chocolate cashew trail mix

 

because the entertaining season never truly ends after the holidays, i am teaming up with ghirardelli this month to create the perfect snack foods to serve if you are hosting a party or get together! between game day, the awards + everything in between there are plenty of opportunities to invite your friends over this winter season & put together the ultimate snack table! if you are anything like me, chocolate has to be included in everything. for this snack recipe i incorporated Ghirardelli's various chocolate covered products into a fun trail mix. i basically incorporated all my favourite munchies into one bowl of pure deliciousness. trail mix is easy to mix up, serve & even easier to devour! the first time i put a bowl of this out, it was gone within the hour. i love seeing what ingredients people pick out as a favourite. i am totally that person who sneaks all the chocolate covered pieces first! i used cashews as the base & used raw cashews, Ghirardelli's sea salt dark chocolate cashews & Ghirardelli's sea salt milk chocolate cashews. ALL the cashews! the result is a wholesome, high quality snack that you can take or serve just about anywhere. it works as a perfect grab & go snack as well to tuck into lunches. what do you mix into your trail mixes?!

ingredients

  • 1 4.8 oz package of Ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 1 4.8 oz package of Ghirardelli dark chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 2 cups banana chips
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup salted large cashews
  • 1 cup coconut chips or shredded coconut
  • 2 cups mini pretzels

directions

  • in a large mixing bowl add milk chocolate sea salt cashews, dark chocolate sea salt cashews, banana chips, dried cranberries, cashews, coconut chips & pretzels.
  • toss until combined & serve in desired serving bowl.
  • can be stored up to two weeks.

coconut + dark chocolate cake

 

this. cake. oh my god, this cake was good. i wanted to say my mom said it was the best cake i have ever made, but i am starting to think she says that every single time i have her taste test my newest recipes so maybe it is time to pick a new taste tester. what can i say though, mom's are always going to be our number one fans! she had a point though... this cake is FULL of coconut & turned out so moist. seriously, if you are a coconut lover you need to make this right now. it contains grace's coconut chips, shredded coconut, coconut oil, coconut milk in the cake itself & is topped with a creamy coconut glaze. not to mention some dark chocolate chunks to tie it all together. baking with coconut sugar is a healthier alternative to using regular white sugar. i often rotate between this & raw sugar in all my baking.

i think it makes for quite the presentation if you are bringing or serving a dessert at a holiday party! much less stressful then trying to frost a perfect layer cake & i love putting a fancy glaze over top. i used all of grace foods organic coconut products in this recipe, which you can easily find in the international section of your local grocer! they are my go to brand for when i buy coconut milk, it is high quality & affordable. my only real suggestion is to buy extra coconut chips for the topping because good luck not eating them while you bake. they are addicting & i couldn't stop. now get to it!

ingredients

for the cake

for the glaze

directions

for the cake

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder & sea salt.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the sugar, butter & coconut oil until smooth.
  • add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
  • alternate between adding the coconut milk & flour mixture. beat until smooth.
  • fold in the flaked coconut & half of the chocolate chunks.
  • pour into a greased 8-inch round cake pan & top with remaining chocolate chunks & coconut chips.
  • bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top centre bounces back to touch.
  • let cool completely before removing from pan & glazing.

for the glaze

  • mix ingredients in a bowl until the desired consistency is formed.
  • if the glaze is to thin, add more powdered sugar. if the glaze is to thick, add more coconut milk.

this post was created in partnership with grace. they make just about every coconut product you can think of... sugar, oil, chips, milk & so on. i couldn't help but make the ultimate coconut cake using ALL of these delicious coconut ingredients! thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love. 

chocolate + sea salt tart

 

taking photographs of chocolate is possibly one of my favourite things to do (is that sad? lol), so i was quite excited to shoot this chocolate + sea salt tart. i may or may not have gotten a little carried away with the process shots, but what are you gonna do. a chocolate tart is a perfect year round dessert to make for any gathering because chocolate is ALWAYS in season. this smooth & silky tart is slightly on the richer side of things, but the hint of sea salt helps offset the rich & creamy dark chocolate flavour. if you wanted to whip this up within minutes, you could use store bought tart crust & just add the filling. however, this gorgeous matte grey porcelain tart pan from REVOL makes for such a gorgeous presentation.

REVOL is a french made porcelain company who makes everything handmade (literally everything.. the clay, the molds, the designs + the colours) & produces the highest quality bakeware, cookware & dinnerware. they want to make cooking easier & presentation beautiful. i love all the grey & white pieces they create because i can't turn away anything in those two tones. it is such a soft & pretty neutral colour. i hope you enjoy this sea salt chocolate tart as much as i did! for best results, serve it cold because the chocolate filling gets a bit soft at room temperature & makes slicing/serving a little more messy.

p.s. how cute is that cow creamer?! perfect for a country kitchen with open shelving.

ingredients

for the tart dough

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons ice cold water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the salted chocolate filling

  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon for sprinkles flaked sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold & cubed
  • 200 grams high quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

directions

for the tart dough

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar & salt. stir.
  • cut in the butter until a crumb like mixture is formed.
  • in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, water & vanilla. add to the dough & shape into a disk. if dough seems dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time.
  • let dough chill for 30 minutes. roll out to desired thickness or press gently into the tart pan.
  • bake for 15-20 minutes, using pie beads to stop crust from rising. if you do not have pie beads, use foil wrapped rice or dried beans. anything to help create weight in the center.
  • remove from oven & let cool before you make the filling.

for the salted chocolate filling

  • in a saucepan over medium heat add the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla & salt. stir occasionally & bring to a boil.
  • immediately remove pan from heat & add the butter cubes + chopped chocolate. stir vigorously until the mixture is silky & smooth.
  • pour into the pre-baked crust & place in fridge.
  • chill tart for two hours to set. sprinkle with remaining sea salt & serve.

this post was created in partnership with REVOL USA. they create the most gorgeous porcelain bakeware in all my favouite matte white + grey tones. featured in this post are the tart pan | espresso mugs | cow creamer & salad/dessert plate. you can find REVOL on facebook, instagram & youtube. thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to do what i love most.