Cinnamon Roasted Pears

I love stewed or cooked fruit in the Fall and Winter. Healthy, grounding, and oh so comforting!

Ingredients:

2 ripe pears, halved and cored ( trim a bit off the bottom so they can lie flat)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the pear halves in a baking dish, cut side up, . Drizzle with maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until pears are tender. Serve warm.

Pro Tip: Top with a spoonful granola, yogurt, vanilla ice cream or add in your morning oats.

Gingerbread Nutmeg Morssels

Delicious grounding spices with a light sweetness and a tingle of ginger that makes your tastebuds dance! A great treat to have on hand at the holidays!

Ingredients:

3/4 - 1 cup of pitted soft dates ( soak in warm water for 5 minutes if they are a touch hard)

1/2 cup of raw almonds

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 cup of raw cashews

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Sugar Nutmeg topping:

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons coconut sugar

1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Mix together in a small bowl

Instructions:

In a food processor with an S-shaped blade, add almonds, cashews, dates, cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves.

Process until the nut mixture are chopped and a dough starts to form. Scrape sides a few times as needed.

Once combined use a small cookie scoop or your hands and form a small firm ball.

Roll each ball in the Sugar Nutmeg topping until completely coated.

Place balls in a sealed container in the refrigerator and chill or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cinnamon Baked Apples

One of my favorite cooked fruits during the holidays (or anytime). The warming spice of cinnamon helps balance blood sugar and fights inflammation making this a win win! I’ll even have this for breakfast with some plain yogurt or on my oats!

Ingredients:

6 large apples ( mix it up with some honey crisp and tart granny Smith)

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

2/3 cup of coconut sugar

1 pinch of nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons of fresh apple juice (or water)

1 pinch salt

Coconut whipped creme or vanilla bean ice creme (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put to the side a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Peel, core and cut apple into quarters. Slice lengthwise into thin even slices.

Add slices to baking dish and add on top lemon juice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cornstarch, apple juice or water, and salt. Mix to combine and cover loosely with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes covered. Remove foil and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the center is soft and the apples have caramelized a bit.

Top with coconut whipped creme or vanilla ice creme or enjoy au natural!