It has been about five weeks of early mornings, long days and late nights, five weeks of trying to keep a balanced diet with a busy schedule full of challenging classes, and five weeks of living on a college budget.
The end of the week approaches and your sweet tooth cries for attention.
A decadent brownie fresh out of the oven with caramel, fudge and whipped cream dripping down the sides has never sounded so good.
The idea of a delectable dessert has become a forbidden and far away dream as you aim to maintain a healthy diet.
However, with a few of these recipes I found via Pinterest and dessert blogs, your sweet tooth can be both silenced and fooled.
The first dessert to try is the simple, yet sweet one:
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate covered strawberries are both delicious and nutritious.
The recipe is easily attainable for busy college students and flexible for any desired alterations. If strawberries aren’t your favorite fruit, you can try this recipe with bananas, blueberries, raspberries, etc.
Recipe:
A 12 oz. bag of your choice of chocolate chips (I used bittersweet) A carton of fresh strawberries
Directions:
First, pour the desired amount of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. It will vary depending on your batch size. Then, put the chocolate in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes, with 20-30 second intervals, making sure to stir the chocolate at the end of each interval. Then, once the chocolate is melted, take the strawberries and dip them into the chocolate until the chocolate covers the berry to your desired amount. After dipping the strawberries, make sure to place them onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Let the chocolate set and voilà !
The next healthy treat to try is the Homemade Orange Creamsicle
With spring fast approaching, orange creamsicles are the perfect dessert.
Recipe:
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of coconut milk
3 tbsp of honey
¼ tsp of orange extract
½ tsp of vanilla extract
Directions:
Begin with stirring all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Then, take the mixture and pour it into Popsicle molds. Put the Popsicle molds into the freezer for about a half an hour to an hour, then insert Popsicle sticks and continue freezing the dessert for another four to six hours.
Directions, Recipe & Photo retrieved from: Natalie (June 6, 2012)
Healthy brownies are the next dessert of choice. Having the words healthy and brownie remotely close in proximity feels like a dream, but with this easy recipe that dream can be made into a reality.
Recipe: 1 cup of gluten-free flour or white whole wheat flour ¼ cup of cocoa powder ½ tsp of salt 3 oz. of unsweetened chocolate 1/3 cup of coconut oil ¼ cup of dates ½ ripe banana ¾ cup of maple syrup 3 eggs 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Directions:
After preheating the oven to 350 degrees and greasing the brownie pan, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a small bowl. Then melt the coconut oil and chocolate and let it cool. Boil 2 cups of water in a small saucepan; simmer dates for about 5 minutes to let them soften (I, however, skipped this step because I did not have dates in my batch). Blend the dates (if used) and banana. Then, in a larger bowl combine the eggs, vanilla and syrup. Add the dates, bananas, coconut oil and melted chocolate. Make sure to combine all the ingredients well. Pour into the greased baking pan and then bake for about 20 minutes.
Recipes and Directions retrieved from: AnnMarie (January 5, 2013)
All of these recipes are easily accessible for all students, Taylor Place residents and independent home/apartment owners alike.
With these recipes in your back pocket, you can end your busy week with a delightful treat that won’t break the bank or the button on your jeans!
By Danielle Quijada
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