Healthy Christmas Treats

Christmas is a time that we can open our hearts and expand our waistlines. I, for one, truly enjoy every treat that comes my way. My friend Chae always has told me to enjoy my life. Then she would hand me a plate full of goodies.

This time of year, people with food allergies have to be careful. Checking the ingredients on homemade cookies is a difficult task. My Mother has to be careful about what she enjoys. If she eats the wrong food she will have an immediate allergic reaction. She is highly allergic to anything with MSG and must be very careful with everything she eats.

An example autolized soy protein is a hidden source of MSG. Since no MSG was added to the product, the product can claim “No MSG” status. Yet MSG is manufactured within the product it is made.

Because of my Mom's dietary challenges, she keeps her food as natural as possible. This may seem like a setback but has turned into beautiful opportunities for healthy Christmas choices. I am going to share two of my favorites.

Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Toasted Pecans.

Lets start by bringing the cream cheese up to room temperature. An 8-ounce block will get you 30 to 40 stuffed dates, depending on how full you stuff them.

While the cream cheese is softening, heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a sauté pan, melt two tablespoons of butter or you can substitute any neutral flavored oil. Toss a cup of chopped pecans in the butter with one tablespoon of raw sugar and a pinch of salt.

Roast the pecans for seven to ten minutes. I start checking on them after 5 minutes. They should be just starting to turn a darker color and be very fragrant.

These toasted nuts are delicious by themselves. If you have extra, no worries. I love them on top of my morning oatmeal.

Buy seeded dates, this will make the job much easier. Not much needs to be done to the dates but we need to make some modifications. To seed the dates the manufacturer will slit them open. We will either expand the slit to open the dates like a book or cut them in half. Either way will work.

With a wire whip or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip up the cream cheese till it is smooth. You don’t need a lot of air incorporated. You just need to smooth out the lumps.

Pipe the cream cheese inside the slit open dates, garnish with the toasted pecan halves. If you want, you may add a little amaretto and/or honey to the cream cheese for a little extra flavor.

Dried Fruit Balls.

You can use any dried fruit you want. The choice of fruit is up to you. This is what I like.

1 cup dried apples

1 half cup dried apricots

1 half cup dried dates.

If the dried fruit that you are using in nice and moist, it will make a mixture that you can roll into little balls. If the dried fruit that you have available is not as moist, add a little warm water. Roll the balls in finely chopped nuts or toasted coconut flakes.

Holiday Wishes

I hope that you will enjoy these recipes as much as I do. They are both super easy to prepare and are healthy delicious treats for the holidays and throughout the year. Don't forget to share these on you social media sites and drop us an email!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Love,

April