Black Bean Chocolate Truffles

How about getting a little extra fiber in your diet... In the form of CHOCOLATE??

Now, I'm not talking those miralax fiber chews that you can pick up at the pharamacy.  Those things sound gross.  Don't eat them.... There are much better ways to get your roughage.

Eating beans is a great way to up the fiber in your diet, and what better way to do so than in the form of chocolate... Chocolate DIPPED in chocolate.

Black beans have made their way into brownies, cakes, cookies and now, truffles. 

Pureed black beans are like a blank canvas of creaminess, so when cocoa powder, coconut oil and a some maple syrup make friends with the beans, the result is chocolatey goodness without the guilt.  I've eaten the mixture on it's own.. like alot of it, when I was having a crazy chocolate fit, and it's delicious.  Sure, it tastes a little like beans, but dip those bad boys in melted chocolate and you can barely tell the difference. 

Chocolate Black Bean Truffles (makes 16)
From So Good and Tasty

1 c. cooked black beans
2 T. coconut oil
3 T. cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt
3 T. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped dark or semi sweet chocolate

Place beans, coconut oil, cocoa powder, sea salt, maple syrup and vanilla in a food processor and process until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.  Transfer mixture to a container and refrigerate at least 6 hours. 
Roll the mixture into small balls (about 1 Tablespoons worth) and place on a sheetpan lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge for thirty minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When the balls have chilled, pull out a few at a time (you want them to stay cold, so it's best to do them in batches). Carefully insert a toothpick in the center and dip in the melted chocolate to coat. I found the best way to remove them from the toothpick was with a fork. Carefully slide the fork tines under the side where the toothpick is inserted and slowly twist while pulling upward, placing them on a sheetpan lined with parchement paper. Let them chill a bit to allow the chocolate to harden. Store truffles in the fridge.

Oatcakes

These aren't your typical oatcakes.

Why do I know this?

'Cause I like to look up random facts on wikipedia, so when someone asks me a question on some far fetched subject I will inevitably know the answer.

One day I will be a finalist on jeapordy. Just you wait..

So apparently the Scottish, English, and Canadians all have there own version of a propa' oatcake. 

Some oatcakes are more cracker like or chewy, whereas others are more resemblant of a pancake.

This one here is neither cracker like or chewy and sure as hell doesn't look or taste like a pancake.

Although they look like mini muffins, they are more like a dense biscuit or a cookie.. A cookie biscuit!

My friend/co-worker Renee featured these on her awesome blog, Nourish Your Roots via a recipe from Supernatural Everyday's mastermind Heidi Swanson from 101 Cookbooks.  Both of these ladies got it going on, so I figured if THEY liked them, I would as well.

Packed with oats, whole wheat pastry flour, flax seed, maple syrup, coconut oil and a little organic sugar, and some eggs these are perfect for a quick snack or breakfast on the go.. and because they are so dense, they keep you full for hours.

Oatcakes (makes 12)
Slightly adapted from Nourish Your Roots via Supernatural Everyday by Heidi Swanson
3 c. rolled oats
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t. baking powder
2 t. sea salt
1/4 c. flax seed
2/3 c. coconut oil
3/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. cane sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
　
Preheat oven to 325 with a rack in the top third of oven. Grease a standard 12 c. muffin pan with coconut oil Combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and flax seeds in a large mixing bowl.
In a medium saucepan over low heat combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, and sugar and slowly melt together. stir just until the coconut oil melts and sugar has dissolved, but don't let mixture get too hot. You don't want to cook the eggs on contact in the next step.
Pour coconut oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir a bit with a fork, add the eggs and stir again until everything comes together into a wet dough. Spoon dough into muffin cups, nearly filling them.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges of each oatcake are deeply golden. Remove pan from he oven and let cool for a couple of minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges of the cakes and tip them out onto a cooling rack. serve warm or at room temp.

Rawsome Banana Cacao Ice Cream

Holy amazeballs this stuff is no joke.

Banana ice cream has been all the rage lately. I mean what could be easier than throwing some frozen bananas in a food processor and having a creamy treat in less than five minutes.
I decided to give it a go, but wanted something a little more decadent.

I mixed together some unrefined coconut oil, raw cacao powder, raw cacao nibs and some honey to transform this dessert into a superfood treat!

Coconut oil has gotten a bad reputation for being unhealthy since it contains saturated fat.  However, most of the saturated fat in coconut oil is easily digestible and turned into quick energy, and therefore is less likely to cause obesity.  It has also been shown to have anti-microbal benefits and can boost immunity.

RAW cacao is known as food of the gods and is actually one of the healthiest foods on earth.  No joke. It has one of the highest levels of antioxidants on the planet.  It lowers blood pressure and can prevent heart disease.  It has more magnesium than any other food (the one mineral westerners are most deficient in). Magnesium helps to reduce stress, relaxes the muscles and builds strong bones and teeth. It also makes me feel amazing!! After consuming raw cacao I feel more energetic, like a great coffee buzz but without the crash.

RAW honey is anti- bacterial, ani- microbal and anti- fungal.  It boosts immunity, is great for ulcers and aids digestion and has anti-cancer properties.  A spoonful of local raw honey is also great for those of us that suffer from seasonal allergies.

So... now that you know how good the stuff is.. Let's do this!

Fun with science:
Coconut oil is solid below 76 degrees and turns liquid at any temperature above that. When the liquidy coconut cacao mixture hits the ice cold banana puree it instantly turns solid.  Hello, magic shell!!!

Rawsome Banana Cacao Ice Cream (serves 2-4)

5 bananas, peeled, cut into pieces and frozen for at least 12 hours

Magic shell:
1/4 c. coconut oil (if your coconut oil is solid, heat it gently till it becomes liquified)
1/4 c. raw cacao powder
1 T. raw cacao nibs
1 T. raw honey

In a small bowl mix together the coconut oil, cacao powder, nibs and honey.
Meanwhile, place the chopped frozen bananas in a food processor and give it a whirl, scraping down the sides every thirty seconds or so (it took about five minutes to get a creamy texture).  When the texture is nice and smooth, add in half of your "magic shell" ingredients and pulse a couple times to incorporate.  Divide the ice cream between bowls and top with the remaining shell mixture.  Dig in and prepare for a serious energy boost!

Next time I'm totally adding peanut butter.  Just sayin'.