mexican hot chocolate brownie bites

February 5, 2017

i am finally exploring the combination of spicy chocolate & i have to say, i LOVE it. i am not even a spice person, but when it is in a dessert & mixed with chocolate i am down. i can't wait to make spicy chocolate ice cream next & adding one more element to the mix.. ice! i was originally going to use fresh chillis but i found them to be way over powering. i think they would have made for a not so enjoyable spice! the mixture of cayenne & cinnamon work perfectly because cayenne is super spicy & cinnamon is sweet spicy. these brownies don't taste spicy upon first bite, but then BOOM it will hit you. i made these for the housewarming party & everyone loved them. they couldn't believe the touch of spice to a brownie. AND yes, these are fudgy brownies & this might be the first time i ever say this.. but these brownies are perfect! i can't even tell you how many brownie recipes i have made & none satisfied me with the texture i wanted. i think the key here is to not over bake them! take them out when they look a little undercooked, after all this is a brownie not a cake. the center should be fudgy & gooey.

to make these i used the new vitamix ascent a3500! it made for the silkiest batter & really helped puree those raw sugar crystals. usually i use raw sugar because i love the texture it brings, but in this recipe i wanted it to just be smooth & fudgy. this vitamix is amazing! it has a touch screen interface, five program settings, a timer & wireless connectivity that helps adjust the motor based to the container size. seriously, it is the best kitchen appliance i have because you can do way more then a smoothie in this thing. my old blender couldn't even whip up a smoothie without sounding like it was going to break down.

anyways, i am off to the city the second i hit publish so that is all from me today. have a lovely sunday!

ingredients (makes 12 brownie bites)

for the mexican hot chocolate brownies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup raw sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

for the mexican hot chocolate frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

for the mexican hot chocolate brownies

place melted butter & cocoa powder into the blender. puree until well blended.
add the raw sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, sea salt, cinnamon & cayenne pepper. pulse until a silky smooth batter is formed.
pour into a greased muffin tin or a 9-inch square baking dish if you want to make regular brownies.
bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
let cool completely before frosting.

for the mexican hot chocolate frosting

in the bowl of a standmixer add the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper & vanilla extract.
beat on high speed until light & fluffy, about 8-10 minutes.
frost brownie bites as desired.

this post was created in partnership with vitamix! thank you for supporting the brands that help me do what i love. xo

three bean vegetarian chili

February 2, 2017

it is game day weekend!!!! you know what that means? endless amounts of the BEST kind of foods.. chili, nachos, wings, pizza. i mean, football! it means football. okay, but let's be real here, you don't need to be a football fan to enjoy the superbowl. host a party & whip up a killer spread! i will be spending it in toronto this weekend & i can't wait to be back in the city. it feels like it has been forever! but before i head off to my weekend away, here is the recipe for this three bean vegetarian chili.

when hosting parties, there are SO many dietary restrictments you have to be cautious of. so leave the meat for the sliders, burgers or wings & keep the chili meatless. i love setting up a little station with various toppings for chili. i usually do cheddar cheese, guacamole, sour cream & something crunchy. i served this chili up with black bean habanero harvest snaps! they have the perfect kick of spice as i tend to make the chili a bit more mild for people who can't handle spice as well as others. for those who LOVE spice (cough, my dad) they can pile on as many habanero harvest snaps as their heart desires! they are even gluten free incase you have a gluten intolerant guest as well. this chili is seriously for everyone! so happy football weekend. i can't wait to see what everyone is cooking up.

go broncos!!!!! errr i mean patriots?

ingredients

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow or green bell pepper, chopped
4 stocks of celery, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled & chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust this based on your spice preference)
1 cup chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup black beans, rinsed
1 cup red kidney beans, rinsed
2 cups of low sodium vegetable stock
1 jar of crushed tomatoes
cilantro, to garnish
sour cream, to garnish
black bean habanero harvest snaps, to garnish

directions

in a large pot over medium heat add the red bell pepper, yellow or green bell pepper, celery, carrots, red onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cumin & cayenne pepper. cook until onions turn translucent, about 15 minutes.
add in the chickpeas, black beans & red kidney beans. cook for an additional minute or two.
pour in the vegetable stock & crushed tomatoes. stir until the two are evenly mixed in.
bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer. cook with the lid on for one hour.
remove from heat & serve hot!
top with cilantro, sour cream, habanero harvest snaps & whatever your heart desires!

this post was created in partnership with harvest snaps! thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love. xo

dessert chocolate + cheese board

January 31, 2017

growing up my parents took us to quite a few fancy restaurants in niagara-on-the-lake & fine dining restaurants on cruise ships. they wanted us to be part of every celebration & every milestone they reached. whenever we went to these types of restaurants & it was time for the dessert menu to be served, it always had a local cheese board dish on it. i never understood how cheese was considered a dessert?! it was probably because my knowledge of cheese didn't stretch past the basic marble cheddar & kraft singles i was used to eating... two cheeses i wouldn't dare to eat now. as i got older, it all began to make sense. pairing creamy style cheeses with fruits, nuts, jam & of course chocolate was the best way to end a perfect meal.

today i am teaming up with my friends at ghirardelli to present to you the ultimate dessert cheese board to serve at any party! be it awards, game day, or a casual gathering with friends, everyone is sure to find something they love on this board! now the star of this platter doesn't necessarily have to be the cheese, it can be all the fun chocolate you pair with it too! because you can't have dessert without a little chocolate i paired the cheese board with ghirardelli's snack line of chocolate covered treats! they make for the best finger foods as you saw in my previous salted cashew trail mix recipe (which you can find here). this board contains chocolate covered sea salt cashews, sea salt almonds, blueberries, and toasted coconut.. it has every flavour you can dream of.

ingredients

1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt cashew
1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt almond
1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli dark chocolate blueberry
1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate toasted coconut
1 wheel extra creamy brie
1/4 wheel extra creamy danish blue cheese
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 pomegranate, seeded
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 pear, thinly sliced
1 baguette, thinly sliced & toasted

directions

on a large wood serving board place the brie & blue cheese.
arrange all other ingredients around it starting with the fruit, chocolate & baguette slices.