Christmas dark chocolate bark with nuts and dried fruits

This festive chocolate bark is great for the holidays! Give it as a gift or treat yourself! It reminds me of the trail mix that I take with me when I go hiking … just a bit fancier of course.

It is super easy to make and is delicious! For the topping, you can use any nuts and dried fruits that you like. I used pistachio nuts, walnuts, dried cranberries, dried apricots and raisins. It is your choice and the combinations are endless! Oh and the smell of the roasted nuts … priceless.

The perfect dessert … sweetened with only dried fruits and made crunchy with only nuts!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

12 oz high quality chocolate chunks or chips (I used 70% dark chocolate)
handful nuts, chopped
handful of dried fruits, chopped
1 tsp coarsely ground salt

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 F.
On a baking sheet, toast the nuts in the preheated oven for about 6-9 min. Cut them into smaller pieces if you wish. Cut the dried fruits if you wish.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a pot with a thick bottom. Spread the chocolate evenly onto a rimmed dish with a spatula. Try to get the thickness about 1/4″. The dish should be large enough to hold the melted chocolate. I used a 8 x 11 ” casserole dish.
Drop the dried fruits, toasted nuts and the salt pieces on the top.
Let it cool completely for 2-4 hours or refrigerate for 15 minutes.
When the chocolate sets, using your hand, break the chocolate into pieces.
They can be stored in an airtight container for weeks.

Enjoy!

Photos and text by twincitiesherbs.

Moist apple oatmeal muffins

The first time I ate an oatmeal muffin was when we visited my husband’s grandmother over 30 years ago. She made them for breakfast for us. I really liked it after I took the first bite and I have been making them ever since. I served them for breakfast when my parents came to visit us from Hungary and they were equally impressed. I remember my mom returned to Hungary with a muffin tin so she could make these delicious muffins.

These apple oatmeal muffins are easy to make and are delicious. The oats give a nice texture and important nutrients. They are packed with raisins and nuts and infused with apple spice. I also added some grated apples to satisfy my autumn cravings and make the muffins moist. Also, because the apples made the muffins moist, I was able to remove the milk. I forgot to squeeze the juice out of the apples and didn’t add the milk … and my new recipe was born! I believe this recipe is even better than the original!

RECIPE

Serves 11 – 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 cup wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 tsp apple cinnamon spice or cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4-1/2 cup sugar (plus more for the top)
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter or coconut oil, melted
3 eggs, lightly whisked
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 heaping cups grated apples with the liquids (any baking apples like Fuji, Granny smith, Harlson would work well)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, apple cinnamon spice. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream the melted butter, vanilla, sugar and eggs. Set aside.
Grate the apples. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and the butter mixture. Fold in the apples, nuts and raisins. Mix just until combined. Don’t over mix, otherwise the muffins will be tough not tender.
Scoop the dough into a regular 11 – 12 cup muffin tin. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Sprinkle sugar on the top. (If there is an empty cup, fill the empty space with water).
Let the mixture sit for 1 hour if you have time.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool for 10 – 15 minutes before taking them out of the tin. Then transfer them to a wire rack and wait for 10 minutes to completely cool.
Serve at room temperature.
Store on the counter covered with a cloth or in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Text, recipe and photo by Twincitiesherbs.

Decadent Black Bean Brownies

A few years ago, I had black bean brownies at a potluck. I love brownies but they tend to be rich and heavy. I remember looking at the brownies on the table and wished I could have had one … and soon afterwards the woman who baked the brownies came to me and invited me to try it … I explained to her that I really wanted to have one but brownies were a bit rich for me. Then she assured me that these brownies were not the regular brownies but they were made with black beans. Hmm I thought this is an interesting take on brownies … I kind of hesitated but then I gave it a try… and I am so glad I did! These are absolutely delicious, decadent brownies even better than the original!

These are very tasty, chewy and chocolaty brownies, no one will guess they are made with black beans. Try to use the best quality chocolate that you can possibly get as the chocolate is still an important part of the recipe. This is definitely a very healthy alternative to the original brownie recipes.

So why use black beans? Well, they are actually sweet. They also add protein to the brownies. The protein in the black beans helps to curb the blood sugar spikes that you would see with regular desserts.

Try it and let me know in the comment section how you liked it!

RECIPE

Yields 12 slices

Ingredients

1 cup dried black beans or 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coffee liquor
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
Clean and soak the beans for 8 hours. Remove the soaking liquid and discard. Cook the beans in fresh water for 2 hours. Strain. (Omit if using canned beans).
Add the black beans without its liquid to a food processor and chop until smooth. I don’t have a food processor, so I just mash the black beans with a potato masher. It works great.
In a bowl, mix the chopped black beans, egg, coconut oil, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, coffee liquor, vanilla extract and salt until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts. You can do 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and save the other half for the top.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
You can put half the chocolate chips on the top.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Store in an air-tight container for 1 week.

enjoy!

Picture and text by twincitiesherbs.