chocolate Archives - Page 4 of 5

Mini Grasshopper Parfaits + Epica Cocktail Muddler Review

March 4, 2014 By Becky 10 Comments

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

I thought about calling these mini grasshopper fools, but that sounded like a bit much.

Have you ever tried a fool? It’s an old-fashioned dessert consisting of pureed or mashed fruit, usually berries, folded into sweetened whipped cream. I made a strawberry moscato fool last spring, and it was delicious. These parfaits are similar to fools, but with mint instead of fruit. They’re the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (or any day).

(In case I lost you at “grasshopper”, I use the term to describe minty desserts, usually also involving chocolate. The name was first used for a green cocktail made with creme de menthe.)

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Brownies

February 12, 2014 By Becky 8 Comments

The large amount of frosting on these brownies represents the large amount of love I have for you! It constantly makes my day that people actually read my blog, and I’m even more thrilled when I get a comment or get to connect with you on FB, Twitter, or IG. You are the best, and that is why I made you the best brownies.

I’ve been wanting to make frosted brownies for a while now. They just seem fabulously over the top–because once you’ve baked a rich and fudgy brownie, you totally need a big pile of buttercream on top, right? (Hint: the answer is yes!)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins + Pure Indian Foods Grassfed Ghee

February 11, 2014 By Becky 5 Comments

I had a snow day last Wednesday, and spent the morning making these banana chocolate chip muffins. They’re a worthy project for any morning, unexpected day off or not. Here are some reasons to give these muffins a try: they’re gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, and lactose-free, they’re high in protein, they’re sweetened mostly (or entirely) with fruit, and they’re delicious. Oh, and they have chocolate in them!

Baking with just coconut flour requires a lot of eggs, but the finished muffins don’t taste eggy. They’re moist and bursting with chocolate chips, and they have a subtle banana flavor. Unlike many muffins that are packed with sugar and low in protein, eating a couple of these makes for a pretty balanced breakfast in terms of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. That means they’ll keep you full for longer, but they still taste like treats.

Mexican Brownies (Gluten-free, Paleo)

December 20, 2013 By Becky 3 Comments

These brownies are SO good! Rich and fudgy in the middle and irresistibly crunchy around the edges–I can’t stop thinking about them. Their flavor is enhanced by a dose of a cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper, but you can totally leave those out if you want a more classic brownie.

I made a big pan of these (doubled the below recipe) for the first meeting of my school’s Spanish Club, and they were a huge hit! The meeting was at ten am, but nobody complained about being served brownies for breakfast. I made them again day before yesterday in these Christmas molds, and I was going to give them as gifts . . . but we ate them all. Restraint is futile when faced with Mexican brownies, especially if they are shaped like Christmas trees.

These brownies don’t taste gluten-free to me at all! The original recipe called for a relatively small amount of flour, so I knew it would be a great candidate for using my paleo flour blend. If you don’t have the flour blend on hand, I’ve also provided measurements for each individual type of flour. The ratio is slightly different from that of the flour blend for ease of measurement, but I have made the brownies both ways and did not notice a difference in taste or texture.

If you’re looking for a last-minute edible gift, why not whip up a batch of these Mexican brownies? Just make sure to give them away quickly before you break down and eat them all. Or, go ahead and make them for yourself for breakfast! ¡Feliz navidad a todos!

Cranberry Chocolate Truffles (Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-free)

December 18, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

I promise that after today’s post we will take a *short* break from all the cranberries.

Did you make a batch of cranberry maple syrup and cran-maple compote yet? You’re going to need it for these amazing cranberry chocolate truffles!

The inside of these candies is a beautiful dark pink color thanks to the cranberry maple syrup, and has just a hint of cocoa powder. The truffles are dipped in dark chocolate to make their snappy outer shell, and then sprinkled with shredded coconut or chopped pecans just before the coating has time to set. They may be the most festive thing I’ve ever made, other than this tart. They are great for gifting. I love the way the tart cranberry filling tastes with the rich dark chocolate, and I bet you and your lucky giftees will, too.

I think I just made up a word. It’s probably time to for me to stop and just get on with the recipe.

One more thing: these are adorable packaged in an egg carton. Wrap that all up and see how befuddled people are when they open it and think you’re giving them a carton of eggs for Christmas.

Salted Pepita Chocolate Bark (Great Gift Idea!)

November 23, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

Here’s another post with an easy idea for a great gift: salted pepita chocolate bark. I brought little baggies of this to work last week, and everybody loved them. My coworkers were convinced that I bought the bark somewhere fancy. No one needs to know that this gourmet treat takes only minutes to make! I wrapped mine up in little cellophane treat bags, but you could also pack a bunch up in a nice holiday tin for a more sizeable gift.

If you missed my first post in the great gift ideas series, check it out. When you’re done making vanilla salt, come back here to read about the bark. See you in five minutes!

Done? If not, you can substitute any coarse or flaky sea salt here, but the vanilla salt really takes this over the top. The pepitas provide a nice crunch and a pop of color, and the combination of vanilla bean, salt, and dark chocolate is absolutely amazing.

I like to make this right before bed, then leave it out to harden while I sleep. When I wake up in the morning, it’s ready to break into pieces. Because of this routine, Ben calls this “breakfast chocolate”. I can assure you, however, that it’s delicious any time of day. I’m planning on making some more so I can put out a big bowl of it on Thanksgiving, for those of us who like to nibble on something sweet while waiting for the turkey. Enjoy!

Molten Chocolate Cakes (Paleo, Gluten-free)

November 14, 2013 By Becky 11 Comments

These molten chocolate cakes are ridiculous! They are rich, adorable, and delicious. They’re the kind of dessert that seems so fancy that it doesn’t occur to you to make it at home. Guess what, though? These little cakes are super easy. Spend 15 minutes or less throwing the ingredients together and 15 minutes waiting for them to bake, and you’ll have four perfectly-portioned, restaurant-style desserts. Can you think of a better way to spend half an hour on a dark, cold evening? I know I can’t.

My favorite part about these is all the different layers of chocolatey textures. The outer edges are crispy, and right next to that is a layer that goes from chocolate cake to gooey brownie as you move toward the center. Finally, there’s the lava–the decadent heart that gives this dessert its name. To be honest, it’s all almost too much. ALMOST. I recommend serving these with a little whipped cream or ice cream to balance out the rich chocolate flavor. I had mine with some vegan pumpkin ice cream, and it was perfect.

These cakes are adapted from Taza Chocolate, and inspired by my visit to Taza’s Day of the Dead celebration a few weeks ago. I also used my new favorite Rodelle extracts in this recipe. If you don’t have chocolate extract, don’t worry–your cakes will still be very chocolatey without it. That being said, you should probably pick some up. It’s really fun to have on hand.

I used a tablespoon of Jamaican rum in this recipe. You could also try red wine, which is what the original recipe calls for. Since the center of the cake is not fully cooked, some alcohol might remain after baking. If that’s not your thing, you can use a tablespoon of coffee instead, which will also intensify the chocolate flavor.

I substituted my three favorite gluten-free flours (almond, tapioca, and coconut) for the all-purpose flour in this recipe, and the resulting cakes tasted pretty much exactly like their gluten-laden cousins to me. This is an ideal recipe to make gluten-free since it calls for such a small amount of flour relative to the total quantity of ingredients. That means that if you’ve been wanting to try gluten-free baking but have been worried your desserts would turn out funny, this is a great place to start! Try serving it to some unsuspecting guests, and I bet they won’t notice a thing.

Mocha Mexicano & A Giveaway (Paleo, Gluten-free, Vegan)

November 3, 2013 By Becky 64 Comments

This mocha mexicano is full of warm spices, and packs a subtle punch thanks to a little cayenne pepper. It’s inspired by ingredients from Rodelle Vanilla and Taza‘s Fire Puncher chocolate.

This summer, my vegan & paleo strawberry ice cream was a runner-up in Rodelle Vanilla‘s Great American Ice Cream Contest, and the prize was a basket of Rodelle Baking Goodies. I asked the wonderful folks at Rodelle if they would include a few extra goodies for you all, and they said yes! I picked up a couple of other treats over at Taza Chocolate yesterday, and am beyond excited to bring you a vanilla and chocolate giveaway.

Prize basket

One winner will receive a prize basket including:

Two whole Madagascar Vanilla Beans from Rodelle
A 6-ounce bottle of Rodelle Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
A 2-ounce bottle of Rodelle Organic Chocolate Extract
A 2-ounce bottle of Rodelle Anise Extract
Two discs of Taza Chocolate’s Organic Fire Puncher 70% Dark Chocolate Mexicano (2.7 ounces)
A bag of Taza’s Organic 55% Dark Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs (2 ounces)
A recipe card for Molten Spiced Chocolate cake and a Direct Trade pamphlet from Taza

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cake Pops (Gluten-free)

October 27, 2013 By Becky 3 Comments

These pops were a huge hit at the Halloween party we went to last night–they were all gone about ten minutes after we arrived. One of my classmates said the pop was so good that she had to sit down! So, these might knock you right off your feet.

Cake pops take a little while to make, but they’re worth it! And, since there are no eggs involved, you can taste away all throughout the process. Wrapped in little bags, these pops would make great birthday party or wedding favors. There are endless possibilities for decorating them–you can dye sugar any color appropriate to the occasion, or extend the peanut butter theme by using crushed Reese’s Pieces or peanut butter cups.

Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Ganache (Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

October 21, 2013 By Becky 10 Comments

Ben and I celebrated the two-year anniversary of our first date yesterday. In addition to being an important relationship milestone, I thought having an anniversary was a great excuse to bake. I asked Ben what dessert I should make for our special day, and he said, “Why don’t you make a cake?”.

It was such a brilliant idea, not only because cakes are the most majestic of all the desserts, but also because I have not posted any cakes on this blog yet. I’ve posted lots of cupcakes (too many, some might say), but no actual cakes.

I set off in search of a great paleo chocolate cake recipe to use, since I haven’t really made any paleo chocolate cupcakes that I could adapt (although these muffins came pretty close). When I found this recipe from Zenbelly Catering, I could tell it was a hit from the dozens of raving comments. Food blogs are the best! Try to find that many (or any) reader responses to a recipe in an actual print cookbook.

All those readers were right–this is an awesome cake! I made a few changes to the cake recipe, including adding some coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor. Don’t worry, the cake won’t taste like coffee (or coconut, or almonds–the flavor is pure chocolate!).

For the ganache, though, I wanted to try something a little different, so I added peppermint extract. If you don’t like mint and chocolate, you can just leave that out. Ben and I both loved it, but we are the kind of people who drink hot chocolates with peppermint schnapps all winter long. (Is it time for those yet? Almost? They are basically the only thing I like about cold weather).

I wanted to make a whipped cream filling as suggested in the original recipe, but my coconut cream didn’t have enough time to set up in the fridge. Make sure you click on over to the original recipe if you want to try the cream layer for your cake–it sounds amazing! I’m all over that for our third anniversary, or the next time another cake-worthy occasion comes along.

Salted Caramel Brownies (Gluten-free)

September 29, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

In case you missed it, you can make brownies (or blondies) from almond butter! It’s amazing–with just almond butter, honey, eggs, baking powder, and a few flavorings, you get a batter that actually bakes up into classic, fudgy, and delicious brownies. I have Elana at Elana’s Pantry to thank for that genius discovery.

And, as you may already know, every dessert gets better when you add salted caramel. I’ve already made several salted caramel treats (the sauce, cupcakes, skillet brownies, and peach bars), and thought it was time for a gluten-free salted caramel brownie. If you’d like to make this recipe paleo, you can make it with salted maple caramel instead of the regular salted caramel sauce. Either way, these brownies will be amazing.

We had friends over for dinner last night, and used these brownies as a base for brownie sundaes (the ultimate dessert, in my opinion). We started with the brownies, followed by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a generous drizzle of warm salted caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a sprinkling of chocolate chips. The sundaes were so distractingly good that no pictures were taken, so you’ll just have to trust me and make some yourself!

Double Chocolate Cookies (Paleo, Gluten-free)

September 14, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

Week one of graduate school is over! I barely made it–there was so much reading for every class, and I had lots of training to do for my part-time job as a research assessor. On Friday I only had one seminar at eleven, so I got up early and made these cookies. I hated going a whole six days without posting–I’m going to need to work out a good schedule so I can post at least three times a week most of the time.

Anyway, these cookies. They are inspired by these mocha chip cookies, but have a lot less coffee. I couldn’t really taste the coffee in the finished cookies, but it does amp up the chocolate flavor and provide tiny bits of crunch inside the cookie. To be honest, I was aiming to make a crispy-edged cookie here, and that didn’t really work out. If you have tips for crispy paleo cookies, please share! However, the finished cookies were still too yummy not to share with you. They’re soft and kind of chewy, and they make a great before-class breakfast. I enjoyed mine with some coffee milk–mix a little cool coffee with a lot of cold milk, or use this delicious coffee syrup.