We have an awesome cupcake store in our neighborhood and every now and then we take the kids by to enjoy a special treat. Without fail, their eyes are always drawn to the most colorful cupcakes in the display case. My kids may have no idea how a red velvet cupcake made with crimson food dye actually tastes, but put something like it in front of them and their immediate response is, “that one”.

My take on these cupcakes have a rich flavor, and while they aren’t as artificially red as the red velvet cupcakes which use chemical food dyes (and of course chocolate which this one doesn’t include), they (and their icing) get their bright, reddish-pink color from a surprising, delicious and 100% natural guest, roasted beets. Especially given the never-ending speculation about the connection between food dyes and hyperactivity in children, having smart alternatives for the artificially colored food that kids crave means I don’t have to deprive my little ones.

This doesn’t mean we’re not frequenting our local cupcake store any less often, but I always like reminding myself that whenever there’s something out there I may not be thrilled about my kids eating, figuring out how to make a healthier version is not at all impossible.

Red Beet Cupcakes (makes 14 cupcakes)

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Large Beet, roasted, cooled, peeled and pureed, about 3/4 cup
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift the first 4 ingredients into a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and combine.
5. Pour about 1/3 cup into lined muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes (OR?) until a tooth pick comes out clean.
6. Cool and serve.

Beet Cream Cheese Frosting (Make 2 Cups)

1- 8 oz Pkg. Cream Cheese, room temperature

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Medium Beet, roasted, cooled, peeled and pureed, about ½ cup
1 Tsp Vanilla

1. Place all the ingredients in a mixer and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy.
2. Spread on cupcakes.

When I was a little girl, my mother took me to Europe, just the two of us, for a special mother-daughter experience. We stopped in Paris, which is undoubtedly one of the most magical cities in the world. We saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, walked up and down the Champs Elysee, witnessed the elegant style of Parisian women and were introduced to Nutella. We didn’t eat a lot of sweets in our house growing up, so being allowed to enjoy this heavenly chocolate hazelnut spread on vacation with my mom was an irresistible, special treat.

I don’t buy Nutella very often. If I did, the kids would get so obsessed they’d probably ask me to bathe them in it. So when I do use it, my family knows it’s a special occasion. In these pancakes, the addition of Nutella takes them from good to unbelievably scrumptious. They’re obviously aren’t on the every day rotation of breakfast items in our house, but when I do make these pancakes, the experience of eating them reminds me of a spectacular culinary adventure enjoyed with my mom.

Why not try them this Valentine’s Day for breakfast? The kids and my hubby are waking up to them for sure!

Nutella Pancakes w/Raspberry Sauce (Makes 12 Pancakes)

1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Nutella
1 Large Egg
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/4 Cup Milk
Oil

1. Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the Nutella, egg and sugar until combined, then whisk in the milk until incorporated.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (it’s ok if there are a few lumps).
4. Heat a large sauté pan or griddle over medium heat and grease with oil.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup of the pancake mixture onto the griddle and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
6. Serve with raspberry sauce.

* You can keep pancakes warm on a sheet tray in a 250 degree oven until all the pancakes are cooked.

Raspberry Sauce (Makes about 1 Cup)

1 Bag Frozen Raspberries (about 12 oz)
2 Tbsp Sugar (you could also use honey or agave)
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1. Place the raspberries and 2 tbsp sugar to a pot, stirring to combine and smashing raspberries with the back of a wooden spoon.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Whisk 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water in a separate bowl.
4. Add the cornstarch mixture to the raspberries while simmering and stir until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
5. Cool and serve over pancakes.

If I’m known amongst my friends and family for one specific recipe, it’s my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies. Yes, the controversial word “salt” is in the name of the recipe, but it’s only a teeny tiny bit and trust me when I say that it makes all the difference.

Whenever I have my girlfriends over for dinner or need to bring something to a party, these cookies are the number one most requested recipe of mine. There’s just something about a bite of chocolate with a few flakes of sea salt that’s down right mouthwatering.

A few days ago, I made a batch for some friends who came over for lunch and one of them said to me, “you better put this recipe up on weelicious soon because I HAVE to have it!” So I thought to myself, what better time to share it with all of you than Valentine’s Day. Try making this decadent treat next week for your special someone(s) or anytime of year for your friends and family and you’re going to be on everyone’s permanent party list!

Oatmeal Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies (Makes 4-5 Dozen)

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar (light or dark)
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 12 oz Bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Sea Salt Flakes (I use Maldon Sea Salt)

** Do NOT use iodized salt on top of the cookies.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a standing or hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy, about 4 minutes ( I know 4 minutes seems like a long time, but it makes all the difference).
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
4. Stir the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
5. Slowly add the flour to the butter/sugar mixture until combined.
6. Stir in oats and chocolate chips mixing well until combined.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.*
8. Press down each cookie and top with a few flakes of sea salt.
9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Cool and serve.

* You can also bake them in silicone individual muffin tins as I did in the picture for 18-20 minutes.
** After step #8, place sheet tray in the freezer for several hours, remove cookies to labeled zipper bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake according to directions in step #9.

On Valentine’s Day, it’s always nice to pull out all the stops and make something really special for your sweethearts. If you’ve never tried making crepes, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a go. These thin, tender, pancake-like treats are the perfect envelope for a sweet, creamy pink filling of strawberries and bananas that is sure to brighten the eyes of those you love the most!

Banana Strawberry Crepes (Serves 4-6)

2 Eggs
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
Butter for sautéing
1/4 Cup Strawberry Preserves
1/4 Cup Cream Cheese
2 Bananas, sliced into coins

1. Place the first 6 ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Refrigerate crepe batter for at least an 1 hour or overnight (this is so the crepes do not tear when cooking).
3. Grease a sauté pan (about 6” across) or crepe pan with butter, pour in 2 tbsp of the batter and tilt the pan to spread the batter around into a 6” circle.
4. Cook for 1 minute, flip and continue to cook another 30 seconds or until crepe just starts to become golden.
5. Remove the crepe to a plate and continue to make remaining crepes.
6. In a bowl, combine preserves and cream cheese until smooth.
7. Spread some of the cream cheese mixture across the middle of a crepe and top with several slices of banana.
8. Fold over the edges to close.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with the remaining crepes.
10. Serve.

I’m one of those people who loves everything about Valentine’s Day (you may be saying, “blech” right now, but I do). Well, I’m not particularly fond of how commercial the holiday has become, but I do love all the hugs, kisses, homemade cards and, of course, sweet treats! While you can easily buy your Valentine a bag of sweet tarts with cute sayings printed on them, why not go to the store, buy fresh ingredients and then make something special with your kids instead? This year, Kenya, Chloe and I have decided to make Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts for daddy (I hope he doesn’t read this post before the 14th) to show him just how much we love him. After all, isn’t food the fastest way to a daddy’s heart?

Putting a spin on Pop Tarts, one of my childhood favorites, I came up with the idea of these homemade Heart Tarts. Filled with fresh raspberries and a pink icing that’s made with the juice from the raspberries instead of food coloring, if Pop Tarts had actually been made this way, my mom would have probably allowed me to eat them more often as a kid.

Kenya and I shot a little video of us making this recipe which I’m posting this Friday, but in case you can’t wait that long, I’ve printed how to prepare them below. It’s an unbelievably easy and deliciously fun way to share the love. Just wait till you try them — I bet you won’t be saying “blech” anymore!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts (Makes 10-11 Heart Tarts)

1/2 Cup Raspberries
1/4 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Double Pie Crust Recipe or 1 14 oz Pre-Made Pie Crust*
Water
1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
10 Raspberries for Icing or 2 Tbsp Juiced Raspberries
1 Tbsp Milk or Water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the raspberries, cream cheese and honey in a bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash the raspberries with the cream cheese, leaving some pieces of raspberry intact.
3. Roll the pie crust 1/4 inch thick and using a heart shaped cookie cutter (my heart cookie cutter is about the size of my fist), cut out hearts (or, if you are using packaged pie crust just unroll and cut out hearts).
4. Place one heart on a lightly floured work surface and place 2 tsp of the cream cheese mixture in the very center, leaving a 1/4″ border around the cut-out.
5. Lightly dip your index finger into a cup of water and “brush” the border with the water (this will allow the two sides of the heart to adhere to one another).
6. Top with another heart and take the tines of a fork and gently press down along the edges to adhere (making sure the cream cheese mixture stays inside the heart pocket). With a toothpick, poke some holes in the top of the heart to remove any air pockets.**
7. Place on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
8. While the hearts are baking, take 10 raspberries, place in a strainer and press down with the back of a spoon to release raspberry juice into a bowl — should be about 2 tbsp of juice depending on how juicy the raspberries are.
9. Whisk in the milk and slowly pour in the powdered sugar to make icing.
10. When cool, take a spoon and spread the raspberry icing over the hearts.
11. Serve.

* You can use prepared Pie Crusts too such as Pillsbury or your favorite brand
** To Freeze: place hearts on a cookie sheet and freeze for one hour. Remove hearts and place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 3 months. When ready follow steps 7-11, adding an extra 3 minutes to the baking time.

“I don’t like beets”! That was my darling son’s response when I told him I had made Sweet Beet Cookies. I thought sandwiching the word beet between sweet and cookie would serve as sufficient enough distraction for Kenya. Not so much. And since I never want to trick my kids into eating foods that are good for them and hope they learn to love them on their own, simply calling this recipe something like Red Cookies was out of the question.

But if the name itself wasn’t a selling point, the site of these cookies was. As soon as Kenya actually saw them, his eyes lit up. “They’re beautiful,” he said. “I love beets!” As Kenya will now attest, not only are these cookies gorgeous, perfectly sweet and super crunchy, they’re also packed with folates and vitamin C. They’re the kind of treats that make everyone happy. Beet that!

Sweet Beet Cookies (Makes about 50 – 1 inch square cookies)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Raw Beets, shredded fine*
2 Tbsp Oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the first four ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Using your hands, add the beets to the flour mixture coating the beet pieces with the flour.
4. Add the oil and work with your hands to bring the dough together (the salt and sugar will fall to the bottom of the bowl so make sure you knead the dough well to combine everything — the outcome will be a smooth dough).
5. Form the smooth, sweet beet dough into a flat rectangular disk and roll it out 1/2 inch thick on parchment paper or a dry clean surface.
6. Using a knife, cut the dough into squares or use small cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
7. Bake on a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet for 15-17 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.

*You can only use RAW fine shredded beets for this recipe. Using canned beets will not work because of the thickness of the beets and they are already cooked.
*These cookies are best stored on the counter in an air-tight container.

We used this to make this recipe:

Microplane Medium Ribbon Home Series Grater

I hesitated for a moment to put up a brownie recipe because I try to focus on dishes that are healthy for kids, but I’m also all about moderation in eating and not depriving kids of sweets if they are made as healthfully as possible. Plus, these brownies are so delicious, I just couldn’t help myself.

In my opinion, getting your kids cooking and having them associate the kitchen with fun is important in inspiring them to eat well, and if there’s one thing Kenya and I had making these brown-wees together, it’s fun. Besides trying to keep him from dipping his finger in the batter for “just one taste” several times, Kenya loved helping me out with almost every step of the process. But he loved eating them even more!

Brown-wees (Makes 15 Brownie squares)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Agave Nectar or Honey
1 Egg, whisked
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Vegetable oil
Optional: Chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine first 3 dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
3. Combine all wet ingredients (agave, egg, vanilla and vegetable oil) in a separate bowl.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine (if you are adding walnuts, incorporate them here as well).
5. Spread the batter into a buttered or greased 8 x 8 inch pan.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. Cool, cut into squares and serve.

*Egg-Free: To make these egg-free just substitute the egg with 1 Tbsp of Ground Flaxseed combined with 3 Tbsp of water.

This is a really special week for us because it’s my hubby’s birthday AND Valentine’s Day. To celebrate, I wanted to come up with a recipe that Kenya and I could make together to both impress Daddy and be enjoyed by the whole family. Although it would be so much easier to break out a huge box of chocolates or cupcakes to celebrate, these Raspberry Pancakes seemed like a much more healthy and festive choice.

To get our ingredients, we went to our local farmer’s market where Kenya was so excited to be tasked with picking out a few baskets of fresh red raspberries especially for Daddy. It let him take ownership over the process right then and there. Then, we went home to test the recipe, pulling out heart shape cookie cutters, placing them in the pan, filling them with batter and berries and then cooking them up. Cooking with your kids is always a priceless experience, but doing it for a holiday or special occasion makes it all the more special. Suffice to say, the pancakes went over big with Daddy (which is a good thing since he’s getting them again on the 14th)!. I think you will agree that this is the kind of recipe will say, “I love you” all over your loved one’s face.

Raspberr-Wee Pancakes

1 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted (plus more for cooking)
1 1/4 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs, whisked
2 Tbsp Agave
6 Oz Package Raspberries (almost 1 cup)

1. Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl combine the butter, buttermilk, eggs and agave until combined.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (it’s ok if there are a few lumps).
4. Heat a large pan or griddle on medium heat and grease with butter.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup of the pancake mixture onto the griddle and top with 3-4 raspberries (if using cookie cutters, place the cookie cutter in the pan after step 4, pour in several tablespoons of batter, add the raspberries and cook as directed in step 6).
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. Serve

* You can keep pancakes warm on a sheet tray in a 250 degree oven until all the pancakes are cooked.
* I also tested this batter in a waffle iron and they came out gorgeous, crispy and fluffy!

**Allow to cool and place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, place in toaster over or oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Valentine’s Day is only a couple of weeks away and I’ve been thinking about all the yummy recipes that I can make for the Valentines in my life. Someone on the Weelicious Facebook page suggested making fondue, which I thought was a perfect idea. What better way to get your little ones (and not so little ones) excited about eating than to give them a dessert that requires dipping!

Fondue is simpler to make than it sounds and the only issue for me was the amount of sugar normally found in most chocolate fondue recipes. After a bit of trial and error, I came up with this recipe that is smooth, creamy and perfect for dipping fresh fruits into. Even better, your kids will get a boost of protein from the almond butter, so they’ll get strong muscles to give you loads of loving hugs!

Chocolate Almond Butter Sauce (Makes 3/4 Cup)

1/4 Cup Almond Butter (I use smooth)
1/4 Cup Agave or Honey
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Hot Water

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve with sliced fresh fruit.

Months ago I bought some unsweetened shredded coconut at our neighborhood health food store in order to make weelicious Date Nut Bites. To say the least, I was shocked when I discovered that Kenya had eaten over HALF of the bag while I was organizing the kitchen, so I couldn’t even make the recipe. When I looked at him with a shocked expression on my face, he said “mommy, I love coco-noot!”

We all know that when kids get their hands on a food they love, they will gobble it up in no time. While thinking of holiday cookie ideas that feature Kenya’s beloved “coco-noot” but DON’T use refined sugar, the idea for making macaroons came to mind. I love macaroons, but most of the ones I find in stores are LOADED with sugar and other nasty ingredients. Just for kicks, I decided to replace the cup (or more) of white sugar found in most macaroon recipes with agave nectar and I’m happy to report it was a total success! In order to make the macaroons even more appropriate for the holidays, weelicious test number two was to place some of the cookie mixture in cookie cutters, pat them down to keep them flat and remove the mold before baking — they turned out looking amazing! Finally, so I could have variety without much more effort, weelicious test number three was to see if I could make a delicious chocolate version without major changes to the original recipe. To my surprise, the new macaroons came out perfectly by adding just a tablespoon of cocoa powder. I love it when I’m testing a new recipe and all my little experiments actually work out so well!

I think you’ll find this recipe to be versatile without added effort and a real treat for anyone that loves coconut as much as my little guy. Happy holidays!

Macaroons

2 Cups Unsweetened Coconut, shredded
1/4 Tsp Salt (I used kosher)
4 Egg Whites
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl (preferably a metal bowl) beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes or until they have stiff peaks.
3. Fold in the remaining ingredients until incorporated (the egg whites will deflate quite a bit).
4. Place 2 tbsps of the batter on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet (you can also place cookie cutters on the baking sheet and place the batter inside patting it down with a soon to even it out. Remove the cookie cutter before baking).
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
6. Serve.

*If you want to make 1/2 the batter chocolate macaroons, add 1 tbsp cocoa powder. If you want to make all of the macaroons chocolate, use 2 tbsps.