cooking ala mel

Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Crème

February 7, 2012

With Valentine’s Day coming up and seeing all the yummy recipes cropping up on food blogs, I was really craving chocolate mousse of some sort. Since I needed some red in there somehow, I figured I’d make it my favorite flavor combination, chocolate and raspberry. I went to a recipe I’ve already made countless times and posted once before (here), although the pictures there are horrendous. I love how light and fluffy the texture is and how RICH the flavor is. So perfect.

As I was taking photos, I figured I’d throw in a little quote that can relate to Valentine’s day from one of my coasters that I made. This was inscribed on the tombstone of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is apparently Matthew 6:19-24 from the Bible. I did not know that!

I ended up having a really bad migraine from lack of sleep the day I made these, so I had to force myself to eat it (it was one of those migraines where the light bothers you, smells make you feel sick..). Once I started eating it, it perked me right up, and I felt a little better. After it was gone, though, I had the cup sitting on the coffee table, I could smell it, and it went to my head again and made me feel awful. But there’s more for tonight, so I’m totally okay with feeling sick the first time around.

I highly recommend making this for your Valentine. It’s super quick and easy, but it tastes really decadent. I definitely wouldn’t say no to it..ever.

Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Crème
adapted from Rachael Ray
serves 4
2/3 cup milk (I used lactose free, fat free)
1 egg
2 T coconut sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 T raspberry liqueur

Heat milk over moderate heat until just boiling. Using a blender on low setting, combine chocolate chips, sugar, egg, liqueur and salt. Slowly add milk and blend for about 1 minute, until smooth. Pour into four demitasse cups, and chill until set. Garnish with fresh or frozen raspberries (and maybe some whipped cream).

A Kitchen Fail turned Success (Sunflower Seed Butter Scones)

February 5, 2012

Over my Christmas break, I got sunflower seed butter from Trader Joe’s. There’s no Trader Joe’s around here, so as my sunflower seed butter is getting low, I’ve been slowly panicking. I’m obsessed with it. I have it every morning slathered on a piece of high fiber toast. They have the Sunbutter here at Wegman’s, but for $5.99 a jar, I don’t think it’s quite worth it for how fast I seem to go through it. Having a jar full of sunflower seeds, I decided I’d make my own. After I melted my Ninja bowl so I can no longer place the blade inside, I found out again that my blender doesn’t work, and then dirtied the Ninja pitcher trying to finish it off, I only had a sunflower seed paste. Completely frustrated and a bit worried that I had plastic mixed throughout the “butter,” I threw it into a jar and into the fridge, threw the Ninja bowl away and ordered a new blade, got a spatula stuck onto the blender blade (it’s now still sitting in the sink, me being too afraid to deal with it anymore), cleaned all of the still usable dishes, and proceeded to call my mom and complain about how frustrated I was. I then ordered a cheap food processor that should be able to handle it next time.

I figured I could make some sort of cookie out of the sunflower seed paste, and after a quick search on my Tastespotting RSS feed, I found Double Sunflower Seed Scones from Live Laugh Eat. I decided to adapt it slightly and make those. I’ve been wanting to make scones, anyway.

The scones ended up fantastic, thank goodness. A kitchen fail turned very yummy success. They’re nice and moist, studded with dark chocolate chips for a bit of decadence. The sunflower seed butter adds a nice nuttiness to it, and every few bites it actually reminds me of corn bread for some reason. It’s just sweet enough to let the sunflower seeds shine through. Next time, I might stir in some whole sunflower seeds just for a bit of a crunch. Oh and by the way, don’t you love that mug? My friend, Sam, got it for me for Christmas from Anthropologie. I love Anthropologie.

I sweetened the scones with truvia and a tiny bit of molasses, so they’re basically sugar free. I threw in some wheat bran for some added fiber. These scones are perfect with a cup of tea for breakfast, if you don’t mind having chocolate for breakfast. I sure don’t. 😉

Sunflower Seed Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

yields 8 scones

1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat bran

2 1/2 t baking powder

pinch of salt

6 t truvia (spoonable)

1 T molasses

1/2 cup of sunflower seed butter, heaping

1/2 cup milk (I use lactose-free)

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the molasses, sunflower seed butter, milk, egg and vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and shape into a thick round. Cut into 8 triangles, but do not separate. Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cut all the way through the score lines, and cool on wire racks. Serve with tea.

Brownie Power Bars

February 5, 2012

Today’s recipe isn’t exactly a new recipe. Remember those brownie dough bites I made a while back? This is that recipe in bar form. Because you know you can’t just have a few bites. I made them for a quick snack during the week when I’m running back and forth from class, prescription counseling, lab, working out and what not.

These bars are full of healthy fats from almonds, cashews, coconut and walnuts. The nuts add in protein, and the coconut adds in some fiber. They’re naturally sweetened with dates and a tiny bit of agave nectar. Dark chocolate chips.. you can never go wrong there.

They really do taste like a brownie, too. Just slightly more chewy. These are perfect for dessert, if you’re trying to be a bit healthier.

Brownie Power Bars

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts

2 cups Medjool dates, pitted

1/4 cup cocoa

1 t vanilla

2 T agave nectar (or maple syrup/honey)

1/2 t salt

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

In a food processor, grind the cashews, almonds and walnuts until they are fine crumbs. Add in the dates and pulse until chunky. Add the cocoa, vanilla, agave, salt and coconut. Pulse until well blended and a dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips or pulse them in for finer pieces. Press into a wax paper lined 11″x7″ pan, and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator.