We have a guest this week, my friends, and I’m really excited for you to meet her! 

Yes, she’s a fellow blogger, but she’s also a genuinely nice person and thisclose to becoming a registered dietician! And you know I’d never keep someone around unless they were genuinely nice. The dietician and blogger part are all bonus!

So, without further adieu, allow me to introduce Carlene from Carlene’s Figments, a fabulous blog filled with healthy, creative recipes and ideas for, what she calls, “Healthy Hostessing”. The recipe she’s sharing today is one of her “Healthy Hostess” recipes and it couldn’t be easier.

If you’re a Wicked Noodle reader, there’s one thing I know about you without a doubt. You love great food.

What a coincidence. Me too. I think we’ll get along just fine!

 Today I’ll share a dessert for you to serve as a healthy hostess that’s nutrition professional approved. It plays on savory winter flavors with a zing of spice, fruit, and creamy texture to get your guests talking.

But first, just a bit about me:

This spring I’ll be opening a nutrition practice as a Registered Dietitian in Virginia for women and specializing in brides getting ready for their big day! I don’t believe in dieting or the food police. In fact, I’m here to help manage weight and optimize health by balancing your favorite indulgences with nutrition. And I do it wearing heels too. I’m big on healthy hostessing, meaning you keep your social scene in tact without sacrifice for taste.

Vanilla Fig Gingersnap Bites

In this bite sized dessert, I use vanilla infused goat cheese as a base for hints of caramel and nutmeg over spicy gingersnap cookies (Note: Feel free to substitute for home made gingerbread).  The next layer is a sliced fig with orange segment, topped with drizzled honey. Figs are visually stunning and also help a dish by bridging savory and sweet while the orange adds clarity and freshness.

Ingredients:

• Gingersnap
• Fresh or Frozen, thawed Figs
• Vanilla or Regular Goat Cheese
• Oranges
• Honey

Directions:

Slice cheese into five, thin strips and place into an outlined pentagon shape over a gingersnap. Place under the broiler, or into a toaster oven, until the cheese just begins to melt. Remove cookies with cheese and place 1 half of a fig on each, using the cheese to ‘stick’ the fig. Add a small bit of orange segment next to the fig and drizzle with less than a teaspoon of honey on each cookie. Serve in small ramekins or on a platter.

This dessert is well balanced in more than one way! There’s just enough sweet to go with the spice,. But there’s also a dairy and two kinds of fruit. It’s a quick fix dessert that lets you look chic without a big time investment. Now that’s something to celebrate!

Visit Carlene’s Figments and get more great recipe ideas!