Chocolate SunButter Cookies

Holy chocolate! Beware these are addicting and so good you may eat the whole batch! I’ve made these a few times now and added some different spices and even matcha powder to change the flavor profile and for a little pick me up (but with all this chocolate you may not need anymore pick me up!) 🙂 I also used my bourbon infused maple syrup we carry in the Provisions store at the Pilates studio. You gota try it! The best is on pancakes!! These cookies are sticky and messy to make but so worth it!!

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 C of maple syrup or local honey (gota try these with the bourbon infused syrup!)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C raw cacao powder
• 2 tsp vanilla- (make sure to use the kind without the alcohol)
• 1 C sunflower seed butter
• 1/2 C dark chocolate (80% cacao or higher)- chopped
• ***(if you want to change them up add a Tbsp of Matcha Powder, add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg, or heat them up with a 2 pinches of cayenne)***

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, sunflower butter and mix well. Add salt, baking soda, honey or syrup, cacao powder and stir well. Fold in chopped chocolate.
3. Wet your hands with water so they’re less likely to stick. Spoon the dough into your hands and roll them into a ball or roll slightly and drop them on the sheet if you want them to look a little more rustic like mine in the picture.  **(Remember the dough should be really wet and sticky.)
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly before eating.
5. They should be really moist and rich and you can’t eat just one!! Enjoy!

Frozen Dark Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Energy Bites

OMG! How about these guys!! I had a rough emotional week with the loss of my grandmother and she would ask every week when we talked on the phone what new recipe I had made this week. Life has been so busy lately, I haven’t been able to play in the kitchen much so in honor of her and chocolate always seems to make everyone smile. So these little babies should brighten your day no matter if you’ve got 80 degree weather at the beach, 2 feet of snow in the mountains, the holidays got ya in a head spin, or you just need a little emotional pickup!!

Only takes about 20 minutes to make and an hour to wait to let them sit and then you’ll be indulging in them in no time!! I’ve already had requests to make them special for some of my clients for this week so I know you’ll love them too. Here is what you’ll need.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Walnuts
• 1/2 Cup Hazelnuts
• 1 Cup dates soaked and pitted
• 1 Cup dried cherries
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 C Dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Add walnuts, hazelnuts and cinnamon to a Vitamix or food processor and pulse. Still want some chunks and texture to the nuts so make sure not to pulse till it becomes a flour.
2. Pour nut mix into a bowl.
3. Add dates, cherries, salt and vanilla to the Vitamix or food processor and pulse to make a paste. Again you still want it chunky.
4. Add paste to the nuts and mix well.
5. On a baking sheet put a layer of wax paper over. Roll nuts/paste into small bowls and place on wax paper.
6. In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil, put glass bowl on top of the pot and add chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Make sure not to leave it, it will burn and stick to the bowl. You may need to add some coconut milk to keep it from thickening too much.
7. Once the chocolate has completely melted. Spoon chocolate on top of the energy balls. Use a little or a lot, totally up to you.
8. Put baking sheet in the freezer for at least an hour. Then pop them off and into a glass container. Keep them in freezer for a healthy snack for some extra energy!

 

 

Vanilla, Coconut, Chocolate Muffins

Lately I seem to be on a chocolate and coconut kick. I’ve been putting them in everything from yogurt to pancakes and now I tackled muffins. I’m not too much of a baker but it was a rainy dreary day, I decided to make these along with the lasagna I put in for the kids dinner. (Which by the way I subbed the Ricotta Cheese and used blended down Garbanzo beans to make a paste instead! Cuts out the bad fat, real with the good fat and still enjoy comfort foods with out all the guilt!!) So if you need a chocolate fix and one that doesn’t leave too much guilt. These are your muffins!!

Makes 20-24 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 Organic eggs
• 2 Cups Coconut flour
• 3 Tbsp Cacao Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Gluten-free baking soda
• 1/3 Cup Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened Coconut Milk (may need a little more if batter is too thick
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees.
2. In a bowl mix all dry ingredients together.
3. Add in milk, egg, vanilla extract.
4. Mix well until combined
5. Using cupcake liners, spoon in batter.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

 

 

ACAI Bowl- Tropical Fruit with a little Chocolate Punch!

Well old man winter finally decided to show his face with 19 degrees and flurries on the car this morning. Luckily I’ve got myself hunkered down in the house this morning trying to get something accomplished! Between the remnants of Christmas, a stack of paper work, and a demanding little 6 week old is making it a little harder for this mama to get anything completely accomplished.

So I needed a little pick me up this morning for breakfast! (This will probably be my lunch also as big as I made mine!) Lack of sleep, a busy Pilates studio, and most of the time doing things balancing a baby in one arm and the task in hand in the other is making time management and productivity a little more of a challenge lately.

This recipe great for any time of the day really! Need a mental break, nutritional boost, or a little pick me up to get you going about your day? Grab this recipe! You can change-up the ingredients also for what you already have at home or want to add personally!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C of ACAI powder or 1 packet of juice
• 1 1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 Kiwi-sliced
• 1/4 pomegranate seeded
• 1 Clementine
• 1/4 Mango- sliced
• 3 Gooseberries
• 10 fresh Currants
• 1 Tbs- hemp seeds
• 1/2 Tbs- Cacoa nibs
• Handful cashews
• Handful macadamia nuts

Directions:

1. Add ACAI powder or juice and coconut milk to a high-speed blender. Mix Well.
2. Pour into a shallow bowl
3. Add pomegranate seeds to middle of the bowl.
4. Circle the pomegranate with nuts, nibs, and seeds
5. Fill in and line the bowl with kiwi, mango, clementines, currants, and gooseberries

 

Brownie Bites!!!!

Chocolate! Chocolate! Kids love it! Even the adults will love them! This recipe will make you feel a little better about giving it to them to the kids, all whole ingredients, no               chemicals or preservatives, and only natural sugar. Super fun to                   make! Double or triple your batch, store them in the freezer for                 later. The kids will love getting their hands sticky and licking their               fingers clean on this one!

 

Makes 18-24 Balls

Ingredients:

• ½ C macadamia nuts
• 1 C dates (soaked for 10 minutes)
• ½ tsp cacao powder (1/2 tsp extra for rolling)
• Pinch of sea salt (optional)
• 1 Tsp unsweetened coconut (optional)

Directions:

1. In a Vitamix or food processor pulse until nuts are still a little chunky, you want mostly powder. Put in a bowl.
2. Blend soaked dates, add a little of the water they’ve been soaking in if it’s too sticky, should make a paste.
3. Add cacao and salt, blend again. Scrape into bowl with nuts. Moisten hands with water and roll into balls. Roll into unsweetened cacao and coconut if you’d like!

 

 

Chocolate Coconut Banana Smoothie

I needed a little pick me up mid-day, 3 weeks to go till baby girl shows up and I’ve been tackling the giant to do list like a mad woman, guess it’s the good and bad thing about “the nesting period” of pregnancy. So I threw this little ditty together to give myself a boost to get through more clients and class last evening. Quick and easy this one could be a staple if you need a healthy smoothie mid day.

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut for garnish
• 4-5 ice cubes

Directions:

1. In a Vitmaix or immersion blender, add all ingredients except for shredded coconut.
2. Blend well. Pour into glass, top with shredded coconut
3. Enjoy!

 

Valentine’s Day!! Forget Godiva, Make Your Own!

Valentine’s Day is almost here! Forget Godiva and Hershey’s! Make your own chocolate from scratch and dip your own fruit for your honey bunny! I’ve made my own recipe for raw chocolate and dipped different fruits in the chocolate and then topped them with unsweetened coconut, crushed pistachios and hazelnuts, and sliced almonds. Feel free to change-up what you’ve got lying around for fruit and your dipping extras. I really wanted to still have my mangoes sitting on the counter, they would have been perfect with chocolate! Everything in this recipe is raw!! You just need a little prep time and some time in the freezer and you’re guaranteed to make your Valentine’s Day a little sweeter! 😉 Here’s to sweethearts and sweet holidays! (Without all the guilt!)

Ingredients:

Chocolate:

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Pinch Himalayan sea salt
• Pinch Cayenne pepper

Fruit and Extras for Dipping:

• 1 green apple
• 1 banana
• 10-12 ripe strawberries
• 1/2 pineapple
• 1/4 cup crushed hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup crushed pistachios
• handful sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Directions:

Add 2 cups of water to a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Place glass bowl on top of pot, add coconut oil. Allow oil to melt from the heat passing through the bowl. Add cacao, honey, cinnamon, and cayenne. Whisk well. You should have a chocolate sauce. Keep stirring for about a minute so it thickens. Dip fruit in chocolate and immediately roll or sprinkle nuts and coconut on top. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or in plastic container. Lay fruit on parchment paper. Place in freezer for an hour or more to allow the chocolate to harden. Remove from freezer and serve!!

Notes:

I did…

• strawberries plain and with hazelnuts
• bananas with almonds
• pineapple with pistachios
• apples with coconut

Pomegranate Chocolate Smoothie

Happy New Year! Still looking to tame that chocolate fix? How about one that won’t leave you feeling guilty just in time for the New Year and all your resolutions. Add this to your menu for the year for guilt-free dessert and energy pick me up with a chocolate twist. Packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants. This one is perfect for the whole family, just remember chocolate does have caffeine. I’ve learned the hard way at 10 pm making these and still being wide awake at 3 am because I’m wired. Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a year of health, wellness, and happiness!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pomegranate seeds or 1 cup of juice
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1-1.5 bananas
• 1 tbs cacao nibs

Add all ingredients to an immersion blender and blend well. Add a little ice to make it cold! Enjoy!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes With A Healthy &Fun Twist

St. Patty’s Day is almost here! It’s one of my favorite holidays! Guess it’s in my blood, my great-grandmother came over from Ireland on a boat to Ellis Island when she was 12 years old.  So my love for green and Guinness must come directly from my Irish heritage. Then I saw these chocolate stout cupcakes on the Food Network and I knew this was my next recipe to try. With a healthier spin of course and a holiday surprise if you’d like! So here’s my tribute to Chef Dave Lieberman’s Chocolate Stout Cupcakes. (He uses a lot of confectioners sugar in this recipe but using a substitute is very time-consuming and doesn’t always keep the right consistency which can ruin your frosting. So it’s in moderation so enjoy your powdered sugar so you can indulge in your cupcakes!!) 🙂

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cacao, plus more for dusting finished cupcakes
• 2 cups sugar in the raw
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch Himalayan salt
• 1 bottle of Guinness
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt- drained of liquid (use this cup of yogurt for frosting) (Drain-by putting yogurt into a cheese cloth and hang over a bowl till liquid drains out-refrigerate again till yogurt firms up)
• 3/4 to 1 cup almond milk
• 1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar
• 3-4 Tbs Irish Mist (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cacao, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at time. Mix in yogurt until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

Lightly grease 24 muffin tins. Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.

To make the icing:

In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the yogurt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the almond milk. On low-speed, slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth. Slowly add in the Irish Mist, mix until desired consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Icing can be made several hours ahead and kept covered and chilled.

Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and dust with cacao.

Original recipe: Food Network

Chocolate Bark!!!

Old man winter has definitely shown up this week with below freezing temps and rain, sleet, and now snow. My area goes into full alert when snow comes, we’re talking the smallest amount even just a dusting sends people into frantic mode! Buying up bread, milk, and eggs, driving 15 miles an hour, tackling the red box machines, and stocking up on all the ever so “good for you” snacks for the kiddos! My little ones were home with me, so I don’t get much done so I usually start cooking! My youngest finally got to experience his first snow ever! Stumbling around in his snow gear, I swear he looked just like “Randy” from A Christmas Story! I realized we didn’t have snow boots because we rarely get snow here, so I went old school and put plastic bags on his feet like my mom and grandmothers would do. After much preparing and sending him out into the bone-chilling wind. He wasn’t too happy! 😦

So I decided to keep him in and make something chocolatey without all the guilt and processed sugar. Of course! So here’s a spin-off my sweet friend and fellow Certified Pilates instructor, Raw Chef, entrepreneur,and momma, Leah Stewart’s Chocolate Bark. I’ve just changed up the recipe a bit to make it my own. You can do the same by adding your favorite things, like pumpkins seeds, dried fruit, ginger, spices, and other nuts! Hope you love it! Enjoy the snow and comfort foods without all the guilt!

Chocolate Bark

• 1 cup of coconut oil
• 3 Tbs agave nectar
• ¾ C cacao powder
• ¼ C almond butter
• 1 C almonds-coarsely chopped in a food processor by pulsing
• 1 C raisins
• 1/3 C sliced almonds
• 1 C Goji berries
• Dried Cherries
• Pinch of cayenne
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Blend coconut oil, cacao powder, agave nectar, almond butter, salt, and cayenne  until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add chopped almonds, Goji berries, raisins, cherries, and mix well. Spread the mixture on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper ½- 1 inch thick. Top with sliced almonds. Put in freezer until solid. Break off and enjoy!!