Death By Chocolate – 2019

GLAZED CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Ingredients:

• 20 soft pitted Medjool dates (around 2-2.5 cups coarsely chopped)
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 Tablespoons pure almond butter
• 20 drops liquid stevia
• 2 Tablespoons carob powder or cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides when necessary. Blend until the mixture is smooth and dough-like.
2. Line a bowl with saran wrap and scrape the caramel dough into it. Wrap the dough completely with the saran wrap and then place it in the freezer for a few hours.
3. Line a flat surface, (counter top, cookie sheet), with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on the flat surface with the saran wrap on top of it. The saran wrap helps prevent the dough from sticking onto the rolling pin. Roll to desired thickness, 1/8 – 1/4 inch.
4. Ice with glaze if desired. This adds a much richer chocolate flavour to the caramels and makes the caramels shiny. Place in fridge for around 20 minutes before cutting.  *
5. With a sharp knife, cut into 1 inch pieces.
6. Store in the fridge, using layers of waxed paper pr parchment paper between the layers.

Glaze Ingredients and Directions:

1. Combine 1/4 cup cocoa, 1/4 cup coconut oil in a small pot on the stove.
2. Heat on low until combined. Sweeten with stevia to taste. Cool slightly and glaze the caramels.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE PEANUT BUTTER BARS

Ingredients for the Bars:

• 1&3/4 cups unsweetened, toasted coconut
• 1 cup finely chopped nuts of choice – walnuts, pecans, cashews, peanuts
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup xylitol
• 8 Tablespoons pure peanut butter

Ingredients for the Fudge:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup pure peanut butter
• 1/4 cup xylitol
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Line an 8 inch square pan with doubled waxed paper, long enough for the paper to hang over the sides.
2. In a large bowl, stir together all of the ingredients to form a crumbly dough. Press 1/3 of the dough into the pan and freeze for 10 minutes.
3. While the crust is cooling, make the fudge. In a bowl, blend the peanut butter, xylitol, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil on low just until it turns liquid. Remove from the stove and add it to the peanut butter mixture and blend well.
4. Remove the pan from the freezer and smooth the fudge overtop of the crust.
5. Lightly press the remaining 2/3 bar mixture overtop of the fudge.
6. Cover the pan and refrigerate until firm.
7. Using the waxed paper as handles, gently remove the block of bars from the pan onto a cutting board and cut into one inch squares with a sharp knife.
8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini grated, squeezed, drained of excess liquid (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 3 Tablespoons flax meal
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup xylitol or erythritol
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Whisk the zucchini, almond milk, vanilla extract, egg and melted coconut oil in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa, flax meal, coconut flour, xylitol or erythritol, baking soda. Blend well.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. The batter will be thick.
4. Pat the batter into an 8×8 inch backing greased baking dish.
5. Sprinkle the top of the brownies with the chocolate chips, pressing then lightly into the dough with your fingertips.
6. Bake at 350 F. for approximately 35 – 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Keep the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for maximum freshness.

SICILIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Ingredients for the Cake:

• 2 pounds ricotta cheese (2 -500 gram containers)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup xyitol
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 eggs
• 2 teaspoons orange zest

Ingredients for the Chocolate Drizzle:

• Can of full fat coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• stevia to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Butter and flour a 9.5 inch spring form pan, and tap out the excess flour.
2. Place the ricotta and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and stir it until it is as smooth as possible. Combine the flour, xylitol, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl, then, stir the mixture into the ricotta. Blend well.
3. Whisk the eggs, one at a time, stirring them to the batter individually.
4. Fold in the orange zest at the end.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan
6. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1&1/4 to 1&1/2 hours, until golden. Make sure the center of the cheesecake is firm. A toothpick should come out clean.  Cool.
7. Cover and chill until serving time.
8. To serve, combine the coconut milk, cocoa in a small saucepan.  Place on stove and warm, stirring occasionally. Sweeten to taste with the Stevia. Drizzle the warm chocolate sauce on the cheesecake slices.

CHOCOLATE BANANA PANCAKES

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
• Handful of dark chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/3 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients –banana, eggs, almond milk, vanilla.
2. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients – chickpea flour, cocoa powder, chocolate protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt. Blend well
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
4. Lightly stir in the pecans (and the chocolate chips).
5. Heat a pan with a small amount of coconut oil spread evenly on top.  Once heated, add another small amount of coconut oil, then, add the pancake dough, a heaping tablespoon at a time to form the pancakes.  Add more oil as necessary when cooking the pancakes.
6. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, whipped coconut cream or a fruit puree.

CHOCOLATE CREAM CAKE

(recipe from pure2raw)

Ingredients for Crust:

• 1 cup pecan meal, i.e., ground pecans (or other nut meal)
• 4 medool dates, seeded
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• pich of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for Chocolate Filling:

• 2 cups cashew pieces
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, or honey or liquid stevia equivalent
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Place the crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until combined. You want the crust to slightly stick together.
2. Oil a 9 inch spring form pan, then scoop the crust dough from the processor and press the crust firmly into the bottom. Set aside .
3. To make the filling, soak the cashews for 15 minutes in water, rinse, then drain.
4. In a food processor, combine the drained cashews, maple syrup, vanilla and water. Blend until creamy. Next add the cocoa powder and coconut oil. Blend until creamy, (you may have to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure all the ingredients are well blending.
5. Pour the filling mixture into the spring form pan, over the crust.
6. Place in the freezer to set the chocolate filling for several hours before serving.

Optional: drizzle each slice with chocolate sauce before serving.

BLACK BEAN MUFFINS

Ingredients for Muffins:

• 15 oz. can of black beans, strained and rinsed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup oil – coconut, avocado, grape seed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup xylitol
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Ingredients for Icing:

• Small container of ricotta (250 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tablespoons “icing” sugar made from pulverized xylitol

Instructions:

1. In a blender, combine the beans, eggs, vanilla and oil. Blend until smooth.
2. In a separate large bowl combine and mix the dry ingredients.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, blend well.
4. In greased muffin tins, divide the batter into 6-8 large muffins.
5. Bake at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes, and tooth pick comes out clean.
6. While the muffins are cooling, stir together the ingredients for the icing. If it is too thick, add a little milk or water – you want a nice consistency to pipe the icing.
7. Using a paring knife, cut a small cone shaped circle out of the top of each muffin and scoop out some of the dough. Fill in the hole by piping in icing, place the cone back on top and pipe some icing on top for decoration.
8. The muffin should resemble “ Vachon” chocolate cupcake.