RECIPE: Chocolate Coconut No-Bake Candy

First and foremost I want to say HAPPY 88th BIRTHDAY to my precious dad!! I wish we could be there with you today, but we just couldn't squeeze in a trip before we leave for Switzerland on Tuesday. We sent you a box of goodies for your birthday ... Enjoy! See you soon! We love you! (We live on opposite sides of the continent!)


About this recipe and the inspiration behind it ... 


One thing I remember vividly from my childhood was the ever-popular Friday lunch at school. Seems it didn't matter if it were 1 - 5 grade in Texas 6 - 12 grade in Tennessee. The one thing they all had in common was that dessert was chocolate oatmeal no-bake cookies. Even after I became an adult, those cookies (AKA Cow Patties) were always my favorites! I looked forward to hikes with friends because I'd make them to take along as a power snack. Perhaps it's a Pavlovian response, but everyone would call or email me to see if I'd be bringing a batch along. See? We may grow older, but we never grow up!
Since those wonderfully delicious taste sensations are made with tons of sugar and raw oats, they are totally off limits these days. However ... Last night I came across a recipe that brought on a most exciting "ah-ha" moment! The ingredients are Paleo, so I thought the final product might be a suitable replacement for that beloved childhood treat. Here's the link to the video I found: Video of Coconut Honey Candy for Easter
Here's the recipe for the version I came up with last night ...
CHOCOLATE COCONUT NO-BAKE CANDY

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Honey
1 cup Almond Butter
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 tablespoon Vanilla
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened Coconut
1/2 cup chopped Pecans

DIRECTIONS:
1. Line an 8" X 8" pan with parchment paper. I couldn't find mine, so I used "Press N Seal" with the sticky side down. It works GREAT!!
2. Pour honey into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.

3. When honey boils, continue to stir constantly for two minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in almond butter until it melts, then add cocoa powder and vanilla, stirring well. Add coconut and pecans, stirring well.
5. Once everything is well blended, pour into the lined pan and spread evenly. The mixture will be stiff, so use your fingers to press it into the corners, if needed.

6. Chill 30 - 45 minutes or until the mixture had sufficiently hardened.
7. Remove from pan, peel lining off the bottom and place on a cutting board to cut into pieces. I cut 6 strips first, turned it and cut into 6 rows, making 36 candies.

8. These are best kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, but will remain somewhat firm if left out for an hour or so.

RECIPE: Mocha Java Chip Smoothie

One of my most favorite drinks used to be Starbuck's Java Chip. I'm certain it's not Paleo approved. I've not checked. I'm scared to check. Probably because I think they'd be rather addictive! So, instead of researching their ingredients, I decided to make something that would pacify my craving.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup coffee
1 banana
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons carob chips
8 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:
Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Chocolate Chip Smoothie

For years I have jokingly said the four food groups were "round things, flat things, onions, and chocolate. I realize it's not quite that simple ... or silly ... but chocolate is a popular component in weekly meal planning. It blows my mind how people differ in how they view "dessert." I believe rich, decadent desserts are treats. Rarities. Indulgences. Not an expected end to every meal. A fruit dish, or a crumble with nuts and fruits, or even a smoothie make excellent, healthy "desserts", as well. 

This morning I had a craving for chocolate. Out of the blue, I might add. So, I decided this might be a good time to try a chocolate smoothie. What I came up with was absolutely wonderful!! In a weird way it brought back memories of one of my favorite episodes of "I Love Lucy" ... See? I told you! Weird! If you've ever seen the episode where Lucy and her best friend, Ethyl, work in the factory where they are to take frozen bananas, dip them in chocolate and then roll them in nuts, you'll know why that memory popped into my mind! Here's my recipe ... Try it and see if you have a similar experience.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla, but chocolate would be great!!)

1 banana

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon carob chips

6 - 8 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Pour into your favorite insulated cup and enjoy!

RECIPE: Paleo Hot Chocolate

It's cold and rainy outside. Something we're not used to this winter in Northern California. I'm cold. I want something hot to drink. Something chocolaty. I go on the Internet in search of answers. Is it possible to make Paleo Hot Chocolate? I'm sure it is! I found this recipe - Paleo Hot Chocolate. It looked pretty good, but I'm used to a sweeter version of hot chocolate. So, I decided to tweak it a bit. Here's what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 - 2 teaspoons organic Agave (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine coconut milk, water, cinnamon and cocoa powder - stirring well.
2. Microwave for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in vanilla and a teaspoon agave.
4. Taste. Adjust sweetness as desired.
(I almost forgot to take a picture of the finished product! Here it is after I've tasted it several times! Good stuff!)

RECIPE: Paleo Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate pudding? Seriously? Yes! Seriously, and seriously GOOD! I actually found a recipe for chocolate pudding on cfscceat.blogspot.com (adapted from Natural Noshing.com) today and I had all the ingredients, so I HAD to try it. The ingredients intrigued me a bit ... cocoa powder, almond milk, vanilla, honey, even cinnamon I can imagine, but not avocados! Funny thing is, I did not taste the avocado one bit, and neither did Conrad! Heck, I didn't even tell him what the ingredients were and he didn't ask! He has a discerning palate, so I figured he'd say something if he detected anything unusual.

INGREDIENTS:
2 avocados
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 banana (not too ripe or it will overpower the chocolate)
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch sea salt (I used fine crystals instead of the coarse salt the photo shows below. I caught that before I made that mistake!!)
Cocoa nibs as a garnish (walnuts would be good, too!)

Be sure to use fine crystals rather than coarse salt as seen below:

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients except cocoa nibs in a blender or food processor. Blend well for about a minute. The mixture should be well blended, smooth and creamy. Mine was a little too thick, so I added a little more almond milk.

Spoon into serving dishes.

Garnish with cocoa nibs, and refrigerate for 15 - 20 minutes.

Enjoy!