For the love of chocolate

Brownies, truffles, chocolate… Yum! And what better way to say thank you this Mother’s Day? Kids will love helping prepare (and eat) these indulgent delights, so grab your aprons and get melting!

Gluten-free fudge brownies 

My ideal gluten-free fudge brownie is chewy, moist and the right size to hit the spot without being too heavy. If that sounds like your ideal brownie too, get baking!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes: 18 mini brownies

Ingredients

• 1½ cups good quality chocolate, broken into small pieces
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup ground almonds
• ¼ cup rice flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare mini muffin tins and spray with cooking oil to coat. Set aside.
3. In a double boiler or bain marie, melt chocolate and coconut oil.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, coconut sugar and vanilla. Add
   melted chocolate to the egg mix a little at a time, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.
5. Add almonds, rice flour, baking soda
   and salt, and mix well.
6. Fill muffin tins three-quarters of the way full and bake for about 15 minutes until set in centre. Do not over bake!

• Bake in mini muffin tins for ease of presentation and portion control. If you prefer, this recipe can be baked in a square pan and cut into small bites.
• Make extra and freeze. Brownies will keep for two months frozen.

Banana chocolate sushi 

Frozen bananas and chocolate sprinkled with coconut and nuts, and served with chopsticks – how good does that sound? I tell you what, it tastes even better! This unique dessert is a real favourite of mine. Not only is it easy to make, it also keeps well in the freezer, meaning you can make it in advance and surprise mum at the end of her meal. Wrap them well before popping them in the freezer, then they’re ready to slice and serve in three minutes. Ah, the beauty in simplicity! Your only challenge is not eating them all before you freeze them, because who can resist chocolate and bananas? Certainly not me.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 small bananas
• 1 bag good quality chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
• Pecans, chopped small (enough to coat bananas)
• Cashews, chopped small (enough to coat bananas)
• Unsweetened coconut flakes (enough to coat bananas)
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Make a bain marie by putting a couple of inches of water in a pan to heat up, then placing a small metal bowl over the hot water.
3. Melt chocolate chips in the bowl and whisk often to ensure even melting.
4. Dip bananas in melted chocolate – take care not to burn your fingers!
5. Then dip the bananas in either pecans, cashews or coconut flakes – I like to make a few of each variety.
6. Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt
7. Place on baking sheet and put in the freezer to set, which takes around 15 minutes.
8. Once set, cover well with plastic wrap and freeze.
9. When you’re ready to serve, use a very sharp chef’s knife, slice banana pieces and arrange on a platter.

Chocolate ganache

Words cannot even begin to describe the simplicity and decadence of this all-purpose chocolate lover’s dream. I use it as an icing for cakes and cupcakes and often as a mix-in for ice creams, pies and more. My kids wouldn’t mind if I put it on their vegetables. It’s basically a similar recipe to my chocolate truffles with a slightly different prep and use. Melt away!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz of high quality dark chocolate
• 1 cup coconut milk

Instructions

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and set aside.
2. In a medium pan, bring coconut milk to a boil, then turn off heat.
3. Whisk chocolate into coconut milk until it’s creamy.
4. Let it cool at room temp, then refrigerate.
5. If using as a light icing, use an electric mixer to whip until lighter
   and fluffier.

Chocolate truffles

Chocolate is my secret love. I have this weird obsession with buying
dark chocolate wherever we travel. I end up with a pile of beautiful bars tucked away in the wine fridge to keep them fresh. I hate to touch my exotic treats and I’m always “saving” them for a special occasion. But this does mean that I now have a really good stash of high-quality chocolate that makes for a perfect truffle. You could temper your own chocolate, but these bars are great for whipping up something delicious and beautiful with no fuss. I’m currently having a love affair with sea salt and chocolate, so I add a touch of Himalayan pink salt to my truffle mixture.

Preparation time 50 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes
Makes: 12

Ingredients

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken
  into small pieces
• ½ cup coconut milk
• A selection of toppings – you could use cocoa powder; chopped nuts; toasted coconut; melted chocolate; sea salt

Instructions

1. Bring the coconut milk to a boil. Turn off heat.
2. Add the chocolate a bit at a time and whisk in until smooth
   – the consistency should be velvety and runny.
3. Allow to cool and harden at room temperature.
4. Use a piping bag or a teaspoon and shape into bite-size balls.
5. Dip in desired topping.
6. Chill for 20 minutes in fridge.

• You must use a high-quality dark chocolate. If your chocolate is
  over 70 per cent cocoa, you may want to add a touch of coconut
  nectar to sweeten the truffles to your liking.
• Truffles will keep for up to two weeks.