healthy holidays Archives - Heavenlynn Healthy

Christmas menu dessert: Healthy Mince Pies

Lynn — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 04:30:57 +0000

Healthy Mince Pies filled with a heavenly mince meat with apples, pears, raisins and tonka bean.

My sister trip to London this past summer definitely proofed that all sayings about the British cuisine are rubbish. Of course I can only speak for London, but this city is definitely the culinary capital of Europe. We had some of the best foods in the city, visited great cafes and delis and literally all we did was eat. We also stayed with my sister’s roommate in her parents’ house near Watford for two days and we were served some of the best foods I have ever eaten, including the British broccoli that I am so totally jealous of. Can someone please import British broccoli to Germany? Asap, please!

My sister told me about the Mince Pies that her flat mate’s Dad always makes, so of course I was curious about these little British pies. Seeing them all over Pinterest, I just had to make them, and they turned out amazingly. Of course this is nowhere near the original mince pie recipe as I used completely unconventional ingredients, but the mince meat is always a mix of fruits, some dried fruits and Christmas spices. In England you can even buy “mincemeat” jars in every supermarket. It’s definitely the equivalent of the German “Stollen”, except it’s much tastier, fresher and tastes so much more like Christmas than cookies or Christmas bread.

My Mom was completely in love when she first tried them, and I also think that it’s one of the best Christmas desserts ever! It’s really moist, rich and flavorful, and something very different than anything I’ve ever tried. Another big plus is that they are just so freaking pretty! I am a sucker for pretty food, so these healthy mince pies will definitely make your Christmas table look so much fore festive.

Instead of vanilla, I used the tonka bean, which is an ugly black bean from the tonka tree, which is originally grown in South America. You only need a bit of tonka beans, which are commonly ground with a small grinder, for a rich flavor that reminds me of vanilla. It’s very common in upscale restaurants around the world, so it’s about time that we use it in our own homes, don’t you think?

This is the last item on my Christmas menu this year, and I hope it inspired you once again to eat a bit healthier during the Holidays. It’s definitely possible to eat healthy at Christmas, and it does not require deprivation or starvation. Healthy Holidays are so much fun, and I hope that these healthy mince pies, my sweet potato and parsnip soup and the stuffed butternut squash proofed how delicious and healthy Christmas can be.

Healthy Mince Pies

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 6

Ingredients

⅔ cup (100g) of almonds
1 cup (100g) of (gluten free) oats
½ teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder
¼ teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon of shredded coconut flakes (optional, for sprinkling)

For the mince meat:

2 small apples
1 pear
⅔ cup (100g) of raisins
⅓ cup (50g) of goji berries or more raisins
¼ tonka bean
the juice of one organic orange
zest of ½ organic orange
zest of ½ organic lemon
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of ginger
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of ground cloves

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease six muffin molds in a muffin tray with coconut oil.
To make the dough, blitz the almonds and oats in a food processor until a fine flour forms. Add all the other ingredients and process into a dough. You can also do this with your hands if you do not have a food processor. Place the dough into the fridge for 30 minutes while making the mince meat.
For the mince meat, cut the apples and pear, remove their cores and cut them into small pieces. Add all ingredients except for the tonka bean to a pot. Grind the tonka bean with a small gringer, and add it to the other ingredients. Cook the "meat" over medium heat for about 15 - 20 minutes until soft. Set aside.
Take the dough out the fridge and separate it into 8 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a round flat disk and gently fold it into the muffin molds. Press it into the fold with your hands. It does not need to reach up to the edges of the molds, it just needs to cover the ground and about half of the sides. Pre-bake the mince pie bases for about 7 - 8 minutes then take them out of the oven.
Roll out the two remaining dough balls between two sheets of baking paper and cut out six stars with a cookie cutter.
Fill about 1 - 2 tablespoons of mince meat into each mince pie, gently pressing down the cut-out stars on top of each filling. Place the mince pies back into the oven and bake for another 10 - 12 minutes. Watch them carefully, so they do not burn. You might only need 9 minutes of baking depending on your oven.
Finally take the mince pies out of the oven and let them cook completely before sprinkling them with a little bit of shredded coconut flakes.

Notes

This recipe only makes 6 mince pies. If you want to make more, just double the amount of ingredients.
If you do not have a food processor or strong blender, use 200g of ground nuts instead.

Enjoy!

*A Big Thank You to REWE Feine Welt for sponsoring this post. And thank you, readers, for supporting the brands that make hour-long recipe testings in the Heavenlynn Healthy kitchen possible.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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21 Heavenly Healthy Holiday Recipes

Lynn — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 07:33:33 +0000

Those of you who have been following my blog already know about my little “Heavenly Healthy Christmas” series, where I shared some delicious and healthy Christmas recipes with you. Even though my blog is only a few months old, I was already able to pile up many delicious recipes that will be perfect for the upcoming Holidays, so I thought I’d post a little medley of my favorite ones.
There are also a few words that I needed to say before I am wishing you all a Merry Christmas. This past year has been such a eventful and exciting year for me. I’ve started this blog during some shaky months and I would have never imagined that I’d receive so much support from all of you. Yes, if you are reading this, then I am directly talking to you. Reading your comments or personal emails makes me beyond happy. Every time I read some of your kind and inspiring words, I get the chills, and I am deeply, deeply thankful to everyone who reads this blog, cooks my recipes or simply likes to look at my pictures. I am so excited to continue this blog in 2016 – there will be so many delicious and healthy new recipes, maybe a bit more fitness articles or whatever else comes to my mind. If you have any suggestions for recipes that you’d like to see healthified, if you have any critique or simply want to talk to me, feel free to email me at heavenlynnhealthy@gmail.com or just leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you!

Now, I am wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

SIDES

Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Seeds

“I love Brussels sprouts! Roasted is definitely the best but I’ve never thought of pairing them with pomegranate. I’m excited to try these!” – Kathleen

Spiced Apple-Cabbage

“This looks absolutely fabulous!! Such a beautiful rich color! Thanks for the recipe.” – Erin

SOUPS

Carrot, Coconut and Mango Soup

“Wow. So good. Never tried carrots + mango before. This recipe will enter my soup hit list. Thank you. PS: Even my little 3year old friend liked it.” – Annika

Sweet Potato and Beetroot Soup with Blood Oranges

“This combination is just great. It tastes sweet and fresh, velvet and soft…surprisingly amazing. It is really filling and so easy to make! Loved it! Thanks very much for sharing this recipe!” – Zibe

Roasted Red Pepper and Cannellini Soup

“Love this soup, Lynn. The combination of the smoky roasted red peppers with cannellini sounds great. I’ve made a tomato and cannellini soup before but think that the roasted red peppers are a great alternative. Love all the spices you’ve added also. Looking forward to trying this!” – Geraldine

SALADS

Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Pumpkin Squash

“Loved this salad so much, Lynn. Honestly, I never thought I’d like kale in a salad, but this definitely changed my mind. The dressing is also a keeper. Thank you so much for this recipe!” – Sophie

Red Cabbage and Pear Salad with Walnuts

I don’t have readers’ feedback on this salad, but it’s absolutely delicious. Why not try red cabbage raw this Christmas?

Watercress, Beetroot and Avocado Salad with Beluga Lentils

“Ah, now this, Lynn. So delicious and packed with goodness! If only I could get Rob to eat watercress… or arugula. Beets are comfort food IMHO. Love them roasted, pickled, juiced or raw… and they’re just a perfect salad companion. There’s so much going on in this salad to make it hearty enough for a main. I love salads like this… Thank you Lynn!” – Traci

Sesame-Roasted Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad with Pistachios & Date-Dijon-Dressing

“Wowwww! This combination is screaming eat me! …” – Megan

Mains

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Cashew-Chives-Chutney and Beluga Lentils

“How do you continuously develop such genius recipes? I HAVE to try this, it looks so delicious! Thank you for the inspiration!” – Farina

Lentil-Loaf with Cranberry Sauce

“I’m going to try and make something similar very soon! Looks so good!” – Amelia

Healthy Cauliflower Lasagna

“Looks fabulous, Lynn! I love lasagna and like how you’ve lightened this up with lots of veggies. Great idea to do a cauliflower bechamel, too! Xo” – Julia

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Curry

“Your recipes are simply amazing! Not only your ideas but also the descriptions are on point, not to mention the pictures that always inspire me to try a new recipe. I love your blog!” – Laura

One-Pot Eggplant, Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry

“Lynn, this is beautiful, cozy, winter perfection – yum!” – Kate

COOKIES

Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

“Looks like your first attempt a healthified cookie was a huge success! They look so delish! And I love how you styled your photos. Want to come to Northern California and do that for all of mine? Happy Holidays my friend!!” – Katie

Healthy Almond and Cinnamon Christmas Stars

“Adore these! Pinned!” – Aimee

Healthy Vanilla Crescent Cookies

Gingerbread Granola

DESSERT

Damson, Apple and Blackberry Crumble

Instead of Damsons you can use pears or any other fruit that you have in stock.

“Lynn, this crisp is absolutely divine! I’ve never seen damsons around here, but I think I can sub italian plums or maybe plouts for them? I couldn’t agree more about Fall. As much as I love Summer, Fall is my favorite season by far. For the same reasons as you. Cozy sweaters, cuddles on the couch and copious amounts of hot chocolate and movie watching! Indoor activities rule around here! Thank you for this delicious recipe my dear!” – Traci

Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies

DRINKS

Beetroot and Apple Glögg

“Lynn, I just made this yesterday and my whole family loved it. We made one batch with red wine and the other one without. It was fantastic. Thank you for this recipe and Happy Holidays!” – Minna

Happy Holidays Everyone!

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