FEBRUARY 26, 2012
My kids are a lot like me. They like their chocolate. And they, like me, like it everyday. It could be as simple as a bite of dark chocolate, broken off of a high quality bar, or the discarded crusts from a recently baked sheet of brownies. We do not discriminate when it comes to chocolate.
Often, when joining me at the grocery store, it is not abnormal that a little begging takes place for food items that my kids may see (and taste) from their friends lunch boxes or pantry’s. I’ve become immune to the constant “I wants” and play the “hard of hearing game”. In my quest to make almost everything from scratch, chocolate syrup has been on the list for sometime.
It is one of the most versatile staple items to have on hand. Pour it over ice cream for an easy, weeknight dessert, a few strawberries dipped into this silky mixture curbs ones craving upon first bite. My new favorite; a chocolate protein smoothie. It’s become our most favorite coveted after school snack. Throw in some flax seed oil, and we are all the healthier for it!
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
original recipe found here
yield 10 oz.
Note to self; next time, triple this recipe!
ingredients:
9 ounces brown sugar
4 1/2 ounces filtered water
1 1/2 ounces natural cocoa powder*
3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
3/4 ounce pure vanilla extract (make my own)
instructions:
• in a medium, heavy duty stock pot, combine the brown sugar, water, cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, instant espresso, and the Celtic sea salt.
• over medium heat, whisk ingredients until combined and the sugar has dissolved and the chocolate has melted.
• continue to cook, whisking constantly. when just boiling, remove pan from the stove and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
• whisk in vanilla and let cool completely before transferring to a glass jar.
• store in the refrigerator indefinitely.
* this is a really good article on the difference between cocoa powders. I highly recommend the read!
Chocolate Protein Smoothie
yield: 3 8 oz. servings
ingredients:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup whole, organic milk
1/2 a banana
2 tablespoons protein powder
2 tablespoons homemade chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 1/2 teaspoons flax seed oil
2 cups ice
instructions:
• throw everything, except the ice, into a blender or Vitamix. combine until completely mixed.
• add ice and mix until all the ice is crushed and combined.
• divide between 3, 8 ounce glasses.