Candy for Christmas Part 2: Lavender Truffles, Almond Truffles, and Almond Roca

As noted in my previous post ( My Adventures in Nougat Making…) I have been on approximately a week long quest to make candy for Thanksgiving/Christmas. I’ll tell you this much – I have consumed more sugar in this past week than I care to admit. It’s just impossible to make truffles and nougat and chocolate covered pretzels without ingesting some of it. Impossible, I tell you!

I made plain truffles last year for Christmas, so I decided to get a little crazy with them this year, as you can tell. But not only are they decorated and fancy, they also are interestingly flavored – lavender and almond.

As for the Almond Roca, this was the first time I’d ever made anything resembling toffee, which is basically what Almond Roca is. Actually, it is defined on Wikipedia as chocolate covered hard toffee with almonds, so there ya go. This process also involves a candy thermometer, so if you don’t have one of those and this confection sounds delicious, you better march yourself over to walmart and get one.

Marbled Almond Roca (from Taste of Home Cookies & Candies)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp boiling water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

METHOD:

1. Sprinkle almonds on a greased 9 x 13″ baking pan. Bake at 300F for 15 or until toasted and golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan over low heat, cook butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Add water and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until your candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees (hard crack stage). Quickly pour over the almonds in prepared baking pan.

3. Sprinkle chocolate chips and white chocolate chips on top and let stand for a couple minutes, or until they are soft enough to spread. Commence to swirl.

4. Cool completely then break in pieces.

*********************************

Lavender Truffles

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp dried lavender buds
1 cup dark or white chocolate chips (or both!) for chocolate coating

METHOD:

1. Start melting chocolate chips on a double broiler. Meanwhile, place heavy whipping cream and lavender buds in a pan and bring to a simmer on medium low heat. Once chocolate is melted, pour heavy whipping cream through a strainer (so no lavender gets in the chocolate) and stir until smooth.

2. Place in fridge or freezer until hardened. Use a teaspoon to measure out balls – you may have to round them a little with your hands (this is where it gets messy). Place back in fridge or freezer until chocolate coating is ready.

3. Melt chocolate for chocolate coating in double broiler. Dip the ganache balls into the chocolate so they are completely coated. Roll in sprinkles, nuts, or coco powder for some fun.

*************************

Almond Truffles

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup chocolate (white or dark) for chocolate coating.

METHOD:

1. Follow the same method as in the Lavender Truffles except replace lavender buds for almond extract while simmering the heavy whipping cream. No straining is necessary.

Pumpkin Spice Brownies

I think it’s finally time to post this magical recipe for everyone. I’ve been meaning to for quite some time, but somehow the hours just slip away from me and everything I mean to do turns into a distant dream and a far flung longing for those days of quiet boredom that used to litter my era of school-going.

I’ve done some pretty fantastic things recently, though, including but not limited to petting a baby deer and dropping my phone in a cup of steaming coffee (okay, so that last one wasn’t so fantastic). I’ve also been baking a lot (pumpkiny things especially), so be looking forward to that! These Pumpkin Spice Brownies are perfect for the fall season – for obvious reasons. I love brownies because they are so easy to make. These particular brownies combine that special feature with all the delicious spiciness of autumn cooking.

So I don’t think I need to say anything profound or long-winded about this recipe. It is two good things put together, after all. Pumpkin spice, the best flavor of fall; chocolate, the best flavor of the rest of the seasons…yep, that pretty much covers it. I will say that it struck me afterward how good those new Pumpkin Spice M&Ms would be in these brownies. They would have blended in superbly…Next time. Next time.

Pumpkin Spice Brownies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup finely processed oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp molasses
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 egg

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine oats, flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and spices. On a double boiler or in the microwave, melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips. When completely melted, add brown sugar, pumpkin puree, molasses, and olive oil. Mix well and then add egg.

2. Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients, mixing until everything is well incorporated. Add remaining chocolate chips.

3. Bake at 350F for approximately 40 minutes or until a fork comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Frosting (in Homage to All Fathers)

I was blessed this year to be able to spend father’s day with my father. I went back to Texas last weekend for the lovely wedding of a dear friend, and that just happened to coincide with father’s day too. An added bonus. I don’t know about your dad, but mine loves two things: peanut butter and chocolate.

This cake makes the best out of that wonderful duo. The cake itself is whole wheat, butter free, chocolatey and full of peanut butter. The frosting is made of greek yogurt and all natural crunchy PB. Of course, for father’s day I just had to top the cake with some candy. Just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Now enough about the cake. What this post is really about is my awesome dad. When my brother, sister, and I were little he used to be the Tickle Monster. Through the years, he’s also been doctor, adventurer, supporter, and friend. I have never looked up to anyone more than him.

I am grateful to my dad for so many reasons. From the early years when he used to read to us everyday despite his long hours at work, to the afternoon push-up contests we had in elementary school, to the time a year or so ago he told me I could make a million dollars crafting, he’s always had my best interest at heart. He has shaped me into the book-loving, craft-loving, health-conscious person I am today.

Moreover, he has been an excellent leader of our family, showing us that love can go longer and farther than anything else. As I go into my marriage, my dad is the example I will strive to follow as a parent.

Ultimately what this is all to say is…I love you, Dad! Happy Father’s Day!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup carob or coco powder
1 cup melted chocolate
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup hot coffee
1 1/2 cup milk (with one tbsp vinegar)
3 eggs
For frosting:
1 cup all natural crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup full fat greek yogury
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and carob powder. In a separate bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter together and stir well. Add milk and eggs and whip until well-combined.

2. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir together until smooth. Continue to stir while adding the hot coffee. Batter will be thin.

3. Pour batter into two round oiled cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. For frosting: Using mixer, mix all ingredients until smooth. Frost cake when its completely cooled.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Chocolate Greek Yogurt Glaze

Ohhhh, bananas, they are so good. Especially when they are converted into cake. Moist, scrumptious, healthy, chocolate-chippy cake.

So gooooooood. Is your mouth watering yet?

Now, you might be asking: Is this the same thing as banana bread? My answer: No. It is a cake. A real cake. A cake that could be used for a birthday party and there would be a lot of happy people. Honestly, nothing beats banana cake.

I chose to serve this cake with the Chocolate Greek Yogurt Glaze that I used on my Avocado Chocolate Cake, mostly because my fiancé loves chocolate and it complements the banana flavor. However, I would be perfectly content with this cake without the chocolate glaze. It is sweet and soft and perfectly banana-y.

It is also, as is common with my desserts, great for those health-conscious dessert-lovers out there. It has no fat other than chocolate chips and it cuts way back on the sugar as compared to other cakes. Not to mention it has the benefit of containing real live fruit which not only improves the flavor but helps out the body too.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 mashed bananas
1 cup greek yogurt
1/3 cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
3 eggs
chocolate chips

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray bundt pan with oil and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar,  salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix mashed bananas, yogurt, milk, vanilla, honey, and eggs. Mix well. Add banana mixture to flour mixture and thoroughly mix, making sure there are no clumps. Add in chocolate chips.

3. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with my Chocolate Greek Yogurt Glaze for added deliciousness.

Lavender Chocolate Pudding

I started nannying three kids (aged 1, 4, and 7) full time this week, and, boy, has it been interesting. What a handful these children are…So sometimes when I get home, tired, covered in snot and slobber, all I want to do is eat chocolate. And like I said before, I never pass up the opportunity to use my personal herb garden.

Lavender Chocolate Pudding sounded like a decadent, delicious treat after a hard day’s work, and I was right! It is simply wonderful.

I didn’t know this until recently, but using the lavender leaves are just as acceptable in culinary explorations as the lavender flowers. As my plant has not started blooming yet, I used the leaves for this pudding, chopped them up very fine and mixed them with the sugar, letting the oils seep in. After that, I heated the lavender sugar, milk, and cornstarch, stirring constantly until just boiling. Even without the chocolate it was delicious. And the leaves are so thin that they aren’t even noticeable in the final product.

Like my grandma’s beautiful tea cups? I do. They make any type of pudding better.

But on the topic of tea cups – last weekend I went to a tea party with my grandma to test out some of the food by the woman who is catering my wedding. Curiously enough, there was not one chocolate dessert. The desserts were delicious – key lime squares, lemon bars, orange madelines, lemon lavender scones, but chocolate was obviously absent. I chalked this up to the fact that, in spite of the chocolate-loving-women stereotype, chocolate is a man’s dessert. Ladies like fruity things, frilly things, dainty things. In point, I believe that this Lavender Chocolate Pudding, though chocolate, has enough daintiness to feel just at home at a ladies’ tea party! Especially when served in tea cups.

Lavender Chocolate Pudding

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup 2% milk
3/4 cup dark chocolate
1/4 white chocolate
handful of lavender leaves, finely chopped
vanilla extract

METHOD:

1. Chop lavender leaves very finely and mix with sugar. Let sit for a couple minutes.

2. Place sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a sauce pan. Slowly add milk and turn heat on medium low. Stir constantly. When milk becomes frothy, add chocolate.

3. Stir constantly until all chocolate is melted and for 4 or 5 minutes more. Should become thick. Take off heat and add vanilla.

Banana and Peanut Butter Oat Muffins

Somehow, even though I currently have no job (that starts next week) and no school, there is simply not enough time in the day. I wake up sometime around 6:30 and then in a blink of an eye it’s 10 pm. Sure, I’ve taken care of some things, made some wedding decorations, etc etc, but the major things just sort of sit stagnant. Like that tapestry art I want to make, those papier-mache gnomes that have been wandering the crevices of my mind for a while, the next great american novel that needs to get out of my head….these things go nowhere. I wish they would.

Time just passes far to quickly for my liking. I’m in a state of excited anticipation for my wedding, but when I realized (read remembered) that my dress fitting is tomorrow I sort of freaked out. It literally seemed like yesterday I was trying the dress on and thinking “Geesh, May 28th is forever far away.”

Welllllll. Baking always eases harried minds, and of course nothing slows things down like a good dollop of natural peanut butter. It’s sticky and stuff, so to meander my mood I figured I could use some.

One of my favorite snacks is peanut butter on a banana. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that somewhere here before. Banana and Peanut Butter Oat Muffins are that delicious snack in muffin form. It makes the perfect To-Go version, because you can’t really spoon peanut butter out of the jar when you’re driving down the interstate.

And of course, they are healthy too. Made with ground oatmeal, honey, and natural peanut butter they contain hardly any preservatives or harsh chemicals. The muffins are low in sugar but high in taste and a perfect jumpstart for a hectic day. Just for an extra punch I added dark chocolate chips to half of the batter for my chocolate-loving better half.

Banana and Peanut Butter Oat Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup oats, finely processed
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large banana (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp all natural peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine processed oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mash banana and add greek yogurt, honey, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Fold banana mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over stir.

4. Pour batter into greased muffin pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Fresh Fruit Makes Cake Look Even Better, and Chocolate Greek Yogurt Glaze

Spring is here, which means it’s time for fresh fruit, garden picnics, and serving bundt cake at tea parties. It’s incredible how pretty you can make anything look with a little fresh fruit!

Last week, my grandma requested that I make my Avocado Chocolate Cake for her PEO meeting, and of course (loving baking the way I do) I complied. But I wanted to make it extra pretty for the event (especially since people beyond my family would be eating it), so I decided to use a lovely, old-fashioned bundt pan and a glaze rather than a frosting. And the lovely strawberries, blackberries, and kiwis were just the added pop of color the cake needed to take it to the caliber spring cake requires.

Chocolate Greek Yogurt Glaze (perfect for a really pretty version of my Avocado Chocolate Cake)

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 heaping cup chocolate chips, melted
1/3 cup nutella
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

METHOD:

Melt chocolate chips. Add nutella, yogurt, vanilla, and salt to bowl of melted chocolate, and blend with mixer until well combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Enjoy on cake, brownies, or as a fruit dip.

Avocado Sea Salt Brownies (Yes, More Avocado. Call me Obsessed)

Upon eating a bite of one of these brownies, my dad, and this is a direct quote, exclaimed: “These brownies are the best I’ve ever eaten! And I am a chocolate connoisseur.”

To be honest, only recently have I grown a taste for brownies. Growing up, I found rich chocolate desserts distasteful. Even now I prefer a fruity dessert to a so-rich-I’m-going-to-puke dessert. But as I have previously mentioned, there are a lot of people in my life who love chocolate, and I love baking, so I’ve learned distinguish between good brownies, great brownies, and phenomenal brownies. And these are phenomenal (according to my mom, my dad, and my fiancé, at least).

Yes, there is avocado in them. Of course there is avocado. ALWAYS AVOCADO. I can’t help that I’m obsessed.

I’ve made these brownies a multitude of times, but this time I made a couple simple variations from my original recipe. At FRESH by Brookshires last week I found toasted carob powder and a jar of caramel made with honey (rather than the typical processed white sugar or corn syrup).

I’m always up for experimenting, so I decided to try at hand at these interesting ingredients in my beloved avocado brownies. If you don’t have these specialty items, that’s totally fine. The brownies are still delicious with the commonplace cocoa powder and no caramel filling.

Here’s some double boiling action. I like watching the steam pour out as the chocolate melts. And I love my little pan. I love little things.

Mashed avocado. So great. So pretty.

This is the first layer of brownie with the caramel sauce spread over top. I spread the rest of the batter on top of the caramel and then sprinkled it with sea salt.

Avocado Sea Salt Brownies

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 medium avocados, mashed
8 ounces dark chocolate to melt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted carob powder (can be replaced with cocoa powder)
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 ounces chocolate chips (or however much you want)
caramel sauce for center layer (completely optional)
Sea Salt

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt chocolate chips by double boiling. Mash avocado and add to melting chocolate. Stir well. When completely melted, place in large bowl and mix in sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add flour, carob (or cocoa) powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. If using caramel sauce, spread about half of the brownie batter in a pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with a thin layer of caramel sauce. Spread rest of brownie batter over top.

3. Bake in 350F oven for about an hour or until toothpick comes out clean (if you use a lot of extra chocolate chips, it will be hard to determine whether your brownie is done. If it is cracked on top and feels pretty sturdy, this is a good indicator).

Brownies are so easy to make and sooo goooood. This is chock full of chocolate so I can’t really call it healthy, but I like the thought that it has avocado in it. Makes me feel accomplished, and when unawares people hear what the secret ingredient is, their expressions are simply priceless. Hope you enjoy as much as my family did.

Avocado Chocolate Cake

There are a lot of men in my life who love chocolate. My dad, my brother, my fiancé… It’s ironic that it’s the men who are obsessed. Breaking stereotype.

All of that to say, I really do enjoy having an excuse to make decadent chocolate desserts as healthy as I possibly can while still impressing my chocolate-obsessed family. As long as it’s rich and tastes like chocolate, they don’t care if I sneak in heart healthy vegetables like avocado. 

WHO NEEDS BUTTER WHEN WE HAVE AVOCADO?

This is a question I often ask myself when making chocolate desserts. I mean, I ask myself that question all the time, regardless of what type of dessert I am making. I hate butter. And there are so many suitable alternatives. But an added bonus to using avocado in chocolate desserts is that the chocolate not only disguises the color of the avocado, but any remnant of taste there could possibly be. Secret avocado. Yummyyyyyy.

 The avocado along with Greek yogurt makes this cake uber moist. Nothing is lost for flavor or experience without the butter, believe me.

CLICK HERE for the nutritional benefits of the lovely little avocado, then tell me you’re upset I replaced the butter in my cake.

Avocado Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp coco powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup mashed avocado
1/3 cup melted chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
vanilla
1 3/4  cup milk
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 egg

For the frosting:

1/3 cup chocolate chips melted
1/4 cup mashed avocado
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup nutella
1/3 cup powdered sugar

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Combine flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder, and salt. Measure out chocolate chips and melt by double boiling. Add in mashed avocado. When chips are completely melted, take off heat and put in separate bowl. Add sugar, vanilla, vinegar, milk, Greek yogurt, and egg. Blend with mixer until well blended. Should be very runny.

2. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix until well combined. Put mixture into a greased and floured cake pan (I used a bundt pan, but you could use two circle pans or a large sheet cake pan or whatever your heart desires).

3. Bake at 325F for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. While your cake is baking, prepare the frosting. Melt chocolate chips by double boiling and add mashed avocado. In a separate bowl, mix greek yogurt and nutella. When chocolate is melted, add to yogurt mixture and blend until well-mixed. Add powdered sugar and blend again. Let thicken in fridge until cake is cooled and ready to frost.