Mini Chocolate Tarts

If you  like chocolate, these are for you. Idea came from here.


Crust:

1 1/4 c almonds
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
pinch of salt
2 T maple syrup
2 T coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 375. In food processor, process almonds to a fine meal (not almond butter). Add coconut and salt and process for a few seconds, then add maple syrup and coconut oil and process until combined in  sticky clumps (add more coconut oil and maple syrup if needed). Spoon crust into greased mini-muffin tin, pressing down. Crust should fill each hole about 1/3-1/2 of the way up. Bake for 10 min, or until golden brown. Let cool.

Filling:

1/2 can full fat coconut milk
1 c dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil. Pour chocolate chips in a separate bowl and pour boiling milk over. Let it sit for a minute, then whisk together. Add vanilla and continue stirring until smooth. Spoon filling on top of mini-crusts in muffin tin.

Topping:

1/4 c chopped nuts (my favorites are macadamia nuts and pistachios, but almonds and walnuts are delicious too)
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut

Toast nuts and coconut on stove-top. Sprinkle on top of filling. Refrigerate mini-tarts until solid, and pop out just before serving. You can freeze them too.

Sweet Potato Spelt Doughnuts (Baked)

I admit it....my kids are sheltered when it comes to food. They helped me make these doughnuts and were absolutely excited and pleased with the end result. To those used to a traditional doughnut, these are very different. But if you want a wholesome, sweet, yummy treat without the crud in regular doughnuts, these are perfect. We sprinkled ours with cinnamon sugar at the end, but you are always welcome to dredge them in some type of frosting. No need here though. Like I said, we are a little sheltered:).

Adapted from this recipe:

Ingredients:

4 cups spelt flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger powder
1 t nutmeg (about 1/2 of a whole one if your using fresh)
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup honey (you can add more if you prefer really sweet, but the cinnamon sugar at the end gave us plenty of sweetness)
3-4 medium-small sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 t vanilla

Mix together the dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid) beat together the coconut oil, honey, and sweet potatoes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined. Spoon mixture into a doughnut pan, or if you don't have one like me, spoon into a Ziplock, cut one corner of the bag, and squeeze mixture out onto a Silpat mat in large circle shapes. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (you can even brush a little more coconut oil on first to help it stick) or frost as desired. Soooooooo yummy, and you still feel great after eating:).

Chocolate Chip Pecan Honey Cookies

Since we have two littles with dairy issues, I had to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe using coconut oil instead of butter (since I don't do margarine). I found this recipe, but tweaked it when I was going through an anti-sugar-natural-sweeteners-only kick and used honey instead. The result was fabulous, moist, and this has become one of my most requested recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup softened Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 cup Honey
• 2 Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups Flour (I often use whole wheat or spelt for our family; the end result is a little more flat but for everyday eating we don't care and they still taste fabulous)
• 1 cup Pecans, ground
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, cream oil and honey. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined. Slowly add the flour, ground pecans, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips until just combined. Scoop tablespoon sized cookies onto cookie sheet (silpat mats work best with these cookies). Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes, until slightly golden around edges.