dessert

Red Velvet Seven Layer Bars

red velvet seven layer bars | confections of a dietitian

I love Valentine’s Day desserts because most of them include chocolate: chocolate with raspberries, chocolate with strawberries, chocolate with more chocolate. Although berries and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations, I wanted something different this year. I made these red velvet seven layer bars a few weeks ago and they were such a big hit, I knew I had to share them in time for Valentine’s Day! Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of chocolate in these bars, but the pop of red from the red velvet base was too perfect for a red-themed holiday to resist.

red velvet seven layer bars | confections of a dietitian

In all honesty, I’m not a huge fan of red velvet anything. I’m a chocolate girl at heart and red velvet tends to be underwhelming to me. These bars are definitely an exception. They start off with a thick, cookie-like red velvet base. If you’re unfamiliar with the flavor of red velvet, it is mostly vanilla with a little hint of chocolate. The subtle chocolate flavor is usually what I don’t like about it, but in these bars, it’s the perfect match for all of the sweet, flavorful toppings. Speaking of toppings, these bars are loaded with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, coconut and pecans along with sweetened condensed milk to keep everything together. As the bars bake, all of those delicious toppings melt together to make a decadent dessert.

Whether you need a dessert for just you and your sweetheart or something to share with a crowd, these red velvet seven layer bars are quick to make, delicious and worth every single bite! Happy Valentine’s Day!

red velvet seven layer bars | confections of a dietitian
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Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

pumpkin layer cake | confections of a dietitian

Things have been quite around here for awhile, but what better way to come back than with two of my favorite things: pumpkin and cake! I made this beautiful cake for a friend’s baby shower a few weeks ago and it was so delicious, and quintessentially fall, that I had to share it. Not to mention, I’m loving the semi-naked cake look. It’s elegant and rustic all at the same time!

pumpkin layer cake | confections of a dietitian

First, let’s talk cake. A lot of pumpkin recipes can be dense because pumpkin provides extra moisture, but that’s not ideal for a three layer cake. Instead, this cake is fluffy and moist. It’s also loaded with all of the warm, fall spices that we’ve come to know and love as “pumpkin spice”. It may seem like a lot of spices, but I promise they just blend together with the pumpkin and give it that perfect pumpkin flavor.

Pumpkin cake would not be complete without cream cheese frosting, but this frosting brings the cake to a whole new level. I’ve made a lot of delicious frostings, but this one might actually be my favorite. I’m talking about browned butter cream cheese frosting. Yum! Browning the butter gives the frosting a nutty, caramel flavor which pairs amazingly well with the tangy cream cheese. Add in the fluffy, pumpkin spice cake and it’s a match made in heaven!

pumpkin layer cake | confections of a dietitian

I know baking a cake isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun afternoon, but this cake is so easy and freezes really well. These turned out great as cupcakes too, if that’s more your thing, or you could even call them “muffins” without the frosting 😉 (check the notes section for adaptations). This cake would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving menu, especially for people who don’t like pie (and you can make it ahead!). It was perfect for a fall-themed baby shower and would even be great on a rainy, fall weekend (I’m looking at you, Pacific Northwest). However and whenever you make this cake, I really hope you do!

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Caramel Pumpkin Pie

caramel pumpkin pie | confections of a dietitian

Pumpkin pie is, without a doubt, my favorite type of pie. I always, and still do, greatly anticipated Thanksgiving because that meant there would be pumpkin pie for dessert. Luckily, I grew up in a family of pumpkin pie lovers so Thanksgiving was not the only time we would have pumpkin pie each year. I have a very distinct memory of visiting my Great Grandpa Frank’s house one afternoon and arriving just as he pulled a pumpkin pie out of the oven. Even though I prefer chilled pumpkin pie, I’ll never forget eating a warm slice of pie on a fall afternoon with him.

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Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Three Ways

pumpkin oatmeal cookies | confections of a dietitian

Fall abruptly ended here last weekend with the arrival of 5 inches of snow. As excited as I am for winter, I’m not quite ready for this beautiful season to end. After missing out on fall for the last 3 years, I want it to last forever! So even if the weather won’t cooperate with my wishes, my baking and the smells coming from the oven can.

I’ve been thinking about making pumpkin cookies since the leaves barely started changing colors, (maybe this little announcement had something to do with that) but didn’t get around to making them until this past week. As soon as I took my first bite of these, I knew I had to share the recipe with all of you!

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Honey Cinnamon Granola

honey cinnamon granola | confections of a dietitian

Almost every Wednesday night in Okinawa is reserved for one thing: The Bachelor (or Bachelorette, for this time of year). Realistically, it’s just an excuse for my group of friends to see each other every week, talk and eat snacks. My friend, Jessi, would occasionally bring her fabulous granola to our girl’s nights and, I’m not going to lie, I always wanted to steal the entire bowl and not share a single piece. It was that delicious. Luckily, Jessi nicely shared her recipe with me before she moved and, with a few adjustments, now I’m sharing it with all of you!

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Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

lemon raspberry cupcakes | confections of a dietitian

Springtime around here means rain, rain and more rain. Even on the days we don’t think it’s going to rain, it probably will. That being said, we need something bright and cheery to make up for it, like cupcakes! Lemon raspberry cupcakes to be exact. There’s just something about the pretty pastel colors and tart yet sweet flavors that are perfect for this dreary time of year. I made these cupcakes as a special request for the first time a couple weeks ago and still can’t stop thinking about them. They were that good!

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German Chocolate Cake

german chocolate cake | confections of a dietitian

My friends here in Oki know how much I love to bake cakes and cupcakes so, occasionally, I’ll get a special request for a birthday or other event. A good friend of mine had a birthday a few weeks ago and asked me to make her favorite kind of cake, German chocolate. Never one to say no to a baking adventure, I gladly started searching for the perfect recipe for her birthday. Through my research, I stumbled upon a little a little bit of a history worth mentioning. Interestingly enough, German chocolate cake is not from Germany, but named after an American, Samuel German, who created a dark baking chocolate for Baker’s Chocolate. The company named the chocolate bar after him and, later, a recipe was created using the specific chocolate bar, titled German’s Chocolate Cake. The apostrophe and “s” have since been dropped from the name, but the recipe remains an American favorite.

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Cream Cheese Brownies

cream cheese brownies | confections of a dietitian

Colin and I frequently attend events that ask us to bring a dish to share. Most people probably dread this, but I love it because it gives me an excuse to bake something deliciously unhealthy, eat one serving and give the rest away. We had to go to one such event the other weekend so, naturally, I decided to bring cream cheese brownies and they turned out so good that I had to share them with you. The inspiration for the brownies came from my mom’s recipe, which, on my recipe card, is very accurately titled “Kim’s Best Brownies.” This is not her recipe, (don’t worry Mom, I’m not giving that away) rather my take on her delicious original.

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Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

confections of a dietitian | mint chocolate cupcakes

I love cupcakes! That might sound odd coming from a dietitian, but it’s true (I mean, have you read the title of this blog?). It’s pretty much like having a personal cake, except with a higher frosting to cake ratio. And, if you’re like my husband, the more frosting, the better the cake is. That’s not the only reason to love cupcakes though. I think they are faster and easier to make than a cake. Each one is it’s own serving, so I can have a sweet treat without feeling overly full. Plus, the variations of cupcake flavors and frostings are endless, so it’s easy to customize for every person, event or holiday.

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Gingerbread Loaf

gingerbread loaf | confections of a dietitian

Gingerbread has been on my list of things to bake for a long time. There’s something about the warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, mixed with molasses that makes gingerbread sound so appealing. You already know my feelings about rolling out dough, so gingerbread cookies were not an option. I love having a quick bread around for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert, so I figured a gingerbread loaf would be the perfect way to get my gingerbread fix.

gingerbread loaf | confections of a dietitian gingerbread loaf | confections of a dietitian

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