On this rainy day in the Hamptons, I contemplate what to do with my kids!?!? No beach, no playing in the yard, no swimming… so let’s cook! This is my favorite class from last year! Everyone loves cake pops, but typically they’re made with lots of processed sugar, bleached flour, heavy fats, chocolate and candy. Typical binder for holding the balls together is frosting!

Our delicious morsels are made with mostly natural sugar, whole grain flour, and healthy binders: coconut oil, dates and almond butter.

You can really use any cake you want – carrot, whole wheat, gluten free, fruit cake, etc. but today we are using zucchini cake.

Our chef, Kristan Watson, is a local baker and mom. She ran a cake business in NYC before she moved to Rye. She is taking a break from baking to be a full time Mom but she enjoys developing healthy recipes designed for kids as well as teaching moms and daughters to bake via occasional classes and demonstrations. Check out her website at: http://kbyk.squarespace.com

Kristan’s (healthy) Cake Pops

(Can be Nut Free, Gluten Free & Low Sugar)

Ingredients:

o 2 Egg Whites
o 2oz Oil (coconut or any other)
o ¼ cup applesauce
o 1/3 cup coconut Sugar
o 1 ¼ cups Grated Zucchini
o 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
o 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
o 1/2 teaspoon Salt
o 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
o 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
o 1 ¼ cup oat flour
o ¼ cup ground flax
o Cooking spray
o 2 tablespoons almond butter OR 4 dates (soaked in hot water) if you can’t have nuts
o 12oz – chocolate chips 60% cacao
o Unsweetened coconut
o Ground chia

Tools Needed:

o Stand or hand mixer
o Wax paper
o 2 medium bowls
o Whisk
o Spatula
o Measuring cups & spoons
o Grater or food processor
o 8×8 baking pan
o Small melon scoops
o Styrofoam for holding cake pops

Be safe! Be careful when handling raw eggs, sharp blades and with little hands around hot surfaces.

Making the cake…

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8×8 pan with cooking spray.
Step 2: In a bowl measure flour, soda, powder, salt, flax and cinnamon and mix well.
Step 3: Using a grater or food processor, shred the zucchini.
Step 4: Whisk together the egg whites, oil, applesauce and sugar.
Step 5: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until all combined.
Step 6: Fold in the zucchini, then pour into the prepared 8×8 baking pan.
Step 7: Bake for 20 minutes and let cool.

Making the cake balls and decorating…

Step 1: Add cake to your mixer bowl.
Step 2: Place on a low speed so it starts to crumble the cake.
Step 3: Add soaked dates or Almond Butter mix until cake is moist and can hold a ball shape (I roll one in my hand to make sure it doesn’t fall apart).
Step 4: Use a medium ice cream scoop to spoon and level out two balls of cake mixture.
Step 5: Roll the mixture into a tight ball and place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the cake mixture has been rolled into balls.
Step 6: Refrigerate balls for 30 minutes. Put sticks in the balls.
Step 7: Melt the chocolate
o Fill microwave safe bowl with chocolate.
o Microwave on high for 1 minute.
o Stir. Stir. Stir.
o Microwave for 30 seconds on high.
o Stir. Stir. Stir.
o IF NEEDED microwave in increments of 10 seconds until the chocolate is ready.
Step 8: Dip cake balls carefully into the chocolate until covered. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Swirl and tap gently if needed.
Step 9: Add the toppings (coconut and chia) while the chocolate is still wet. It will harden quickly.
Step 10: Stick the pop into a Styrofoam block or down on parchment.

Enjoy!

Love & yum,

Lindsay (Mama) O’Neill