Posts Tagged by Chocolate
Avocado Chocolate Banana Pudding
| September 16, 2013 |
So this recipe I actually created as one of the first recipes for my blog, but I came across the issue of not having a high speed blender OR a food processor. If you aren’t sure if you have a high speed blender versus a regular blender, generally the question to ask yourself is, “does my blender work as well or better than a food processor.” Ok, well that may not be the official question to ask yourself but I sure asked myself that one.
The first time I tried making this I put the avocado and banana in a blender with the almond milk, thinking that it might blend like I was making a smoothie and I would add all the other ingredients after. FAIL! There was not enough liquid so it barely blended and there were still chunks of avocado and banana. I ended up pouring it into a bowl and trying to mash it by hand and then I whisked the ingredients together. I ended up with chunky pudding, and no one wants chunks of avocado in their pudding. It was gross. So if you get chunky pudding, you might not have a high speed blender.
But after all said and done, I am finally sharing my recipe (and it tasted good this time) because I finally got my kitchen essentials. I got a food processor as a house warming present from a friend and this Summer I bought a Vitamix at the OC Fair. So giving it another whirl, my recipe really was good once the chunks were no longer in the equation. Enjoy 🙂
PS – I promise you that you can’t taste the avocado. It’s my secret ingredient … it adds the creaminess to the pudding without any dairy products.
Avocado Banana Chocolate Pudding
- 1 ripe avocado (pitted & peeled)
- 1 overripe banana
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor. Store in an airtight container in the fridge if you can’t eat it all in one sitting. It should serve two for a snack or one for a full meal. Feel free to garnish with an extra banana cut into slices (to get a similar look to my photos).
If you are like me and add protein powder to everything: Reduce the honey to 2 tbsp and hold the cocoa powder. Add a scoop of chocolate protein powder to the blender or food processor. Then add raw cocoa to taste. You probably wouldn’t be adding any more than a few tablespoons max. Most flavored protein powders will have enough chocolate to flavor your pudding. Also, they usually have added sweeteners which is where the decrease in honey comes in. Of course if it’s not sweet enough for you, you can add more honey.
As for using the raw honey – You don’t have to use raw, I just prefer raw because it’s less processed. Easy 1:1 conversion for raw versus regular honey if you don’t have raw. Although I suggest you try raw honey at some point. It tastes amazing!!!
Look how beautiful the pudding looks in my Vitamix … it’s a swirl!!!
{Paleo} Coconut Macaroons
| April 29, 2013 |
I never realized how little there was to making a coconut macaroon. Seriously! There aren’t that many ingredients. So I figured the less ingredients, the easier to make a healthier version. Well … I made a Paleo version. So you should always remember: just because it’s Paleo, doesn’t make it healthy. These babies pack a whopping 3 Weight Watcher PointsPlus each cookie (assuming you make them the same size as me). On the bright side, they are clean! So for all you clean eaters out there, these are the perfect sweet treat when you need a cookie fix.
Side note: I brought these to the office to share and about 50% of my nomming coworkers are on Weight Watchers so I did the point calculations for them. No, I am not on WW.
So… regarding Paleo. (I don’t really follow that lifestyle but many recipes I make do follow the plaoe diet just because my eating lifestyle reflects what I learned from the many diets I’ve tried, one being Paleo.) Chocolate is often argued if it fits with the Paleo lifestyle. The strictest of the bunch say no to chocolate. Other Paleo enthusiasts say that if it’s 80% cocoa or more, then it’s A-Ok, so long as eating it isn’t a regular thing. So I took the liberty of following that group of people in saying my macaroon recipe is Paleo. But if you are a strict Paleo eater, then just skip the chocolate. They still taste great without it.
{Paleo} Coconut Macaroons
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 5 cups unsweetened coconut
- 10 oz bag of dark chocolate (80% cocoa)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Add the eggs, vanilla, etc together and whisk. Then stir in the coconut until everything is well mixed and all the coconut is well coated. If you have any dry patches, your macaroon balls will fall apart. Once well mixed, place in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the mixture set.
Use a non-stick mat (I dream of the day I finally buy a Silpat) or parchment paper (what I used) to line your cookie sheet. Use a little coconut oil to coat the sheet so your cookies don’t stick. If you’re not following the Paleo diet, feel free to just use non-stick cooking spray. It’s so much easier! Make little balls about the size of a quarter. Be sure to press the ball tightly together. If you just roll them in you’re palms, then they will probably fall apart. Bake for 12 min or until the bottoms are dark brown and the tops are golden.
While those are in the oven. Melt your chocolate. You can do this many ways. I found the easiest way was to put the chocolate in a ziplock bag and throw that in the slow cooker with a bunch of water. I put my slow cooker on high, allowing the hot water to melt the chocolate. If you’re gonna use this method, be sure to use a real ziplock and not a fake brand. You need something heavy duty to withstand the heat of the hot water. Just be careful because the bag will be hot. This way is also great, and you can use a honey spoon/dipper to drizzle with.
After taking the macaroons out of the oven, carefully place them on a cooling rack. (I lost a few in this process because they fell apart. Oops!) When they are cooled down, take the ziplock out of the slow cooker. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and then use the ziplock as a pipe bag and drizzle the chocolate all over your macaroons. Put as much or as little as you want. Then put them in the fridge or freezer so the chocolate hardens.
**You can pour any extra chocolate on some parchment paper and melt into sheets. Then break apart and store in the fridge for the next time you need some.
Store them in a cool place and be careful. They are still fragile. This recipe made 3 dozen macaroons but depending on the size of your macaroons, this number will vary.
[Vegan] Almond Maple Kiss Cookies
| December 12, 2012 |
This year I had the pleasure of participating in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, hosted by The Little Kitchen and Love & Olive Oil. What is this you ask? After signing up, every blogger received the names of 3 other bloggers. We were tasked with creating the perfect cookie recipe to send to them. In return, we were mailed cookies from 3 bloggers that had our name. In addition to all the cookie love going on here, OXO also sent us a super cute “Be A Good Cookie” spatula in honor of the partnership with Cookies for Kids Cancer, a non-profit that funds new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer.
Batch after batch, I tried my best to create a tasty and healthy cookie. My first was an oatmeal based ginger snap cookie. While it tasted amazing, it was more of a biscotti. (Don’t worry, I’ll post it up later.) Next I tried an almond maple cookie. While it was yummy, it needed something a little extra but I also wanted to cut out the extra sugars. Now, low and behold my final recipe. I hope you enjoy.
PS – Stay tuned later this week! I will be posting the cookies that I received in the mail from other bloggers.
![[Vegan] Almond Kiss Cookies via NomNomCrunch.com](http://nomnomcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Almond-Kiss-Cookies1.jpg)
[Vegan] Almond Maple Kiss Cookies
- 1/2 cup raw almond butter
- 1/2 cup raw maple syrup (or the maple syrup of your choice, sugar-free etc)
- 3 tbsp walnut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- [vegan] dark chocolate kisses
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together excluding the kisses using a stand mixer (or work those muscles and do it by hand), beginning with the wet ingredients and slowly adding in the dry ingredients. Make small round balls with the dough and place on a non-stick cookie sheet or use non-stick cooking spray.
Using either your hands or a spatula (I used my super cute “Be A Good Cookie” one) and press the balls down into thick discs. Due to the lack of sugars and eggs and such, the cookies don’t naturally flatten on their own during the baking process. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes (time can vary depending on cookie size).
Once you take them out of the oven, kiss* each cookie in the center while the cookies are still hot and let the chocolate slightly melt onto the cookie to bind the kiss to the cookie. I like to go around and do a double press, so after all my cookies have a kiss I press on the kiss one more time which makes an extra little ring around the cookie. It helps bind the chocolate to the cookie and I also like the way it looks.
If you’re going to send out your cookies to someone special, remember USPS has free boxes. Just ask. They had the perfect size box for cookies when I went. Just remember to pack your cookies well so they don’t arrive broken. Also, be sure to let the post man know that the items are fragile and perishable.
Depending on how heavy your cookies are and where you are sending them, they can cost anywhere from $5 to $20. So just keep that in mind when selecting your cookie tin or jar. Glass jars can be expensive to ship. And don’t forget to check your shipping price in comparison to the flat rate boxes. In some cases it can be cheaper to upgrade to the flat rate option.
