Tag Archives: chocolate

It’s a Date

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Stuffed. Dates.

Glorious finger food.

A glorious, bite-size jewel of chocolate, peanut butter and date. Super simple -albeit slightly messy depending on the viscosity (or generosity) of your dollop of PB!

While, I have been making these – assembling should be the term, I guess – for a while now – I have yet to post on them! Again, I’m not sure of the origins of this little recipe, but I first saw it on Gabriela’s blog, and knew I had run to Trader Joe’s and pick up a big ol’ carton of Medjools and start assembling.

My assembly line goes like this: pit the date, stuff date with a few dark chocolate chips, cover the chocolate with PB (my new favorite is the chunky, salted Trader Joe’s kind!), and then of course…sprinkle with a few more bits of dark chocolate for good measure.

The result is absolute heaven – a sticky sweet treat that sticks to the roof of your mouth. It’s a small bite, but unbelievably satisfying.

I’m all ready to start experimenting with ‘stuffings’ – perhaps a nod to that raw chocolate, coconut cake is in order…simple and on a smaller scale?! :)

While it’s not an on-the-go treat, this is one I see having a long life in my kitchen.

  • What are some of your fave lil’ snackies?

Lick-the-Mixing-Bowl Good

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Ahh – I have about a million and one (okay…exaggeration – more like 60+) recipes sitting in a folder waiting to be made.  These are mostly the recipes of other bloggies (the rest composed of random Food Network recipes or stuff I’ve randomly come across).

They’re a combination of sweet and savory recipes – and today…I decided on a sweet one. Not just any sweet one…

Gabriela’s Raw Chocolate Coconut Cake.

Chocolate. Yesss.

Coconut. Yesss.

Nutritional. Yessssss.

Though I’ve been dying to make this recipe, I’ll admit that I was still slightly skeptical. Over a year ago, attempted some raw brownie bites that were essentially composed of the same ingredients…dates, cocoa powder, nuts…but I wasn’t really a fan of the end result.

However, Gabriela‘s creation isn’t in the same category. This recipe seriously hits it out of the park.

Yeah – this cake is chock full of dates and nuts (of course, both delicious in their own right), but can you taste them? No. You.taste.chocolate (and coconut). Glorious. Glorious. Chocolate.

It’s good. Better than good. It’s lick-the-mixing-bowl good.

Gabriela’s Raw Chocolate Cake with Chocolate-Coconut Frosting (my adjustments are in italics)
(adapted from Katie’s Raw Chocolate Cake and Averie’s Coconut Oil Chocolate)

  • 3 cups walnuts
  • 20 medjool dates
  • 3/4 c cocoa powder
  • 1/3 c coconut oil
  • 1/2 c agave syrup
  • 2 tbsp of melted dark chocolate chips (I honestly don’t know if this made much of a difference, but I just love chocolate…) – I thought this might make for fun, crunchy chocolate ribbons through the cake once it refrigerated – but so far I think it just added a bit to the chocolate factor – no harm, no foul!
Process walnuts, dates and 1/2 c cocoa powder in a food processor until it takes on a sticky consistency. Melt chocolate in the microwave and cool slightly – process into the walnut, date, cocoa powder mixture. Press into the bottom of a pie pan. In a separate bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave, then stir in agave and cocoa powder. Whisk until well combined. Pour coconut oil mixture over cake in pan, then place in fridge until frosting has hardened. Serve.
Results? Divine.

I made mine in a spring form pan lined with parchment, just so I knew I could get it out of there (I don’t have room in my fridge for a whole cake pan).  When I removed it – it had a sort of organic, wavy edge that I love! – not to mention the fluid look of the frosting! Love!

This cake only multiplied in greatness after I cut a slice out of it…
Oh.My.God. — I mean just look at it?! Perfectly decadent. Plus, you can’t really see it, but the difference in texture between the “cake” and the frosting is awesome. The frosting is initially cool on the tongue, but then in just melts into coconut/chocolate heaven.
I have no problem admitting to the fact that I was a total copy cat here…  it’s worth the chocolate cake! :)
Gabriela – absolutely fantastic! xoxo

Snow Survival

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I don’t know about you…but I’m over the snow! This would be a lot of snow throughout the winter months as a whole, but man! it’s all come down in only a matter of weeks! I know I’m not the only one subject to these conditions so I won’t spend this post complaining, and at this point, it’s all about what you make of it! Right?

Thankfully, today my school canceled evening classes (which I was secretly hoping for!). It’s not that I dislike my class. In fact, I rather enjoy it. However, beginning in my first class of the day, I started planning a trip to Whole Foods for some much needed essentials. Some of them were pretty standard (plain yogurt for smoothies, etc), but some were definitely a part of my personal snow survival guide.

Okay, so maybe they weren’t originally intended for that, but after getting things home – I started realizing just how having those things in the house would make the storm more bearable…?

My Own Personal Snow Survival Guide – Foodie Edition (Warding off Cabin Fever Since ’11?)

  • Dark Chocolate - this goes without saying.

  • Larabars – simple, easy and delicious – and if something happened to the power, I’d at least have these to munch on!

  • Various flavors of hot chocolate (I may have a lifetime supply stashed away in my cupboards…) … hmmm are we noticing a chocolate theme here?

  • Breaking with that theme – some deeelicious flavors of Chobs! Even for some froyo on the fly…yes, even in snowstorms.

  • Also – popcorn. The do it yourself – on the stovetop – kind. Once you pop you just can’t stop! Seriously though, there’s something great about sitting in your bay window and watching the snow fall while snacking away on freshly popped corn.

These are just some of the goodies that I can depend on to lift up my spirits – or stave off stir-craziness. Regardless – all these foods, paired with a good book or just a good television show or movie…ahh, sublime survival. :)

  • What are some of your must haves for “emergencies”??

Chocoholics (Not So) Anonymous

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Seriously…when it comes to chocolate I do not discriminate…whether it’s a handful of M&Ms or the finest stuff money can buy…I will shove it into my face faster than you can say, “Melt’s in your mouth, not in your hands.” …however, when it’s fantastic, local chocolate…I want to tell you about it!

This semester, in one of my courses, we worked for a client here in Boston….a chocolatier. Can you say, “Yummm?”…yes.

It took the entire semester for me to make it out to Southie (not the South END, Southie = South Boston…and yes, there is a difference) and finally taste some of her amazing creations. After our presentation last night, we got to sample some of her stuff..and can I say…it’s absolutely unparalleled, and today we hopped on the Red Line for some more goodies!

Whether you live in Southie, the South End, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the West End, the North End…Allston/Brighton…Brookline…Cambridge…North Shore…South Shore…somewhere else in the U.S., yes, you, too. Wherever. You.Need.To.Go.HERE.

Blue Tierra Chocolate Cafe in South Boston will blow your mind. Her chocolate is divine. It’s using local ingredients with globally inspired chocolates. It’s amazing.

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

The "Caliente!" - spicy cayenne pepper & dark chocolate

A dark chocolate pyramid filled with unbelievable caramel

An "Irish Eyes" - dark chocolate filled with a Bailey's filling...to.die.for.

 

Peanut butter and jelly...Yes. Dreams do come true. haha

To say that it was simply good would not do it justice. The chocolates really are phenomenal. The pricing is great and the atmosphere of the shop is just so cute and cozy! Seriously, if you’re in Boston now or ever visit…go visit Jen Turner at Blue Tierra!!

A late one!

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Hey all!! Oof…it’s 11! Past my bedtime! Okay…so not past my bedtime…but past my postin’ time!!

Today was all over the place! I spent most of the morning getting work done and enjoying a plethora of goodies!

Those goodies included:

  • cinnamon hazelnut latte

  • a grapefruit

  • pomegranate seeds

  • a microwave brownie (I’m obsessed)

  • multiple cheese sticks
  • and some Lindt chocolate

I spent most of the day in what I’d like to dub “lounge wear” — it’s when you’ve got nowhere to go, but you don’t want to stay in your PJs in case someone knocks on your door unexpectedly haha

Oh yes…comfy, comfy, comfy!

Tonight I went to dinner at this great restaurant called Teatro, here in Boston. It is near the Theatre District, and I had an amazing meal. They do small plates, as well as entrees and desserts. My friend and I shared two small plates — we got shrimp scampi bruschetta and an ahi tuna and white bean dish — the name of it escapes me. I got a pizza as an entree — sausage, ricotta, tomato and basil. Delicious…thin crust amazingness. I would have taken pictures but I was too busy chattering away.  haha

I’m gonna crash — as the beeping of my alarm will come farrr too soon for my liking! :)

  • Have you guys had any really good restaurant meals lately??

Almost TGIF! yayyy!