Chocolate Coconut Minute Tapioca Pudding—not really Tuesdays With Dorie—Baking Chez Moi (Dairy Free)

Today for Tuesdays With Dorie we were to make her Coconut Tapioca from Baking Chez Moi.  I planned to and wanted to, but the recipe called for large pearl tapioca.  I couldn’t find it anywhere.  So I went with the only tapioca I could find, which is pre-cooked Minute tapioca.  I felt like using that was such a disservice to Dorie’s recipe that I pretty much changed it and went more off of the recipe on the Minute tapioca box.  Then I changed it up from the box recipes as well.  So I’ll post for you my version of a healthier pudding made with mostly raw honey (and a little organic cane sugar) as well as coconut milk, a little almond milk, I even used a free range egg (does that crack anyone else up, to imagine an egg running free? Okay, it’s just me then, I’ll continue.)—and the healthiest thing of all—chocolate. ; )  Thank you for the three dozen eggs from your little chickadees, Mom!

To be fair and stick with Dorie’s Coconut Tapioca, I did decide to make one portion of regular tapioca, then while the pudding was still hot, I stirred in some Enjoy Life (dairy, egg, soy free) chocolate chips and they melted away.  I definitely like the chocolate version better, I can’t help it.  Minute tapioca is easy to make with just a few, simple ingredients that are cooked on the stove for a short time, then put into dishes to chill.

I really like adding the nuts, berries and chocolate on top of each serving.  Tapioca has a texture that has not always been my favorite with the little bits of gelled tapioca in the pudding and the different texture and flavor added makes it taste great.  Give me more chocolate, please!

Chocolate Coconut Minute Tapioca Pudding (Dairy Free), by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3 tablespoons Minute tapioca

1 (13.5 oz.) can full fat coconut milk

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup raw honey

2 tablespoons organic cane sugar (or omit and use 6 T. raw honey)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (and more for sprinkling on top)

berries and nuts of choice (optional)—for garnish

In a medium sized saucepan, add the tapioca, coconut milk, almond milk, honey, sugar and egg.  Whisk together to combine.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  With the heat on medium, stir the mixture almost constantly until it comes to a boil and thickens slightly (takes about 5 minutes).  Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it over the top of the pudding.  Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Chill in the refrigerator for up to a couple hours.  Stir the pudding and put enough in each serving dish.  Garnish with chocolate chips, berries or nuts as desired.  Makes 4 servings (about 2/3 cup each).

How easy was that?  The main difference between this pre-cooked Minute tapioca and Dorie’s recipe that uses uncooked tapioca is that the pearls are soaked overnight before making the pudding (her recipe used coconut milk as well as some whole milk, which is another reason I just decided to make sure you knew the recipe I made isn’t hers—I forgot to get some whole milk as I’m not against it, but don’t drink milk anymore as I used to do.)  Try this one and definitely get Dorie’s Baking Chez Moi for an amaing cookbook. 

Lemon Cupcakes—Baking Chez Moi—Tuesdays With Dorie

These cupcakes were so fun to make and were a hit with everyone who ate one.  Wish I would have doubled the recipe.  It made exactly twelve cupcakes and the frosting was the perfect amount.  Dorie’s recipe was for Limoncello Cupcakes and since that is an alcohol, I made them just using fresh lemon juice in place of the limoncello.  An option was to put lemon (or orange) marmalade in the middle of the cupcakes, but I decided not to do that.  The cupcakes out of the oven are brushed with a lemon syrup.  To make sure the lemon flavor was kicked up enough, I poked holes over the tops of each cupcakes with a toothpick while they were still hot so the syrup seeped into the cupcakes more. 

The frosting was simple and delicious.  Again, I replaced the limoncello with lemon juice and also used a little milk to get the consistency I wanted. 

The cupcake batter has a bit of cardamom added, which was a great little addition.  Dorie also suggested in place of that some black pepper.  Both just make you ask, “Hmm, what is in there?”  I received quite the compliments on these cupcakes and even though I didn’t taste them and they didn’t have chocolate (ha), I will use this recipe when I need lemon cupcakes again.

Want the recipe?  Get Dorie’s book, Baking Chez Moi.  I’m loving being a part of Tuesdays With Dorie again.  Good times.  Great recipes and yummy treats to share.  Check out the Tuesdays With Dorie link to see everyone else’s cupcakes this week.

Healthy Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Truffles

Another pretty darn healthy treat!  Underneath that Enjoy Life chocolate is some pretty darn tasty peanut butter caramel—all natural, no sugar added.  Did you know if you blend dates in a food processor long enough, it becomes like a paste, or even better—like caramel.  No joke.  Sure you might think it’s not the same caramel you’re used to, you know, the kind made with lots of sugar, cream, butter and some kinds even high fructose corn syrup and other unmentionables.  And while it’s not just like your favorite caramel, it’s a darn good and much healthier substitute.

So next you’re thinking, “Ew, dates, I don’t like dates.”  Well, I’m being honest here and telling you if I gave you one of these truffle candies and didn’t tell you what was in it, you’d never know!  I’m super happy about this.  I’d seen a few other places on the internet that have made “homemade refined sugar free caramel” and just used my own decided measurements until I was happy with it.  I’m so happy I might need to forego this post right now and go make some more candy!

Oh, okay, I’ll share it with you first.  So first I made the caramel.  Then I knew I wanted peanut butter involved with the candy, so I added some natural, organic peanut butter.  Then just threw in a little salt, vanilla and coconut flour.  The coconut flour probably wasn’t necessary, but I wanted to make sure it would all bind together and I’d just be able to form the dough into balls.  I am happy with the results, so I plan to just leave it as is.  After the peanut butter caramel balls were formed, they spent a little time in the freezer just to make sure they were good and ready for a quick dunk in a chocolate bath.

 Healthy Peanut Butter Caramel Truffles, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1  1/4 cups pitted dates, soaked in water (not cold, but doesn’t have to be hot) for 30 minutes, then chopped (save the water)

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 tablespoon water

4 tablespoons natural, unsweetened peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon coconut flour

4 ounces Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (or chocolate of your choice)

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Put the soaked, then drained and chopped dates in the bowl of a food processor.  Let the processor go for about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Turn it on again and let it keep chopping up the dates.  Add the coconut oil and water and let it process for another couple minutes.  You’ll know when it is a paste caramel-like texture.  (It is not quite as smooth and liquid runny like some caramel, but it’s good!)  Add the peanut butter, salt, vanilla and coconut flour.  Pulse until well combined.  Remove the blade from the processor bowl and scoop the filling into balls.  (I used a small cookie scoop, it’s probably about 1 tablespoon.)  Lay them on a waxed paper lined plate or small baking sheet and put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. 

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe glass bowl in 30 second intervals on 7-8 power.  Stir after each 30 seconds, it only takes about 1  1/2 minutes, add the coconut oil before the last time.  Stir until smooth.  Let it sit for a few minutes before dunking the candy into it.  Using a fork, set the candy on the fork and dunk it into the melted chocolate.  Spoon chocolate over the top until it is all covered.  Tap the fork on the edge of the glass bowl, letting the chocolate smooth over the surface.  Using another fork, push the chocolate covered candy onto a wax paper lined plate.  They start to harden immediately but once you have the all coated, put the plate in the refrigerator for a few minutes.  Makes about 16.  Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  They are great cold, but you can have them out of the refrigerator before serving for a while, too.   

Make yourself a healthy treat for Easter this weekend—or anytime year round!