Healthier Honey Jumbles

Don't expect these to last long! The bicarb of soda mixed with the honey creates a deletable honeycomb texture to these biscuits. I also love the crunchy shell and soft inside of the icing smeared on top, which makes the biscuits look all that bit cuter.

Healthier Honey Jumbles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of plain flour
• 1/2 cup of Natvia
• 1 teaspoon of all spice
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 large tablespoon of raw honey (I used an amazing natural honey from Tasmania) 
• 1 tablespoon of whole milk
• 2 tablespoons of soft organic butter
• 2 tablespoons of soft coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds soaked for 30 minutes in 50 mls of water

Icing:

• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of Natvia icing sugar mixture
• a few drops of red food colouring - could also use blue, yellow or leave white. 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan forced and line a large baking tin with greased-proof paper.
2. In an electric mixer, whisk together the butter, coconut oil and Natvia until pale and creamy.
3. In a small microwave safe dish, warm the honey and milk until the honey is dissolved. Add in the baking soda and stir until the mixture is frothy and bubbling.
4. Add the honey mixture into the first mixture and whisk to combine. Add in your chia mixture.
5. Sift over the bowl the plain flour and all spice. With a large spoon, stir until well combined.
6. Dust your hands with plain flour. Roll a tablespoon of each mixture into a ball and place onto tray. Repeat with remaining ingredients, leave a couple of centimetres of space around each biscuit. Flatten with a fork before baking.
7. Bake in the oven for 10 - 13 minutes, checking after 10 minutes as the biscuits can cook quickly.
8. Take out a let cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
9. To make the icing, use an electric mixer and whisk the egg white, lemon juice and vanilla. Gradually add in the icing sugar while beating. Wait until the mixture becomes thick, pale and silky. Add a few drops of food colouring to get your desired colour.
10. Ice each of the biscuits and let dry, until the mixture becomes hard and shiny.

Natvia Sugar-free Give Away! + Lemon Delicious Pudding Recipe gluten/sugar-free

Exciting news! To help you with your sugar-free baking, I will be giving away a fabulous Natvia baking value pack!

Thanks to my baking sponsors Natvia, makers of all natural stevia sweeteners, I have a set of Natvia baking sugar and icing sugar to give away to my beautiful readers. I can't wait for you to have fun experimenting with these fabulous Natvia products, which are undoubtedly the world's best tasting sweetener brand. This exciting Skinny Sweets and Treats give away also includes some cute patty cake cases for your sugar-free goodies and a tin of Natvia sweeteners to pop in your tea or coffee when you're on-the-go!

To enter, simply comment on this blog post what recipe you are most excited to bake with your Natvia products and make sure to leave your email address. For a bonus entry, make sure you subscribe to my blog by entering your email address in the subscription bar on the right. Entries close and winner drawn on the 31st of August 2014.

Now onto the scrumptious recipe! This dessert is very simple (and not like Jamie's 15-minute-meals simple, like it's actually really quick and easy) and perfect to whip up for a hungry crowd.

Lemon delicious is an old-school citrusy dessert that my mum made for us when we were children. I have always adored the tangy lemon flavour and find these types of puddings so comforting, especially in the cooler months. This recipe is very versatile though so if it suits you more, bake the mixture in a mid-sized cake tin for a lemon cake that would be beautiful served at a morning or afternoon tea. You could even add in half a cup of poppy seeds to create the classic lemon and poppy seed pairing. As you can see from my picture below, the spongey cake cuts beautifully and is ridiculously moist. Totally yum.

Lemon Delicious Pudding

Ingredients:

• 40g organic butter, melted
• ¾ cup Natvia
• 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon rind
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons plain (gluten-free) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅓ cup (80ml) lemon juice
• 1 cup (250ml) almond milk
• pouring (single) cream or coconut cream, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC (320ºF). 
2. Place the butter and Natvia in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8–10 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the lemon rind and egg yolks and beat until smooth. 
3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and beat to combine. Add the lemon juice and milk and beat until smooth. 
4. Place the eggwhites in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Use a metal spoon to gently fold the eggwhites into the pudding mixture. This step is important in creating a light and fluffy sponge.
5. Pour into a lightly greased 1 litre-capacity ceramic ovenproof dish and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden. 

Serve with cream. Serves 4.

Crushed Raspberries, Sour Cherry and Pistachio Tart

Crushed Raspberries, Sour Cherry and Pistachio Tart

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets of short crust pastry
• Natvia and cinnamon to dust
• water, with a pastry brush
• 1/2 cup of Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup of full-fat ricotta
• 1/4 cup of Natvia, pulverized in a blender to powder 
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 punnets of raspberries (or 1 cup of frozen raspberries, thawed)
• 1/4 cup of dried sour cherries (can omit if unable to source)
• 1/4 cup of chopped pistachios
• cinnamon to dust

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to a moderately hot oven at 180 degrees fan forced. Take two sheets of pastry out of the freezer and leave to defrost for a few minutes lying flat on a large chopping board or clean bench. 
2. Line a baking tray with greased-proof baking paper. Place one sheet of pastry on top of the baking paper and brush with water. Sprinkle with Natvia and cinnamon. 
3. Using the other sheet of pastry, cut four strips vertically with a sharp knife. Place these strips along the edges of the tart shape and pinch upwards to create an edge. Gently press the knife along the edges to make small indentations. Prick the centre of the tart carefully with a fork to let steam escape when baking.
4. Use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts in the leftover pastry. Put these hearts in the fridge for now on a plate lined with baking paper.
5. Pop the tart in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Take care not to let the tart become too browned as the pastry can easily taste burnt.
6. Transfer the tart shell to a wire rack. Take the hearts from the fridge and place these on the baking tray. Brush with water, Natvia and cinnamon. Bake for a few minutes until crisped.
7. Place the baked hearts with the tart shell to cool.
8. To make the filling, mix together the yoghurt, ricotta, powdered Natvia and vanilla. Add half a punnet of raspberries to the mixture and crushed lightly to incorporate. Spoon the mixture into the tart shell.
9. Using the remanding raspberries, crush in a small bowl. Spoon the crushed raspberries on top of the tart. Finish off with sour cherries, pistachios and a dusting of cinnamon. Serve with pastry hearts on the side or arrange on top of the tart for decoration. 

Enjoy! xxx

Apple Rose Tart with Maple Custard and Walnut Crust (Gluten Free)

I just thought this tart was SO super pretty, I couldn't resist posting it for my lovely readers to admire. Since it's winter here in Australia, a delicious apple tart is the perfect way to end a family dinner in stylish comfort. A bonus, this tart is gluten-free and pretty low in sugar. If you need help in how to shape the apples into roses, check out this You Tube how-to.

Author: Allie, Baking A Moment

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

For the Walnut Crust:
2½ cups walnut pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 egg white
pinch of salt

For the Custard:
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
½ cup milk of your choice
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs

Additionally:
2 apples (I used Macoun), quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (keep in lemon water until ready to use)
juice of a lemon
¼ cup apricot jam/sugar-free jam, warmed (optional)

Method:

Make the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a food processor or chopper, pulse the walnuts until the are finely chopped, and the pieces are about the size of breadcrumbs.
Place the chopped nuts in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, tossing together with a fork.
Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Make the Custard:
In a medium pot, whisk the cornstarch and salt together.
Slowly pour in the cream, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, whisking, to avoid lumps.
Place the pot over medium heat, and bring to a bare simmer. Turn the heat down to low.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl, and ladle about a half cup of the hot cream mixture over the eggs, whisking to combine. Repeat with more hot cream, until the eggs are warmed.
Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the remaining cream mixture, whisking vigorously.
Continue to cook, whisking, until the mixture is hot and thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon).
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, into a heat-safe vessel, and press cling wrap over the surface so that a skin will not form. Refrigerate until cooled.

Assemble the Tart:
Spread the maple custard in the walnut tart shell.
Warm the apple slices in the microwave until pliable.
Roll a slice of apple into a tight spiral and stand it up vertically in the custard. Continue to arrange apple slices in a concentric pattern, around the first one, building a rose pattern.
Warm the apricot jam, and thin it with lemon juice. Brush this glaze over the apples, for shine and to prevent browning (optional).

My Interview with Stefanie Moir - What is means to be a High Carb Low Fat Vegan and the world of 80/10/10

Hi my lovely readers, today I wanted to share with you an interview I was fortunate enough to do with my Instagram friend and mega vegan babe Stefanie Moir.

After seeing raw food and veganism pop up across all my news feeds on social media, I became curious about the lifestyle and wanted to know more. I did a little research and came across stories of raw food converts speaking of the benefits of eating vegan, meaning they had cut out all animal products in their diet (see FreeleeBananaGirl). Of course with any newly publicised diet regime, I also came across skeptics and experiences of former vegans who fell out of love with the lifestyle after encountering weight gain or nutritional deficiencies (see The Balanced Blonde).

I thought Stefanie would be the perfect person to give us the run down on what being a vegan is all about and share with us her journey into the lifestyle. After being vegan for over a year, Stefanie has recently transition to the 80/10/10 diet. It's our treat that Stefanie has come to answer my vegan questions and share with us her experience.

As a little side note, I am staying away from veganism personally for now. After battling with restriction issues in my past, I am going to work on a balanced diet for now before I start any new program. A little bit of everything is what is working for me at the moment. I am fascinated with 80/10/10 though and am impressed with Stefanie's story and she certainly looks absolutely amazing! With the right information, you can create a lifestyle that works for you :)

Now let's get into it…

Learn Make Up Secrets: My Top Five Favourite Beauty Bloggers

Lauren Curtis

She's one of the most popular beauty bloggers on You Tube, Lauren Curtis is an Aussie girl who has captured over one million subscribers who avidly watch her videos on make up techniques, looks and product reviews. Lauren was one of the first beauty vloggers I started watching and taught me how to contour using bronzer and highlighters. She's also responsible for helping me to realise what I was doing wrong (watch her Make Up Do's and Don'ts). Her bubbly personality and self-confidence have me returning to her channel every week.

Shannon Harris aka Shaaanxo

Shaaanxo is a New Zealand beauty vlogger who loyally posts videos for her one million subscribers every week. Shannon has taught me tonnes of amazing make up tricks like how to make your lips look plumper and she always has the best suggestions for affordable make up products. Her work ethic is obvious in her well edited videos, constant video updates and thorough product reviews. Having a true love for makeup means Shaaanxo creates heaps of different looks for you to try and has created her own line of false lashes entitles XO Beauty to help you get her look.

Karissa Pukas aka SatnightsAlrite

She's a Canadian girl living in Australia with her boyfriend and super cute Chihuahua Lola. Karissa does a mix of videos that goes beyond beauty including outfits of the day, hair tutorials and general chit chat. She's fun to watch and helped me figure out how to curl my hair to get big bouncy waves and not tight little ringlets! Hop over to her channel if you like some chattiness to your tutes.

Make Up by Gio

Gio (a New Zealand vlogger) is my absolute fave you tuber for flawless make up looks that have me gasping every time she posts a video. I am obsessed with her recreations of J Lo and Kardashian looks with chiseled contours and smokey eyes. Stunning make up recreations will have you losing a few hours once you jump onto her channel.

Chloe Morello

Another Aussie beauty, Chloe has posted one of my favourite videos ever on a Victoria's Secret glamourous glowing look that I think every girl should know how to recreate. She's a super talented winged eyeliner applier and knows all the tricks in enhancing your features. If you like high end make up, Chloe is a big collector and will give you the heads up on the best new products out there.

The Scam: Garcinia Cambogia Extract Diet Pills

Article taken from Women's Health 

Tons of people are buzzing about garcinia cambogia extract diet pills—thanks in part to an Internet scam that illegally used the Women's Health brand likeness and copyrighted materials (and the likeness and materials of other respected health brands) to promote the pills. We wrote about the scam at length here, in addition to how to identify if you've been scammed.

But here's something else super troubling about all this: All backstory about scammers aside, this particular diet pill can be dangerous to your health.

Garcinia cambogia, which on its own is pretty darn delicious and healthy, is a tropical fruit grown in Indonesia. (It also goes by the name tamarind fruit.) According to Purdue University, it's rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. All good things, right?

Well, here's where things get tricky: Its rind contains a compound called hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which proponents claim decreases appetite and prevents your body from storing food as fat. However, since garcinia cambogia extract diet pills are supplements, not drugs, the Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate their use or review their effectiveness or safety unless, as was the case with OxyElite Pro, their use becomes linked to multiple hospitalizations, says medical weight-loss expert Sue Decotiis, M.D. That means that it's up to manufacturers to decide how much garcinia cambogia their pills pack, as well as what other health-impacting ingredients are added to the mix.

"Most brands of garcinia cambogia extract diet pills, including big names, have failed independent laboratory quality and quantity testing," says Decottis. "Also, there have been no large-scale trials comparing garcinia to placeboes or other supplements. There probably will never be any objective data on garcinia."

What's more, a 2005 study in Food and Chemical Toxicology found that high doses of garcinia cambogia extract caused testicular atrophy and toxicity in mice. Even if you don't have testicles, that's sure to make you cringe.