Easter Dessert: Double-Layer Chocolate Coconut Cake
Double-layer chocolate cake with coconut vanilla frosting. A special treat, indeed.
Remember how I said I’d post my Easter dessert later on? Well, here it is, a chocolate layer cake with coconut vanilla frosting. It was my first time making a grain-free chocolate cake and I’m happy to say that it turned out quite well. Jesse really liked it too, and he topped it with the dark chocolate body paint he got from my mom and sister. Remember how I opened it on his behalf at my wedding shower? See mom, it’s not tucked away in the bathroom cupboard, like you urged not to do! The paint brush isn’t getting any use though, as Jesse uses a spoon for drizzling! I admit, it does look (and smell) like really delicious chocolate and it is quite dark. Jesse says it’s very good.
The cake was adapted from The Healthy Chef’s naked chocolate cake recipe and the frosting was adapted from The Detoxinista’s lemon coconut frosting.
Clearly, Jesse was excited about his chocolate body paint. Big drizzle much?
For the coconut vanilla frosting (double batch):
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk, at room temp
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- Measure out all the ingredients and toss into the blender. Make sure to measure out the coconut flour exactly. Also, this can not be done with a hand mixer or whisk. You need to use a blender and be very patient!
- Blend for 30-45 seconds or until everything is mixed together well. Pour into a bowl once done. The mixture will not be thick yet. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to set. I recommend letting it sit overnight.
- Before using, remove from refrigerator and mix well. Then, let the frosting soften to room temperature for a bit. This will make it much easier to spread.
For the cake:
- 8 pastured eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, ghee or butter (I used a combo of coconut oil & grass-fed butter)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, cacao or cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.
- In a kitchen mixer or large bowl, beat together eggs, melted oil, vanilla, honey and apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer works just fine.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and blend. Once batter is blended and smooth, stir in shredded coconut by hand.
- Line two 9-inch cakes pans with parchment paper and grease the sides with coconut oil. Pour batter evenly into both pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My cakes were done at about 24 minutes.
- Once done, remove from the oven to cool. Once cool, frost one of the cake tops with the frosting and stack the other cake on top. Then, frost the entire top and sides of the cake.
- Store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator.
Garnish with a fresh strawberry, if desired.
28th Birthday Recap
Happy birthday to me!
As you probably know, my birthday was this past Saturday, and boy, was it a good one! First of all, I had a wonderful night’s rest, which included sleeping with my bedroom window open, and woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside. It was a refreshing start to my day and made me smile. Then, I got ready for yoga and headed over to my studio. There’s nothing like a sweaty, challenging power vinyasa class to get the day going.
Root Whole Body. (Taken on iPhone).
After yoga, I came home and made myself a wonderful breakfast. You may have seen it on Facebook, but if not, here’s what I ate:
Birthday breakfast: US Wellness Meats sugar-free grass-fed beef bacon, 2 pastured eggs cooked in garlic n’ herb pasture butter, avocado, and red chard and tomato cooked in the bacon grease. Not pictured, Numi Organics chocolate puerh tea.
Then, I got a surprise phone call from my 87-year old grandma and 90-year old grandpa back in Michigan. It was so touching and wonderful to hear their voices. Apparently, my dad was on the phone with them earlier in the day and asked if they wanted to call me on my cell and wish me a happy birthday. I’m so glad he offered up the idea! I love my grandparents dearly and they’ve always been a big part of my life.
Next on my agenda, a pedicure! I treated myself to a little TLC at a salon/spa down the road from us — literally just a 5-minute walk away. Lucky for me, I had a $20 off any service coupon that they sent me for Valentine’s Day, so my 50-minute pedicure only cost $20 (plus tip). Such a steal, and my toes look tons better. It was much needed.
In the midst of my pedicure. (Taken on iPhone).
After: pretty coral toes and smooth, moist feet and lower legs. Don’t mind the flip-flop marks on my feet. (Taken on iPhone).
The day continued with a drive up to Cultured Caveman for some chicken tenders. I LOVE their chicken tenders. They are crave-worthy. They’re dipped in a thin layer of coconut flour, egg white and spices, and then fried in grass-fed beef tallow. Garnished with course salt and dipped in homemade ketchup and/or aioli, they are divine. If you live in Portland and have not tried their chicken tenders and other delicious food, do it! And try some of my date/nut treats while you’re there…hehe.
Mmm…hot tenders! (Taken on iPhone).
A chicken tender smile. (Taken on iPhone).
Next, grocery shopping at Whole Foods.
Afterward, I hung out a home and did a itty bitty amount of homework. Then, I decided I wasn’t having any more of that on my birthday and put it away.
For my birthday dinner, we went to Cafe Nell, one of our favorite restaurants in Portland. We drank the loveliest chardonnay I have ever tasted and shared egg on horseback, minus the cheese. This is asparagus with a sunny side up egg and sage brown butter. For dinner, I had NY strip with roasted brussel sprouts. My phone pictures were really bad in here, especially the one I tried to take of my entree, so I don’t have a picture of that.
Dim lighting, a cozy fire and lots of windows. The European feel of this place is one of my favorite things about it. (Taken on iPhone).
Egg on horseback. (Taken on iPhone).
After dinner, we came home and ate some homemade butter pecan ice cream that I made earlier in the day, and watched the final episode of season 1 Downton Abbey. I had been wondering what all the hype was about this show and kept hearing people talk about it. Jesse and I finally checked it out on Netflix a couple weeks ago and loved it! I’m bummed that we have to wait for season 2 to come out on DVD before we can watch it, but oh well. That’s the nature of most everything we watch. You know what’s really funny? Up until watching this show for the first time, I thought it was called, “Downtown Abbey.” Am I the only one?
I had such a lovely birthday and feel so blessed. I’m just sad that it went by so fast. Now, it’s just a memory, but a good memory indeed.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 1 14.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk (I use Natural Value brand)
- 2 pastured egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp raw honey (or more if you want it sweeter)
- 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Dash of Himalayan sea salt
- 1 cup coconut cream (I use Aroy-D brand)
- 2-3 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1/2 cup raw pecan pieces
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and let toast, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool. The pecans will continue to absorb some of the butter while cooling.
- Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, coconut milk, honey and sea salt together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut cream, vanilla and pecans. Place in the fridge to cool for a couple hours.
- Once chilled, add to ice cream maker and let churn for 17-20 minutes. Serve right away or empty into a container and store in the freezer.
Birthday butter pecan ice cream, equipped with a candle.
Spicy Red Velvet Brownies
Valentine’s Day spicy red velvet brownies.
I’m not a big Valentine’s person and don’t care much about the pseudo holiday, but I still always end up doing a little something for Jesse. I think it’s because I was raised celebrating Valentine’s Day, both in school and at home, and a part of me still enjoys doing something cheesy or cute. What can I say? I don’t go all out though and always keep it low key. We usually have dinner at home with a special dessert, and I like to surprise Jesse with a few special dark chocolates from a local chocolatier. Jesse sometimes buys me flowers, but not always. He says he always wants to, but our Siamese cat, Mila, loves to eat them. And then get sick. We end up having to hide the flowers in the laundry closet when we’re not home because of her. We have a very small place too and aren’t able to make any part of our home off limits, except for closets. We can’t even have plants in our house, besides bamboo, because she’ll go to town on it.
This recipe was inspired by Elana’s Pantry Purple Velvet Torte. It was my first time making a dessert with beets, and I will say, it worked out very well. There’s still a little bit of beet flavor, but the honey tones it down and the cocoa makes for a nice complement. Additionally, these are incredibly moist. That would actually be how I’d describe the brownies if I could only pick one word. Maybe red (or reddish) too, if I could pick two words.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups red beets, chopped
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter, melted
- 4 pasture raised eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup homemade chocolate chips
Biggest beet ever. I only needed this big beet for the recipe because it yielded so much.
Directions:
- Place beets inside a steamer basket in a pot, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.
- Once done, add the beets to a high-speed blender with the vanilla and honey. Blend a couple minutes, or until smooth and well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, cayenne, sea salt, cocoa powder and homemade chocolate chips. Blend on high for a minute or so. Then, add the melted butter and blend again.
- If the beet mixture is still warm, which it most likely will be, temper the beaten eggs by mixing a little of the beet mixture into the eggs. Once mixed, pour the eggs into the blender. This will ensure you don’t end up with scrambled eggs in your brownies! Blend for another minute, or until mixed through.
- Grease an 8×8 pan and pour batter evenly into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (it’ll still be beet red though!). Let cool for at least 25 minutes before cutting, as it takes some time for the brownies to set up. If you cut into them too early, they will fall apart.
- Once cool, cut into squares or use cookie cutters to make shapes. I made heart shapes for Valentine’s Day.
Fudgy, moist, and slightly sweet and beety.
Happy Fat Tuesday: Vanilla Hazelnut Ice Cream
Vanilla hazelnut ice cream.
In lieu of Fat Tuesday, I have a fatty (good, healthy coconut fat!) and delicious treat for you all. No, it’s not a paleo-fied paczki either. I really have no desire to try and replicate those. I do recall eating them on Fat Tuesday during my childhood though, and they were okay, but I never really thought they were that awesome. Sure, I still ate them because grandma offered me one every year, but I think I would have rather eaten a plain glazed doughnut. Oh, how times have changed.
Anyway, the idea for this treat all started with Jesse. You see, I haven’t made ice cream in a while and apparently Jesse noticed, or had a craving at the very least. I say this, because he came home from Food Front Co-op the other day with two boxes of coconut cream, which is what I use to make ice cream sometimes (combined with coconut milk). He said, “Look, I bought you something!” What he meant was, “I bought you this, so you can make me ice cream!” Or in other words, “Make me ice cream, woman!” Okay, I’m exaggerating because the ice cream is for me too and I enjoy it just as much as he does, but I like to tease him. It’s all out of love.
Jesse and I love my plain vanilla ice cream recipe (everything below, minus the hazelnut butter), which is what I was going to make, but then I got the idea to add fresh hazelnut butter. I was shopping at the Alberta Co-op on Friday, and spotted it in their bulk section. They have a big bucket of it and you can scoop out as much as you need, whether it be a lot or just a few tablespoons. I appreciate this because hazelnut butter is spendy and even though it’s still expensive in bulk, I can buy just a little bit, making it pretty affordable. This way too, I won’t go hog wild and eat it all. I don’t know about all of you, but nut butter is super addicting for me, so for this reason, I only occasionally buy it. I generally turn to coconut butter over nut butter anyway.
If you can’t find the coconut cream, don’t fret! Just replace it with more full-fat coconut milk. It’ll work just fine. I know, because I make ice cream this way as well. It really just depends if I have coconut cream on hand or not. The coconut cream makes the ice cream a bit thicker and richer, but it’s still fantastic and creamy with more coconut milk in its place. Additionally, you can use a different nut butter if you can’t find hazelnut butter in the store and don’t have the availability to make your own. This recipe would obviously be awesome with unsweetened cocoa powder added to the mixture too. I actually contemplated doing so, but we decided we wanted the vanilla base, so the hazelnut flavor could really shine through. Maybe next time.
Happy Fat Tuesday! And happy birthday to my dear Dad who turns 63 today! Cheers!
Ingredients:
- 1 14.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup coconut cream (I use Aroy-D brand, comes in a 33 oz. white box)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 – 2 Tbsp raw honey (I used raw blackberry honey)
- Dash of Himalayan sea salt
- 1/3 cup hazelnut butter
Directions:
- Add the coconut milk, coconut cream, vanilla, honey and sea salt to the blender. Don’t use a food processor for this — you’ll end up with a mess if you do. Blend on high for a couple minutes, until the mixture is smooth. If your coconut cream is cold because you already had some open and stored it in the fridge, it may require more blending. Just keep blending until it’s smooth!
- With your ice cream maker turned on, pour the mixture into the freezer container. Let churn for about 18 minutes. Then, add the hazelnut butter and continue to churn for another 3-5 minutes or until hazelnut butter is mixed through and ice cream is thick.
- Scoop ice cream into a container that can be stored in the freezer. Serve some up right away or place in the freezer to firm up a bit more, if desired. I didn’t do so, but feel free to garnish with some chopped raw hazelnuts.
Chocolate Almond Milk
Homemade chocolate almond milk.
I’ve made homemade plain almond milk numerous times, and have been doing so for a while now. For some reason though, it’s never crossed my mind to make chocolate almond milk. Maybe it’s because I’ve never really been a chocolate almond milk drinker to begin with. I do remember back when I was 18 or 19, during my freshman year of college, loving chocolate Silk though. I’d occasionally buy a quart and keep it in my mini fridge in my dorm room. In the evening, after dinner, I’d usually drink a small glass or two. I actually still remember how it tasted too — thick, creamy and super chocolatey. Yeah, it tasted delicious, but fast forward about 10 years, and I no longer consume soy, additives, preservatives, thickeners or sugar (aside from occasional honey or fruit). Therefore, store-bought alternative milks of any flavor are out, even the non-soy varieties.
I got the idea in my head about chocolate almond milk a last week, when one of my followers from the blog, Luv What You Do, left me a comment on my chocolate chip cookies post (with homemade chocolate chips) mentioning that she wanted to try making her own chocolate almond milk, without added sugars. That’s when the light bulb went off and I realized that I wanted to try it too!
This almond milk came out incredibly creamy, with just the right amount of chocolate flavor and sweetness. If you like sweeter milk though, you may want to add more dates, but I personally don’t think it’s necessary.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked for 24 hours
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup organic unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- Dash of Himalayan sea salt
- 3 cups filtered water
- 2 plump medjool dates, pits removed
Directions:
- Pour the almonds into a large bowl and cover completely with water. Soak for 12-24 hours, changing the water once if need be.
- After almonds have soaked, pour into a colander and rinse very well.
- Next, add the rinsed almonds to a high powered blender, such as a Vitamix. *Pour in the filtered water, vanilla, dates, cocoa powder and sea salt.
- Blend on high for several minutes. Taste and adjust flavor as desired and blend again (if you added more ingredients).
- Pour the milk into a nut milk bag, and let drain over a large bowl for an hour or so. Then, squeeze the bag to drain out the remaining milk.
- Pour milk into a large jar or pitcher and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy it cold or heated, like a hot chocolate. It’d also be great to make ice cream with, if you have an ice cream maker.
*Note: The draining process will turn your nut milk bag a little brown, due to the chocolate. If this bothers you, blend just the nuts and water first, drain, then add back to the blender with the remaining ingredients. Also, you can either save the almond pulp to use in baked goods later on (after it’s been dehydrated) or compost it.
Yields: ~2.5 cups
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies with homemade chocolate chips.
First off, to my dear friend who is eliminating all sugar this week (except fruit), you may not want to read or look at this. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to wave temptation in front of you, and it’s total coincidence that I’m posting this the day after your sugar elimination was defined! Just know, this recipe will be here down the road and it’s not going anywhere. There’s plenty of time to try it later on!
Anyway, I realized I hadn’t posted a treat recipe in a while and had actually been hanging on to this one. I’ve tried to cut back on the amount of treats I post because, well, I don’t always like having this stuff around either. It doesn’t matter that it’s paleo-friendly folks…it’s still a treat and still contains sugar (honey, in my case). As my friend, Laura, quoted, “treats are sometimes foods.” Bingo.
The thing that makes these cookies particularly special is the HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIPS! Yes, you read that right…homemade chocolate chips! I don’t eat store-bought chocolate chips, even the Enjoy Life brand, because they contain sugar other than honey. I’ve learned that my system does fine with cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate in moderation, but I’m not interested in testing other SCD-illegal things, like sugars (honey is the only SCD-legal sweetener). I don’t need or want it, and it probably wouldn’t make me feel very good.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 eggs, preferably pasture-raised
- 2-3 Tbsp raw honey
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp melted grass-fed butter, ghee or coconut oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup homemade chocolate chips (see below)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonslip baking mat.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together (except chocolate chips) in a large bowl. Set aside
- In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, honey, butter and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry, mixing well.
- Add chocolate chips and mix to incorporate into the dough.
- Drop dough onto baking sheet with a tablespoon (mine were heaping tablespoon-sized). Space appropriately and if need be, split batter between two baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Let cool on a wire rack once done.
- Enjoy with a glass of almond or coconut milk, if desired.
Yields: ~ 16 cookies
Breaking up the block of homemade chocolate.
Mixing the homemade chocolate chips into the batter.
For the homemade chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (or you can omit and use 1/2 cup cocoa powder)
- 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2.5 Tbsp raw honey
- Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Mix together with a whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Line an 8×8 pan (or baking sheet) with parchment paper. Pour mixture onto parchment paper and place pan in the freezer to set.
- Freeze for 2-3 hours or until completely hard. Once set, break into chunks with a knife. Store chocolate chips in the freezer, until ready to use. These can be used just like regular chocolate chips.
Fresh baked cookies.
These cookies are soft and cake-like, and not too sweet.
Coconut Cake with Lemon Coconut Frosting
Coconut cake with lemon coconut frosting.
As you may know, Jesse’s 32nd birthday was New Year’s eve. I always like to do something special for him and this year, I let him choose his cake. Usually I pick it completely, but I guess I still kind of picked it because I showed him different options, but he made the final decision.
Anyway, the cake recipe is compliments of The Food Lovers Kitchen from their cookbook, Make it Paleo. I’ve made this cake two other times, but it turned out the best this time around. Three’s a charm, right? Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious before, but there were a few things I needed to toy with to perfect it. The only ingredient change I make with this recipe is that I swap out the maple syrup for raw honey since maple is a no-go for me. In terms of directions, I bake the cake for less time than the recipe states, and instead of a four-layer cake, I stick with two layers.
Two layers is easier to work with than four.
The lemon coconut frosting is compliments of The Detoxinista. I doubled her recipe after realizing a single batch was not enough for the whole cake. I listed the double recipe below. This frosting is fantastic by the way. It’s the first time I’ve ever made it. When I’ve made this cake before, I made a frosting from dripped 24-hour yogurt. This makes the yogurt a bit thicker and sort of cream cheese-like (a little runnier though). Making The Detoxinista’s recipe was actually a lot less fuss. Plus, I didn’t have any yogurt ready and didn’t have enough time for all the waiting. I think the lemon coconut frosting will be my go-to whenever I make this cake from now on though.
Birthday boy!
For the frosting:
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk, at room temp (or almond milk, which the recipe calls for, but I didn’t have any made)
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp raw honey
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Measure out all the ingredients and toss into the blender. Make sure to measure out the coconut flour exactly — it’s dense, so a little extra can throw the recipe off. Also, this can not be done with a hand mixer or whisk. You need to use a blender and be patient!
- Blend for 30-45 seconds or until everything is mixed together well. Pour into a bowl once done. FYI it will not be thick yet.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to set. The frosting will be runny after you first mix it, but it does firm up in the refrigerator. Just be patient! I recommend letting it sit overnight.
- Before using, remove from refrigerator and mix well. Then, let the frosting soften to room temperature a bit. This will make it easier to spread.
For the cake:
- 3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup raw honey (or maple syrup)
- 10 eggs, preferably pasture-raised (Yes, 10 eggs! Coconut flour needs a lot of moisture.)
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut plus a little extra for garnishing, if desired
The cakes, post baking.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, add sifted coconut flour, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl or kitchen mixer, combine eggs, vanilla, honey and melted coconut oil. If you don’t have a kitchen mixer, use a hand mixer. It works just fine.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and continue blend.
- Once batter is blended and smooth, stir in shredded coconut by hand.
- Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pans with coconut oil. Pour batter evenly into both pans.
- Bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My cakes were perfect after about 26 minutes.
- Remove cakes from the oven and cool.
- Frost one of the cake tops with the lemon coconut frosting and then, stack the other cake on top (stack it top-facing up, flat side down). Then, frost the entire top and sides of the cake. Garnish with a little unsweetened coconut flakes, if desired.
- Store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator, as it is perishable.
Wonder what he wished for…
Birthday cake beauty.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
Cookie dough fudge.
Merry Christmas to all my friends, family and followers that celebrate this holiday! I wish you a very happy holiday and hope you spend it with those near and dear. Cheers!
Meanwhile, if you still need a holiday dessert recipe, give this cookie dough fudge a try. I made some yesterday for Christmas Eve, and it’s a total hit. It is so indulgent and delicious, and like eating chocolate covered raw cookie dough. The recipe is courtesy of TGIPaleo. Seriously, mad props to her for creating such a tasty treat! I didn’t modify anything in the recipe and it turned out perfect. Jesse agreed that this dessert is awesome. Now, you can be the judge.
Making the fudge.
Fudge mixture below, and cookie dough mixture above.
For the cookie dough:
- 1 c Almond flour
- 3 T Raw honey
- 1/4 t Sea salt
- 1/2 t Pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 T Coconut butter, softened
- 1 1/2 T Coconut oil, melted
For the fudge:
- 1/2 c Raw almond or cashew butter (I used almond, but it wasn’t raw)
- 1/2 c Coconut butter, softened
- 1/4 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 t Pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 t Sea salt
- 2 T Raw honey
I love licking the spatula and bowl clean! It’s one of the best parts. I know, it’s a silly self-portrait, but whatever.
Directions:
- Mix the ingredients for the cookie dough together, then set aside.
- Do the same for the fudge.
- In an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper, carefully spread half of the fudge mixture into the bottom. Press all of the cookie dough on top (it doesn’t have to be pretty). Then spread on the last half of the fudge.
- Refrigerate for a couple hours or until firm. Cut into square size of choice.
Dessert anyone?
Look at that cookie dough layer!
Avocado Mint Whip
Avocado mint whip.
This is sort of an odd combination and I admit that it’s not the prettiest looking thing, but it is surprisingly refreshing and satisfying. Not only that, but it comes together in a pinch and is a great way to use up a ripe avocado. Feel free to vary the apple variety, choosing a sweeter or more tart variety depending on your tastes. I happened to have a some Gala apples on hand from my CSA box, so it was an easy decision. Furthermore, you can also vary the dried fruit.
Hello friend.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 large avocado
- 1 small apple, cored and sliced
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/4 cup coconut water (I like C2O Pure Coconut Water or Amy & Brian Coconut Juice)
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened dried currants, optional
Directions:
Blend everything together in a food processor until well blended and creamy. If need be, add more coconut water to adjust the consistency to your liking. Chill or enjoy at room temperature.
Total time: 5 minutes
Yields: 1-2 servings
The little flecks you see are pieces of apple skin and ground up currants.
I swear it tastes good.
Cocoa Mint Holiday Truffles
Cocoa mint holiday truffles.
These taste like the holidays — minty and chocolatey. They’re different than your typical truffle — a bit more firm, but they are a tasty holiday treat, and great to bring to a party. In fact, I brought these specifically to take to my friend, Laura’s house, over the weekend for a Scentsy party she hosted. They were a hit and I also decided that they will be my next seasonal flavor at Cultured Caveman, along with my staple, salted almond bites (speaking of these, I should share the recipe!).
If you don’t have coconut butter on hand, I imagine melted coconut oil will work too.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1/4 cup softened coconut butter
- 1 cup medjool dates, pits removed (about 10-12 large dates)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
Directions:
- In the food processor, combine the almonds, cocoa powder, coconut and sea salt. Pulse until well combined.
- Next add the pitted dates, coconut butter and peppermint extract. Blend until well combined. You may need to add half the dates, pulse, and then add the remaining. If needed, add more dates and coconut butter for added stickiness or sweetness.
- Once everything is mixed together well and there are no large chunks, dump the mixture into a large bowl. (Note: mixture may seem crumbly, but will stick together once you pack it. If it’s still too crumbly, try more dates and/or coconut butter as I mentioned above.).
- Roll into 1-inch balls (tablespoon-size) and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Alternatively, you can pack the mixture down into an 8×8 pan and cut into squares. These will keep for a 2-3 weeks in the fridge. You can freeze them as well.
Total time: 20 minutes + time for truffles to chill
Yields: ~24 pieces
My mom got me this lovely plate on her recent trip to Austria. The edges are actually a bit more green and there’s a little deer painted on the middle of the plate too. I love it!
These satisfy … I think because of the mint. I eat one and don’t feel like I need more.
