Healthy Homemade Desserts for Aging Adults (Part 2)

Who said aging adults are condemned to eat boiled and bland food for life?

Studies say that if aging adults are granted some sugary treats from time to time, it will help decrease their stress levels and keep them happy and healthy.

Chocolate Banana Bread (Gluten-free)

Ingredients you’ll need:

• One teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3/8 cups of water
• One teaspoon of baking soda
• Two cups of gluten-free flour blend
• 1.2 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• One cup of coconut sugar
• Two very ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup of organic coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon or a pinch of sea salt

 

Instructions to make the Chocolate Banana Bread (Gluten-free):

Step 1:

The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees and the loaf pan should be lined up with a parchment paper (as a result of which there is an overhang on both sides).

Step 2:

Now, take a bowl and combine all the dry ingredients together like the flour blend and the baking powder and whisk properly.

Step 3:

Take another bowl and put in the bananas and mash them with a fork (if you don’t have big ones, a regular will do). Then, add in the vanilla extract, coconut oil (make sure it is melted properly), apple cider vinegar and water. Combine together.

Step 4:

Take the wet ingredients and pour them over the dry ones. Now, stir the mixture until you end up with a well-combined one.

Step 5:

The batter can now be transferred to the prepared pan and is ready to be baked at 350 degrees for around 35-45 minutes. Or, you could also check by inserting a toothpick right in the middle of the dough and if it comes out clean, you know your bread is ready.

Step 6:

Once you’ve removed the bread from the oven, let it sit and cool completely before detaching the parchment paper. Once it’s ready to be served, the bread can be cut into small and thin slices and can be enjoyed with a hot beverage.

Raspberry and chocolate tartlets

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Four cups of fresh raspberries
• ¼ cup of raspberry jam
• Two tablespoons of light corn syrup
• Six tablespoons of unsalted butter
• A roll of a basic tart dough
• 8 oz of chopped semisweet chocolate
• And, finally fresh mint for garnish

Instructions to make the Raspberry and chocolate tartlets:

Step 1:

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. You need to make small 2 1/2-inch rounds with the dough – and for that, you can either use a sharp knife or a cookie cutter. Now, reroll any scraps to make as many as you can. Then, place the circular in a tart pan. Trim any excess dough and pat the dough firmly along the bottom and up the sides. Chill or freeze the shells until hard.

Step 2:

The shells can be placed on a baking sheet (which should have been covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper). Now, back them for around 10-15 minutes or until they are golden. You could also remove the foil and let them bake for some more 3-5 minutes. Once they are ready, get them out of the oven and let them cool down.

Step 3:

Boil water in a pot using a double boiler or by placing a saucepan immediately over the water. Melt the butter, chocolate, and corn syrup in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. You may also use the microwave to melt the chocolate.

Step 4:

To get rid of the seeds in the jam, use a mesh sieve. Then, spread a tablespoon or a teaspoon (up to you) of jam into each tartlet shell before filling them with chocolate. Once the tartlets are ready, let them sit for 1-2 hours. Before you serve them, set some fresh raspberries right on top and garnish them with fresh mint.