Dark Chocolate Coconut Truffles with Coconut Caramel Drizzle

When I was younger, I used to be able to eat an entire box of candy in one sitting. Not a small box. Like... the big fancy boxes stuffed with a variety of chocolaty goodness. The ones that most people savor over the course of a week... or share with someone special. Not me. Luckily I was pretty active back then and it didn't catch up to me... too much.

A lot has changed since then, and I am super thankful for most of it. Occasionally I miss the richness of fancy truffles or caramels, which then just inspires me to whip up a batch of my own. Thank goodness I have gained some willpower since my childhood, and can no longer down that much sugar in one sitting-- otherwise baking all of the time would bring about a whole new problem for me.

These truffles have a super rich and silky filling and are coated in a crunchy layer of chocolate. I topped this batch with a coconut caramel drizzle because I had some extra time on my hands. Feel free to leave the caramel off, or change the coconut extract to a different flavor-- you can even just roll the filling in some powdered sugar or cocoa powder if that's what you prefer!

Center Ingredients:

• 15 ounce can coconut creme (I use trader joe's thick and rich coconut creme)
• 22 ounces vegan dark chocolate (either chocolate chips or a bar is fine-- but if using a bar cut into small pieces)
• 1 tablespoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, cut into small cubes

Coating Ingredients:

• 3 cups vegan chocolate chips (or any vegan chocolate as long as it is cut into small pieces.)
• 1 tablespoon vegan shortening
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Caramel drizzle(optional):

• 8 ounces Coconut Caramel Candy melted (or you can use a chewy vegan caramel candy from the store)

Preparation:

1. In a large heat safe bowl, pour in the dark chocolate.
2. In a small sauce pan, heat the coconut milk until it begins to bubble, but remove from heat before it reaches a roiling boil.
3. Pour heated coconut milk over chocolate, and let sit for 2 minutes.
4. After the 2 minutes is up, stir the coconut and chocolate until the mixture is smooth, and thoroughly combined.
5. Add the butter and extracts to the chocolate mixture. Stir until all butter is melted and fully incorporated. Cover bowl with foil. 
6. Refrigerate mixture for a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight, so that it can set.
7. After the refrigeration time is up scoop the mixture into balls. (You can use a regular spoon if that is all you have-- your truffle balls just may not end up perfectly round... then again mine never end up perfectly round anyway! I promise they'll still taste the same though) 
8. Place truffle balls on parchment lined baking sheet(s)
9. Freeze for at least 20 minutes.
10. In a double boiler- heat the chocolate and sea salt until chocolate is melted.
11. Remove balls from freezer and dip into melted chocolate. (If this process ends up taking a while-- you may want to refreeze the balls or remelt the chocolate. Use your discretion.)
12. Freeze for 5 minutes before applying caramel drizzle.
13. Melt caramel candy in a double boiler until smooth.
14. Drizzle caramel over truffles.
15. Refrigerate the truffles until the caramel drizzle and chocolate coating sets. 
16. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you want to serve/eat them!
17. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before eating. (Sometimes the caramel gets a tad hard in the cold, so it is better to let it get soft again.)

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Cinnamon

One thing I could never get sick of is chocolate. In fact, I find any excuse possible to use it/eat it whenever I can. When I first met my husband, he insisted that he hated chocolate and refused to eat it... or so he claimed. I couldn't believe it! Well... I believed him... that was until I caught him sneaking some chocolates I made out of the fridge one day. Now I don't feel so bad for putting chocolate into most of my baked goods.

These cookies are packed with gooey chocolaty perfection, and a hint of cinnamon make them a little different than a typical chocolate chip cookie. Feel free to leave out the cinnamon if you're not a huge fan, or heck-- throw in a little extra if you want! I find the best ways to use other people's recipes is to spice it up a little to your own liking.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup vegan butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
2. In a stand mixer, add softened butter and whip on high speed for 2 minutes. Turn off mixer.
3. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, add both sugars, and turn mixer onto medium speed. 
4. Once sugars are fully incorporated, return mixer to high speed and beat for another 2 minutes. Turn off mixer and scrape down the side with rubber spatula.
5. Turn mixer to low speed and add in the applesauce and vanilla extract.
6. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and sea salt.
7. While mixer is still on low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet mixture 1/4 cup at a time until all of the mixture has been added. 
8. Add in all of the chocolate and mix until chocolate is evenly distributed into dough.
9. Scoop about 1/4 cup of mixture, roll into a ball, press slightly flat, and put onto prepared baking sheet.
10. Repeat until you have a full sheets, with dough spaced apart to allow for slight spreading.
11. Bake cookies, 1 tray at a time, for 9-12 minutes.
12. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from tray. 
13. Repeat process until all cookies are baked.

Enjoy!!

Peppermint Patties

Candy is one of my favorite things to make-- mostly because I love to eat it afterwards. I saw a shirt once that said "I run because I love dessert" and I really wish I had gotten it... or several of them, so I could wear them everyday. I feel like people would understand me better if they knew that information upfront. That way they understand why I don't run because I have a love of running. Not that I am some big time runner-- because... well I am not. But I swear if I wasn't such of fan of chocolate and other treats my treadmill and running shoes would collect a lot more dust. 

Peppermint patties are a simple treat to make, and are very refreshing to eat. And let's not forget delicious... because they are exactly that. DELICIOUS. That's probably why I tripled this recipe when I made it... 

I added a bit of green food coloring just to make them a little more interesting, but feel free to leave it out if you don't feel like eating Incredible Hulk peppermint patties.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons earth balance buttery sticks, softened
• 2 teaspoons mint extract
• 2 tablespoons soy milk
• 2 1/2 cups vegan powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon green food coloring (more, or less, or none!)
• 2 1/2 cups vegan chocolate
• 1 tablespoon vegan shortening

Preparation:

1. In a stand mixer, add the softened earth balance, mint extract, soy milk, food coloring, and powdered sugar.
2. Start mixing on a low speed until a crumbly mixture starts to form.
3. Once it is mostly combined, turn the mixer on a high speed and beat until creamy. (If your mixture is too dry feel free to add a little extra soy milk, or if it is too sticky, add a little more sugar. You want to end up with a pie dough-like mixture.)
4. Roll mixture into a log in the diameter you like, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 1 hour.
5. Remove from the freezer, take candy out of the plastic wrap, and cut into disks of the thickness you like.
6. Lay the disks flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
7. Once all of the candy is cut, return to the freezer for another hour. 
8. At the end of the hour, melt the chocolate and shortening in a double boiler- mixing so it combines well.
9. Remove candy from freezer, and take the chocolate mixture off of the heat.
10. Lay the candy flat on a fork, submerge into the chocolate, raise fork and let excess chocolate drip off. (You can use a second fork to scrape the underside of the first fork to remove the excess chocolate more quickly.)
11. Lay the coated candy back onto the parchment sheet. (I flip the fork and let the candy fall off so I don't touch it with my finger. That way more chocolate stays on the candy.)
12. Repeat until all of the candy has been coated in chocolate.
13. If you have extra chocolate, feel free to drizzle the remainder over the coated candy.
14. Return to freezer for another 30 minutes so the chocolate can harden completely before packaging or eating!

Enjoy!!