, but my brother prefers buttermilk pancakes and cannot stand watching me put lemon in pancake batter). 
• Milk
• Egg (usually just 1, but if you're making a large batch you may need 2-3)
• Canola Oil
• 2 cups of equal sizes (we usually use the free plastic cups from restaurants/7 eleven)
• Bacon (I used 1 strip for the whole recipe. You really only need a few small pieces per pancake)
• Mini chocolate chips (I used less than a tsp per pancake)
• Syrup (as desired)

The Process: 

1. Set the broiler to high. 
2. Broil bacon. It should sit on the outside of the pan, further from the flame so you can control how cooked it is. (My brother prefers his meat relatively rare, so this was very important! If you like your meat more well done and crispy, put it slightly closer to the flame.)
3. Watch it closely after about 5 minutes. It should be time to flip it over. 
4. Once the bacon is brown on the edges and at least slightly browning in the middle, remove broiler pan and allow to cool. You may want to wrap the bacon in a paper towel as it cools, to absorb excess fat and avoid having to turn the fan on. 
5. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan on the stove (about 2 tbsp in my case). 
6. In one of the two cups, fill about halfway with pancake mix (about 2/3 cup in my case).
7. In the other cup, crack the egg. 
8. In the cup with the egg, add a splash of oil (about 1.5 tbsp in my case).
9. In the cup with the egg and oil, add milk until the wet ingredients look about equal to the dry ingredients (about 1/2 cup in my case). 
10. Using a fork, whisk the wet ingredients. 
11. Add dry cup to wet cup. 
12. Whisk vigorously with a fork over the sink, making sure to reach all the way to the bottom (the consistency should be fluid, but thick enough to pour slowly. Think pudding. It is better to be thicker than thinner in this case. It's very easy to help a thick batter spread out, and you will end up with very decadent pancakes, but a very thin batter will be difficult to handle and will potentially splatter when poured.
13. If your batter is too thick: add milk. 
14. If your batter is too thin: add pancake mix.
15. When the oil in the pan spreads to cover the whole of the pan, pour a small amount of batter onto the pan. 
16. Cook the batter on low-medium heat so that it is easy to control. 
17. When the pancake starts to bubble on the edges and potentially in the middle as well (see photo) it is ready to be flipped.                                      
18. Before flipping, top with bacon bits and chocolate chips. Allow a few extra seconds on lower heat for the bacon and chocolate to set. 
19. Flip the pancake and allow to cook to desired completion. (My brother prefers small amounts of batter in the middle of his pancake, so we usually accomplish this by making thick pancakes and cooking one side completely and the other side short.)
20. Serve hot and repeat with remaining batter. 
21. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

**Approximations based on my batter amounts**

Bacon: 50 calories

Chocolate: 99 calories

Pancake Mix: 64 calories

Milk: 61 calories

Egg: 78 calories

Canola Oil: 350 calories

_________________________

TOTAL: 702 calories

Not bad! Not great, sure, but not bad at all. This batter made 6 pancakes, making each pancake 117 calories. 

What went right: 

          The bacon was cooked perfectly, the pancakes came out wonderfully, and most importantly, my brother was happy :) 

What went wrong: 

           The batter consistency was a bit thicker than I prefer, but it made the pancakes perfect for my brother and easier for me to cook because there was a lot of wiggle room on timing. 

What I would do next time: 

           It would be fun to make bacon chocolate chips to use next time so I don't need to make bacon while trying to make pancake mix, but overall I think the recipe is great the way it is. Don't mess with what works!

           That said, this recipe would also make a great breakfast cupcake if poured into cupcake molds and baked, which would eliminate the extra frying oil.

Would I make this in college: 

           Potentially. It would involve keeping a large amount of bacon in the fridge for just one person. If I were cooking breakfast with friends or had the intention of making bacon-based meals for a couple days, I would be more likely to make this as well. It is certainly simple enough to do so. 

Overall, a delicious breakfast and enjoyable experiment! 

Spritz Cookies with Friends

Hello and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

So apparently most people don't know what spritz cookies are, which shocked me because they are one of the most classic Christmas cookies ever.Hopefully the 200 or so spritz cookies Emmy, Lauren, Clarissa, and I made was enough of an explanation ;)

                                       

Thanks for baking and enjoying with me darlings <3 

                                        

Thanks to everyone who indulged with us as well :) 

The Recipe: 

• 1.5 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• Dark Chocolate (as desired)
• Sprinkles (as desired)
• Hershey Kisses (as desired)
• Reeses (as desired)
• Crushed Candy Cane (as desired)
• Marshmallows (as desired)
• M&Ms (as desired)

The Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176.7 degrees C). 
2. To separate the egg, crack carefully and move yolk to one side of the shell. Transfer yolk between the shell halves, allowing the egg white to drip into another container. 
3. Mix butter, sugar, yolk, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and flour. 
4. Chill batter for about 30 minutes. 
5. Fill cookie press. 
6. Press dough onto baking pans using cookie press. 
7. Decorate as desired. 
8. Bake for 5-8 minutes, depending on your oven. 
9. Allow to cool before removing from pan. 
10. Share the love with friends :) 

The Calories:

Butter: 1215 calories

Sugar: 387 calories

Yolk: 55 calories

Vanilla: 6 calories

Almond: 6 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Flour: 910 calories

_______________________

TOTAL: 2579 calories

A single recipe makes about 65 cookies. This means each cookie contains about 40 calories. Not too shabby! 

What went right:

         Everything! These were such a hit, we made a double batch a couple days later :) 

What went wrong: 

         They're entirely too addictive. 

What I would do next time: 

          Try other toppings and potentially mix cocoa powder into part of the recipe to make chocolate spritz cookies. 

Overall, one of my favorite holiday traditions fulfilled! 

                                                                                                                                    

  Here are the Spritz Cookies with the Gluten Free Mint Chocolate Cookies:

Here is the final collection of my Christmas Cookies and Truffles, including Spritz Cookies, Gluten Free Mint Chocolate Cookies, Caramel Truffles, and Peanut Butter Truffles: