Fruit for Dessert

I love fruit. I love dessert. And because eating brownies and ice cream every night is bad for my sugars and my waistline, I'm branching out.

Banana + Bonuses

---one banana, sliced (fruit serving!)

---chocolate chips (don't use too many---they are high in cals)

---organic chocolate syrup (contains no HFCS--purchased mine at Trader Joe's)

---pecans or any type of nuts (or flaxseed) for good fat and protein

Simple, Healthy Cobbler

---frozen, organic fruit (I like blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and peaches)

----old fashioned oats (optional) + splashes of lemon juice

---whole wheat pastry flour (I use the brand Bob's Red Mill)

---sea salt

---3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled (I use a light version)

---5-8 T cold water

Directions:

1. Unthaw the fruit in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. I usually use two bags of frozen fruit per cobbler. Add oats and splashes of lemon juice if desired.





2. To make the crust: Combine 2 cups of flour with 1 t sea salt. Cut the butter into small-ish pieces. Using your hand, blend the flour mixture with the butter, adding in 1 T of water at a time to aid with mixing. Once dough is formed into a ball, place on wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (This recipe yields two 9 inch pie crusts or one 9 inch double pie crust; however, I use the entire batch over one 9 x 13 baking dish).




3. After 30 minutes, roll the dough out on a floured surface, making a rectangle. Place crust over unthawed fruit.





4. If you desire, sprinkle the top (or earlier, in the dough) with a moderate or light amount of sugar---otherwise your crust will not be sweet, but that's a matter of taste! Cut Xs into the crust.




5. Bake cobbler for 45 minutes or so. Serve warm under a scoop of natural, light ice cream.

Note: More food makers are getting it---that HFCS is something consumers are avoiding. Read ice cream labels. I gravitate toward those cartons that boast of being "natural"---but even so, some that claim to be natural still contain HFCS.

Why the big deal with HFCS? A friend of mine, Sivje, pointed out that her daughter's (who has type I) blood sugars are terrible when she consumes this ingredient. There is speculation that it's not the HFCS that is bad in itself, rather it's the fact that HFCS is in foods that aren't healthy to begin with---certain crackers, drinks, ice cream, cookies etc. (generally "processed" foods). I hear a lot of conflicting info on HFCS---but I have found that it's just healthier to avoid the foods that contain it.

Why use organic fruit? There are several fruits on the "dirty dozen" list. My question is, why NOT buy organic?

Personally, I think most fruit cobblers are wayyy too sweet and syrupy. They are loaded with nothing but sugar. I prefer a cleaner, simpler, purer version that gives me fruit servings, antioxidants (from the berries), fiber and protein (from the whole wheat flour), and some fat (from the 50/50 baking butter).

Enjoy!