Ancho Chocolate Torte

Ingredients

2 tsp ground Ancho chiles
2 cups semi sweet baking chocolate
1/3 cup butter
7 large eggs
1/2 tbs Cream of Tartar
3/4 cups ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup sugar

Chocolate Ganache’
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream


 
Directions

Start melting the chocolate with a double boiler method= mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water. Then in a food processor, grind up the hazelnuts to a fine powder. In 2 separate bowls, crack and separate the eggs. Beating the egg yolks separately from the whites. Once the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir in the egg yolks and butter. Then beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and sugar. Add the melted chocolate to the ground hazelnuts in the food processor, and pulse till it come together. Transfer mix back to the mixing bowl, and fold in the whipped egg whites. Grease a 6’ round cake pan, and pour in the cake mixture. And bake for about 20 mins, test with knife or wooden skewer. Let it cool for 2 minutes before before taking out of pan as it may crumble..and transfer to a cooling rack.
While the torte is cooling, start the chocolate ganache. Using the double boiler still, melt chocolate together with the cream. Lay a baking sheet with some paper liner or parchment under a cooling rack.  And begin to pour the ganache evenly over the torte. Spreading the icing evenly around the edges. The liner will help prevent a mess! To finish, the torte, dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder just before serving.

Apricot & Coconut Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups Almonds
1 cup Unsweetened un toasted Coconut
1 cup Dried Apricots
1 vanilla bean
2 tbs maple syrup
1/2 cup apple sauce
4 eggs
1 tsp butter or coconut oil
2 tsp GF baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 Cinnamon stick


Method

Preheat oven to 350’.
Measure out Whole almonds and coconut, and pulverize in the food processor. Add to a mixing bowl. Chop apricots and add to bowl.  Slice vanilla bean down the middle of the pod and scrape out the vanilla caviar with the back of a spoon or knife.  Add add vanilla, baking powder and sea salt to bowl and mix all dry ingredients. Making a well in the middle, add apple sauce, oil and syrup. Then whisk eggs, and fold all ingredients together.
Measure out batter with an ice cream scoop, and drop evenly into muffin cup liners.
Grate fresh cinnamon over the batter, and bake for 20 mins or until golden brown.

Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches, with Roasted Cocoa Nibs

This recipe is technically a two part recipe concoction smashed together.
The banana ice cream will most likely have to made the night before. And requires a high powered blender or food processor, and an ice cream machine if you have one..
but not necessary.


Ingredients

Ice Cream

3 frozen bananas
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1 cold can of coconut milk
1/4 cup Roasted Cocoa Nibs
2 tbs honey

Method and Preparation

Start by soaking the cashews, for at least a couple of hours, if not over night.  When ready to start this recipe, rinse them off and puree the cashews in the blender or food processor until you get a paste. Then add and mix all other ingredients
 { except the cocoa nibs!. }
If you are using an ice cream machine, transfer to mix and chill at this point. If you are not, transfer the cream to cold mixing bowl or container, with a lid. Stir in the Cocoa Nibs, and toss bowl into the freezer for a couple of hours. Be sure to check on the iced cream, to stir and break up the ice crystals forming. This may take up to 6 hours to chilled consistency.


Ingredients

Cookies

2 tsp coconut oil.
1 cup dried dates
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
pinch of fine grey sea salt / celtic sea salt

Method and Preparation


The cookies, also require a food processor.
Preheat the oven to 350’. And prepare the ingredients. The dates will first require a bit of softening with warm water, with just enough water to cover them for about 1/2 hour.
Start with the almonds, by crushing them on high in the food processor. Spoon the dates out of the water, into the processor with all other ingredients and pulse to bring the dough together. Spoon dollop the dough onto a lined cookie sheet, or non stick sheet. And bake for 5 minutes, pull the cookies out and flatten them with a non stick spatula, and pinch a sprinkle of grey salt on each cookie, bake for another 10 minutes or until they start to brown on the bottom. Pull the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack or just the counter to cool.

Pull the iced cream from the freezer and let it rest at room temp for a couple minutes before you work the sandwiches together. Making sure the cookies are properly cooled, so not to over melt the iced cream.
Serve right away, or transfer back to the freezer until you are ready to serve.

*Cookie Recipe makes 12 cookies / 6 large sandwiches
with ice cream left over