A chocolate cake that challenges butter lovers' pride and prejudice

Am I a fan of healthy cakes? No, not really. I don't eat cake often, so when I do, I don't feel guilty about indulging a little. Another reason why I am rather unenthusiastic about healthy desserts is that I am yet to try a vegan (or raw or similarly healthy) cake that doesn't evoke the „It's good... for a vegan cake“ reaction.

But even as a less than progressive thinker (at least when it comes to food), I have to admit that there is a time and place for adjusting your approach to baking. What do you bake when a friend or a family member is gluten and/or lactose intolerant? What about when someone is on a diet – should it really mean they can't have cake at all?

A while ago I stumbled upon this recipe by Laura Fuentes and decided to give it a try. Seeing as this is a paleo (and not a vegan) cake, it does use eggs but is low in carbs and contains no gluten or lactose. While it can't be compared to decadent chocolate cakes with ganache and buttercream and what not, I was both surprised and excited to find that this is a delicious cake, full of flavour and with an incredibly fluffy yet moist texture. It's also SO easy to make. Most of my family members actually prefer this to a traditional cake, because it's so light that even the third slice doesn't leave you gasping for air and cursing your lack of self control.

Another thing that I especially like about it is that decoration is completely up to you. The original recipe suggests sprinkling it with coconut flour, but I like to go a little overboard and also drizzle it with melted dark chocolate and top it off with coarsely chopped almonds and sour cherries. (Note that once you add chocolate this is no longer a strictly paleo cake.)

Give this beauty a try... you can thank me later!

Guilt-free egg white cookies

I really can’t say enough good things about these cookies. They are gluten free. They are lactose free.  They are low-carb and very low-fat. They are made using only three ingredients. They are extremely easy to make and are prepared in no time. And they are very delicious.

Though much less sweet, they somewhat resemble macaroons with their soft centre and crunchy outside. Unfortunately they can’t be stored for too long, because they tend to lose their crunch after a few days.

All in all they offer a healthier alternative to your everyday snacks without compromising the taste. Next time you have leftover egg whites, give these a try.

For about two trays of cookies you will need:

4 egg whites

100 g ground walnuts (about 1 cup)

3 tbsp agave syrup

Beat the egg whites until almost firm, then add the agave syrup. Beat until they start forming stiff peaks.

 

Add the walnuts and mix on lowest speed just enough to thoroughly combine all the ingredients.

Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe small cookies onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 150°C for 20 minutes.

TIP: Leaving the egg whites sitting in the fridge for one or two days will make your whites easier to beat and your cookies rounder and prettier. This trick is often used for making macaroons.

A batch made with egg whites that sat in the frigde for two days