There’s no denying that winter is finally here! And along with the cold weather and sitting by the heater we often find ourselves craving something sweet and delectable – proven to keep out the cold!

I often get asked “But what can I have that isn’t too unhealthy??”

So here are ideas for some “sweet nothings”!  Keep warm, and treat yourself.

1. Coconut Macaroons: Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Beat together 1 egg white, 3 tbl sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence. Add 2.5 cups shredded coconut, stir, and place spoonfuls on lined baking tray and bake for 20 mins.
2. Date Salted Caramel Sauce: 12 dates, 2/3-1 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract – blend all on high for couple minutes until smooth – you may need to add more water. Drizzle on yogurt or fruit.
3. Banoffee Bowl: Make a caramel sauce.Serve with sliced bananas and a sprinkle of chopped toasted pecans or almonds.
4. Lindt crisps: Melt 4 squares dark Lindt chocolate, and paint over 10 corn thins. Refrigerate to set.
5. Chocolate Dipped Fruit – strawberries, banana, pear.
6. Paddle Pops, and Splice are the best of the ice creams to have.
7. A cup of steaming hot Jarah with a marshmallow, or a hot chocolate made with low fat milk and Milo
8. Chia Pudding: 1 tbl chia seeds, 1/3 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy), 1 tbl cocoa powder OR 1 tbl peanut butter OR nutella, a drizzle honey. Mix and refrigerate for 20 mins.
9. Luscious Banana Souffle: Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Blend 210g banana and 15 g honey to a soft paste. Beat egg whites until just before soft peaks, then add 30 g castor sugar and beat to soft peaks.Fold 1⁄3 of the egg mixture into the banana mixture, then gently fold the rest of each mixture together. Fill 6 greased ramekins with the mixture to the top, use a knife and scrape across the top of each ramekin removing any excess. Bake for 10-12 minutes, dust with icing sugar, and serve immediately.
10. Creamy Frozen Berry Bites: Combine 2 cups Lite Greek yogurt and 2 tbl honey. Place dollops on a lined tray, top each with a fresh or frozen berry or two, and freeze until set.
11. Decadent Stuffed Dates – dates stuffed with nuts, nut butter or a piece of dark chocolate.
12. Old Fashioned Cinnamon Apple Tart: 7 sheets of filo pastry, 300g green apples, washed, unpeeled, quartered and cored, 20g stevia or sugar, 400g low fat Chobani yoghurt, cinnamon to flavour.Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Lightly spray a large, round baking tray with cooking spray oil. Spray a sheet of filo with cooking oil and fold in to the centre to 3/4’s the size of the sheet to form a square. Repeat with remaining pastry sheets and layer in top of each other alternating folded sides so thickness remains even. Cut out a circle shape that matches size of cooking tray and place pastry on tray. Cut apples into 5mm slices and arrange on pastry in circles so that the pieces slightly overlap. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.Bake for 45 minutes until apples are tender and golden.Serve warm with a scoop of yoghurt and date caramel sauce.
13. Blueberry Ricotta Cheesecake Cups: 2 cups low fat ricotta, 1/4 cup egg whites, 1/4 cup plain flour, 2 tbsp honey,1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen).Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease ramekins. In a bowl, combine all of your ingredients except the blueberries. Divide the blueberries among each of the ramekins**, adding just enough to cover the bottom. Pour your ricotta mixture over the top of the blueberries. Bake until set and the ricotta starts to turn golden. Serve warm in ramekins or chill in the fridge.*If you don’t want to use honey or maple syrup, try mashing a banana and adding it instead. 
14. Steaming Spiced Stewed or Baked Fruit, with or without crumble topping! http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Stewed-Fruit  http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/8115/baked+apples
15. Use Lite Greek yogurt instead of cream for Eton Mess or Pavlova. Alternatively, puree 2 cups vanilla yogurt with 2 cups frozen berries or mango, shredded coconut and 1 tsp vanilla extract and freeze.
16. Smooth, Rich “Ice Cream”:Blend 4 frozen bananas until smooth – this make take a few minutes. Add 2 cups raspberries, vanilla and 1/2 tsp sugar OR caramel sauce (see no.8!) OR 3 tbl cocoa powder/Milo OR 2 tbl peanut butter and mix. Freeze until solid.
17. Delectable Chocolate Crackle Bliss Bombs:1 cup Guardian flakes, 2 cups chopped dates, 1.5 tbl sunflower seed nut butter, 1 cup shredded coconut, 1/3 cup cocoa. Blend for around 5 minutes, or until the mixture comes together. Wet your hands and roll into balls – should make about 14.