Stressed Spelled Backwards is Desserts – Get Over the Guilt!

Isn’t this grand? I’m telling you right now that it is okay to eat desserts when you’re stressed. And to do so without feeling guilty. How?

First of all, eat desserts responsibly. Do not buy a package of Oreos, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, or even Justin’s mini bag of peanut butter cups and devour them when you’re stressed. You’ll be eating with nervous energy, remorse, chagrin, and even anger (mostly at yourself). This kind of sugar explosion never fully satisfies.

Rather, calm yourself by baking (if you don’t bake and it would cause more stress, call the Cynthia’s Synsational Sensations hotline (only if you live nearby) or go to your nearest bakery for therapy. No crap baked goods, however. Preferably, wholesome, nourishing, fresh, organic desserts. If you read your labels, even the grocery store will provide you with what you need for your emergency.

The very best way is to go to the kitchen and with the miracle of your hands and fingers – pour, stir, shake, fold, whip, roll, and place, with the loving touch of your flesh that bespeaks love for yourself and others. This is a remedy for stress. It’s called love baking. Take your time, turn on music, light a candle, and be aware that you can become an enchanter, a wizard, concocting magic that delights the senses and nourishes more than the body.

And then use your best dishes to serve yourself and others what you have made (or what you have bought) and eat slowly, tasting each spice, flavor, and sweetness (and please note to lessen the sugar in recipes or use maple syrup…this enables you to taste the harmony of flavors in your dessert).

I recently read that silent has the same letters as listen. I think that this is also what is needed when we are stressed and want to eat desserts. Perhaps this comes first…

My Marvelous Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust, Filling, and Frosting

• Crust: 8 full sheets of graham crackers (I use Annie’s organic)
• 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter (Myoki’s wonderful alternative butter)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Filling: 24 oz. cream cheese, softened (Myoki’s wonderful alternative cream cheese)
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup plus 3 Tbs. organic pure pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg (freshly grated)
• wee bit of salt
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• Frosting: 1/2 cup Silk whipping cream (alternative cream)
• 3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions

l. Crust: Pulse graham crackers and pecans in a food processor into fine crumbs. Add cinnamon and melted butter and pulse until combined. Press mixture onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of an un-greased 9-inch spring form pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling. Preheat the oven to 350 F

2. Filling: Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl on medium speed; add maple syrup and beat for another couple of minutes; stir in pumpkin puree, vanilla, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Beat until just combined; beat in the eggs one at a time and mix just until combined on low speed (otherwise, too much air can cause a crack in the batter (but ye can cover it with a maple leaf or decoration if it happens). Pour the batter into the prepared crust.

3. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the edges of the cheesecake are set; the center is lightly wobbly. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife carefully around edge of pan to loosen; cool for another hour. Then refrigerate for at least an hour to cool completely (in pan).

4. Frosting: Beat the whipped cream with whisk attachment until hard peaks form; add pumpkin puree and maple syrup and beat until smooth.After cheesecake is completely cooled, remove springform sides of the pan. Spread the frosting evenly and serve, but first put a dried maple leaf in the center…or any other decoration you’d like.

This is the best pumpkin cheesecake I’ve ever eaten…and it’s way healthier!

Molasses Espresso Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Espresso Ganache

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. finely ground espresso
• 1 /4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling (I prefer rolling in demerara or turbinado sugar, as it is coarser)
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 8 oz. milk chocolate (I use Lindt’s), divided
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp. finely ground espresso
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Whisk flour, coffee, baking soda, and spices in a medium bowl.
2. Whip butter, brown sugar, molasses, and the granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth; beat in egg.
3. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix with a spatula until combined. Cover and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375 F and place extra sugar for rolling into a shallow bowl. Take a portion of dough to work with and chill the rest. Roll a tablespoon of dough into balls, roll balls in sugar and arrange on a parchment-line baking sheet, 2″ apart. (only do a sheet at a time and keep dough in fridge that you are not working with).
5. Bake cookies until centers crack and edges are set, 5 to 8 minutes (don’t bake too long; they’ll continue to crisp while cooling). If cookies puff up too much, lightly press on them when they come out of oven to deflate. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. You should have about 40 cookies. Dough can be made ahead and kept chilled.
6. Filling and Assembly:
7. Place butter and chocolate in a large bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, stir in coffee and vanilla and pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth and chill until ganache is cooled and thickened, about 30 minutes. Beat with a mixer or vigorously by hand with a whisk until stiff.
8. Place a tablespoon of filling on half of cookies. Press remaining cookies on top.YUM! In the photo of my cookies, however, I inadvertently used baking powder rather than baking soda. Hence, they puffed up rather than spread out a bit. Just have fun with it. I put some puffy cookies together, but the rest I just spread with ganache.

Mom’s Whacky Cake is a recipe in my whimsical dessert recipe book with essays and art work, Pavlova in a Hat Box, Sweet Memories & Dessserts – for sale on Amazon and all other online stores. My web site: http://www.cynthianale.com will give you more of an idea about my baking and my historical fiction novels, as well.