Inspiration

“When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.”

~ Kahlil Gibran

Motivation

Could the slow, but eventual death of sugar consumption, be the birth of truly delicious desserts?

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Chocolate Five Ways

Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement that, for the first time, supports a vast amount of science about why we all (especially children) shouldn’t be eating sugar.

The new WHO guideline recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of “free sugars” to less than 10% of their total energy intake. That equates to about 25 grams of sugar intake per day. With the guidelines reaching further to say that children under the age of two, should have zero added sugar. Free sugars refer to monosaccharide’s (glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (sucrose or table sugar) that are added to foods. The recommendations were made based on the now mounting evidence of the link between preventable diseases, like diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders and the consumption of added processed sugars and artificial sweeteners.

I have to admit I was pretty excited about this announcement. Long since being convinced of the impacts of sugar on the brain. If you are into the science you can view an extensive file of resources and articles here.

So this leaves us all with a very important question… What should we eat for dessert!!

To help with this modern day problem, I decided to put together this list of my most simple to make, delicious chocolate recipes to share with you. This has been an ongoing request from friends, and it is with great pleasure that I contribute to your keeping of the sweet life, without of course, causing you the long-term health issues that too much sugar will create.

I highly recommend keeping a solid supply of these recipes on hand at all times!

 

Rich Chocolate Truffles

These small round treats are full to the brim with good medium chain fats, which have been shown to improve cognitive function, alertness and overall ability to focus. Got an exam, big workday or busy day running after your children, stash a few of these with you and consume at will.

Ingredients

• 500g cashews – soaked over night in water
• 30g of (organic) cacao butter
• 5 tbl spoons of (raw organic) cacao powder
• 4 tbl spoons of (organic) rice syrup
• Almond meal for coating (or anything you desire)

Method

(You need to start this recipe a day in advance)

1. Soak the cashews overnight – then drain liquid.
2. While soft, blend in a blender or food processor (vitamix / food processor best – but normal bender is ok). Blend until they form a soft paste. They will appear a little crumbly (you can also keep them chunky if you like more texture) and a little.

TIP: The best way to get them totally smooth and creamy is to blend in small batches. Once blended to your liking, empty mix into a bowl

3. Place a bowl over a pot of boiling water, and melt the cacao butter. Once melted mix in the cacao powder & rice syrup, it should be a paste like consistency
4. Mix the chocolate paste into the nut mix until you get a clumpy, thick consistency then take portions as big or small as you want & roll into balls in your hands.
5. Coat the balls in the almond meal & put in the fridge on a baking paper lined tray and allow 20 minutes to set then.
6. Eat!

 

Chocolate Coconut Puddings

This is the perfect dinner party dessert or if you are like me and have no limits on when you eat chocolate, a wonderful breakfast bowl!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of grass fed gelatin (or your preference of plant based equivalent)
• 400 mls organic coconut cream
• 50grms organic raw cacao powder
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons of raw honey or maple syrup
• 150g whipped coconut cream
• Your choice of toasted nuts, seeds and chocolate dusted coconut (pictured) to serve

Method

1. Combine gelatin with three tablespoons of water in a small bowl and allow to sit for five minutes until the granules have softened and expanded.
2. In a plan over medium heat, place coconut milk, cacao powder, cinnamon, honey (or maple), whisk to combine. Bring the mixture just to a simmering point and then remove from the heat.
3. Add the gelatin to the warm coconut mixture and stir until it dissolves. Then transfer the mixture into your ramekins of choice and set in the fridge for one hour.
4. Serve sprinkled with your choice of topping, whipped coconut cream and dust with a little extra cacao powder.

 

The Worlds Best Chocolate Smoothie

Eating a liquid breakfast is an easy way to kick start your brain without slowing down your body’s digestive system. This smoothie is packed with goodness and tastes like a rich chocolate milkshake!

Ingredients:

• 1 x organic pasture fed egg yolk
• 1 x tablespoon hulled tahini
• 1 x table spoon rice syrup
• 1 x teaspoon essential greens (I use ISO Whey unsweetened green powder, however you can use anything that is pure, unsweetened (no stevia) & organic)
• 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla powder
• 2 table spoons raw organic cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons of MCT oil (I use Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil)
• 1 cup Organic almond mylk (please use organic, pure almond mylk, so many nasty things in mass produced nut mylks) you could also use other dairy alternatives like Coconut milk or Cashew mylk.

Method:

1. Mix egg yolk, tahini, rice syrup, greens & vanilla in a small bowl until combined (will look a little like a caramel paste).
2. Add in the cacao and MCT oil and combine to make a chocolate paste.
3. In your blender, combine the chocolate paste and almond mylk (or your choice of liquid) and blend for 1 minute.
4. Drink & smile because it tastes delicious!

 

Double Chocolate Oat Cookies

Who doesn’t love cookies, and more so who doesn’t love eating them guilt free! These delicious cookies are a great afternoon snack or a health treat for the kids.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of organic gluten free Quick Oats
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 tbsp psyllium husk
• ½ teaspoon organic vanilla powder
• ½ cup organic raw cacao powder
• 85grams organic (pasture fed) butter
• 80grams organic rice syrup
• 100 grams chopped dark sugar free chocolate (I used 80% raw dark organic chocolate sweetened by coconut sugar)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C / 356 F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl & stir to combine.
3. Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl until combined and add the wet mixture to the dry one.
4. Mix with a spoon until combined then using our hands mix the ingredients together, rubbing the oats and wet ingredients together so they are soaking up the liquid and become soft. The trick is to get the oats nice and soft.
5. Once combined roll about 1-2 table spoons into a ball and softly flatten with your fingers – keep them quite thick, for delicious end results.
6. Place on trey and cook for 15-18 minutes (16 minutes was probably perfect for my oven, so you may need to play with this depending on your oven)
7. Take off hot trey as soon as they come out of the oven & onto wire cooking rack so they don’t keep cooking.
8. I can highly recommend eating these when they are hot!!

 

Crunchy Chocolate Trail Mix

Snack the right way with this delicious salty sweet mix that will keep you feeling good guilt free. Personally I prefer not to leave home without a little stash of chocolate crunch in my bag!

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed organic almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts and pepitas, roughly chopped
• 3 cups coconut flakes
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
• 1 cup of organic rice puffs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons rice malt syrup
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 120ºC / 250°F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine all ingredients except the salt together in a large bowl, making sure all the nuts and are coated in chocolate/ coconut oil/ rice syrup mix, then spread evenly on the tray. Then, sprinkle the sea salt overtop of the mixture.
3. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden, turning halfway through the cooking time. They will go dark, which is a sign of impending crunch!
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Store it in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 2 weeks
6. TIP – this tastes GREAT on the Chocolate Coconut Puddings mentioned above!!

 

Having amazing sweet treats in your life need not be bad for you, nor difficult to make yourself at home. Be creative, mix up the ingredients, add spices and herbs that you love and mix and match flavours.

Here is to you living the most delicious life possible, one chocolate treat at a time.