Recipe: Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties

Thirty years ago in the town of York, Pennsylvania, my dear wife was born. Fitting then I should choose to celebrate this milestone by making Peppermint Patties.

I found an amazing recipe on Elena's Pantry, which instantly appealed to me. It used only four ingredients and had no refined sugar.  I also knew it would go over well with Swati and her friends.

And the verdict? They were delicious and the hit of the party. I even had some leftover melted chocolate which I then used to dip strawberries, cherries and walnuts.  Yum!

Note though this recipe requires Peppermint Oil (and not extract!). Extract contains oil, which can ruin this recipe, causing the chocolate to break apart. Peppermint oil gives this dish a nice strong flavor and should be diluted with another oil (such as coconut) for consumption.

Makes 12 patties

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil
1/2 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips, 73% cacao

In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, agave nectar and peppermint oil. Freeze mixture for about 10 minutes, until the mixture begins to harden. Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to measure out balls on a parchment lined plate. Place in freezer until balls begin to firm up (another 5-10 minutes).

Meanwhile melt chocolate chips using a double boiler (I assembled a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water). Remove from heat.

Remove firm mint balls from freezer and flatten into patties using spoon. Quickly dip mint patties into melted chocolate using spoon. Cover patties completely with chocolate and place on parchment lined plate. Leave out for about 10 minutes until patties harden or return to freezer if making on a hot summer day.

See original recipe from Elena's Pantry

Recipe: Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding

The secret is out! Yes, this delicious, rich chocolate pudding was made with avocados!

Swati and I shared this Valentine's friendly recipe with our friends Joan and Adam on Sunday. After many guesses over the secret ingredient (bananas being the closest) they were shocked to learn this pudding was made from the very same fruit used in guacamole. Did I also mention it is dairy free?

Truth is the avocado is a great substitute for dairy, providing the fat and rich smooth flavor you'd expect from a chocolate pudding recipe. It's also a pretty neutral tasting fruit that easily takes on the flavors of other ingredients.
 
You'll also find no sugar in this recipe - it's sweetened using dates and maple syrup. And yes, it can all be made rather effortlessly in a food processor. No cooking required.

Okay, enough talk already. Show me the chocolate.

Serves 6

1/2 cup pitted mejdool dates, soaked
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 ripe avocados
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup water

Place the dates, maple syrup, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the avocados and cocoa powder and process until creamy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the water and process briefly. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

The pudding will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Recipe: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

If you've ever wanted a simple recipe for a gluten-free cookie that didn't require the use of gluten-free flours or questionable ingredients like xantham gum, this would be it.

We discovered the concept for the oatmeal peanut butter cookie while vacationing this summer in Crater Lake, Oregon. To our surprise they were selling a packaged version of this treat in the gift shop!

When we returned home in August, Swati was eager to re-create the recipe at home. Her mission led her to the blog Mennonite Girls can Cook, which posted a great oatmeal peanut butter cookie recipe that she modified slightly.

I love that the recipe is simple and can be made easily. However, be warned, it is not health food! But after shunning flour and sugar for so long it was nice to indulge. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top of these treats for an added touch.

2 cups rolled oats (look for gluten-free oats if you have a sensitivity/allergy)
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the peanut butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Blend together using a hand mixer. Slowly add the oats into the bowl and continue to blend, leaving a few whole oats in the mix. When well mixed, add in chocolate chips and mix in with a spoon.

Grease the baking sheet with butter. Drop a teaspoon full of cookie dough on a baking sheet. Place the cookies one inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit on pan a few minutes before serving.

We definitely plan to make these again soon - next time experimenting with agave nectar or maple syrup.

Dark chocolate meets cardamom

In a couple of hours I will be headed to a New Years Eve dinner party at my friend Joan's house. When dishes were being assigned earlier in the week I jumped at the chance to bring dessert.

Why? Because I've been dreaming about making the Deborah Madison recipe for Chocolate Bark with Cardamom and Sea Salt, Apricots and Pistachios ever since I discovered it this month.

I am known for having a weakness for dark chocolate and cardamom, leaving me no choice but to make this treat. Other than the signature ingredients, the recipe only requires four others - pistachios, raisins, dried apricots, and sea salt. They all come together nicely in this treat - the sweet complementing the salty, just right.

To get started I melted a 5 oz bar of Green & Blacks organic chocolate (72% cacao). Since chocolate easily burns, I made sure the pot did not directly touch the stove. So I setup a medium-size pot inside a large one that contained simmering water. It worked perfectly.

Once you get this set up the rest is easy. You just add a bit of cardamom, 3 tbsp of chopped dried fruit and another 3 tbsp of chopped pistachios. Pour into a deep dish or pan (10 x 8 inches), add a bit of sea salt, and insert in refrigerator for about an hour to cool. And voila! You've got bark.

If you're also planning to make this for a party, take it from me, don't make it too far in advance. The wait will kill you!

Here's to a delicious 2009!

Assembling the perfect pumpkin pie

My family doesn't have too many traditions for Thanksgiving, but the one thing that has stayed true is our insatiable appetite for pumpkin pie. We had a tryout this weekend for our annual tradition, as an interesting gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe emerged.

In the November issue of Natural Health magazine, a recipe for a Coconut-Crusted Sweet Potato Pie caught my attention. What really surprised me was this recipe called for no flour, just coconut and butter. I've always been a fan of flourless chocolate cake, so why not flourless pumpkin pie? I decided I had to try this out, albeit swapping the sweet potatoes with pumpkin.

I tasked my loyal sous chef, Swati, with making the pie. (Actually we fought over this, but in the end she won out.) Most years, I would just use the canned pumpkin puree, but this time Swati opted for fresh pumpkin, using the one we received as part of our CSA share.

She did a great job in making the pie. The filling was especially noteworthy, holding together nicely. Unfortunately, the flourless dream was unrealized - the crust was a little disappointing. It fell apart easily, and called for a little too much coconut. I longed for the crust we made last year, made from walnuts, hazelnut flour and maple syrup. It was a recipe that I discovered in San Francisco from Darshana Weill of Fruition Health. The nutty taste contrasted nicely with the smooth taste of the pumpkin.

So next week, I think I will marry the perfect filling with the perfect crust to create the ultimate pumpkin pie. Here is what I plan to do. If anyone would like to test out this recipe for me, I would love to hear how it comes out!

Perfect Filling:
2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
2 eggs
½ cup tofu, firm
2/3 cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Perfect Crust:
1 cup ground pecans
1 cup ground rolled oats
1 cup rice or hazelnut flour
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola or other vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grind pecans and rolled oats in a blender. Mix in rice flour, maple syrup and vegetable oil. Press into pie pan.

In a food processor or blender, combine mashed pumpkin, eggs, tofu, maple syrup, and spices. Puree until smooth. Pour filling into the crust and bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling has firmed up. Check to see if ready by inserting toothpick into center. If it does not come out clean, continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Attention Gluten-Free Bakers: Look for GF Rolled Oats sold by Bob's Red Mill.

Recipe: Coconut milk rice pudding

As a boy who grew up on my mother's kheer, I was very proud of myself for coming up with a healthier take of this classic Indian recipe. My version is dairy-free, gluten-free, uses whole grains, and has no refined sugar.

I was inspired to make this recipe, based on the leftover grains I had been collecting in my refrigerator. I made this one with both rice and quinoa. Feel free to use just one or both. Either way you can't go wrong!

The coconut milk gives it a creamy flavor. The cardamom, cinnamon and cloves add an Indian aroma. And the agave nectar works great in place of sugar.

Did I mention it only takes 15 minutes to make?

Serves 4-6

8 oz coconut milk (1/2 can)
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 cups cooked grains (brown rice or quinoa)
1/4 cup agave nectar (or more or less depending on taste)
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
raisins (optional)
pistachios, toasted and chopped (optional)

Heat the coconut and soy milk in a heavy sauce pot over medium heat, until it comes to a simmer. Add sweetener and thicken until dissolved. Add the precooked rice, spices and heat through.

Simmer until it thickens, but don't let it become too dry.

Remove pot from heat. Stir in vanilla. Add raisins and pistachios if desired. Serve either warm or cold.

Recipe: Zucchini nut bread

I've officially designated the last week of August 'Zuchinni Week!' It seems I've been inspired with the ingredient this week. Or perhaps it is just cause I've got so much!

This recipe was inspired by another great blog Au Naturel. I love it cause it uses a combination of almond and chickpea flour (yes, gluten-free!). And instead of sugar uses agave nectar, which is a milder, natural sweetener made from the agave cactus (the same plant tequila comes from). Very moist. Very delicious. I am sure you will enjoy!

Makes 1 loaf

1 1/2 cup zucchini (1 medium zucchini grated)
3/4 cup chickpea flour, sifted
3/4 cup almond meal
1 1/2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp masala powder (or ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamom)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with butter.

Grate zucchini using food processor or box grater. Press grated zucchini with paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

Combine all dry ingredients in bowl (i.e. chickpea flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, masala powder). Be sure to pass chickpea flour in sifter.

In large bowl, beat butter and eggs until creamy. Continue to blend while adding agave nectar and vanilla extract. Fold in grated zucchini.

Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir to combine. Add remaining mixture. Mix well, make sure no dry clumps remaining. Add walnuts and/or raisins if desired.

Pour batter in loaf pan. Bake 40 minutes in oven. Immediately remove loaf and let cool. Note: cake will appear partially uncooked. That is okay...this is a moist cake! Continuing to cook will make this too dry.