easy peasy chocolate chocolate chip muffins *

The virtue of these muffins is that they mix up really quickly, and bake in 30 minutes. Sometimes I'm game for elaborate play in the kitchen, but much of the time I want to get in and get out, because there are too many other things that also need doing. So, yesterday, to that end, I devised some lovely little muffins that mix up quick and bake up nicely.

The fellas very enthusiastically gave these top marks, but they are both a big fan of the darker chocolates in life's beautiful cornucopia of chocolate.

equipment needed:
mixing bowl
mixing spoon/whisk
measuring cups
measuring spoon
muffin cups (I like the silicone ones)
muffin tray (if using paper liners) or baking sheet
oven


ingredients:

a)
1 1/2 cup kamut flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 cup shredded coconut

b)
1/2 cup cacao
1 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup date sugar

c)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp tonka bean powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract

d)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup hot water
1 cup cold water
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar


e)1 cup fair trade chocolate chips



directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the coconut oil and warm water from d) and set aside until fully melted
2. mix together the items from a) b) and c) until very well combined
3. mix together the cold water and apple cider vinegar, then add all the ingredients from part d) to the dry ingredients.
4. whisk or stir well
5. mix in the chocolate chips
6. scoop into 24 muffin cups
7. bake at 345 for 30 minutes

Customized Soft Granola Bar -- vegan, simple, no-bake goodies

As an example of what you can do to customize the simple chewy granola bar to suit your preferences, we took the basic recipe, and added a few things: hemp hearts, raw cacao, and ground vanilla bean. Simple goodness that you can take with you easily.  I bet these would be good with raisins or chocolate chips. Or pieces of roast almond.

equipment needed:

mixing bowl
mixing spoon
measuring spoon
measuring cup
parchment
silicone baking pan or glass pan lined with parchment that overhangs enough to lift the whole thing out.



ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/2 cup sunflower  seed butter
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp raw cacao
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean


2 cups scotch oatmeal


directions:
1. heat the coconut nectar and sunflower butter and mix together
2. stir in the sea salt and shredded coconut
3. stir in the scotch oatmeal
4. press into a silicone baking pan
5. score into bar shapes
6. chill
7. makes chewy granola bars



substitutions:

• instead of sunflower seed butter, try almond butter or peanut butter
• instead of coconut nectar, try maple syrup. What's your favourite liquid sweetener?

optional possible add-ins to customize these bars:

• 2 tbsp raw cacao
• 1/2 cup hemp hearts
• chocolate chips
• raisins
• dried cranberries
• chopped nuts
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds

What would you add?

** No-bake chocolate granola bars with hemp hearts and scottish oatmeal

These no-bake granola bars are very popular in our house. We keep them in the freezer, and even people who aren't chocolate lovers are crazy about them. These are an amazing whole-foods treat that will fuel you and keep you going when you need it. Wrap them in a little baking parchment and take them with you!  With the goodness of hemp hearts, and raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds, the sweetness of date, and the super-awesomeness of raw cacao, you don't have to choose good for your taste-buds or good for your body.

equipment needed:

silicone square pan
mixing bowl
measuring cups
measuring spoons
mixing spoon

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup raw hemp hearts
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raw shredded coconut

• 1/4 cup ground chia seeds
• 1/2 cup scottish oatmeal

• 1/4 cup dates, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup krisda chocolate chips

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tbsp cacao powder

• 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. combine the sunflower seed butter, coconut butter, and coconut nectar, and warm until liquid and stir until homogeneous
2. add the salt and cacao and mix well
3. add the sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, and pumpkin seeds, and stir well
4. mix in the dates
5. stir in the ground chia seeds, scottish oatmeal,  and the shredded coconut 
6. add the chocolate chips (make sure the mixture is no longer warm before you add these or they will melt)
7. when well mixed, press into a silicone baking pan (8 inch), and flatten well using a piece of baking parchment
8. chill, then cut into 'bars' or squares.

Chocolate Muffins -- vegan, gluten free, grain free, sugar free, high protein muffins, safe for school!

So, these got made today. And they will find their way into Zephyr's lunch box tomorrow. The are not too sweet, but taste great. I threw in some pea protein, which is a high quality, easily digestible vegan protein. I got it recently because I'd been feeling like I was losing ground, strength wise, so I though maybe a little extra something would help me gain back and move forward. Anyway, it has been finding its way into my son's porridge in the morning, as well as into various meals I prepare for myself. And today, it found its way into these. I also threw in a small quantity of Krisda chocolate chips. Which taste pretty good in baked goods but are sweetened with stevia instead of sugar. So, I don't mind my child eating them at lunch. Coconut sugar is low on the glycemic index, and the combination of seeds and protein in these will help maintain stable energy and blood sugar for ages. And, they taste pretty nice. We all enjoyed one after dinner, and there were definitely no complaints.

ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 coconut sugar

3 cups hot water

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup raw cacao
1/4 cup pea protein powder 

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

3/4 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum


1 cup hemp hemp hearts, ground

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

2 cups ground sunflower seeds


1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup krisda chocolate chips

directions:

1. combine all ingredients except sunflower seed flour and baking soda, and then mix with a hand blender.

2. mix in the sunflower seed flour and the baking soda
3. mix in the krisda chocolate chips
4. scoop into 24 prepared muffin cups

5. bake at 345 for 60 minutes

makes 24 delicious small muffins

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Icing/ Ganache/ Truffle ...

I made this ganache type cake frosting to use as a filling between layers this time. An inch thick. Yup, that's how I roll. This is only a double layer cake. It is has a third layer in the middle that is purely ganache ... Last time, it was the icing on the baby cake, literally. It makes gorgeous truffles, too, and my son and husband are crazy about it. Fabulosity.

ingredients:

1 cup pitted honey dates
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup unrefined cacao butter
1/2 cup coconut nectar

2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp stevia



1 cup raw cacao

directions:
1. combine the hot water, dates, and coconut oil and cacao butter. If the cacao butter isn't melting, heat everything up a little. Let sit for 10 minutes to fully soften dates.
2. puree with an immersion blender until beautifully smooth
3. mix in the coconut nectar, cacao, vanilla, sea salt, and stevia
4. cool
5. use. Or eat by the spoonful. I dare ya.

Chocolate and Coconut School Cookies -- nut free chocolate wafers

The first day of school some how caught me unprepared, and I hurriedly threw these together. Then realized I needed to dehydrate them for a few hours after baking. Oops. The good news is they only took about 10 minutes to mix up and get into the oven. And they are insanely chocolatey.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp stevia
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1 cup raw cacao

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup ground chia seeds
2 cups ground shredded coconut


directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed
2. flatten on two lined baking sheets in a large rectangle (using a rolling pin, place a piece of parchment over the dough that is on either a silicone mat or another piece of parchment)
3. score into squares
4. bake at 345 for 10-12 minutes
5. dehydrate on your oven's lowest setting for 2-3 hours, or until the cookies are very crisp. (my oven's lowest setting is 170 so that is what I used.

Raw Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream V 2.0-- rich, creamy, smooth, and delicious

Version 2. What can I say? I'm addicted. Sublime. Subliiiiiiiiiime.

ingredients:

1 cup pitted honey dates
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup unrefined cacao butter
3/4 cup raw cacao
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp stevia

1/2 cup coconut nectar




directions:
1. combine the dates and the hot water, the cacao butter, and the coconut oil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes
2. add the coconut nectar then puree with an immersion blender (or in your blender if you have one!!!)
3. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
4. chill thoroughly!!

This is rich and smooth and velvety and tastes amazing. Prepare to be amazed!

Just to be super crazy this time around, I did  a full cup of cacao and a full tsp of stevia. Turbo chocolate for true chocolate lovers only.

Chocolate Goat Milk Ice Cream -- sugar free fabulousness!

With goat milk burning a hole in our pockets, we came up with this pretty fabulous ice cream. Chocolate, peanut butter, delicious.

ingredients:

1 cup coconut nectar
1 L goat milk
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/8 - 1/4  tsp sea salt
2 tbsp organic vanilla extract

1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter


directions:

1. combine ingredients and chill
2. freeze according to directions in your ice cream maker

Delectable chocolate ice cream -- dairy-free, raw and full of superfoods. Dessert rocks.

400 ml coconut milk -- not lite, absolutely organic
1/2 cup honey -- unpasteurized
2 tbsp organic vanilla extract
1 pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup raw cacao

1. mix together with a hand blender then chill
2. freeze in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturers directions

Chocolate Ice Cream for Zephyr -- vegan and sugar free

My beautiful child asked for chocolate ice cream. How could I say no?

This stuff rocks. The coconut milk makes it really creamy and thick. Fantabulous.

ingredients:

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 cup agave

directions:

1. combine the ingredients -- I like to use an immersion blender, but I'm like that

2. chill the resulting concoction

3. freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's specification

Chocolate Orange -- yes, be jealous!! -- another school snack

Chocolate and Orange? What the what? It's just, I wanted to!!!

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw hemp hearts

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds -- black

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut

1 1/2   tsp orange extract or 1 tsp peppermint extract

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the orange extract and pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

School Chocolate Energy Bars -- no nuts!

Seeing as he is a raging chocolate addict, these little morsels please my son tremendously. The versions I make for home -- with almonds or almonds and peanut butter -- are verboten for school. However, the substitution of such goodies as pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts gives us super foods aplenty to replace our longed for tree nuts.

Now that I'm upping my game to contend with the school snack programme, I'm trying to bribe my son into forgetting the taste of the jam sandwiches he was given everyday at school without me knowing ... 

Call me crazy, but I just don't think kids need to eat junky food everyday for snacks. I don't think it fuels them, and I don't think it does them any favours. 

Now, I'll stop this post before I type out en entire dialogue between a chocolate energy-bar and a jam sandwich ...

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup raw hemp hearts

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds -- black

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

More Chocolate Cookies for School -- nut free, grain free, gluten free, sugar free ... Yahoo!!!

I like to pack a variety of stuff in my son's lunch for school -- broccoli, spinach, carrots, cubes of cheese, a couple of these healthy cookies, a muffin -- to keep him fuelled all day, and also give him stuff he'll enjoy. These are actually a reasonable snack as well as a tasty little treat. They are a big hit with our friend the cookie monster up the street. His mom might even have added a little peppermint flavour to them for that traditional delicious chocolate mint cookie sensation. Gotta try that myself!!!

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup shredded coconut, ground

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup black sesame seeds, ground

1/4 cup white sesame seeds, ground

1/2 cup ground raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup finely ground pumpkin seeds

directions:

1. combine the hot water and dates, then puree with an immersion blender. Add the coconut oil and puree again. Finally, add the eggs, and process with the immersion blender until smooth. 

2. stir in the raw cacao, vanilla bean, and sea salt. If you are nuts like me, you can add a little black pepper. This is a good time to stir in the baking soda.

3. I put all the pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, and sunflower seeds into a food processor to grind it up. I ground the chia seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds in a coffee grinder, and stirred them all into the date, egg, and cacao mixture.

4. when all the ingredients are fully incorporated, chill the dough thoroughly

5. roll small spoonfuls and place onto lined baking sheets

6. flatten with a wet fork and bake at 345 for 16 minutes

7. cool on a wire rack

8. store in an airtight container when cool

makes 4 dozen 

These cookies will keep well for a couple weeks in the fridge

Chocolate Breakfast Muffins -- the nut-free version of a gluten free, grain free, sugar free breakfast food

My little kindergarten baby started school this morning. I have to admit I got a little teary eyed after saying goodbye to my little man. Came home and made these muffins. Yum.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)

1 cup pitted honey dates

2 cups hot water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 eggs

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1tsp ceylon cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 cup ground pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup hemp seeds 

1/2 cup ground flax

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds -- black or white

1 cup shredded coconut -- ground

1/2 tsp baking soda

directions:

1. combine the dates, coconut oil, and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then, puree with an immersion blender. Alternately, you can use a food processor, or a regular blender.

2. add the cacao, vanilla, salt, ground chia seeds, ground pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, ground flax, ground seseame seeds and blend again

3. add the baking soda and blend

4. add the eggs and blend

4. stir in the ground shredded coconut

5. scoop into prepare muffin cups and bake at 345 for 40 minutes

Cottage Cake -- gluten free, sugar free, grain free, delicious

It's always some kinda crazy slapped together cake here. The sweetness is only from chopped dates and raisins, so it's not a sweetness that homogeneous throughout the whole cake. However, the dark chocolate flavour of the raw cacao and the shredded coconut juxtapose nicely with the sweetness of the dates and raisins. Good for dessert, good for breakfast. Good for you.

ingredients:

2 cups water
1/4 cup coconut oil

3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 cup flax meal
1 cup shredded coconut

4 eggs

1 tsp baking powder
2 cups almond flour

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup raisins

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed

2. pour into a prepared 2L glass baking dish

3. bake for 40 minutes at 345