Tag Archives: coconut

February 7, 2013 · 7:24 pm

Candied Chocolate Crackers

Ready for something sweet?!  After being diagnosed with allergies, I was determined to find alternatives to chocolate that still actually tasted like chocolate… I just couldn’t give it up!  To my surprise, there are many dairy free and vegan chocolate chips out there that truly taste like the real thing, and actually are more chocolatey because they are made from actual cocoa.  So, I recently made a sweet treat that I hope you enjoy.

Candied Chocolate Crackers

Pieces:

  1. 6 ounces plan gluten free crackers…. I used one box of Glutino brand, like Ritz crackers
  2. 5 tbsp. vegan butter
  3. 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  4. 2 cups vegan chocolate chips
  5. 4 tbsp. shredded coconut
  6. 2 tsp. sea salt

Process:

  1. Melt the vegan butter and sugar in a bowl in the microwave, about 30 seconds.
  2. On a cookie sheet, break up the crackers with your hands so they are small pieces but not finely ground.  Make sure they stay close together, with no gaps in between the pieces.
  3. Pour the brown sugar butter evenly over the crackers.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees about 15 minutes, just until edges of the crackers start to brown.
  5. Pour the chocolate chips evenly over the crackers.
  6. Put back in the oven for 2 minutes.
  7. Using the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate over the crackers so it melts and covers.
  8. Sprinkle the sea salt and coconut on top.
  9. Put in the fridge to cool for 45 minutes.
  10. Once it is cooled, take it out and break it up into pieces.
  11. Try to eat just one!

coco choc candyHappy Allergy Free Eating!

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September 18, 2012 · 7:49 pm

Put the Lime in the Coconut… Cocktail

In a last ditch effort to say goodbye to summer while the last few warm winds sweep through, I dreamt of a Goodbye Summer Cocktail with coconut and lime.  It tastes like an island!  At least I know I can make these and put little umbrellas in them to take a break from the coming winter weather.

Put the Lime in the Coconut… Cocktail

In a glass, combine:

  • 2 shots vanilla vodka
  • 1 tbsp. coconut syrup (or coconut rum)
  • one slice of lime, with a little squeeze
  • top off with zero calorie lemon lime soda
  • a couple ice cubes

 

Goodbye summer!

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May 17, 2012 · 6:22 pm

Magic Bars

I recently received a complimentary copy of a cookbook by the chef who cooks for Ellen Degeneres, Roberto Martin.

I was eager to get this cookbook because I have been finding some vegan dishes popping up in my diet (mostly breakfast and lunch).  And the title was intriguing- I am definitely a carnivore!  When I flipped through the book, I came across a recipe for “Magic Bars.”  Chocolate, coconut, and graham cracker crust sounded good to me.  I did have to revise the recipe just a bit to be gluten free, but it was easy to do.  Here is how I did it…

Magic Bars

Pieces:

  1. 2 cups crushed gluten free ginger snap cookies
  2. 12 tbsp. vegan butter, melted
  3. 2 cups non dairy condensed milk (simmer 2 tbsp. cornstarch, one half cup white sugar, 4 cups almond milk, dash of vanilla in a saucepan for about 45 minutes until reduced to 2 cups)
  4. one bag non dairy chocolate chips
  5. one and one half cups flaked coconut
  6. one and one half cups of your favorite nuts (like pecans or cashews)

Process:

  1. Crush the ginger snap cookies in a food processor.
  2. Combine the melted butter and ginger snaps in a bowl and pour them into a baking pan (13 x 9) to make a crust.
  3. Pour the condensed milk over the crust.
  4. Sprinkle the coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts over the condensed milk.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
  6. Let cool for at least a couple hours, and then cut into bars.

I would definitely give a thumbs up on this recipe!  The flavors were amazing, and I swear you would never know it was gluten and dairy free.  Although, I do have to make this again to really get the consistency right.  I think I needed a smaller pan to make them thicker and truly cut them into bars.  Also, I tried to use soy milk to make the condensed milk and the consistency was off… next time I will do what the recipe says and use almond milk (which is thinner and probably reduces better).  Overall, I was pleased!  I will definitely try other recipes in this book.

 

 

 

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January 26, 2012 · 4:55 pm

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

I have always been a big fan of dessert, but when you take wheat and dairy out of your diet… sweets become tougher to come by.  I have slowly found my favorite sweet treats… such as allergy free homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and coconut milk ice cream.  My venture this week was a coconut cookie… chocolate dipped coconut macaroons.  They do have egg whites in them, but I don’t seem to have a reaction.  Major plus!  Although tempting to eat the whole batch, I won’t push my limits!  In addition to being delicious, they are also super easy to make.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Pieces:

  1. 3 cups flaked coconut
  2. two thirds cup white sugar
  3. one quarter cup gluten free flour
  4. 3 egg whites
  5. 1 tsp. vanilla
  6. one quarter tsp. almond extract
  7. 2 cups dairy free chocolate chips

Process:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, flour, egg whites, vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir well to combine.
  2. In a greased cookie sheet, drop rounded spoon fulls of the batter.  You can use your hand to shape them.
  3. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the tops start to turn golden brown.
  4. Let them cool completely.
  5. In a double boiler or similar, melt the chocolate chips over medium heat.  Stir the melted chocolate until smooth.
  6. Dip half of each macaroon into the chocolate.
  7. Let sit, cool, and harden on wax paper.

Happy Allergy Free Desserting!

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