Rich Dark and Nutty Brownies

If you are a fan of a dark chocolate you  will probably adore these  brownies.
I am more on the milk chocolate side though, but I felt like dark chocolate one day (you know...there are some days when you know particularly what you want. Precisely.  Like: Celery and Hummus today! Or a Brie day!).
So few days ago was a dark bitter chocolate day.

I found the ingredients pretty cool: no white flour, sugar, 5 eggs though...(but you can substitute some with egg whites, as it says in the comments), and no chocolate (good quality unsweetened cacao powder instead)

The texture and consistency of this brownies was rich, like a cake, moisturized enough,  not wet as the original source claims. Very-very-very dark chocolate  flavour with the  little walnut bits.

I used the honey as a sweetener instead of maple syrup. I also tend to add half less than it says in the recipe. So I ended up with really not sweet, but bitter chocolate taste.  And it wasn't bad at all!
Unlike my husband's statement, which is: "All desserts should be sweet".  I think my lovely husband just can't accept the fact that his wife is a genius in the kitchen (hahaha) and creates something genuinely new (or dumb).
So to make sure I am right, I brought my brownies to work, to ask for my boss's opinion and (not surprisingly at all) he fully agreed with me regarding the nice and rich taste of this dessert.

For the topping I used chilled nonfat Greek yogurt, which I gently mixed with vanilla. And fresh berries on top.
After you refrigerate brownies,  the whole thing becomes even better!

This is the gluten-free, sugar-free recipe click here. I didn't make a lot of changes (just added crushed walnuts), so please reference to the recipe in the original source.

I REALLY hope you enjoy these brownies! But make sure that you make them on you Dark Chocolate Day! :-) 

Cottage cheese cookies

These cookies are a healthy option for a snack or even a dessert. They are not too sweet (however you can adjust the sweetness to your taste), thus it would be a perfect company to your afternoon tea.
These lovely cookies won't leave the "heavy" aftertaste in your stomach, which is pretty common after you had a piece of cake, for example.

Cottage cheese cookies
makes approx. 35 cookies

3.5 cups of non watery cottage cheese ( I used 3 blocks of farmer's cheese)
2 ripe bananas (add more if you like your dessert sweet)
1 tsp of vanilla
lemon zest from 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup any nuts you have. I had walnuts, pecans and almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots,coarsely chopped (add more if you want it sweet)
4 tbsp of flax/chia seeds
1/2 cup of quick oats, blended into a flour consistency
1 cup shredded coconut (no sugar added)

Optional: 3 tbsp of honey for sweet desserts lovers

Gently mix the cottage cheese with  bananas, vanilla, lemon zest and honey (if using it).

In a different bowl mix all the dry ingredients: oat flour, 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, nuts, flax/chia seeds and apricots.

Combine two mixtures together. Refrigerate for an hour.

Once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a parchment paper on your baking sheet.

Using an ice cream spoon, scoop the cottage cheese mixture and form  cute little balls, dip each of them in the rest of the shredded coconut, and bake for 10 minutes.

Let it cool and refrigerate before serving.

Healthy cookies

Quick, easy, healthy and yummy!

Here is the trick: I didn't add sugar, because bananas and dry fruits are sweet enough. Instead of flour we have oats here.

Oatmeal cookies:
-2 ripe bananas

-1 cup uncooked oats

-1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

-1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts and almonds (or any other nuts you have)

-1/4 cup chopped dry apricots

- 1/3 cup dry cranberries (no sugar added)

-1tbsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mash bananas with a fork. Add oats and other ingredients (well...I should have written: combine all ingredients in a bowl, to make it simple).

Place a parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Make little balls from the "dough", you can use an icecream spoon.

Bake your cookies for about 15-18 minutes. Let it cool before serving.

Enjoy with a morning coffee for breakfast and snacks during the day!