The Vile Easter Bunny (tries to) Strike Again

That saucy minx.  Every year that oh-so-clever, seemingly harmless, bunny manages to arrange for unhealthy, over-processed, sugar-laced chocolate temptations abound. *Conveniently* there are sweet temptations all over regularly healthy grocery and shopping hot spots and we are left to try and resist the power that is chocolate.

This year, I am going to beat that meddling bunny at her own game with….*drum roll please*…

Dr. Stephanie’s (first of many) Healthy Chocolate Recipes

It can be done friends. I have researched a ton of chocolate recipes, and these were the first ones to make the cut.

I have modified the originals to make them either low calorie, low sugar, or how to make them vegan. Some of the original recipes had ingredients only available to our lovely American friends, so I have substituted those out for ingredients that can be found in Canada, too. 

The other really important thing for me was how easy these are to make. Literally some of them are put in food processor, mix, serve.  Easy peesy.

I have also added in a raw cheesecake recipe, that I wasn't so sure of..until I tried it.  Are you allowed to call a cheesecake gorgeous?

I would love your feedback on these recipes.  Did you add or subtract anything to them? How did they turn out?  Comments are loved in the comment section below.

For The Calorie-Counting Bunny

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Oh, yes...you read that right.  This is an ooey- gooey chocolate king of a cake for under 200 calories per serving.  No, no, thank YOU.

You will need 4 ramekins.  I really like to add a little bit of my favorite protein powder to this. Vega is a personal favorite, or a hemp-based protein powder works well too. 

This can be made vegan-friendly by substituting:
    Jell-O for Agar (1:1 ratio)
    Liquid Egg for Banana (1 Banana = 1 egg)
    This vegan chocolate cake recipe

    Creams & Butters can be replaced with vegan-equivalent substitutes

Ingredients:

For Cake

1 Cup Chocolate Cake Mix (like Duncan Hines or a Betty Crocker)
2 TB Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Fat-Free Liquid Egg Substitute
1 TB Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp Stevia
2 Dashes Salt

For Filling

1/2 Jell-O Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Snack (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 TB Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp Fat-Free Liquid Creamer (like Coffee-mate Fat Free Original)
1/2 tsp Light Whipped Butter

 Directions:

For The Filling:

Step 1    Place the chocolate chips for the filling in a glass and set aside.    

Step 2    Nuke the creamer & butter for 15 seconds (should be very hot)

Step 3    Pour the nuked mixture over the chocolate chips and stir until they have dissolved. Cool for a few minutes.    

Step 4    Add the pudding to the mixture. Stir.

Step 5    Spoon the chocolate mixture into four mounds on a non-stick sprayed or parchment-lined plate.

Step 6    Place in the freezer for 25 minutes.

For The Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 1    Place chocolate chips in a bowl with the cocoa powder. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir until everything has dissolved.    

Step 2    Add 1/2 cup cold water. Stir well.

Step 3    Add all of the remaining ingredients (cake mix, egg substitute, Stevia, and salt) to the mixing bowl, and whip with a whisk for 2 minutes.   

Step 4    Once the chocolate mounds in the freezer are a little firm, spray four baking ramekins with nonstick spray.

Step 5    Spoon the cake batter (which will be a wee thin) into the ramekins.

Step 6    Remove chocolate mounds from the freezer, and place one in the center of each batter-filled ramekin. Put the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Cakes will look shiny when done.

Step 7    Carefully remove each ramekin from the oven.

Either eat right out of the ramekin (that would be me), or wait until it has cooled and plate it.  You'll need to nuke the cooled cake for 15 seconds to get that ooey-gooey goodness back.

Top with something fabulous like a mint leaf.

For The Green Goddess or Vegan Bunny

Vegan Chocolate Chestnut Blackbottom Pie

I was very popular with my neighbours and patients this week with this baby.  It is rich, decadent, and all organic. 

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

350 grams (or 12.3 oz) sweetened chestnut puree
100 grams (or 3.5 oz) bittersweet chocolate
12 vegan chocolate wafer cookies
2 Tbs. vegan margarine
2 Tbs. coconut oil (optional)

Directions:

    Step 1 In food processor, turn the chocolate cookies into fine crumbs. Melt the vegan margarine and mix into the chocolate cookie crumbs.

    Step 2 Press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of a pie form or individual forms.

    Step 3 Open the chestnut puree jar or can and place in a large bowl.

    Step 4 Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate and the optional coconut oil.

    Step 5 Mix the melted chocolate into the chestnut puree until well blended.

    Step 6 Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to become a bit more solid and easier to work with.

    Step 7 Place a generous layer of the chocolate chestnut mixture on top of the black bottom crust.

    Step 8 Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

    Step 9 Garnish with something fun like chocolate curls or mint leaf.

The Raw Blackforest Chocolate Cheesecake

This one I was stoked to make.  I have never baked anything 'raw' before.  It is literally not cooked at all, and gets its firmness from being in the freezer.  The chef who created this had also mentioned you can replace raw cacao butter and coconut oil with a dark Green and Black’s chocolate bar.

For The Filling

2 Cups Cashews, soaked 1 hour or more
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Cacao Butter, Melted

1/4 Cup Coconut butter, Melted
1 -2 Teaspoons Coffee Extract (optional)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Seeds From 1/2 Vanilla Bean
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Cocoa Powder
One 10oz Package Frozen Cherries, Thawed

Directions:

Step 1    Blend everything together except for the cocoa powder and cherries until smooth.

Step 2    Blend in the cocoa powder

Step 3    Hand mix in the thawed cherries. (If you want to make a sauce out of the cherries, either set some aside or use an additional package.)


For The Crust:

1/2 Cup Brazil Nuts
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
Pinch Salt
1 Heaping Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
1 - 2 Tablespoons Agave
1 - 2 Tablespoons Cacao Nibs
1/4 Vanilla Bean Seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean

Directions:

Step 1    Food-process the brazil nuts, shredded coconut, salt, cocoa powder and vanilla bean seeds

Step 2    Add the agave and cacao nibs until the mixture just starts to stick together.

Step 3    Press into the bottom of a springform pan. If you are making a large cheesecake, feel free to double or even triple the recipe (crust and filling).

Pour the filling over the crust and chill or freeze until ready to serve.