10 Fall Chocolate Desserts You Need to Eat Now

For some food lovers, the end of summer means saying goodbye to backyard cookouts and delicious BBQ meals. For others, the cooler fall weather is a welcome excuse to warm up in front of the oven and enjoy a piping hot mug of cocoa after dinner.

10 Fall Desserts You Need to Eat Now - London Drugs Blog

Whatever you may prefer, there’s no doubt that the following dessert recipes are bound to inspire you this fall season (and satiate your sweet tooth)! Besides – who can say no to chocolate?

1. Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Fall Chocolate Desserts - London Drugs Blog

The chocolate chip cookie is beloved for a reason! And because fall is the season where you can finally dust off your cast iron skillet, this cozy take on a household classic provides the perfect dessert option on a chilly evening.

[Find the recipe at Dinner with Julie]

2. S’mores Chocolate Pudding Jars

Fall Chocolate Desserts - London Drugs Blog

Just because camping season is coming to a close doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to s’mores just yet! These pudding cups call for the basics – marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers and some pantry items, and allow you to enjoy a campfire treat in the comfort of your own home.

[Find the recipe at Seasons and Suppers]

3. Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Churros Chocolate Fall Dessert Recipe - London Drugs Blog

Dipped in a luxurious dark chocolate sauce, the crispy cinnamon coating and sweet, soft dough make these churros to die for. A fair favourite that can easily be made at home, there’s no need for a clunky deep fryer if you have a wok on hand!

[Find the recipe at Recipe Tin Eats]

4. Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

Pumpkin Spice Fall Chocolate Dessert - London Drugs Blog

If you haven’t already heard, the pumpkin spice latte (or PSL) has made yet another comeback this fall. And whether you’re on board with the trend or not – we guarantee you’ll love this pumpkin spice hot chocolate recipe!

[Find the recipe at Lemons for Lulu]

5. Baked Double Chocolate Donuts

Fall Chocolate Dessert Recipes - London Drugs Blog

Donuts are not only delicious, but they can be a great baking activity that the kids will love. These double chocolate donuts are a quirky (and easy to transport) alternative to birthday cake. If you don’t have a donut pan on hand, simply use a muffin tin!

[Find the recipe at i am a food blog]

6. Coffee Ice Cream Chocolate Mud Pie

Chocolate Mud Pie Dessert Recipe - London Drugs Blog

Although some may argue that the fall season is too cold for ice cream, we beg to differ. Complete with an Oreo crumb crust and filled with your favourite brand of coffee ice cream, this mud pie is a perfect dish to bring to your next fall potluck!

[Find the recipe at Coco Cake Land]

7. Cherry Chocolate Crumble

Cherry Chocolate Crumble - London Drugs Blog

When you think of a fruit crumble, chocolate doesn’t usually come to mind. This crumble, however, brings the classic flavours of black forest cake into a rich cherry crumble – loaded with fresh Bing cherries and rounded off with a coconut and cocoa topping.

[Find the recipe at Kitchen Heals Soul]

8. Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Tart

Chocolate Pecan Tart - London Drugs Blog

Nothing quite says “fall” like a warm pecan tart fresh out of the oven. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’ve found a recipe that will excite any chocolate lover! A maple pecan filling sits atop dark chocolate for a unique – and tasty – dessert.

[Find the recipe at Salted Plains]

9. Pain au Chocolat

Pain au Chocolat Recipe - London Drugs Blog

Pain au chocolate – or chocolate croissants – are usually a coffee shop treat. Thankfully, we’ve found a recipe that’s as simple as it is delicious! With only three ingredients: egg, puff pastry and your favourite dark chocolate bar, you can have your *croissant* and eat it too.

[Find the recipe at Simply Beautiful Eating]

10. Decadent White Chocolate Brownies

White Chocolate Brownies - London Drugs Blog

Believe it or not – not everyone is a huge fan of dark or milk chocolate. For anyone who can’t eat chocolate, or prefers the taste of white chocolate, we’ve got you covered! This delectable brownie recipe is the perfect balance between rich and fluffy, and can be tweaked to whatever sweetness level you prefer.

[Find the recipe at Simple as That]

An Ode to Quintessentially Canadian Snacks

As Canadians, we are pretty darn proud of our culinary contributions to the world. We’re the nation that created poutine, Nanaimo bars, butter tarts, and maple syrup, so yeah, we take our food pretty seriously. Snacking is no different. What follows is an ode to these Quintessentially Canadian Snacks. Happy Canada Day!

Old Dutch Ketchup Chips

Is there anything more satisfying than polishing off a mini (or standard) bag of these almost too-red chips? Bonus, the stains on your fingers last for as long as the memory of that undefinably zingy and salty faux-ketchup taste.

Hawkins Cheezies

A texture unlike any other cheez-infused snack food on the market. A bold, in-your-face flavour that says: “I dare you to question my origin”. A crunch that can be heard for miles. Hawkins Cheezies are one of a kind and quintessentially Canadian.

Smarties

The hard candy shell on a Smarties offering is superior to the candy shell on an M&Ms. Phew. Someone finally said it. These truly snackable treats are ideal constituents of a homemade, not very healthy trail mix.

Ruffles All-Dressed Chips

The existence of these chips demonstrates the principle that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. And greater, it is. The tang and zip of these vibrantly orange ridged chips keep Canadians coming back for just one more handful, until the bag holds nothing but fond, salty memories.

Nestle Coffee Crisp Chocolate Bar

Lighter-than-air wafer surrounded by a cloud of coffee-flavoured cream makes the Coffee Crisp a delight to eat. Pro tip, for the best chocolate-to-filling ratio, go for the fun size.

Crispers

A very hard, but somehow also crumbly biscuit base cut into a unique geometric form that can only be described as a wavy square. These Christie brand crackers offer a pleasurable snap when eating, and come in quintessentially Canadian chip flavours like Ketchup, All-Dressed, and Salt & Vinegar.

 
As you prepare to celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary, consider adding a quintessentially Canadian snack food to your barbecue spread, and remember that part of what makes Canada great is how strange we all are. Happy Canada Day!

20 Best Full-Fat Foods for Losing Weight

The idea here—supported by a new report from Switzerland— is that North Americans have been on the wrong diet for 50 years. We’ve been avoiding natural, healthy fats—such as those found in red meat, butter and eggs—to disastrous effect.

Though generally condemned, many natural fats found in food have positive impacts on your body, including increased energy, lower rates of diabetes, and weight loss. Read on to discover the full-fat foods that help you lose from the waist by adding to the plate.  Your diet will never be the same.

  1. Grass-Fed Butter An excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, grass-fed butter helps keep energy levels stable by slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates and sugar.
  2. Heavy Cream in your Coffee Unlike milk, heavy cream is a healthy fat that keeps blood sugars stable, helping to maintain energy and brainpower. It also has the added effect of neutralizing any negative consequences of caffeine consumption, like the jitters.heavy cream
  3. Whole Milk Although whole milk technically has more calories than its skim counterparts, it is much more filling and may actually crank up your body’s calorie burning centers. In fact, studies have proven that those who drink whole milk are less likely to be obese than other milk drinkers.
  4. Bacon A paleo hit, grab a few slices of full fat pork bacon to up your energy. Packed with protein and heart healthy monounsaturated fats, real bacon can actually be better for you in the long run than its low-cal competitors.
  5. Salad Dressing Skip the raw veggies and add a little dip! Studies show eating a moderate amount of fat with your vegetables helps your body absorb important nutrients like lycopene and beta-carotene, which can help fight cancer and improve heart health.
  6. Avocado  A power food, avocados pack protein, fiber, monounsaturated fats, and oleic acid, which stops you from feeling hungry. Be sure to limit yourself to a quarter or half of an avocado for proper portion control.
  7. Avocado Oil Good in any format, try avocado oil in your cooking to benefit from those same heart healthy monounsaturated fats!avocado
  8. 4% Yogurt  Loaded with protein, calcium, and probiotics, full fat yogurt is one of the best foods for health and weight loss. An added bonus, yogurts with higher fat content tend to have more protein and less sugar than their leaner versions!
  9. Regular Ice Cream  Besides having extreme levels of sugar, low fat ice creams can sometimes contain propylene glycol, better known as antifreeze. To avoid this toxic mess, choose a small bowl of regular ice cream to satisfy cravings in a natural way.Photo via Flickr user Austin Kirk
  10. Grass-Fed Beef  Grass-fed beef is proven to contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and less calories, making it the tastier, and healthier, steak dinner option.
  11. Regular Mayo Use a little bit of regular mayo to spice up your sandwiches and avoid the added sugars, vegetable oils, and artificial preservatives that get substituted into its low-fat alternatives.
  12. Natural Peanut Butter Natural peanut butter is heavy in healthy monosaturated fats, and tends to have lower sodium and sugar content than non-natural spreads. Stick to the natural, full fat jars to prevent trading good fats for bad sugars.
  13. Coconut The high levels of saturated fat in coconuts are mainly caused by lauric acid, a unique lipid that actually battles bacteria and lowers cholesterol. Studies have found that diets high in lauric acid can even help remove stubborn abdominal fat!
  14. Olive Oil Not only is olive oil rich in cancer fighting polyphenols and monounsaturated fats, but it also helps increase levels of adiponectin, a hormone responsible for breaking down body fat.olive-oil
  15. Whole Eggs Eggs are the number one source of Choline, a nutrient found in lean meats and greens, which helps fight the gene mechanism that stores fat around your liver. Eating full eggs, yolk and all, can thus keep you looking slim and trim, inside and out.
  16. Dark Chocolate Dark chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, which is a source of digestion slowing stearic acid. As a result, eating just a few ounces of dark chocolate before a meal can actually help reduce your caloric intake by up to 17%!
  17. Walnuts While saturated fats like those found in baking cause weight gain, polyunsaturated fats reduce fat storage and improve insulin metabolism. With 13 grams of polyunsaturated fat per one ounce serving, walnuts are one of the best natural sources of these healthy fats.
  18. Walnut Oil Besides the obvious benefits listed above, a diet filled with walnuts and walnut oil can also help the body respond better to stress and keep diastolic blood pressure down.
  19. Salmon Everyone knows that salmon is loaded with heart healthy omega-3s. But did you know that just two servings of salmon a week can get you the total amount of omega-3s recommended by the American Heart Association?Photo via Flickr user jh_tan84
  20. Tuna Tuna is an excellent source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), two fatty acids that are proven to regulate fat genes in the abdomen and keep fat cells from expanding. To lower your risks of ingesting mercury, go for smaller species of tuna like those found in light canned options, which are safe to eat throughout the week!

[More at Yahoo Health]