Saturday, July 28, 2007

Blog or Bust #2: Healthy Summer Desserts!!

So, needless to say the first go-around of the Clumsy Cook's Blog or Bust event was a great success! Wonderful recipes abounded and I'm sure everyone who took part in the event (or looked at the round-up, for that matter) felt a little better about their bodies afterwards! The theme for Blog or Bust #2 is Healthy Summer Desserts.

Ah, dessert... my forte! So now it was just up to me to pick out one. Something light, nibble-ish, without a knife and fork requirement. That left me with cookies or mini-muffins. Then I remembered a recipe that I use for my bakery! Refreshingly tart lemon blending with the wonderful aroma and sweetness of honey bring to mind thoughts of flowers, buzzing bees, and lemonade stands. Unfortunately for me the area we moved into is almost devoid of children (or people, for that matter, since they are still building right next door) so I'm missing out on both my Dickie Dee fix and the contributions to the local kiddies' piggy banks. These cookies are completely vegetarian (though not vegan because of the honey factor), and they are egg- milk- and butter-less, not to mention free of refined sugar! Talk about healthy, allergy-free indulgence! Just be sure to use a flavourful, flowery honey for these cookies if you make them. I particularly like Alfalfa or Fireweed for this, and if you can find it this is amazing, but use your favourite!

By the way, do kids even have piggy banks any more? I still have mine, a big hand-casted Kermit the Frog given to me for my 3rd birthday by my aunt and uncle.

But anyways, here is my contribution to the sweet teeth of the summer sun: When the Bees Met Lemonade!

When the Bees Met Lemonade Cookies
Makes about 12-15
¼ c honey
2 ½ T margarine
½ T lemon zest
1 c flour
¾ tsp baking soda
  1. Cream honey, margarine and zest
  2. Blend dry ingredients, add to above.
  3. Resist the urge to make it less sticky... it all works out in the end!
  4. Grease a cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoons.
  5. Bake 7-8 min @ 350F

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 78.6
Total Fat: 2.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 21.0 mg
Total Carbs: 14.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 1.1 g

By the way, here's another reason for the healthiness of these sweet nothin's! Courtesy of the Canadian Honey Council:

Honey has been known to have antibacterial properties for more than a century.
Although it has been used as a medicine since ancient times, initially it was just known to be an effective remedy. Now it can be seen that the effectiveness of honey in many of its medical uses is due to its antibacterial activity. It is well established that honey inhibits a broad spectrum of bacterial and fungal activity. There has not been much distinction made between the different types of antimicrobial activity in honey to which the various microbial species are sensitive.

Antibacterial activity in honey can be caused by:

  • Osmotic effect, whereby water is drawn away from the microorganisms reducing
    their ability to survive,
  • Acidity, honey is acidic, its pH being between 3.2 and 4.5, which inhibits
    growth in many pathogens,
  • Hydrogen Peroxide, which is produced enzymically in the honey by the bee,
    and
  • Phytochemical Factors, these non-peroxide antibacterial factors are believed
    to be the many complex
    phenols and organic acids often referred to as
    flavonoids. These latter complex chemicals that do not breakdown under heat or
    light provide honey with its 'unique' antibacterial properties.

1 comment :

  1. I love that you add in a honey lesson! YaY for nutrition!! :P

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for the feedback!