The Nourishing Gourmet

Nourishing. Satisfying. Gourmet.

Chocolate

Homemade Bittersweet Chocolate Syrup

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It is amazing what a drizzle of chocolate syrup will do for coconut milk vanilla ice cream, a plain glass of milk, or a cup of coffee. This version keeps it dark and bittersweet, and is sweetened with honey and coconut sugar.  This syrup makes a mean cup of chocolate milk, but I could also see using it to make homemade chocolate shakes, homemade frappes, or drizzling on desserts. Chocolate syrup is great because it is easy to stir into cold liquids, unlike cocoa powder.

Plus, chocolate is kind of like bacon: It makes everything better, right?

How well do I remember the Hershey’s bottle of chocolate syrup we had in the refrigerator growing up. I loved coming in from an exhilarating play world in the backyard to make myself a cup of chocolate milk. Now I can share that love with my children, though my version is less sweet and naturally sweetened. They like to eat it straight off the spoon! 

I might find a way to include this in our Easter Celebration! Speaking of which, you might want to check out this round up of posts on Easter related recipes! Everything from my favorite roasted asparagus with lemon butter sauce recipe to two instructional posts on how to naturally dye Easter eggs.

Ever used coconut sugar before? It’s a tasty traditional sugar that is lovely, and perfect for those sensitive to cane sugar. I have found it at Trader Joe’s recently, but you can also buy it online, if you can’t find it locally. (Affiliate links). Here are two options, I’ve used and enjoyed this brand, but this brand is a GREAT deal right now (I haven’t tried this specific brand yet).

 Chocolate recipes you may enjoy:

Homemade Bittersweet Chocolate Syrup
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
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Swirl into milk, coffee, or milkshakes, eat by the spoonful, or enjoy over ice cream or raspberry sorbet! Sweeten to taste. I use the lower amount of sweetener called for, but be forewarned, it is very dark. 🙂
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups of water
  • 1½ to 3 cups of unrefined sugar (coconut sugar, unrefined cane sugar, maple sugar)
  • 1½ cups of cocoa powder
  • Dash of unrefined salt
  • ¼ cup of honey or maple syrup (use maple syrup for vegan version)
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (use gluten-free, as needed)
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat down to keep at a low simmer.
  2. Whisk in the cocoa powder thoroughly. Add the honey and salt and whisk again to combine (Carefully! Don't splatter the hot liquid on yourself!).
  3. Once everything is dissolved and the syrup is lump free, and it has thickened, turn off the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. Cool. Serve warm, if desired, or store in the refrigerator in jars or a squeeze bottle.

 

 

 

Chocolate Milk “Frappé” (Honey Sweetened and Dairy Free)

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chocolatemilkfrappe
Today is the last day to sign up for the stainless steel pizza pan giveaway!

It was the middle of the afternoon and I was starting to drag. I felt like I either needed to take a nap or have a snack. I choose to have a snack ( so much more fun than sleeping!). I wanted something that was refreshing and chocolate. I thought about just having plain chocolate milk, but it didn’t seem refreshing enough. So I decided to add a bit of ice and blend it up into a mock “frappé” chocolate milk for a very cold and delicious treat for a hot afternoon. Yum! This is a very chocoately, slightly sweet, icy treat. I sweetened it with honey and used coconut milk for a dairy free treat, but you could certainly use whole milk instead of the coconut milk and water combo.

A simple yet great afternoon pick me up!

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Rich, Dark Hot Cocoa (Dairy and Refined Sugar Free)

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hotcocoa
I’ve had a sudden fixation on dark chocolate. Long time readers here will know that I’ve always loved chocolate but I’ve been going weeks on end without having chocolate. Well, no longer. To satisfy my chocolate tooth, I started turning to hot cocoa. This version is dark, creamy, and delicious. I find it a perfect treat to have mid-afternoon (or an almost mid-night snack, which we did last night). And it’s pretty guilt free too, sweetened with a drizzle of maple syrup, full of the healthy fats from the coconut milk and unsweetened cocoa powder too.

Chocolate (without all of the yucky other ingredients added to it in most candy bars) is actually considered a very healthy food by many. Like cranberries, apples, onions, tea and red wine, chocolate is loaded with flavonoids. According to The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden
, the particular flaonoids called flavanols found in chocolate “prevent fatlike stubstances in the bloodstream from clogging the arteries. When you reduce the blood’s ability to clot, you also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.” The author also mentions that chocolate is high in magnesium (which, by the way, is why many crave chocolate when they are low in magnesium). I’ve also read of several studies connecting chocolate to a healthy blood pressure.

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Deep Dark Chocolate Tart (Gluten, Grain, Dairy, Refined Sugar free)

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ng_chocolatetart
I hate it when I make this tart. Really….I do. Because every time, I want to have just a “little more” of the delicious, bittersweet tart, and then……..just a little more (and the struggle goes on). It’s hard to resist with it’s chocolatle nut based crust, and it’s creamy, dark chocolate, decadent layer of pure chocolate goodness.

Very hard to resist.

Really, I can’t even believe that I am sharing this recipe at all. There are a few recipes a cook should always keep to themselves as “chef’s secrets”. Signature dishes that only they know how to make. Yet, here I am sharing it with the world (well, whoever of the world wants to read my blog, that is). Know, dear readers, that you are loved, as I give you one of my most loved recipes.

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