During December's gathering, the table was decorated with flowers, champagne, and three delicious treats. Whipped coconut cream sat beside a beautiful and warm apple tart next to a dish of the tastiest chocolate chip oatmeal cookies ever. Today, I'm (Emily, here!) dishing out an oh-so-easy dessert recipe you need to make asap. Seriously. I'm thinking this is the perfect recipe to say I love you this V-Day. You know, if you're into that kind of thing.
Does that make sense? Do you ever get overwhelmed by the concept of how you have the power to shape your emotions, to control the outcome, to work with all you have and make it more or less? Because you actually have that power. Every time you sit in your pity party, you have the power to turn it off and make it a dance party. When you are angry, you have the power to shape that anger into productivity and progress. When you are sad, you have the power to turn that sadness around to a form of hope.
1. Floss, because I gotta
Crust -
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
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Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Pretzel, Popcorn Bark
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Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Pretzel, Popcorn Bark, Say What? Yes. It's happening.
Can I (Emily, here!) get a woot woot for easy, fast, and absolutely amazing recipes? This bark is going to make you want to do the happy dance. No lies. I included it in the Halloween Recipe series because a) cravings hit when handing out candy to trick-or-treaters so better entertain your tastebuds with something fabulous, b) if you're going to a party - read: not a frat party - and want something sweet & savory to bring along that's not the norm, these are perfect, and c) I'm eating this during Halloween time, and therefore it belongs in the Halloween Recipe series. Plus, if you've ever had chocolate spiders or haystacks, these taste like the deconstructed version (with an addition of popcorn of course, because really, why not?).
This recipe brings all of the Great Vibes because it's ...
5 ingredients
ready to eat in under 30 minutes
sweet
savory
crunchy
rich
decadent
versatile
Why love bark? Sometimes yumminess doesn't have to be complicated. Chocolate bark as a base sets you up for recipe success every time. Think of the options: nuts & seeds, dried fruit, other types of chocolate, peppermint for the holidays, etc.
Ingredients & steps after the jump ...
Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Pretzel, Popcorn Bark
Ingredients ::
+ Pretzels (gf, v)
+ Popcorn (homemade with olive oil)
+ Peanut Butter (unsalted, organic)
+ 1 bag of Chocolate Chips (gf, v)
+ Salt (Pink Himalayan Sea Salt)
Recipe ::
Make popcorn - follow instructions on the bag or microwave 2 tbsp - 1/4 cup organic popcorn kernels with 1 tbsp olive oil in a glass container with vented lid until it is more than 5 seconds between popping (about 4-5 minutes, depends on microwave; you can also do this on the stove).
Melt chocolate in a bowl, in a double broiler or microwaving on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until all of the chips have melted.
Spread melted chocolate evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon mat.
Cover with crushed pretzels & popcorn.
Drizzle with peanut butter.
Place in refrigerator or freezer to harden.
Break into pieces, and enjoy! Xx.
Notes::
Stores well in the refrigerator or freezer. Will be more melty in a warm room.
Notice in my ingredients where I've written organic and where I've written vegan. If these things are important to you, I encourage you to do the same. Finances, availability, and personal consumer choice can impact purchase decisions. My hope is that you closely follow the recipe, but make allowances where necessary -- my feelings won't be hurt and your taste buds will still have a party. Promise!
+ What are your favorite bark toppings?
P.S. Use the hashtag #thegreatvibesguide for anything that makes you feel like doing the happy dance or expressing your imperfectly perfect self.
P.S.S. Did you know you get a free Great Vibes Guide & grocery store printable when you sign up for The Newsletter? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
P.S.S.S. Have you checked out all of the
other places Emily's spreading the Great Vibes?
Toasted Coconut Butter
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You guys. I (Emily, here!) LOVE this recipe. I used to spend 10 dollars plus on jars of this stuff from *those who take whole paychecks* and would go through it within a couple days - cue the bank robbery. It took me such a long time, even after reading recipes (!) to finally make it for myself. Thank goodness I finally did, because let's talk about a bang for your buck. Now, I spend a fifth of the price and get fresh, homemade coconut butter that takes less than 15 minutes to make and requires only one ingredient. Can I get a booyah? Too lame? Alright ... we'll move on.
This recipe brings all of the Great Vibes because it's ...
ONLY one ingredient
a perfect base recipe
done in under 15 minutes
creamy
rich
decadent
versatile
I put this yummy goodness on basically everything. A couple weeks ago, it was featured in it's non-toasted variation in my Mexican Cold Chocolate recipe. I've been known to eat it by the spoonful, drizzle it over sweet potatoes with a little bit of cinnamon, stir it into a can of pumpkin with honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and tumeric, or mix it with maple syrup and a little lemon juice to make a yummy frosting for cinnamon rolls. *cravings beginning now*.
Note: Notice in my ingredients where I've written organic and where I've written vegan. If these things are important to you, I encourage you to do the same. Finances, availability, and personal consumer choice can impact purchase decisions. My hope is that you closely follow the recipe, but make allowances where necessary -- my feelings won't be hurt and your tastebuds will still have a party. Promise!
What is it we love so much about coconut? I spent all day Monday, chatting up my favorite healthy fat, coconut, over on twitter - follow me here -, because why not? Coconut is amazing and it comes in so many different forms... flaked, whole, liquid, butter, oil, the list is endless! Okay, not endless, but definitely a lot of options from which to choose. Coconuts are made up of 90% fat, which has most people gasping and pinching their waistlines, but 65% are medium-chain fatty acids. These guys are absorbed by our body in a way that fuels us, not fattens us, and have been known to boost our metabolism, slim our waistlines, help moisturize our skin and boost it's integrity, aids in gut and digestive health, and may even have antimicrobial power. Hot dammmnnnnnn. So many benefits thanks to the nutritional profile (I'll just mention a few...) boasting of vitamins E & C, sterols, fiber, and electrolytes - i.e. potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium.
Ingredients & steps after the jump ...
Toasted Coconut Butter
Ingredients ::
+ 1 bag of unsweetened flake coconut
(organic, nothing added - I use Trader Joe's brand)
Recipe ::
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread unsweetened flake coconut onto a baking tray.
Toast coconut in the oven for about 5 (maybe more) minutes, until lightly golden brown, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Place cooled, toasted coconut flakes into blender or Nutribullet (if using Nutribullet, using milling attachment, not blender attachment).
Blend coconut, scraping down the sides or shaking the coconut back down, until fully blended and creamy. You'll know it's done when it's the same, even consistency of peanut or almond butter.
Top on smoothies or oatmeal, eat by the spoonful, or drizzle over sweet potatoes with cinnamon for a decadent treat packed with nutrients. The options are endless. Enjoy! Xx.
