Chocolate Archives - Coconut and Berries

Plant-Powered Families: Review & Double Chocolate Orange Banana Muffins

If you’ve been reading Coconut and Berries for any length of time you’ll know that I’m a Dreena devotee! I’ve been enjoying her recipes for a long while and actually reviewed her last book, “Let Them Eat Vegan” when I was just getting started blogging (nearly 2 years ago!). I’ve also had the privilege of photographing some of the recipes for her blog. Naturally, I was more than a little excited when I heard she was writing a 5th cookbook!

Plant-Powered Families focuses on healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes using whole foods. All recipes are vegan and there are plenty of nut-, soy-, and gluten-free options (As far as I can tell all the recipes are also oil-free).

As a busy Mum of 3, Dreena clearly understands the need for meals you can get on the table fast! And, more importantly, food that’s both healthy and that everyone is going to enjoy. In other words, this is a book you’ll actually cook from!

Tofu Feta (& Greek Salad)

I love the whole look and feel of it, especially the fact that ALL the recipes have accompanying photos! Nicole Axworthy’s photography is particularly gorgeous and really brings the wonderful recipes to life.

It’s a really well rounded book too - with breakfast, lunch, dinner and sweet treats all covered fairly evenly. It’s divided into four parts: Introduction, Recipes, “Plant-Powered Challenges & Solutions”, which includes how to deal with picky eaters and school/lunchbox solutions (useful even for adult lunches!) and “Plant-Powered Support”, where you’ll find cooking guides, sample meal plans, a very complete FAQ and nutrient charts.

I’ve already made a fair few of the recipes. Pictured are just some of those I’ve made so far.

I was really surprised at how flavourful the Tofu Feta (above) was as I’ve attempted tofu feta before and it was rather lacking. I used it in a classic Greek Salad but there are lots of other serving suggestions listed. Also in the “Lunch Fixes” section, the Chickpea Nibbles are a must try! I’ve been making batch after batch to throw into lunches or just for “nibbling”.

Double Chocolate Orange Banana Muffins

I tend to be a little sceptical about oil-free baking as I’ve had some chewy, tasteless oil-free muffins and cookies in my time…but these chocolate-y little gems were moist and perfectly flavourful (See bottom of this post for the recipe!). The “Best Banana Bread” (made as muffins) was also a hit.

Saucy BBQ Chickpeas & Green Beans

I’ve hardly scratched the surface of the “Dinnertime” section. The Saucy BBQ Chickpeas & Green Beans is deceptively simple but the easy homemade BBQ sauce really makes it special. I loved it stuffed into a sprouted wheat wrap with a few chunks of avocado. The Hummus Tortilla Wraps and Ultimate Teriyaki Stir-Fry are also real game-changers for me for busy weeknights. Both super quick and delicious.

Lentil Pumpkin Seed Pie with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Most recently I tried the Lentil Pumpkin Seed Pie. This has a lovely chewy, nutty texture and makes a really satisfying meal served with Lemon-Tahini Sauce, Sweet Potato Fries (I’ll have to try Dreena’s Balsamic-Glazed Seasoned Yam Fries next time…) and broccoli or another green veg.

I’ve been remarkably restrained with delving into the Sweet Treats section. Not that all the puddings, cookies, bars, ice cream and cakes aren’t incredibly enticing! I did love the Peanut Butter Pudding with Berrylicious Swirl and the leftover berry sauce was lovely stirred into non-dairy yogurt too.

The book’s publishers, Ben Bella Vegan, have kindly allowed me to share the recipe for the Double Chocolate Orange Banana Muffins. Hope you enjoy them as much as me!

Double Chocolate Orange Banana Muffins

Yield: 11-12 Muffins

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups whole-grain spelt flour
1/2 cup almond flour (see note for nut-free option)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2–2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 large or 2 small oranges)
1/4 rounded teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pureed overripe banana (see note)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1 large or 2 small oranges)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup nondairy mini or regular chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 11–12 cups of a muffin pan with large cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, mix the flours, cocoa powder, orange zest, and sea salt, then sift in the baking powder and baking soda.
In a medium bowl, combine the pureed banana, orange juice, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
Add the wet mixture to the dry, then add the chocolate chips and stir through until just well combined (don’t overmix).
Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 17–19 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

Banana Note: If you have an immersion blender, puree about 2 large overripe bananas in a deep, large cup, then measure to get your 1 cup. If you are a little shy with the measure, use applesauce to make up the difference!

Nut-Free Option: If you’d like to make these nut-free for school lunches or other allergy concerns, substitute 1/2 cup oat flour for the almond flour. They won’t be quite as moist, but will still have lovely flavor and texture!

Reprinted from Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton, with permission of BenBella Vegan.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2015/06/29/plant-powered-families-review-double-chocolate-orange-banana-muffins/

Hopefully I’ve convinced you that if you don’t have the book yet, to get yourself a copy asap! Although it’s written with families in mind, you definitely don’t have to be cooking for children to get a lot out of it. Every time I pick it up I seem to find a new little nugget of information, a fun serving suggestion or useful tip.

I honestly want to make ALL the recipes but next on my list to try are: Thick ‘n’ Hearty Tomato Sauce, Tofu in Cashew Ginger Sauce, Red Lentil Hummus, Apple Pie Chia Pudding, Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake.

N.B. All photos in this post are my own. See the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon for sample images from the book

Have you got your copy yet? What recipes have you been enjoying so far? Or, if you haven’t got the book yet, which recipe most tickles your fancy?

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Review: Healthy Nibbles Box

Healthy snacks delivered to your door? I’m in!

The home delivery snack box thing has definitely become popular in the last few years. More and more of us are looking for healthier options and though they are getting more widely available, nothing beats the convenience (and fun!) of a neatly packaged box of goodies delivered straight to your door.

My Healthy Nibbles are a snack box company with 4 different box sizes, each of which can be tailored to suit dietary requirements including gluten-free, paleo, vegan and “original”.

I was lucky enough to give one of their vegan boxes a spin and wanted to share my thoughts with Coconut and Berries’ readers.

Each box is available as a weekly or monthly subscription, or as a single purchase and the selection of healthy snacks from both established brands and artisan suppliers is constantly changing. I love the element of surprise with these things and because my box was all vegan and healthy I knew I’d be able to eat it all!

I ripped into that pretty pink tissue as fast as I could…

…to reveal SO many snacks! I wasn’t anticipating quite so much and judging by the prices I’ve seen some of the individual products sold at, the Healthy Nibbles boxes seem very good value.

There was a nice selection of familiar and unfamiliar products as well as sweet and savoury.

Clearspring Organic: Tamari Roasted Sicilian Almonds

I’m a big fan of Clearspring and have talked about them on the blog before. All their products are fantastic quality and their snack packs are no exception. These savoury roasted almonds are great for stashing in your handbag for an on-the-go snack or for sprinkling on salads for some crunch and protein power.

Ombar: Coco Mylk Buttons

These are amazing! Doesn’t everyone love chocolate buttons? Somehow chocolate buttons are more fun to eat than a bar and they were definitely one of my favourites growing up. Though I’m a fan of the dark dark stuff these days, I make an exception for Ombar “mylk” chocolate which is really high quality, raw, vegan and organic. It’s been a long time since I’ve had regular milk chocolate but Ombar coco mylk chocolate is possibly even creamier! I’ve tried all the bars before but not the buttons so these were a real treat.

The Food Doctor: Savoury Roasted Soya

I’ve been making (moderate) efforts to curb my sweet tooth lately so great-tasting savoury snacks are very welcome. These roasted soya beans from The Food Doctor are tasty, filling and seriously nutritious. I wonder if they make them in big bags..?

Nudie Snacks: Premium toasted coconut chips

I love that coconut is getting so much attention these days. I was way ahead of the game obviously 😉

Nudie Snacks are tapping into the coconut trend with their simple but delicious coconut chips. They’re just toasted coconut chips with a tiny bit of salt and sugar for flavour. I’ve been enjoying grabbing a handful as a snack all on their own or sprinkling them on porridge, smoothies, ice cream and even salads.

Get Fruity: Scrumptious Strawberry

Made from oats, fruit and coconut oil, this is a nice little snack for a growling tummy at 11am. I like that this is nut-free since so many of the snack bars on the market aren’t but the bit of fat from the coconut oil helps slow digestion and keep you satisfied for longer. Get Fruity also use gluten-free oats so these bars are suitable for anyone with a gluten allergy or intolerance.

Teapigs: Liquorice & Peppermint

As a big herbal tea drinker, I’ve definitely tried quite a few Teapigs teas before – but not this one. All their teas are really high quality and made with only whole leaf tea, whole leaf herbs and whole flowers, no tea dust! The liquorice and peppermint tea was surprisingly sweet but still refreshing.

Zendegii: Lightly Spiced Savoury Snaps

These crackers from Zendegii are pretty different to any others I’ve seen before as they’re both grain-free and nut-free. They’re made from apples, beetroot, carrot and linseeds and flavoured with chili powder and salt. I wan’t sure what to make of them and they tasted a little like the failed juice pulp crackers I’ve made in the past. Fine as something light and crunchy to dip into hummus but I wouldn’t rush out and buy them again.

iQ: Superfood Chocolate

Not my favourite raw chocolate but still nice. I like that this one from iQ is smoother than a lot of raw chocolates (which can be a bit grainy) and also that it’s thin and snappy. They make several flavours, including espresso, lime and orange & raspberry.

Lovechock: Raw Chocolate Rocks - Raisin/Coconut with a pinch of Reishi

I’ve tried a couple of Lovechock’s raw chocolate bars before and they’re definitely one of my favourites. I hadn’t seen these “rocks” before but am very happy to have discovered them! Superfood infused raw chocolate coated raisins with a dusting of shredded coconut. I need to get my hands on the Mulberry/Hemp Seed and Almond/Cinnamon flavours asap.

Rebel Kitchen: Chocolate Mylk

Another product I’m very familiar with. I reviewed Rebel Kitchen’s range of kids’ mylks when they were pretty new to the scene last summer. The brand has gone from strength to strength, launched a range of larger-sized mylks in more adult flavours - chai, matcha, chocolate & coffee, and even launched in the US! The chocolate is my favourite so I was very happy to find one in my Healthy Nibbles box. Just water, coconut milk, date nectar and raw cacao. Truly healthy and delicious.

Chimpanzee: Dates & Chocolate Protein Bar

This was pretty darn tasty but I wouldn’t say it was all that “healthy”. It does contain a decent amount of protein (8.6g) and fibre (5g) but also a lot of sugar, in the form of rice syrup, dates, chocolate chips, glucose syrup and barley malt. It reminded me of a Clif bar and I think it would be probably be a good energy bar for athletes or really active people but for me it’s more of a dessert than a snack!

Planet Organic: “Energise” Coconut, Barley grass & Hemp Protein Bar

Based on dates, coconut and cashews I was expecting this to be pretty similar tasting to a lot of other snack bars but the hemp protein makes it quite a bit drier. I needed to eat it with a cup of tea! I enjoyed the hint of lime flavour and do like that it contains some extra protein and superfoods. I’m a regular in Planet Organic so I might pick up the other flavours in the range to try.

Overall I was really happy with my vegan box and, even if I don’t get a weekly or monthly subscription box, a one-off box every now and again is definitely tempting. They’d make great birthday presents for fellow healthy eating friends or family too!

Healthy Nibbles are clearly committed to their cause and not only make snack boxes for all of us to enjoy but are involved in a new SMARTvending concept, supplying vending machines stocked only with healthy, nutritionally certified, sustainable products! How amazing would it be to replace all the junk food-filled vending machines with ones filled with delicious and nutritious goodies?!

Have you tried any of the snacks in my Healthy Nibbles vegan box? Any you’d be interested in trying?

[Disclosure: Healthy Nibbles sent me a free vegan snack box to sample, but, as always, all opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any other way for this post]

Sweet Eats for All: Review & Butternut Pots de Crème

There’s another vegan cookbook in town! 2014 really has been the year for us vegans. It’s amazing to see not only the huge quantity of vegan cookbooks on bookshelves but the incredible quality of them all.

Sweet Eats for All by Allyson Kramer is one of the latest and definitely not to be missed…especially if you’ve got a sweet tooth!

As a vegan myself, I know that oftentimes we get left out when it comes to dessert. Throw celiac disease or gluten intolerance into the picture and I can only imagine what it’s like. This book covers both bases, featuring 250 (yep! 250!) decadent dessert recipes that are free from gluten, dairy, eggs, and/or other animal products.

There’s a great introduction with advice on “Stocking a sweet pantry” and “Tools of the trade”. I particularly appreciated the comprehensive “Flours and starches” section, as, though I’m doing alright with gluten-free baking, it’s nice to get some expert advice on which flours are best for which purposes, which combine best, etc.

N.B. The recipes in this book don’t call for “all-purpose” gluten-free flour but have been developed with a small selection of individual flours, each chosen for their unique properties.

There are a good number of pictures throughout the book (not for every recipe, but remember there are 250!) and each recipe also has an icon designating whether it’s also soy-free, nut-free, corn-free, and/or bean-free so you can decipher right away whether a recipe is suitable.

Gingerbread Squares

I always like to try out a few recipes before discussing a book on here so that I can give a more complete review but gosh was it hard to decide where to begin with this one!

It’s a good thing ’tis the season for baking as the recipes are definitely on the indulgent side and perfect for a celebration. I’m more used to healthier sweets these days and found I was especially drawn to the large section on “Refined sugar-free treats”. Allyson remarks that you should have good results making any of the recipes without refined sugar though.

There are seven other sections to explore:

- Killer cakes and toppings

- Captivating cookies and bars

- Luscious pies, pastries, tarts and cheesecakes

- Fabulous frozen treats

- Tempting puddings, custards, jellies, and fruits

- Choice chocolates and dandy candies

Can you see how I had a hard time choosing?!

Sweet, Salty, and Soft Granola Bars

In the end, I settled on some of the quick recipes I could get away with making without a birthday or special occasion as an excuse to indulge. The Gingerbread squares are very easy, oil-free and low on sweeteners and, most importantly, just as rich and spicy as the traditional version. Perfect for this time of year!

The Sweet, Salty and Soft Granola Bars are amazing. These are definitely too sweet for me as a breakfast bar but they make a delicious snack or dessert. I love how chewy they are, and the balance between sweet and salty is spot on. ( I added cacao nibs for a little extra crunch)

Butternut Pots de Crème

My favourite of the three recipes I’ve tried so far was the Butternut Pots de Crème. You would never guess that the base of this rich chocolate dessert is a vegetable! I actually misread the ingredients and only used half the sugar listed in the recipe but still thought it was delicious!

The book publisher’s Da Capo Press, have kindly allowed me to share this recipe with my readers so you can give this one a try while you wait for your copies to arrive!

Butternut Pots de Crème

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients

2 C Cubed, roasted butternut squash
1/2 C Coconut sugar OR packed brown sugar
1/4 C Cocoa powder
1/4 C Sorghum flour
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
Smoked salt for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and lightly grease two 4-inch ramekins.
Purée the squash in food processor until smooth. Add in the sugar, cocoa powder, sorghum flour, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until all ingredients are well combined, scraping the sides as needed.
Spoon the mixture into the two ramekins and sprinkle smoked salt onto the custards. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or untl the sides of the pudding begin to pull away from the ramekins.
Serve hot for a softer pudding of serve chilled for a firm dessert. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Notes

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/12/15/sweet-eats-review/

My copy is already stuffed with post-it notes as there are so many recipes I want to try. Just a few of the ones I’ve bookmarked are: Marbled Cake, Cherry Bombs, Florentines, Date Drop Cookies, Belgian Waffles, Mini Maple Donuts, Cranberry Faux-Gurt, Salted Espresso Truffles and Apple nachos…

The “look inside” feature on Amazon allows you to see the recipe index. Tell me which recipe you’d make first!

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Chocolate Dipped Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread

How is it December already?! These past couple of months have flown by and Christmas seems to have snuck up on me.

Christmas is definitely my favourite holiday. I love the excitement around the whole period, the decorations, the celebrations, the family time - and of course the food!

Kristy of Keepin’ It Kind is hosting her annual Cookie Swap Party again this year and today I’m over there sharing my recipe for Chocolate Dipped Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread.

These simple vegan and gluten-free shortbread are light and buttery with a crumbly melt-in-the-mouth texture that’s simply irresistible.

Head on over to Keepin’ it Kind for the recipe and let me know what you think!

P.S. There’s a Vitamix up for grabs too!

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere! I’m on Facebook, Pinterest,Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter! You can also follow Coconut and Berries with Bloglovin or Feedly.

Spooky Spider Web Coconut Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free)

I don’t get very excited about Halloween. I’ve never been trick or treating before and I don’t have any memories of carving pumpkins. Children in the UK these days might have a different experience of the holiday but when I was growing up it just wasn’t a big deal.

I know it’s quite the opposite across the Atlantic and that my US readers have probably been looking forward to the 31st October for weeks! The “spooky spiderweb” decoration on my cupcakes was with my American friends in mind, but everyone, anywhere in the world, can and should make these!

I think everyone should be able to enjoy a treat and so I tried to cover as many bases as possible by making this recipe, not only vegan, but gluten-free, grain-free, and oil-free (I couldn’t manage nut-free as well this time, sorry!) too!

I was positively jumping up and down when I tried the finished product! Ultra light, ultra fluffy and ultra moist, you really would have NO idea that I’d made these cupcakes without any of those things.

Check out that fluffy crumb!

A little shout-out to blogger friend Brandi of The Vegan 8 for introducing me to the magic combination of almond flour and potato starch. The almond flour keeps things moist and rich and the potato starch brings structure and lightness. I’ve done some of my own experimenting and have found that, while tapioca starch and potato starch are *fairly* interchangeable, tapioca can dry baked goods out a little.

I made these a little coconutty since we all know it’s a favourite flavour of mine, but without coconut extract the coconut flavour is very mild so the recipe would work well as a regular vanilla cupcake too.

I topped them with an easy chocolate ganache, and, instead of a sugary icing, used pure coconut butter to make my spider web design. The pattern isn’t hard to do and you certainly don’t need any fancy equipment- I simply used a freezer bag (with a tiny end cut off) and a toothpick. Of course you can decorate these any way you like for the appropriate occasion.

Spooky Spider Web Coconut Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free)

Yield: 10-12

Spooky Spider Web Coconut Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free)

Ingredients

Coconut Cupcakes

1 C (125 g) Almond flour (Ground almonds UK name)
1/2 C (75 g) Potato starch (NOT flour)
1/4 C (20 g) Shredded coconut
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Coconut sugar (75g)
1-1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
3/4 tsp Coconut extract (optional)
3/4 C Coconut milk (the kind from a can),well whisked
1/2 C Apple purée/unsweetened applesauce

Ganache

80 g/ 3oz Dark chocolate (OR 1/2 C Chocolate chips)
2 Tbsp Coconut milk
Coconut butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a cupcake tin with paper/foil cases.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, making sure there are no lumps remaining.
In another bowl, whisk together the extracts, coconut milk and apple purée.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir well to combine.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases (10-12) and bake for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes then place the cupcakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before topping.
For the ganache, melt the chocolate in a bain marie or glass bowl placed over a pot of boiling water. Whisk in the coconut milk (it should thicken a little).
Spread the cooled cupcakes with ganache then make the spider web design.
Spoon a few tbsp coconut butter into a freezer bag (or piping bag with a fine nozzle) and allow to cool slightly to thicken a little. Snip a tiny corner off the bag and pipe 3-4 concentric circles on top of the cupcakes. Drag a toothpick from the centre to the edge of the cake at regular intervals through each circle to create the spider web effect.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/10/29/spooky-spider-web-coconut-cupcakes-chocolate-ganache-vegan-gluten-free-grain-free-oil-free/

Whether you make these cupcakes for Halloween or for another occasion, I hope you like them as much as me! And please do share your feedback, I love hearing from you.