Tag: Chocolate

Tiffins

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Sometimes nothing but a rich, decadent slab of chocolate will do. Although I’m partial to almost any tiffin, I prefer those with really dark chocolate. Here is the recipe I made the other day.

Tiffin topped with almond butter – deliciously decadent

Ingredients

  • 300g dark chocolate (I used a mix of 77% and 95% – I would recommend 75% minimum)
  • 100g margarine (I use Flora)
  • 50g syrup (I use maple if I’m feeling fancy, agave works too – use whatever you have)
  • 100g nuts (I used almonds but choose whatever you prefer – pistachios are lovely too)
  • 120g biscuit of choice
  • 40g raisins or other dried fruit (chopped if large)
  • Extra 80g dark chocolate for the topping

Method

  • Break up the chocolate into a saucepan, add the margarine and melt on a low heat (take care not to burn)
  • Add the syrup towards the end and combine. Turn off the heat.
  • Break up the biscuits into the mix, add the raisins and nuts and stir to incorporate
  • Line a baking tin with cling film, baking parchment or foil and add the mixture on top, flattening so it’s evenly distributed
  • Slowly melt the remaining chocolate in the saucepan until smooth.
  • Pour on top of the tiffin mix to create a thin layer over it.
  • Place in the fridge for 2h to set.
  • Remove from the tin and enjoy!
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Chocolate cornflake cakes

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An Easter classic, these can be made in no time at all and are great to made with kids! They’re also vegan and gluten free, if need be, so perfect little treats even for family dietary requirements! They can be made with most breakfast cereals, but work best with cornflakes, rice crispies or bran flakes. I use mesa sunrise, a gluten free cereal that I love. Top with mini eggs to make them super Easter-y.

Ingredients:

  • 50g coconut oil
  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 1tbsp syrup (I use coconut nectar)
  • 1tbsp cacao powder
  • 100g cornflakes (or other cereal)

Method:

  • Place the cupcake moulds in a cupcake tray, or another dish if you don’t have one.
  • Put the coconut oil, broken up dark chocolate and syrup in a bowl. Heat in the microwave, stirring every 30s until it is all melted.
  • Once melted, pour in the cereal and mix until all the cereal is coated.
  • Spoon into the cupcake cases and pour over any remaining melted chocolate mixture when done, then top with whatever you’d like (I went for silver and chocolate balls).
  • Place in the fridge to set.

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Gooey chocolate cake

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This recipe is totally vegan but for anyone who’s not vegan, don’t be put off – the gooey interior will please any dessert lover, and it’s rich enough to only need one slice (although who would stop at that). The recipe is also super easy and requires minimum ingredients, dishes and time. The best!

Ingredients:

  • 180g dark chocolate
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 70g flour
  • 3 heaped tbsp cocoa
  • 150g dark sugar (Demerara, golden caster or muscavado)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Vanilla essence
  • 230ml almond milk
  • 5tbsp sunflower oil
  • 100g pecan or walnuts (optional but recommended)

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
  • Melt 150g of the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of water
  • While it’s melting, add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix
  • Warm the almond milk slightly and add it, the oil and the melted chocolate to the bowl with the dry ingredients in
  • Chop the remaining 30g of chocolate and pecans and mix in (the mixture will start off quite liquidy but start to solidify as it cools)
  • Pour into a lined cake tin and cook for 20 minutes.*

*This leaves a slightly gooey centre – if you prefer it more gooey or solid, adjust the cooking time by 2-3 minutes more or less (depending what you like). Remember it solidifies more as it cools.

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This cake is the perfect dessert when you’re short of time but want something to please everyone

Chocolate chips oat cookies

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This recipe is so simple and quick, I dare you to get it wrong. This is cooking at its simplest, but yields the softest, most satisfying oat cookies you could hope for. The dates provide little morsels of sweetness among the bitter dark chocolate and carby oats, and miraculously the entire mixture is filled with goodness (it definitely doesn’t taste like it)!

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Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 50ml almond milk
  • 4 tbsp almond or peanut butter
  • 100g oats
  • 75g wholemeal flour
  • 50g muscovado/demerara sugar
  • 25g vanilla/chocolate/peanut protein
  • 4 dates, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 50 dark chocolate, finely sliced

 

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking parchment
  • Melt the coconut oil and whisk in the almond milk and nut butter.
  • Mix together the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, chopped dates and protein
  • Combine wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl before stirring in the chocolate pieces
  • Lump into balls and flatten partially onto the tray. This mixture should make 12-15 cookies.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are firm to touch
  • Enjoy!

 

* * I used vanilla pea protein in this recipe. You can use whatever protein you like, but bear in mind that whey may not require so much added liquid so add the milk slowly.

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Chocolate protein truffles

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This recipe is a staple that should always be found in your fridge if you’re into fitness or love chocolate. The only problem is, as soon as you make them, they’re basically gone straight away, especially if you have sisters! But at around 30 calories a bite, you can make a few batches and not feel terrible if you eat them all (been there, done that, no regrets).

Per ball – P: 4.1g, C: 0.6g F: 1.4g, 30 calories

Ingredients:

  • 120g protein powder of choice*
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 50g ground almonds **
  • 150-200ml almond milk
  • Honey/agave/maple syrup (optional, to taste)

* I use nutristrength chocolate whey isolate. You can use vegan protein but you may have to use more milk. Salted caramel and various other proteins work really well here too! Experiment and let me know what you come up with.

** If you like peanuts, peanut flour created smores truffles – SO GOOD

Method:

  • Mix the dry ingredients together make sure they are well blended.
  • Add the milk slowly, mixing as you go. I usually use around 170ml with whey protein. You may not need the full 200ml
  • Add the honey/sweetener at this point and mix in
  • You should get to the consistence where it is extremely hard to mix but not dry.
  • Wet your hands and grab small (walnut sized) balls of mixture and roll into a ball (the mixture, not you)
  • Pour cocoa powder onto a chopping board/flat surface. Roll the ball in it using your palm.
  • Store in the fridge (best when eaten cold).

Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato choc-chip brownies

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This recipe is so decadent tasting that you’d never know it wasn’t unhealthy! It can be made vegan (using darker chocolate or omitting the chocolate chips entirely) and/or gluten free (by using gluten free flour, such as rice flour), so there’s something for everyone! If you do not own a food processor, mash the sweet potato and omit the dates, using 70g date/agave/maple syrup or honey instead.

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These can be kept in the fridge or freezer, but don’t keep for longer than a week – not that they’ve ever lasted that long in my house!

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Ingredients:

  • 700g sweet potato (1 very large or 2 medium)
  • 15 dates
  • 50g 80%+ chocolate
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 100g wholewheat flour (or gluten free alternative)
  • 4-5tbsp cocoa powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3tbsp agave syrup

Method:

  • Scrub and cut up the sweet potato(es) and steam for 20 minutes, or until completely soft.
  • Mix together the ground almonds, flour, cocoa, salt and chopped chocolate to a bowl
  • Once the sweet potatoes are done, blend in a food processor with the dates.
  • Mix the sweet potato with the agave syrup, before transferring to the dry ingredients bowl.
  • Mix thoroughly
  • Spoon into a small cake tin or loaf tin.
  • Cook for 25-30 minutes

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Energy bites!

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Energy bites are one of the simplest and most useful snacks to keep in your fridge or freezer. When frozen they keep for months and are perfect for a quick snack or energy boost on the go. There is an easy base to all energy bites, to which you can add different flavours and coverings depending on how you feel.

This recipe makes 25-30 balls

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Cacao-sesame energy bites

Base:

  • 200g prunes
  • 300g dates
  • 150g oats/oat flour
  • 2 scoops protein of choice (I use hemp)
  • 50g almond flour/ground almonds

Flavours:

Coconut and maca

  • + 1 tsp coconut oil
  • + 2 tsp maca
  • + 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, plus extra for covering

Choco-caramel

  • + 1 tbsp cacao/coco powder
  • + 2 tsp lucuma powder
  • + 1 tbsp cacao nibs, plus extra for covering

Matcha pistachio

  • + 2 tsp culinary grade matcha powder
  • + 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • + 1 tbsp chopped pistachios, plus extra for covering

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Matcha pistachio energy bites

Cacao-tahini

  • + 2 heaped tsp tahini
  • + 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • + 1 tbsp cacao/coco powder
  • + sesame seeds for covering

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Cacao – sesame energy bites

  • Blend all the base ingredients in a food processor (don’t try to use a blender unless you want everything to be smoked!).
  • Pour into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the extra ingredients to the bowl and mix using a strong spoon (this is a good arm workout).
  • On a chopping board, pour on the covering (e.g. pistachio/sesame seeds/desiccated coconut/cacao nibs).
  • With your fingers, tear off small walnut-sized chunks of the mix and roll it in the covering to make a ball (you may find this easiest with wet hands).

Ta da! Eat up and let me know what you think! 🙂