Fully Loaded Chocolate Bombs with Cocoa Nibs, Coconut Oil, Fruit & Nuts (Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo) - plus a discussion about healthy fats -vs- sugar & starch.

Fully Loaded Chocolate Bombs.

This is a fabulous chocolate recipe we have kept as a guarded family secret... until now! 

I made these delicious little morsels with my mom during a recent visit with my parents.

This is a super easy and amazingly delicious chocolate recipe. It is based on my mother's healthy sugar-free chocolate formula now being manufactured by a company called Lakanto. 

We extend the Lakanto Zero-Sugar Dark Chocolate with coconut oil, cocoa powder and other goodies. The chocolate retains it's smooth texture, delicious taste, and has a beautiful shiny surface. 

These cute little chocolate bombs are exploding with flavor and a myriad of textures, and are a real pleasure to eat. We have noticed that this chocolate also curbs the appetite nicely. That means if you eat this, you will eat less of that (not good for you stuff).

You  also get the benefits of healthful coconut oil in your diet, while enjoying a low-carb, sugar-free chocolate at an affordable cost. It's a beautiful thing!

2 T. coconut oil is generally recommended daily for health benefits. An added bonus of adding coconut oil is that this chocolate will no longer require tempering! This is what makes working with this chocolate so super simple and fast. You will love it.

At our house, we have to have this chocolate, I can't imagine life without it now. Seriously.

We love that this is truly HEALTHY chocolate. That's why we are sharing this recipe with you. We are passionate about sharing recipes for foods people deeply crave, and we offer them with a healthy twist. Replacing the foods you love with a better choice, while maintaining it's great taste is what we are all about here at Kitchen Cheetahs.

You can add any inclusions to this chocolate that tickle your fancy. Make your chocolate base first and then you can get creative with it. You could try combinations like candied orange with chipotle, coconut flakes with macadamia nuts, dried pears and pecans, salted raisins and roasted, salted peanuts, pistachios with dried pomegranates, cashews and banana chips... We also love it with just cocoa nibs added.

Cocoa Nibs.

Now, I must tell you that during my recent visit, I ATE at my parents house. If you have ever tasted my mom's cooking, you know what I mean! I was not concerned, but still assumed that I would go home heavier then when I arrived. We ate tons of chocolate-dipped figs, figs and cream, and we made gluten-free, sugar-free rhubarb cake (so yummy), and grilled dry aged beef, and spaghetti with my mom's amazing homemade sauce, unique yellow squash "pasta", drizzled with olive oil,topped with cheese, and gluten-free french baguettes grilled with butter and coconut oil on the side. We also ate various salads with homemade dressings, the buttery scrambled eggs my mom is famous for, and her Sun Warrior Protein Pudding, refreshing green drinks, unique mocktails, and my dad's delicious protein smoothies... and more chocolate! It's all kind of a blur now really. A delirious food coma ensued. Sigh.

I get home and got on the scale and to my amazement... I LOST weight! I ate happily at my parents, without a worry. Mom's food was amazing and definitely not skimping on the fat! I was not deprived in the slightest. I ate good protein, vegies and greens, healthy fats, low-carb and sugar-free desserts. I ate a few gluten-free pretzels and that french bread, but basically eliminated grains, starch, and sugar for that week I was there. This validated my belief about fat -vs- sugars...

There are a few books out now that talk about high-fat diets, promoting healthy fats. Interesting, and I like it because eating fat leads to satiety (greater food satisfaction). Our bodies seem to know when we have had enough fat and our appetite quiets down. I think people who eat fats are happier too. I believe it is sugar and starch that generally cause obesity, not healthy fats. The more processed the sugar and starch is (white flour, white sugar, white starch) the worse it is for our bodies. Starch converts to sugar so fast in the body, it can make your head spin. A chemist friend of mine told me that starch converts to sugar in the mouth within seconds. Research shows that sugar leads to body inflammation and inflammation is underlying all disease. I figure that starch leads to body inflammation too. We at kitchen Cheetahs are very concerned about the majority of gluten-free products being marketed that base their formulas on starch and sugar. I'm sure you can figure out why.

The thing is, as a population, we generally know what we shouldn't be eating - but we eat it anyway. Why? Because it tastes good. Because it's easy. Because it's familiar. Because it's there.

The transition to eating healthy is made easier by eating healthy foods that are tasty, easy, familiar, and available. Sounds simple. Once educated, it is simple. I say, start with chocolate!

So have some fun and enjoy this guilt-free treat. Live on the edge and have some with breakfast!

Fully Loaded Chocolate Bombs Formula:

SMALL BATCH:

Chocolate Base:
170 grams (2 bars) Lakanto Zero-Sugar Dark Chocolate, chopped small
30 grams deodorized coconut oil
15 grams dark Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 + 1/8 t. intense sweetener powder, to taste (a mix of stevioside, monk fruit is good)

Flavorings (optional):
1/8 t. vanilla flavor powder
1/4 t. almond flavor powder, to taste
1/8 t. cherry flavor powder

Inclusions (about 1 1/2 c.):
80 grams (1/2 c.) roasted crispy whole almonds
60 ounces (1/3 c.) whole dried organic Bing cherries
35 grams (1/4 c.) dried organic sour cherries (sweetened has the best texture and taste)
35 grams (1/4 c.) organic raisins
20 grams (1/8 c.) cocoa nibs


LARGE BATCH:

Chocolate Base:
600 grams Lakanto Zero-Sugar Dark Chocolate, chopped small
100 grams deodorized coconut oil
50 grams dark Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 t. intense sweetener powder (a mix of stevioside, monk fruit & CitrusSweet is good)

Flavorings (optional):
1/2 t. vanilla flavor powder
1 t. almond flavor powder, to taste
1/2 t. cherry flavor powder

Inclusions (about 6 c.):
280 grams (2 c.) roasted crispy whole almonds
8 ounces (1 1/4 c.) whole dried organic Bing cherries
120 grams (1 c.) dried organic sour cherries (sweetened has the best texture and taste)
140 grams (1 c.) organic raisins
70 grams (1/2 c.) cocoa nibs


Method:

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, pausing and stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and warm. Mix together well.

Prepare one to two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.

Add the cocoa powder to the melted chocolate mixture and mix in well

Add the intense sweetener powder to taste and mix in very well. Taste for sweetness.

Add the flavor powders to taste and mix in well.

Add the inclusions and mix well.

Stir the chocolate occasionally as it cools until it starts to thicken up enough to hold a shape when mounded.

Portion the chocolate mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, in small mounds, using a spoon or a very small ice cream scoop.

Sprinkle the tops of the chocolates with sea salt before they set up, if desired.

Place the chocolates in the refrigerator until they are completely set up.

Store the chocolates in an air-tight container (in the refrigerator in the hot summer months).



Photos of the process:

Gather your ingredients.

Combine the chopped Lakanto chocolate and coconut oil.

Stir chocolate mixture every 30 seconds as it is melting.

Mix in the cocoa powder, intense sweeteners and flavor powders, to taste.

Start adding the inclusions.

Let any refrigerated ingredients come to room temperature before adding to the chocolate.

Stir the chocolate occasionally while cooling.

A silicone-lined baking sheet.

A parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Drop chocolate mixture into little mounds.

A finished tray of chocolates.

Chocolates with a kiss of sea salt.

Beautiful Chocolate Bombs ready for packaging.

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Fresh Figs & Cream for Breakfast

Here is a super easy, delicious breakfast when figs are in season

This is so simple, and we wanted to bring this yummy dish to your attention.

I enjoyed eating this for breakfast at my mom's house after we went and picked figs together. I especially enjoyed taking off my sandals and climbing the fig trees to get the ripe ones on the tippy-top! We got to go harvest figs twice while I was there. So fun!

Some of the figs we picked and brought home.

Here are some "blond" figs too!

My mom calls this "Fig Mush". It's delicious, whatever you choose to call it!


Fig Mush Recipe:

Fresh figs
Organic whole milk
Organic cream
Stevia glycerite, optional
BioSalt, optional


Method:

Snip fresh figs into a serving bowl.
Pour over some milk.
Pour over some cream
Add a drop of stevia glycerite to sweeten further, if desired
Stir and add a pinch of BioSalt, if desored.

Snip the fresh figs into little bite-sized pieces.

Pour milk then cream over top. Sweeten with a drop of stevia glycerite if desired.

Blond Fig Mush.

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Easy Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding (Sugar-Free & Vegan)

Easy Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding.

Here is the beginning of a series of delicious, sugar-free protein pudding recipes that you can make yourself!

We have been talking about creating delicious tasting protein-packed pudding recipes. We wanted a dessert pudding that is good for us and our families. This recipe is the beginning of these formulations. This pudding recipe is low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, corn-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

My mom discovered that when you puree and heat the warrior blend protein powder with liquid, it "cooks" up to make a silky smooth creamy pudding that thickens perfectly when chilled. Vegan protein powders are not usually this smooth, it's the "cooking" process in the VitaMix that transforms it. we were thrilled to see that it also thickens up beautifully.

This recipe makes up several servings. We like cooking this way, it cuts down on the daily food prep time. Make up a bunch and get it out of the way. That's how we roll.

This recipe is very easy to make in a VitaMix high-powered blender. VitaMix is famous for being able to cook soups just by the friction caused by it's fast moving blades.

So assemble your ingredients and get ready to enjoy a guilt-free treat for breakfast, lunch, or a quick snack anytime!

Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding Recipe:

Yield: 8 generous servings.

13.5-ounce can Full Fat coconut milk, plus HOT water to make a total of 3 1/4 cups.

1 c. Sun Warrior brand Chocolate "Warrior Blend" protein powder

1/2 c. white or purple yam or sweet potato that has been baked until soft (remove skins)

1/2 to 1 c. White Lakanto sweetener powder, to taste

1/4 c. coconut oil (deodorized makes a more chocolaty flavor)

2 T. vegetable glycerine or other liquid sweetener

2 T. xylitol (or 2 T more Lakanto)

1/3 to 1/2 c. dutch cocoa powder, to taste

1 to 3 t. black cocoa powder, optional for richer color (we like 3 t.)

2 t. real vanilla extract

1/4 t. almond extract
1/4 t. BioSalt

1 fat pinch of canella powder or ceylon cinnamon

Stevia glycerite, to taste, optional

Real chocolate flavoring, to taste, optional
Coffee flavoring, optional

Method:

Place the 3 1/4 cups liquid (coconut milk plus water) into a VitaMix blender container.Then add the 1 cup protein powder.

Put the VitaMix lid on and blend on medium speed just until combined. Turn off the blender and then scrape down the sides of the blender.

Secure the lid on tightly and process on highest speed until steaming hot and perfectly smooth. The temperature should reach at least 130 degrees F. for the pudding to have the best texture and flavor (don't go over 170 degrees). The friction of the blades heats the liquid after a short time. Measure temperature with a thermometer.

Turn off the VitaMix, remove lid and add the rest of the ingredients to the blender, except for the stevia glycerite and chocolate flavoring, if using.

Place lid tightly on and process on the highest speed until the pudding is steaming hot and smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed (with the blender turned off!). If the mixture gets a little too thick, use the "Tamper" to help it along. You may also add up to 1/4 cup more water (making a total of 3 1/2 c. liquid).

Turn off the VitaMix, Taste the pudding. Add stevia glycerite, a few drops at a time, to taste if you want the pudding sweeter. Add chocolate and coffee flavoring to taste, if you want to.

Give a final blend and taste for balanced flavors.

Portion finished pudding into serving-sized jars and store in the refrigerator. The jars of pudding also freeze well!

To Serve:

A good way to serve this is to top the pudding with sliced or broken bananas and crushed gluten-free pretzels. Pour your favorite cold, milk over top and dig in! Our favorite milks are whole organic milk, almond mylk, coconut/almond mylk, or cashew mylk.

Notes: 

If a less thick pudding is desired, add another 1/4 cup water, to make a total of 3 1/2 cups liquid used This pudding thickens more when chilled due to the coconut oil content. If the chilled pudding turns out thicker than you would like, just stir in a bit more water to suit your individual taste.

We add the canella powder, chocolate flavoring, and the coffee flavoring to the pudding to make the most of the chocolate flavor and to make the least of the pea protein flavor!

Stay tuned, a yummy butterscotch protein pudding is being perfected now!

The Sun Warrior protein powder used for this recipe.

The texture and thickness of the Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding before chilling.

This makes 8 generous servings of protein pudding.

Sun Warrior Protein Pudding topped with Bananas, G-F Pretzels, and Whole Organic Milk.

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy.

NEW & Improved Clear Sugar-Free Pancake Syrup

This is a more advanced sugar-free pancake syrup formula.


You will need to source some CMC powder for this recipe. You can find CMC easily online.  CMC is useful for thickening many things, not just syrup. It is also a secret ingredient in some gluten-free and low-carb bakery items.

This syrup recipe is very easy to make, it just uses more specialty ingredients. It's a shame to make low carb pancakes or waffles for breakfast and then drown them in sugary syrup. You could add a touch of natural dark maple syrup to this base if you wanted to for more authentic flavor. Just be aware that the real maple syrup is sugar.

You could also add natural butter flavoring to this syrup, to taste.

If you do not yet have CMC, here is an earlier recipe for sugar-free pancake syrup from this blog. See it HERE. It will not be as clear but it is still a good choice.

Here at Kitchen Cheetahs, we like to have several options for making the same thing. Having various choices will make it more convenient for you too.


Clear Sugar-Free Pancake Syrup Recipe:

1 c. Table-top Sugar Replacement blend (or Lakanto Golden Sugar Replacement, to taste)
1/4 t. CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose)
1/8 t. Sea salt or BioSalt
7 T. Water, plus more. if desired
2 T. Vegetable glycerine
3/4 t. Mapleine flavor extract


Method:

Premix the Table-Top sweetener blend with the CMC powder.

In a small sauce pan pour the 7 T. water and vegetable glycerine. Stir to mix.

Add the Table-top Sweetener blend and salt. Carefully stir over medium-high heat.

Gently stir to dissolve, while bringing to a boil. It will start to bubble and then get a foamy appearance. Remove from heat. On my gas stove, this took 4 minutes total.

Let cool down a bit and then add 3/4 t. Mapleine flavoring, to taste.

If you want to thin the syrup further add more water one teaspoon at a time and mix in well.

Pour finished syrup into a jar with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator. The air bubbles will subside with time.


Note: The CMC that you will find and buy online will likely be different from what we have used. You may need to use more than what we used. The first time you make this syrup, make a batch 1/4th the size of this one to make sure you get it the way you like it. 

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Chocolate-Dipped iPhone

Leila's iphone dipped in Lakanto chocolate

We have not forgotten you!

Leila and I have spent a fun-busy week together developing more luscious and healthy food for Kitchen Cheetahs....and I have been learning to post!

This will be short and sweet (as a test run)...

The 3 of us have been immersed in Lakanto chocolate much of the time, meaning me, Leila and her i phone!

Author, 

Nancy Glazier.

Warm Chocolate Filled Fresh FIGS - Fit for a king! Nancy Glazier's 1st official post!

The best thing you'll ever put in your mouth, trust me!

Sun warmed figs slathered in melted Lakanto Dark Chocolate.

It's Fig Season!

Yesterday morning, Leila and I went to a friends house and picked sun-warmed figs right off the tree. They were so sweet and ripe - little purses filled with crunchy jam. A sweet memory for us.

Even the figs that were starting to dry up a bit on the tree were delicious. Their sweetness concentrates and they start to get wonderfully chewy.

Fresh Picked Figs!

We took our bounty of figs home and melted some of my Lakanto sugar-free chocolate to spoon over the still warm figs. I've never had anything so delicious. The melted chocolate with sugary, crunchy warm figs is amazing.

 Fig wells - Ready for chocolate!

I found that cutting each fig in half and then making a deep well in each center (with a thumb) to hold more chocolate was the way to go.

Or you can dip the whole fig into the chocolate and just dive in. P.S... Don't wear a white shirt.

It's important to have jammy-soft figs for this treat. If you don't have access to a fig tree, try soaking dried white figs in warm water or apple juice until they are nice and soft. Remove from their soaking liquid - pat dry - and serve them warm with melted chocolate.

Figs have the highest fiber and mineral content of all common fruits, nuts, and vegetables. They also have as much as 1000 times more calcium than other common fruits and are 80% higher in potassium than bananas. They are extremely easy to digest. Few fruits equal a fig (try saying that fast 5 times).


 

Bon Appetit :)

Author, Nancy Glazier
Gluten-Free & Sugar-Free Food Formulator.