chocolate Archives - Page 4 of 8 -

January 29, 2016

Chai Spice Scones with Dark Chocolate

Just a quick post for today; I had a request for these chai spice scones that I posted to instagram a while ago and thought I would post the recipe here in case anyone else was interested. These are based on my orange cinnamon scones with dark chocolate in which I swapped out the orange juice and for chai tea concentrate (I like this one), omitted the zest, and added a touch of cardamom. Simple changes, but the flavor profile is altered completely. These are exactly how I prefer my scones- whole grain, yet soft and tender, with crisp edges, crackly tops, and just subtly sweet. Although coffee is an obvious choice to pair with scones, I especially enjoy these alongside a warm mug of almond milk.

Chai Spice Scones with Dark Chocolate

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup coconut sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 ounces chopped dark chocolate, about ⅓ cup
1 large egg
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons chai tea concentrate
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Cut butter into small cubes and scatter over the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, chai tea concentrate, and cream. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and form two circles ¾" thick. Use a floured knife to cut each circle into 6 wedges. Transfer scones to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1" between each.
Whisk together the egg yolk and water. Use a pastry brush to brush scones with the egg wash. Bake 13-16 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

August 5, 2015

Chocolate Zucchini Coconut Oil Muffins

Things are looking a little different around here today, thanks to the talented Erin and Melissa of Wooden Spoons Kitchen. I am so thankful for them and the opportunity to work with them. They made me feel like more than just another client- they truly cared, they listened, they took time to get to know me, and they patiently worked to develop a design and site which personally reflects me. I could not speak more highly of them and their work. Thank you, Erin and Melissa.

Today I’m celebrating the new site design with these chocolate zucchini muffins. We are right about at the peak of summer squash season and whenever I have more zucchini than I can handle, I’ve been making these muffins. I’m not going to tell you how many batches of these I’ve already made, but I will say that we eat these for breakfast, snacks, and dessert. A combination of whole wheat pastry flour and spelt flour keeps the texture light, they are lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, and the sweet aroma of coconut oil is a nice complement to the chocolate. Studded throughout are pieces of dark chocolate that become melty and oozy when you enjoy them warm. Having loads of shredded zucchini in these muffins qualifies them as healthy enough for breakfast, don’t you think? And adding a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top makes it a most delicious dessert.