Vegan Chocolate Truffles

We’re coming up on Valentine’s Day and nothing epitomizes the loved/hated Hallmark holiday better than chocolate! These truffles are incredibly easy to whip up, and the best news? They’re small enough to feel like a total indulgence queen/king without making you enter a sugar-coated comatose.

Ingredients: (makes around 20 truffles)

8 oz. dark, semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (There are vegan options like Taza chocolate or Trader Joe’s 72% cacao dark chocolate)

7 Tbsp or full fat coconut milk, well shaken

Optional: Madagascar vanilla bean, carob/cacao powder, crushed pistachios/almonds/walnuts, cinnamon, cayenne

Instructions:

1. Mash your chocolate into little bits to help them melt quicker. Place them in a bowl.
2. Put coconut milk in a small pot and simmer (do not boil). Use a spatula to stir occasionally for the few minutes it takes.
3. This step is optional, but for elevated flavor, take half of a madagascar vanilla bean and split/scrape the insides and place into the coconut milk while it is heating.
4. Pour the heated coconut milk onto of the chocolate and stir until fully combined. Let cool and then place the melted ganache mixture into the fridge for a few hours until fully hardened.
5. Remove the hardened mixture from the fridge and use a teaspoon to scoop even-sized servings into your palm. Here’s where you move quickly, or else you’ll end up with a mess on your hands! Roll into little balls and place on a baking sheet.
6. Once all of your chocolate balls are formed, here comes the fun part! Roll your chocolate truffle in whatever toppings you’d prefer. I usually opt to make a batch coated in simple cacao powder for a those who prefer neutral flavors, then supplement with a few that have nuts and others with cayenne.

Nutritional Info:

Serving size: 1 truffle (lol…as if)

Calories: 89 / Fat: 5 g / Carbohydrates: 9.7g / Sugar: 8g / Fiber: .5g / Protein: 1.5g

 

Cherry Nice Cream!

Sometimes, you just want breakfast for dessert. Nothing more refreshing for a late summer morning!

Now many make “nice cream” out of bananas, which is a fantastic way way to make a guilt-free, potassium rich dessert. But honestly, I’m not the biggest banana fan when it comes to blended treats. Instead, I blend my frozen beverages with filtered water or almond milk. Cherry season comes and goes in a blink on an eye, so check out my super simple take on cherry ice cream below!

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen, pitted cherries
• 1.5 cups water
• half a tray of ice cubes
• liquid stevia, to taste

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix). I like to start out with only a few ice cubes with it on medium and pick up speed to high. Once fully blended, add in a few more ice cubes at a time, monitoring consistency. You don’t want it to be too liquidy, but also not too icy doesn’t take on the form of a slushy.

Happy National PB and J Day!!! Peanut Butter and Jelly Braided Bread with Caramelized Bananas

April 2nd should be a national holiday. Not only does it signify your grandiose survival of April Fool’s Day, but it is the most delicious day in the world: peanut butter and jelly day.

So don’t hate me. This recipe isn’t healthy. But darn it – we are talking about PB here! And it will be perhaps the most scrumdiddlyumptious (and beautiful) dessert you’ve ever made.

Ingredients

• pizza dough (gluten free)
• your favorite peanut putter (I used Trader Joe’s unsalted creamy)
• your favorite organic jam/jelly (I used strawberry)
• 2 bananas
• vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• raw sugar (any granulated sugar for your convenience)
• coconut oil

Preparation

• Grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil while you set the oven to 350 degrees
• Roll out your pizza dough to a fill out as much of the cookie sheet as possible
• Cover with a damp towel for 20 minutes and let dough sit for 20 minutes
• While letting dough set, take a frying pan and set on medium heat with a dab of coconut oil to coat the pan
• Chop both bananas into slices and coat in granulated sugar
• Place sugar-coated banana slices in frying pan and wait 4-5 minutes until they begin to caramelize (but watch that they don’t burn)
• Flip them over when ready and let the slices sit for another 1-2 minutes
• Place bananas off to the side and continue with the bread
• Spread peanut butter first, followed by the jelly, down the center of the dough
• Remove from pan, place slices throughout the innards of the dough
• On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2-1/2-inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling. Pinch ends when finished to lock in the PB & J goods
• Coat top in a [generous] layer of melted vegan butter and sprinkle sugar (I used vanilla sugar) on top
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust appears to be cooked and crispy. (Or in other words: play some candy crush, try to beat level 264, lose track of time, and all your lives, remember you’re baking, remove from oven)
• Let the bread cool (hard to do) and serve!