Tag Archives: coconut

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes (gluten-free and grain-free)

Posted on October 1, 2012 by | 80 Comments

Recipe from Nourishing Days

Mr. “He Cleans” requested pancakes for breakfast this weekend, and I was happy to give them a try. I haven’t made pancakes since we went gluten-free and I wasn’t too sure how they would turn out.  My experience with almond flour is that it holds up pretty good unless you get sauce or syrup on it, whereupon it turns to mush.  Coconut flour is notoriously difficult to work with, since it is a “thirsty” flour that soaks up unbelievable amounts of liquid like a sponge.  So, turning to the internet, I looked for the most reliable looking, tried-and-tested recipe I could find for coconut flour pancakes.  I found this recipe at Nourishing Days, which not only looked really good, but included a highly entertaining commentary by Shannon on the comments she has received about her pancakes.  Be sure to go read it, here!

I followed her directions exactly, except I used 1 cup of half and half instead of milk + cream.  (That really can’t be too different…)  You can also make this a dairy free recipe by using coconut milk, if you wish.  The pancakes were fluffy as advertised, with a faint taste of coconut that made me feel like I was having real cake for breakfast.  In fact, I like these pancakes FAR more than conventional pancakes, and look forward to making them again!

Ingredients: (makes about a dozen very filling, small pancakes)

  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup half & half or coconut milk (full fat)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour (I recommend Coconut Secret brand)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • coconut oil or butter, for frying (optional if using non-stick pan or griddle)

In a small bowl, beat eggs vigorously until frothy, about 2 minutes.  (There’s your exercise.)  Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (coconut flour, baking soda, salt).

Stir the wet mixture into the dry; mix WELL.  There is no need to worry about over-beating with coconut flour.  Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes.  Batter should be really thick, like brownie batter.

While batter is thickening, preheat a griddle over medium to medium-low heat.  Add butter or coconut oil, if needed.  Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle, spreading the batter out to 2-3-inches in diameter.  Cook for a few minutes, until the top starts to dry out and the bottom is lightly brown, then flip the pancakes over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with butter and maple syrup, or with fruit.

UPDATED:  I have adjusted some of the instructions due to problems people were having with their pancakes.  I use Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour.  It may behave differently than other brands.  Here are some more tips for working with coconut flour that you might find useful, from Health, Home & Happiness.

Today music doesn’t have much to do with pancakes…oh well! Ornette Coleman has been a legendary, groundbreaking artist since his debut in 1950s. One of the first players in what became known as “Free Jazz” (after his 1960 album of the same name), he’s not always an easy listen, but once hooked, you’ll want to hear more. First up his latest album, Sound Grammar from 2006. Even at 70 plus years, he still sounds fierce, full of melodic ideas and revved up rhythms. This album won a Pulitzer!

Then, from 1998 with his funk group Prime Time comes Virgin Beauty, featuring Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia on three cuts. Brilliant adventures at the far ends of jazz- but still melodic as heck. So make some pancakes and immerse yourself in Ornette!

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Posted in Brunch, For the Sweet Tooth, Vegetarian

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Gluten-free Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on September 10, 2012 by | 7 Comments

We had a JAWS (Blu-Ray) viewing party over the weekend, so I made these tiny carrot cakes.  I can’t think of a thing to tie these events together, so I guess I fail at theme parties.

Incredible taste aside, my favorite thing about carrot cake is the interesting texture.  The recipe is so forgiving, you can throw about anything in there and it just works.  This version has pineapple, chopped dates, coconut flakes, and walnuts – which, with the grated carrot, add up to a lot of different textures and flavors bursting out with each bite.  Coconut oil keeps it all moist, and the not-too-sweet buttery frosting is…well, they don’t call it the icing on the cake for nothing!

Ingredients (12 cupcakes):

  • 1 cup almond flour (or 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour)
  • 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large carrot, grated (about 1 cup)
  • 8 ounces crushed pineapple (without the juice)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (walnut or almond oil also good)
  • 1/4 cup chopped dates or raisins
  • ~1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a muffin pan with silicone baking cups (or greased paper baking cups).

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (first 7 ingredients).  Add the grated carrot and toss to coat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the pineapple, eggs, maple syrup, and coconut oil; mix to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until ingredients are well blended.  Stir in the nuts and chopped dates.

Divide the batter among the 12 baking cups.  Bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes, until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons butter (preferably from grass-fed cows)
  • 1/4 cup amber maple syrup

Mix ingredients using an electric mixer until well-blended and creamy.

Movie night! And what a flick indeed! If you haven’t seen Jaws recently, definitely pick it up on Bluray. It looks and sounds incredible, and seeing it again will terrify you all over again. Fun!

Bob Dylan’s newest album- his 35th, releasing tomorrow is 50 years since his recording debut. Amazing, he’s been creating great art as long as I’ve been alive! His latest, Tempest is getting good reviews. We’ll give it a spin and let you know!

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Paleo Magic Cookie Bars

Posted on October 28, 2011 by | 19 Comments

Grain-free and “dairy-optional”

Remember Magic Cookie Bars?  Those gooey clusters of graham cracker crumbs covered with milk chocolate chips, nuts, sweet coconut flakes and drenched with sweetened condensed milk.  Neither do I….ha!  I’ve been in major denial of this particular obsession, but no longer.  Today we have Paleo-friendly, Magic Cookie Bars with no grains, no processed sugar, and no dairy (if you use coconut butter instead of pastured butter).  I’m not saying these bars are “lite” by any means – plenty of richness here with dark chocolate, nuts, and coconut oils – but they are far better for you than the original cookie bar recipe.

These are a great “treat” for Halloween!

Ingredients:

Crust

  • 1/2 cup (heaping) ground almonds or almond meal
  • 1/2 cup (heaping) ground walnuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons pastured butter or coconut butter, melted

Toppings

  • 6 ounces dark chocolate chips
  • 3 ounces unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly pulsed in food processor
  • 4 ounces coarsely chopped pecans or almonds
  • 1 15.5 ounce can coconut milk (full-fat)
  • 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sweetened Coconut Milk

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a heavy saucepan, heat the coconut milk and sugar over medium heat, stirring often, until coconut milk begins to boil.  Lower heat to simmer and reduce by 1/3 to 1/2, stirring often to prevent the sugar from scorching.  (If thicker, caramelized sugar begins to form on sides or bottom, use a whisk to reincorporate it.)  When it reaches the desired consistency, in around 30 minutes, add 2 tablespoons coconut butter and vanilla.  Stir well and remove from heat.  You should end up with a little over a cup of caramel-colored, sweetened coconut milk.

To make the crust, melt the butter/coconut butter in an 8×8 baking dish.  In a small bowl, mix together the ground almonds, ground walnuts, and cinnamon.  Sprinkle nut mixture over the melted butter and  stir until the butter is evenly mixed with the nuts.  Using your fingers, press the mixture down in an even layer, covering the bottom of the baking dish.

Ready for the oven!

Sprinkle the chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and coconut flakes evenly over the crust.  Pour the sweetened coconut milk over everything.  Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Here’s the hard part:  Do not eat it now!  Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the cookie bars will set.  Otherwise they will be a mess coming out of the pan – cookie crumbles are much less festive.

Cut into bars and serve!  Feel decadent!

Celebration day here at SCHC, for a new Tom Waits record has arrived! His first studio record in seven years, Bad As Me is great, and full of the musical stew that only Tom can make. Featuring an all star group of musicians including Keith Richards, Flea and Marc Ribot, this is primo Waits.

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Curried Sweet Potato Gratin

Posted on August 28, 2011 by | 7 Comments

A gratin is a dish typically prepared using ingredients of thinly sliced and layered potatoes and cream cooked in a buttered dish.  Well….yum!  This preparation method originated in France (of course); the name gratin dauphinois refers to the Dauphiné region of France, where this method of preparing potatoes is a specialty (according to Wikipedia).  Here’s another blog post where I’m going to bastardize the French method, yet call it a gratin anyway.  Heresy, I know…  This recipe is inspired by the flavors of African sweet potato soup, with hints of nut butter, lime and spicy cayenne pepper, and it has a touch of Asian/Indian flavors with the sweet curry and coconut milk.

I have been wanting to make a potato gratin for a while, but I hadn’t really considered using sweet potatoes until recently.  If you don’t have a mandoline (or have lost a finger tip in the past to one and hesitate to try again), the potatoes could be cut into chunks and be cooked together on the stove top with the other ingredients, then blended into a killer soup!  Also, this is one of the few entries here on she cooks…he cleans that could qualify as vegan!

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • oil of choice for coating baking dish (I used butter)
  • 1 can coconut milk, shaken well to mix
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sweet curry powder (I used The Spice House Sweet Curry Powder)
  • 3 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (or sweetening of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • chicken or vegetable broth, as needed to adjust thickness and volume

Preheat oven to 350F.  Peel potatoes.  Using a mandoline slicer (or patience and a sharp knife), slice the potatoes and the 1/2 onion into thin slices.

Grease up a gratin dish or medium sized baking dish.  Layer the potatoes and onions together in the dish, overlapping slightly while making concentric circles.

Heat the coconut milk over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.  (Do not allow to it to boil.) Whisk in the curry powder, almond butter, coconut butter, 5-spice powder, cayenne pepper, honey, fish sauce, and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add approximately 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (to reduce thickness and give the sauce enough volume to cover potatoes in baking dish).

Pour the coconut milk mixture over the potatoes.  (If it is looking “short”, add a little more broth to the mixture still in the saucepan to compensate.)

Pictured with pan-seared filet mignon…nommers!

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake for 30-40 additional minutes, or until potatoes are tender and the gratin is bubbling and starting to lightly brown on top.  Serve hot.

As we say “Goodnight, Irene…” (that could be a song! ) it wouldn’t be proper to not mention it as the soundtrack, don’t ya think? First is the 1979 Neil Young masterpiece Live Rust with the awesome “Like a Hurricane”.

Did you say “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”? Thought you did, with Bob Dylan’s Freewheelin Bob Dylan (Reis). Landmark record, and boy, did a hard rain ever fall!

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Red Curry Poached Cod

Posted on August 18, 2011 by | 21 Comments

Sometimes dinner is born from what’s on special at the market – and often those dishes turn out to be the most interesting because they are unplanned and must be created from ingredients you have on hand.  We try to have some type of seafood at least once a week, and this week Whole Foods had wild-caught, Alaskan cod on sale.  Cod is a nice, mild, flaky fish that adapts well to different flavors.  I had some coconut milk and limes that I needed to use, so I decided to try to poach the fish in a Thai-style broth.  It was very yummy, but turned out a little spicier than I intended.  However, James thought it was just the right amount of heat.  When we try this again, I think some toasted cashews would be a great addition, and I’d also like to try basil instead of cilantro.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons butter (preferably from grass-fed cows)
  • 1 medium sweet onion, cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
  • 1 small red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 14 ounce can coconut milk (unsweetened), shaken well
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste (I make mine from The Spice House Thai Red Curry Powder, mixed with fish sauce to a paste)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla), if not used to prepare curry paste
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1-2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar, to taste (optional)
  • ~ 2 or 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup roasted cashews (optional)
  • 1 to 1/2 pounds wild-caught cod fillets
  • kosher salt

Heat butter in a heavy saute pan over medium heat.  Saute the onions and red bell peppers until they are very soft, 5-10 minutes.

Add Thai red curry paste to the onions and peppers and stir well over the heat to mix.  Pour in the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce (if not used to make curry paste), and palm sugar (if using).  Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for around 10 minutes so the flavors can blend and the broth can reduce slightly.

In the meantime, rinse the cod with cold water, pat dry, and lightly season with salt.  Fold the thinner parts of the fillets underneath, so the fish is relatively of the same thickness.  Place the cod fillets in the saute pan, and nestle them into the broth as much as possible.  Simmer on low, covered, for 8-10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.  During the last minute or two of cooking, add chopped cilantro and toasted cashews (if using).  Serve hot, with a spoon to capture all of the broth.  Enjoy!

Very spicy…and wonderful, as are the musical selections! First up, Luiz Bonfa Plays & Sings Bossa Nova. I love bossa nova, and his guy is one of  best. He wrote “Black Orpheus”, and is a legend up there with Jobim and Joao Gilberto.

David Bowie, bossa nova? Yes! The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions with Seu Jorge will make a believer out you- might even pick up some Portuguese!

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Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on August 12, 2011 by | 22 Comments

Original recipe – Gluten and Grain-Free, no refined sugars

Be it a birthday celebration, or the end to a tough week, (or BOTH), we all need a treat now and then.  This carrot cake did it for us – and without adding any grains!

Truth be told, I was skeptical about how a cake would turn out without the usual additions of flour and refined sugar.  Baking can be so touchy – and then you end up with a brick of a cake, or something so dry that you need a vat of birthday punch to wash it down.  Well, surprise, this cake is fabulous!  Take that gluten….we don’t need you no more!  I absolutely could not tell that this cake was grain free – the texture was moist, but not dense.  It had a pleasantly sweet taste and cinnamon-y flavor, and was chocked full of carrots, raisins, and walnuts.  It was indistinguishable from carrot cakes I’ve made in the past with wheat flour.  Carrot cake is pretty versatile, so feel free to experiment a little with other ingredients.  I like to switch up the raisins and walnuts with chopped dates and macadamia nuts – add a little ginger and pineapple and you’ll think you’re vacationing in the tropics!

Waiting for Frosting!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup walnut oil
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (I used Big Tree Farms SweetTree Organic Coconut Palm Sugar)
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 cups blanched almond flour (I used JK Gourmet Almond Flour)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (I used Let’s Do Organic Coconut)
  • 3 cups grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
  • 3/4 cup raisins or chopped dates
  • 3/4 walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • Additional chopped nuts to top cake (optional)

Preheat oven to 325F.  Line two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with parchment paper and butter bottom and sides (or use non-stick spray).

Using electric mixer,  beat oil, palm sugar, and honey until well mixed.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well between eggs.

In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and shredded coconut.  With mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  When it has all been added, beat until well blended.  Stir in carrots, raisins and toasted walnuts.

Divide batter between cake pans.  Bake at 325 for 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes.  Run a small knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the cakes, then invert carefully on a cooling rack; cool completely.

This frosting recipe is adapted from Whole Foods Recipes.  It is very rich, but not very sweet.  It was perfect for this Carrot Cake!

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter (I like Kerry-Gold, unsalted)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Cream together cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer.  Gradually add maple syrup and beat until well-combined and fluffy.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on cake platter.  Spread approximately 1 cup of frosting over the layer.  Top with the second cake layer, flat side down.  Spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of cake.  Top with chopped nuts (optional). Refrigerate, if possible.  (Not going to fit in my refrigerator!)  Serve at room temperature.

YUM!!!

Today, most of all, I wish you a happy birthday…couldn’t have done without you. Literally!

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Lime in the Coconut Cheesecake

Posted on June 21, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Gluten-free, baked cheesecake… Modified from A Meandering Mango’s Baked Citrus Cheesecake

It’s been a while since we’ve indulged in a decadent dessert -  we unanimously voted for cheesecake!  It is rich and satisfying, and goes well with the fresh fruit that is available in abundance this time of year.  However, we didn’t want to derail our healthy diet with cheesecake loaded with sugar or with a gluten-filled crust.  Browsing about the internet, I found an inspired recipe for baked cheesecake with very little added sugar at A Meandering Mango.  I slightly modified the filling (changing it to lime), and replaced the butter-cookie crust with a crust of nuts, unsweetened coconut, and organic coconut butter.

If you’re looking for a cheesecake that oozes with confection…just keep clicking because this isn’t it!  The simplicity of these ingredients allows you to savor the richness of the cheese (so use the best ricotta and cream cheese you can find).  I found the lime to be very subtle, so if you’d like more of a lime taste you may want to add more zest.  The coconut in the crust stands out nicely and is wonderful with the macadamias and walnuts.

Served simply with a scattering of  ripe berries from the farmer’s market and a drizzle of honey, this cheesecake is a sophisticated and sweetly delicious dessert.  I’m looking forward to having more!

Ingredients for Crust:

  • 130 grams (about 2 cups) mixed nuts and shredded unsweetened coconut (I used approximately equal portions of macadamia nuts, walnuts, and shredded coconut)
  • 2-3 tablespoons unrefined coconut butter, softened

Ingredients for Filling:

  • 1 package cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • Zest from one lime
  • Juice from one lime
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 325F.  In a food processor, pulse the nuts and shredded coconut to a coarse meal.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of unrefined coconut butter, one spoon at a time, and process until the mixture starts to adhere together and form large balls of “dough”.

Line the bottom of a 10-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper.  Spread the nut mixture evenly in the pan, pressing the crust down firmly using a fork.  Bake for 5-10 minutes until slightly toasted.  Allow to cool.

To prepare the filling, mix the cream cheese and ricotta using an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix between each addition.  Add lime zest, lime juice, and honey.  Mix until smooth and well combined.

Pour filling onto the cooled crust in the spring-form pan.  Cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil, then bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until the cheesecake is no longer jiggly in the center.

Allow to cool a few minutes, then run a knife around the outer edges to loosen from the pan.  This will keep the cake from cracking as it shrinks and pulls away from the side of the pan.  When cooled off enough to handle, remove edges of spring-form pan and slide cheesecake onto a serving plate.  Refrigerate until well chilled.  Serving suggestions:  Sliced fruit or fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)…and a drizzle of honey!

Hmm…Lime in a coconut…that sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Oh yeah! Because its from a major house favorite, Nilsson Schmilsson! We love us some Nilsson around here, and this classic, with “Coconut”, “Gotta Get Up” and the last song LCD Soundsystem played at their last show, “Jump Into The Fire”, its in regular rotation here.

A part of our musical past left us last week, with the death of “The Big Man”, Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band. Nobody who ever saw Springsteen will forget it- and Clarence was a big reason why. So put on Born to Run and listen to that gorgeous sax on the title cut and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”…a change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band…”. We’ll miss you Clarence.

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Roasted Coconut Cashew Nuts

Posted on March 24, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Healthy snack for the friendly skies...

Adapted from Thai The Essence of Asian Cooking, Judy Bastyra with recipes by Becky Johnson.

In anticipation of our flight to Albuquerque this weekend, I have been looking for some interesting, primal-friendly snacks for the plane. Traveling in coach, one usually gets the choice of peanuts, cookie wafers, or chips – or a deep breath of recycled air. Well, our snacks are going to be the envy of the travelers seated in the exit row section! These wok-roasted cashew nuts are both sweet and a little spicy, although slightly sticky. Good thing we’ve been saving extra packages of hand wipes from the local barbecue joints!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 cups raw cashew nuts (almonds also work well)
  • 1 1/2 cups dry, unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • 2 fresh red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Stir in the honey; after a few seconds add the nuts and coconut. Stir-fry for about a minute, then add the chopped chillies.

Continue to stir-fry until the coconut and nuts are golden brown. Remove from heat and add the sesame seeds, salt and pepper (to taste). Toss until all the ingredients are well mixed.

Serve warm or at room temperature. [Update! See comments below on how to make this crunchier and less sticky!]

Just as every meal has a soundtrack, so does an area. And we’ve found the perfect music for the RF in John Prine.

jp

To my ears, it don’t get much better than John Prine. The world looks almost human seen through his eyes, on songs like “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” or “Illegal Smile” and the oft-covered classic, “Angel From Montgomery”. So I plan on snacking on some spicy sweet cashews…and the rest? I’ll leave that up to your imagination.

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Dark Chocolate Truffles

Posted on February 14, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Adapted from The Craving Chronicles

What would Valentine’s Day be without dark, decadent chocolate?  I’ll tell ya, it would be lacking!  I found this recipe on a beautiful blog, The Craving Chronicles.  Sadly, most of the treats there are off limits to us since we avoiding grains (and sugars, with limited success), but the rest of you should visit there and check out the brownies and other yummy things.

I slightly adapted this to cut out a small bit of sugar, and added an alternative truffle flavor – using Grand Marnier instead of Bailey’s. Also, the original recipe calls for 3 oz of semi-sweet chocolate and 3 oz. of bittersweet chocolate, but that’s not what was in my cabinet.  I listed what I used and it tastes great…so improvise at will.  However, be sure to use good quality chocolate!

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped
  • 4.0 oz 365 Organic Semi-Sweet chocolate Chips (Whole Foods brand, 49% cacao)
  • 2 oz Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Dark Chocolate (99% cacao), finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 T Coconut Oil, unrefined
  • 1 scant T sugar
  • 1 T dark rum
  • 1 T Grand Marnier
  • 1/2 cup (or so) unsweetened, flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup (or so) finely chopped walnuts (pulse in food processor) with ~1 T finely grated orange zest added

Combine chopped chocolates and chips in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream, butter, and sugar to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate; stir gently until completely melted and smooth.  Divide the chocolate into two small bowls.  To one bowl, add the rum and mix well by stirring.  To the second bowl, add the Grand Marnier and mix thoroughly.  Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and label so you know which is which. 

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Once chilled, and working with one flavor at a time, scoop out about a teaspoon of the chocolate mixture and quickly roll it into a ball with your hands.  That’s what the recipe says, but I must have extra hot hands because the chocolate immediately coated my palms and was just a mess.  So what I ended up doing is scooping the chocolate out and dropping it into a bowl of the coating, rolling it around to cover, THEN rolling it into a ball with my hands before adding the final coating.  This still left me with chocolate-y hands but not nearly as much chocolate wastage.  (As if licking chocolate off your hands counts as wastage.)

For the Rum Truffles, roll chocolate in unsweetened coconut flakes.  For the Grand Marnier truffles, roll chocolate in walnut meal/orange zest mixture.

Store truffles in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone, but most especially to my sweetheart!!!  You make my every day better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Romance! Chocolate! Valentines Day! I’m in the mood for love…how about you?

Don’t even try to have a romantic evening without this guy…

frank

Greatest Love Songs from the greatest American vocalist ever, Frank Sinatra.

And on a more contemporary note, this is one of the greatest albums of love songs I’ve ever heard…

kd

k.d. Lang’s Ingenue. That song “Constant Craving” gives me shivers…and how apt, because I’m craving the cook!

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