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The cold weather has hit us! Sob. 

Unfortunately, it's only going to get colder as the days and months go on. 

But one surefire way to make those chilly mornings SO much better is to have a pumpkin scone with a lovely cup of tea. 

Here we have not one but TWO recipes (one is vegan!) for mouth-watering morning scones: 

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup raw pecans
  • 2 cups white flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 220*C. Place nuts on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Toast the nuts until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Chop nuts into very fine pieces.

2. Combine the flour, 3/4 of the chopped nuts, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk together. 

3. Use a fork to cut the coconut oil into the dry ingredients. 

4. Stir in pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract. You can use your hands to knead everything together.

5. Form dough into a circle that's about two centimetres all around and then cut into eight even pieces.

6. Separate slices and place on baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. 

7. While the scones are baking, get one cup of icing sugar, melted coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla  and 1/4 cup of maple syrup; whisk together until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the glaze generously over the scones when done, then sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts on top!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Scones

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 190*C. Line with baking paper and set aside.

2. Mix together buttermilk, egg, pumpkin and vanilla in a large bowl.

3. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.

4. Cut the butter into small cubes and cut it into the dry mixture until it becomes crumby. Stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Add the dry to the wet ingredients, stirring until a thick dough is formed, then knead together.

6. Shape the dough into a circle (or create mini circles) and cut into even wedges. Brush a bit of buttermilk over the top. 

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

8. While scones are baking you can make a pumpkin glaze. Mix 2 cups of icing sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Pipe or spread onto scones. 

 

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We all treat ourselves from time to time, but when the craving for a certain food won't go away, it may be something to think about.

There's no 100 percent way to figure out exactly why you want to eat a particular type of food at a particular time. It can baffle the best of us!

But some food cravings can hint at nutritional deficiencies or other health issues, according to Joseph Colella, author of The Appetite Solution. 

While you might not be able to diagnose yourself on food cravings alone, putting your food cravings into context can help to give your body what it really needs. 

So consider these triggers the next time you're reaching for the snacks:

Chocolate

If you crave chocolate, it doesn't mean your body has a chocolate deficiency (although we would probably prefer that).

Chocolate is high in magnesium and cravings often indicate that this mineral is low in your body. If this craving strikes, eat foods such as nuts, seeds and leafy greens. 

And if you must go for the chocolate (because let's face it, who can resist), choose organic or eat dark chocolate. 

 

Sweets

If you crave sweets you could be experiencing blood sugar fluctuations. When you blood level drops, your body is telling you to give it more fuel. 

While eating a handful of sweets might give you a rush of energy for a few minutes, beware, because you will come crashing down.

Instead try fruit, beans or wholegrains to give your body the energy it needs. 

 

Salty Food

Cravings for salty foods like popcorn or chips often indicate stress hormone fluctuations in the body – so getting on top of stress in your life is step one.

The adrenal glands in our bodies help to cope with stress, and in our hectic lives, it often gets worn out. Try meditation or breathing exercises to nab anything getting out of control.

 

Cheese

A craving for cheese or pizza could mean you have a fatty acid deficiency, which is actually common in most people. Eat foods such a raw nuts, wild salmon and flaxseeds. Regularly eating these types of foods should cut the cheese craving out altogether. 

 

Red Meat

Not surprisingly, a craving for red meat usually means you have an iron deficiency. Women are particularly vulnerable to this during their periods and head straight for burgers or steaks. 

Eat more iron-rich foods like beans, prunes, figs and other dried fruits. And if you need the meat, choose a lean or organic cut. 

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To some, cookies are treat-yourself food, a reward you give yourself every once in a while because your so damn healthy!

To others, they can be a go-to midnight feast (naughty), or something you eat with a cup of tea every day. 

We believe that cookie dough may be just as tasty as the cookie itself, so when we came across Delish's Cookie Dough Dip, we couldn't help but share it with you. 

Minus the flour and plus cream cheese, they have made cookie dough easy to make, way creamier and way dreamier. 

The dip takes only a few minutes to whip up, and you most likely have some of the ingredients already: a block of cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, and milk chocolate chips. 

Sounds good already, doesn't it? 

Blend the ingredients together as much as you can; you can whisk by hand if you want an arm workout or opt for an electric mixer so save some time (and sweat).

Then all you have to do is pick a dipper! Delish have used some fab-looking pretzels, but the choice is up to you. 

What the video for a quick tutorial: 

 

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Have you ever been caught with your hand in the Nutella jar?

There is no judgement because we all feel quite passionate about this particular chocolate spread around these parts.

While we love to include the chocolate goodness in almost any snack combination possible, sometimes we can’t help ourselves and just go at it with a spoon, or if it has been a very tough week, our bare hands.

If you, like us, are a Nutella fan, but not so wild about leaving sticky (and incriminating) chocolate fingerprints behind then we have found the invention for you.

An Italian designer Paolo Ulian has designed a biscuit that sits snugly on the tip of your finger. This means that you can then dunk the biscuit into the tub to your heart’s content.

The thimble shaped snacks are designer to help chocolate fiends avoid sticky fingers after succumbing to the temptation that is a jar of Nutella.

The best part is, this invention is not just for use with Nutella. You can pretty much dunk them in any spread you want.

Jam fan? This will work. Peanut butter lover? Then you need this in your life. Almond butter fiend? Well then, your snack game is about to improve 100 per cent.

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We all know the drill. 

You're chilled out on the couch and suddenly you crave some sweet sugary goodness. 

The only problem is you have no effort whatsoever to cook up a storm in the kitchen.

Fear not ladies! We have 4 sweet treat recipes that you can whip up in no time!

Prepare to indulge!

Nutella Ravioli

  • 1/2 cup Nutella
  • 16 wonton skins (available at any Asian food store)
  • 1 banana (sliced into 15 thin pieces)
  • Icing sugar
  1. Preheat your oven to 200*C
  2. Place 1/2 tablespoon of Nutella into centre of wonton skin and then place banana on top
  3. Rub water along edge of wonton skin and then fold into a triangle, pressing the side down
  4. Put on baking tray and brush with melted butter
  5. Bake for 8-10 minutes and dust with icing sugar for decoration

 

Gooey Chocolate Mud Cake

  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup of icing sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 1 standard size mug
  1. In mug, crack egg, add icing sugar and cocoa powder
  2. Whisk together until smooth
  3. Microwave for 50-60 seconds, until cake is cooked through.
  4. Add any topping of your choice!

 

Simple Strawberry Hawaiian Ice Cream

  • 2 cans of Club Orange
  • 1 can of 7 Up
  • 1 can of condensed milk
  • Strawberries
  1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (mix for about three minutes straight)
  2. Cut up strawberries and put into mixture (along with strawberry juice)
  3. Cover your bowl and place on a flat shelf in your freezer
  4. Freeze over night and viola! Simple Hawaiian ice cream

 

Mixed Fruit Banana Split

  • 1 small banana, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
  • 1 small pot fof greek yoghurt
  • Cereal 
  • Fruit of your choice
  1. Place banana halves in a shallow bowl, cut sides facing inwards
  2. Spread peanut butter evenly over your banana
  3. Spoon yoghurt in the middle
  4. Top with cereal and fruit of your choice
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It seems that often the things we love the most are the things we are warned to indulge in sparingly.

Coffee and chocolate lovers however can now rest a little easier with the knowledge that their favourite habits are probably not as bad for you as others would have you believe.

The people at AsaspSCIENCE are back with a video that is debunking some interesting foodie myths. As it turns out, your chocolate habit would need to turn into an extreme snacking situation before you ran the risk of accidental death.

But did you know that cherries are a completely different story?

Just one wrong bite can deliver a lethal dose of cyanide, which is to be found in the pit of the cherry. Something to be aware of next time you get a craving.

The video also reminded us something we probably all already knew at this point, but appreciate being confirmed: sleep is really really important. Currently a man holds the record for being able to go without sleep for just over 11 days. While no very serious long-term effects were documented, it is definitely not recommended.

So, we are free to drink our coffee and eat our chocolate in peace. However, being tall and eating cherries are suddenly not looking so appealing. 

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There’s one thing that we actually hate about the summer season; the bikini bod diets.

It feels like we’re inundated with the latest burn fat fast trends from January all the way through to September and while we love being fit and healthy, we also love Nutella.

Saying good bye to our favourite chocolate treats can be tough, but it’s all done in the name of health.

Deciding to cut out excess junk food is never easy, but finding healthier replacements can help ease the way for you. It's tempting to reach for the biscuit tin when that dreading afternoon slump hits, but now you can have something much healthier without sacrificing taste.

Hummus and crackers anyone? The Irish people have become obsessed with this protein filled snack as of late, and we think this might be taking it one step further. If you're one of the few who thought the spread didn’t seem so appealing we think we may have found the solution.

Chocolate flavoured hummus.

 

Get crazy this weekend and #dip your popcorn in some dark chocolate. Sweet & Salty Heaven.

A photo posted by Hope Foods (@hopefoods) on

Yes, it does sound bizarre, but reviews are excellent and apparently it’s one of the more tasty chocolate replacements out there. Yay! All of the flavour and none of the nasties that can totally derails your healthy eating plan.

 

A photo posted by Hope Foods (@hopefoods) on

Natural food company Hope Foods make the delicious spread which is also gluten and dairy free. There’s even a coconut flavour and they use all organic ingredients.

We’re keen to try it considering that it looks an awful lot like chocolate mousse, and that’s a big winner around these parts.

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We usually tend to feel guilty after spending an evening munching on endless chocolate bars, but now you don't need to. Chocolate does have it's benefits, so here's 5 very good reasons to keep eating it.

1. It relieves stress.
You may have noticed that anyway, but it's also been scientifically proven. The perfect way to end a bad day.

2. Number skills
Apparently the flavonoids in chocolate help people with their number skills. Pretty handy to calculate how many bars you can eat in one day.

3. It's good for your heart
Eating a small amount of chocolate could help reduce the risk of heart disease. We know, we hated the word "small" in that sentence too…

4. It can protect your skin from sunburn
All thanks to those flavonoids again, we love those little guys. People who have more of them are more protected from UV rays.

5. It's good for your bones
Like any dairy product, milk chocolate is a good source of calcium, more so than cocoa-rich dark chocolate.

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If you've ever felt like there just wasn't enough variety in your chocolate-eating routine, then your prayers have been answered.

Chocolate giant Cadbury have created what has to be the most exciting bar of all time, the Spectacular 7.

Combining seven of Cadbury's most popular flavours – Whole Nut, Caramel, Fruit & Nut, Oreo, Turkish Delight, Daim Bar and the original Dairy Milk – the bar is sure to please even the pickiest of chocolate eaters.

Cadbury are calling the Spectacular 7 a "super sharing bar" but we'd rather keep it for ourselves, thanks very much.

Don't rush out to the shops just yet though, as it turns out the Spectacular 7 is being given an extremely limited release. Cadbury have only produced 50 of the bars, all of which will be given away via a Twitter promotion in the UK.

In the meantime, we're off to buy seven individual Cadbury bars to enjoy instead…

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It's almost Easter Sunday which means…chocolate!

If you like to eat all of the chocolate with none of the effort then you've come to the right place. 

These are basically just Rice Krispie buns with Mini-Eggs so it really couldn't get any easier – no excuses. 

What you'll need:
Makes 12 large-size buns

  • 75g Rice Krispies
  • 115g milk chocolate, melted
  • 2 bags of Mini Eggs – you'll need 2-3 eggs per bun

What you'll need to do:

  1. Melt the chocolate and mix together with the Rice Krispies until combined. 
  2. Pour a tablespoon full of the mixture into muffin cases until it is all gone. Press the Mini-Eggs onto the buns while they are still unset. 
  3. Refrigerate for at least an hour before demolishing. 
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We're not sure if you've heard yet but there has been some pretty amazing news about chocolate. 

According to a study carried out by German researchers and published in the International Archives of Medicine, chocolate can actually help us to lose weight – not hinder it. Best. New. Ever. 

Research director, Johannes Bohannon explained the results of their study, saying: “It is not enough to just consume chocolate, but in combination with exercise and reduction in carbohydrates, our data indicate that chocolate can be a weight loss accelerator."

To celebrate this life changing news, we've decided to celebrate – with chocolate, of course. 

What you'll need:

For the cupcakes:

  • 110g self-raising flour
  • 110g butter at room temperature
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 12 Ferrero Rocher
  • 2 eggs
  • Pinch of salt

For the frosting:

  • 110g butter, softened
  • 110g icing sugar
  • 3 tbsp. Nutella​

What you'll need to do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cupcake tin with 12 muffin liners. 
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together before beating the eggs in and sifting in the cocoa, flour and salt. Combine until mixed throughout but don't overwork the mixture. 
  3. Pour the chocolate mixture between the muffin liners and fill about a fourth of the way to allow for rising. 
  4. Place a single Ferrero Rocher into the middle of each muffin liner. 
  5. Bake for about 20-25mins or until a knife comes out clean. 
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.
  7. For the frosting simply combine the ingredients into a bowl and ice each cupcake. 
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Today, Cadbury’s announced that its plant in Tallaght was to shut as well as a reduction in other plants, with the overall loss of more than 200 jobs in the Irish workforce.

The reasons behind the unfortunate announcement has been blamed on the expensive nature of producing chocolate in Ireland, as Phil Hodges of Modelez International who  owns Cadbury’s explained: “Our chocolate production costs in Ireland are currently more than twice that of Mondelez factories in other locations, and we have to become compatible if we are to strengthen our future.”

While the job losses are the most unfortunate thing to arise from the announcement by a long shot, Cadbury’s fans will be disappointed to hear that two of their much-loved chocolate bars will be phased out.

The pink Snack bars will no longer be in production by the end of the year while Time Out bars are currently under review for the same fate…noooo!

If you're a fan of either chocolate bar, we reckon you better start stocking up…

Time Out bars will forever remind us of primary school – a staple of the ‘90s Irish lunchbox we’re sure you’ll agree. 

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