Tag: Chocolate

• Brownie Protein Pancakes

  Posted at 8:02 AM by Brittany, on September 10, 2013

  Sometimes when I have a day off from work, I like to make myself a legit breakfast. Yesterday was no exception. Below are some of the best pancakes I have ever created..hands down. I don’t make pancakes often, but when I do I go big. I’ve done classic pancakes, I’ve done pumpkin pancakes (I could eat pumpkin pancakes every day), but this time I wanted something different…something new..something…chocolate.

  Brownie Protein Pancakes

  

  Once I took this first photo, I realized I needed a better presentation plate. The dark pancakes blend in too much with the dark plate.

  Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (and then some more after everything is combined)
  • 1 tblsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 AND 1/8 cup of whole wheat flour (just go with this, my math skills suck)
  • 1/8 cup vanilla rice protein
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tblsp raw sugar
  • pinch of salt

  

  Then once I grabbed a white plate the bananas got “washed out” by the color contrast.

  Directions

  1. Mix milk, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Mix together the flour, protein, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl until well combined.
  3. Add the liquid mix to the dry mix and stir until well mixed. You will need a bit more milk at this stage because they batter came out a bit thick. Add enough milk to thin the batter a bit.
  4. Scoop mix onto a lightly greased skillet and cook one side until you can easily slide a spatula underneath to flip. Same for the other side.

  

  I was not expecting these pancakes to taste like brownies, but they did. Hence the name brownie pancakes. I thought they would taste like chocolate, but I didn’t realize I would be face planting into a pile of dessert for breakfast. These were amazing.

  

  I’ve always wanted a pouring syrup photo, I clearly need more practice.

  These were gooey, delicious, and perfect for one person. I gobbled up every last bite of these brownie like cakes. I’ll be adding this recipe to my mental cookbook. In the end, the first photo with the dark plate turned out to be my favorite. Go figure.

  Q: What’s your favorite pancake flavor?

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Pancakes, Recipe, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 6:56 AM by Brittany, on June 3, 2013

  1. In an attempt to fix my peanut butter addiction intake, I purchased a jar that was 1/5 the size of the jar I’ve been consuming. I wish I were kidding, and I am not proud of how quickly I go through that jar fit for a whale. I turn into a human whirl wind with my hands and mouth when it comes to peanut butter. It’s not a pretty sight.

  

  80oz -VS- 16oz

  2. My running is going great lately, and (knock on wood) nothing hurts! My knees have been doing great and I am convinced that I hurt my knee in February due to sitting down too much/minimal movement. The more I stand and move now the less pain. BAZINGA!

  3. I love taking outdoor pictures. Not much else I need to say about that.

  

  4. My pants have been feeling a little tight lately. I’m not talking about my jeans..I’m talking about my yoga pants. You know it’s bad when your stretchy pants are stretched to full capacity. No more trays of chocolate. 

  5. My mom is the best photographer. She really knows how to capture the essence of my beauty.

  

  Clearly that swing was a struggle to get onto. I happen to think I look like a wounded raptor on the left. The sound I would make sounds like this: “CAWWW CAWWWW”

  

  Money Shot

  6. Thanks to my pants getting snug, I am trying to cut back on sweets (and peanut butter.) Instead of going cold turkey anytime I get a craving, which is everyday, I eat an “energy” bar instead. Something like a Clif Mojo bar, or a Nature Valley Oats & Honey bar. Let’s be real, these are pretty high in sugar and are more like dessert anyway, but still less sugar than a cookie. It’s a win win in my book.

  7. Ever had a peanut butter and basil sandwich? I have. I licked the plate clean which tells you it was edible and not disgusting, but I think I’ll leave the basil to my pasta sauce.

  

  8. I think my cat needs a diaper. He is getting so old his BM’s are a little messy and he likes to scoot his butt on the carpet. It’s not fun to clean up his yellow brick road.

  9. Speaking of my cat, both of my cats were sick within a week of each other. I was awake all hours of the night concerned about the sneezing fit that was going on in my room. Hurricane Kittina was happening at 3A.M. for like a week. Poor babies.

  

  This is them with their new toy, Mr.Wiggles. The tan man is the messy pooper. I find the black mans body in a hilarious stance. The longer I stare, the funnier he looks.

  10. I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting for an update on my coin counter, and I am happy to report that I have made it to $5.33. Who’s laughing now!

  Also I would like to give my mom some credit. After 40 failed photo attempts, she did capture a good one. I call this picture, “two jungle cats hungry for spinach.”

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 62 Comments Tagged Cats, Chocolate, Confessions, Cookies, Nature, Running

• Like a Fine Wine

  Posted at 9:03 AM by Brittany, on May 27, 2013

  *Happy Memorial Day! Please take the time to thank a service member/veteran for all that they do today. Sending prayers to the families who have lost their loved ones, and to those missing their spouses and children who are away from home.*

  I’m going to apologize now for the recipe I am about to share with you. I guarantee you will not be able to stop eating this, which means you will need to purchase a new pair of pants to fit your new, larger waistline after you eat the entire pan of these chocolate treats.

  

  Zero Self Control Chocolate Bars 

  Straight up SWIPED from amy-newnostalgia! EXACT recipe. It was perfect just the way it was. The name is mine though, haha. I named it from my experience. 

  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2/3 cup honey *
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil (NO substitutions, must use coconut oil)
  • 2 cups oats (NOT instant)
  • 1 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries

  *I use honey in my diet while most vegans don’t. If you don’t want to use honey, try another sticky sweetener in its place.

  

  In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil. Remove from heat and add oats, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries. Stir until combined and chocolate chips are melted.

  Spread into a 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate until hardened, about an hour or so. Store in refrigerator. 

  

  Oh I’m not done yet. These bars were not eaten alone. Ohhhh no, they had a copilot. I had a can of coconut cream in my fridge for almost a month, and I finally decided to use it.

  

  Coconut Whipped Cream

  • 1 can of coconut cream (14 oz) I used that TJ’s can. 
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons of vanilla

  

  Place your can of coconut cream into the fridge for at least 8 hours, or for a month like I did. After 8 hours open the can UPSIDE down and pour the liquid into a container to use later. Possibly for a smoothie. Take the hardened cream out of the can into a mixing bowl and combine with the powdered sugar using an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and let sit.

  

  Or dig your fork right in.

  NOTE: This whipped cream is like Leonardo DiCaprio, or like a fine wine, it gets better with age. Let this sit for at least a day before you use it for the best results. I found that when I tasted it the first day it was much too fatty and rich for me. The next day it was better, and TWO days after I made this it was perfect. While most recipes use a can of coconut milk, I thought the fatty texture of the coconut cream was divine. Plus this is GOOD fat, we need good fats in our diet! Great with fruit, or with those chocolate bars!

  

  

  I couldn’t stop cutting off pieces of this chocolate stuff and dipping it straight into the cream. I ate all the cream by myself and it’s gone. The pan of chocolate bars are gone too.. both gone in two days. I was addicted. In all actuality the ingredients are not bad in either of these recipes, but I know nothing about moderation. I had ZERO self control with these. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for my Chocoholics Anonymous meeting.

  Q: What tasty treat have you been addicted to lately? 

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Memorial Day, Recipe, Vegan

• Virtual Vegan Potluck: Classic Chocolate Cupcake

  Posted at 12:24 AM by Brittany, on May 11, 2013

  When I first started to brainstorm what dessert I wanted to bring to this potluck, I knew I wanted to do something epic. Bigger and badder than the the rest. Something unique, something with an interesting ingredient, something with…beans. So that’s what I did. I made some black bean chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting, and they both failed so miserably. I salvaged the “cupcakes” and turned them into a brownie like mixture (waste NOT) but the frosting was toast. Into the garbage it went. Time to reevaluate.

  I decided to go with a classic chocolate cake, and make a vanilla frosting. I’ve made vanilla frosting before with Earth Balance vegan butter and it was delicious. I didn’t have enough on hand and decided to test the Gods by using coconut oil instead. Mistake number two. I knew coconut oil with a vanilla frosting tasted like..well..coconut oil. I love coconut oil as much as the next vegan, but I don’t enjoy the flavor of it on it’s own. Frosting number two down the drain. I was starting to loose my patience, but I had to finish these.

  Finally, I decided to top my classic chocolate cupcakes (which turned out GREAT) with a classic chocolate frosting. OH and a homemade PB cup. After a 9 mile run in the hot sun, and 3 hours of baking in a hot kitchen, I was more than willing to stick with a classic. I’ll get wild in my kitchen another time.

  

  Classic Chocolate Cupcakes

  For the cake:

  • 1 cup vanilla almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla

  Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. In a bowl whisk together the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to allow to curdle. While you wait for the mixture to curdle, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.

  Once your mixture is curdled, pour in the sugar, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix together until foamy. Once foamy slowly pour (in two batches) the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until there are no visible lumps. Evenly distribute the mix into 12 cupcake liners. The liners should be about 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

  

  For the icing:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  I mentioned earlier that coconut oil does not work well with vanilla frosting. It does however work with the chocolate. The cocoa powder is strong enough to overtake the flavor of the coconut oil.

  In a medium-large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, mix the powdered sugar with the coconut oil. Add the almond milk, cocoa powder and vanilla, and continue to mix until smooth.

  

  For the PB cups I simply melted some chocolate chips and lined the bottom of a small cupcake liner. I stuck the base layer in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then I put a layer of peanut butter (fresh ground works the best to bind the chocolate together) and put back into the freezer for 20 minutes. Lastly, I melted more chocolate chips and covered the top. No measurements with this, I just eyeballed. If you make too much…who am I kidding there could never be too much.

  These cupcakes were shared by many, including Megan when we had our blogger meet up! Her birthday was two days after our meet up so I baked these for her to drown her sorrows in..she turned a quarter of a century! Kidding…

  This post is one of many in a virtual potluck, to see more vegan treats visit the blogs before and after mine by clicking the buttons below.

  
  

  

  | 80 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Cupcake, Dessert, Vegan, Virtual Vegan Potluck

• Speechless

  Posted at 12:09 PM by Brittany, on March 20, 2013

  I thought about incorporating this treat into another post, but then I decided the only way to do justice to this cupcake is to give it a post of it’s own.

  

  I had so many reasons why I needed to make these cupcakes: free time, chocolate craving, experimental bones in my body, a cat that likes peanut butter, and a new Wilton piping set I was given for my birthday!

  

  I don’t know if I should be embarrassed or proud to say these cupcakes left me speechless.

  

  A rich chocolate cake, with cookie dough icing. Oh and have you guessed yet…they’re vegan.

  Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes

  For the cake:

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup cold water

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. The ingredients must be mixed in the right order to achieve the correct texture. First, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and mix well.
  3. When the dry ingredients are mixed, stir in the vanilla, vinegar, and olive oil. Then pour the water into the mix and stir well.

  This should make 15 regular sized cupcakes.

  

  For the icing:

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • Pinch salt
  • Chocolate chips to top the cupcake with

  Mix these ingredients together in the order they are presented.

  I wasn’t sure how this cookie dough texture would hold up in my piping bag. I’ve never used a nice piping set before, but I am happy to report it was a success!

  

  Just to be safe I didn’t mix any chocolate chips into the dough. I didn’t want the piper to get clogged because I don’t mess around with small chocolate chips. Go big or go home. I added 5-6 chips per cupcake for a nice ending decoration.

  

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a cupcake platter calling my name for lunch.

  Q: Cookie dough icing yay or nay? Ohhh yay for sure. Cookie dough anything please! 

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Cupcake, Food, Recipe, Vegan

• Virtual Vegan Potluck: Save The Best For Last

  Posted at 1:41 AM by Brittany, on May 12, 2012

  A few weeks back, I jumped for joy at the opportunity to take part in a vitrual potluck put on by the adorable Annie at An Unrefined Vegan. What a fabulous idea. I was given the option of making an appetizer, beverage, salad, bread, main dish, side dish, soup, or dessert. I’ll give you eight guesses as to which option I chose, this shouldn’t be hard. I chose dessert..shocker I know. Any excuse for chocolate is a great excuse. Besides, I like to save the best part of the meal for my ending bites. Dessert is last for a reason.

  I wanted to make something safe, but unique at the same time. Something I knew would taste good. This was no time to experiment and be left at the pot luck eating my dish alone in the corner. I want people to crave my chocolatey goodness! The dishes had to be vegan, which was no challenge for me. I knew exactly what I was going to make.

  Chocolate Chunk Cookie Topped Zucchini Brownies

  

  • 1.5 cups of raw sugar
  • 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
  • 2 cups of whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup of cocoa (and then some)
  • 3 cups of shredded zucchini
  • 2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp of baking soda
  • 1 cup of chocolate chips/chunks (and THEN some!)
  • 1 cup of warm water to start, and gradually add a bit more (if needed) until mixture is wet
  • 1 package of “Oreo” style cookies. If you are a strict vegan and don’t want products made on a facility that shares milk and eggs then Newman-O’s are certified vegan. Otherwise you can use any other brand as long as no dairy is listed in the ingredients. Newman-O’s tasted off, so I would use Late July brand, or even Trader Joe’s chocolate vanilla Joe-Joe’s. Don’t buy them off of Amazon. Joe-Joe’s are $2.99 in the store.

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease an 8×11 pan and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut oil, and flour, combine until mixture resembles wet sand. While mixing, add cocoa, zucchini, vanilla extract, salt and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add water (as much as you need) and stir in the chocolate chips.
  3. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan, crush cookies ontop, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the brownies are set.

  

  Once brownies are done, you must eat at least half of the pan before completing a new task.

  

  Although, I like to wait until the next day when the chocolate chunks have set in and have hardened back to a thick chocolate. These brownies lasted all of two days.

  

  This is just the beginning of the dessert portion of the pot luck! If you want to see more dessert, or jump back to previous dishes click the photos below. These will lead you to the dishes before and after mine. Once you are on a new page you can continue to bounce from page to page by clicking the buttons! Have fun!

  

  

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Brownies, Chocolate, Recipe, Vegan, Virtual Vegan Potluck

• Banana-rama

  Posted at 8:01 AM by Brittany, on April 23, 2012

  If you feel like time traveling back to when you were 12, then I have the perfect recipe for you. Lets get our bikes, Polly Pockets, Ranger Ricks, Pokemon cards, (I may be the only person alive that still played with Pokemon cards in their 20’s. I have younger siblings and they taught me how to properly play, I was HOOKED! It was so much fun) and jelly shoes on, because it’s time to make a bite size treat fit for 12 year old royalty. I most definitely showed my age with this paragraph.

  Mini Banana Splits

  • Banana (or two..depending on how wild you’re feeling)
  • Chocolate
  • Sprinkles (or just steal a rainbow and put it in a blender)
  • Ice cream
  • Whipped cream
  • Fruit

  First things first..cut your bananas into pieces, but keep the skin on while you hollow out the top! Otherwise the banana falls apart.

  

  Use any device you’d like. All I could find was this anal probe in my moms kitchen. I kid, I don’t know what it is..but it looks like a torture device. It worked perfectly though. Now you’re ready for the best part.

  

  Melt the chocolate, dip the bottom of the banana, and then roll it in sprinkles.

  

  Now you’re ready to assemble. Take whatever ice cream you prefer (dairy, soy, almond, coconut, cat milk) and put a plop right into the hollowed hole.

  

  Plop.

  Then take whatever whipped cream you prefer (dairy, or vegan friendly) and swirl some of that on top of the cat milk ice cream.

  

  Once that’s done, you pick the fruit for the topping. I hate cherries, so I went with frozen blueberries. I chose those because A.) I hate cherries, and B.) That’s all I had.

  

  Voilà. 

  You can either be greedy and eat all four pieces alone, or share with your grubby friends. Make sure they trade you one holographic Pokemon card for EACH banana bite. They’re fun to make I promise.

  One time when I was in the 12yr old range, I wanted to play outside with my friends so bad I ignored the fact that I had to go to the bathroom (raise your hand if you know where this is going.) I stayed outside for hours riding my bike until I couldn’t hold it anymore. I ran inside only to find that I had waited too long. I had no choice but to stand in the tub, overalls fully in tact..and let the fluids run. I was now the only 12 yr old in my hood that peed their pants. Obviously I have a lot of cool points accumulated from my adolescence.

  Q: Share a funny story about your pre-teen years! 

  

  | 62 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Fun fact, Pokemon Cards, Recipe, Vegan

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