No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bites {vegan + grain-free}

I don't know about you, but with me inspiration in the kitchen really ebbs and flows. There will be weeks on end where I barely turn on the stove and when my husband asks what's for dinner after we've each come home from a long day of work I should daggers at him, feeling unmotivated and bothered by the idea of coming up with something. Usually these periods follow holidays like Thanksgiving, where I have a bad habit of taking on way too much.

Then there are times when there are literally not enough hours in the day to make everything I want to make. Where I feel like I could cook till 3am, filling the freezer with future meals for a lazier self, where it feels like inspiration is everywhere I look, and I can't wait to go back to my kitchen and play mad scientist until the wee hours of the morning. 

In case your wondering, I'm currently going through the latter, in a big way. Yesterday, I willingly went to three grocery stores in 12 hours, then re-organized the pantry, made vegetable curry, a giant vat of black beans, apple & brie sandwiches, and these brownies all in one afternoon. I think I am just so damn excited to be back home in my kitchen after so many weeks of travel.

And today I am so flipping excited to share these brownies with you! So you know the gooey, rich, undercooked and deeply chocolatey center of a brownie? Well these are that in one perfectly decadent I-dare-you-to-just-eat-one bite. To be honest, they are straight up brownie batter (with enough coconut oil that the batter hardens when refrigerated) rolled into bite-sized balls and bathed in cocoa powder. Oh and they are vegan AND gluten-free, only required 1-bowl, and no baking! Guys, I know I've said this before, but these brownies might be the best thing I've ever made. I literally made out with the batter-covered whisk after I made them.  

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bites 
Adapted from The Kitchn
Makes 24 pieces 

2 tablespoons flax seed meal 
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water 
1/2 cup coconut oil 
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (1 heaping cup) - vegan if needed 
2 tablespoons cane sugar 
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
3 heaping tablespoons all-natural peanut butter 
1/2 cup almond meal 

In a small prep bowl, mix the flax seed meal with water and let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, fit a heat-proof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water - making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Combine the coconut oil, chocolate, and sugar in the bowl and stir until the mixture is completely incorporated and the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl and whisk in instant coffee, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, flax, and peanut butter until smooth. Mix in almond meal until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.  

Prepare a small ramekin with the remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Use a cookie scoop (mine was about 1 tablespoon) to shape the batter into balls, I then rolled them in my bowl to smooth out the edges, then toss the bites into the cocoa until completely covered. Try to work quickly as they melt at room-temperature. Store in the refrigerator. 

Dark Chocolate Bark with Pomegranate, Sea Salt, & Chocolate Cookie Crumbs

Happy Valentine's Day. I've been on a bit of a pomegranate kick lately. And to be honest I planned on making chocolate bark over the holidays but got too busy. It was my first time making bark and I was surprised at how easy it was. The whole process only takes about 15 minutes and there's a good chance you already have the ingredients on hand. It makes a great gift, snack to sneak into the movies, or perfect simple Valentine's treat. 

Dark Chocolate Bark with Pomegranate, Sea Salt, & Chocolate Cookie Crumbs 

1 pound dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I used 58% cocoa) 
1/4 cup coconut oil 
1.5 cups pomegranate arils (from about 2 medium pomegranates) 
1/2 cup chocolate cookies, crumbled (I used Trader Joe's Joe Joes) 
1 scant teaspoon chunky sea salt 

Prep the toppings. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Slice pomegranates in half then submerge in water. Remove the pomegranate arils from the pith. The arils will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the pith will rise to the top. Skim the pith from the top and drain the water. Lay pomegranate arils on a paper towel and pat to dry. Crumble the cookies into rough chunks. Roughly chop the chocolate. 

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Heat the chocolate in the bowl of a double boiler over simmering water until melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil until completely combined. Stir in half of the pomegranate arils, the pour the chocolate mixture into the baking sheet, allowing it to spread out until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining arils, cookie crumbs, and sea salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then crack the bark into pieces and enjoy. Keeps in the fridge. 

Notes: 

• I was a little unsure about adding the cookies so I only added them to half of the bark. I can report, the cookies were definitely a good idea. 
• Feel free to get creative when it comes to the toppings.  

Orange Cranberry & Oat Breakfast Muffins {vegan}

I must confess, I've always been a sucker for muffins. I'd choose a sweet, moist, crumbly muffin filled with bursting fruit over a cupcake any day. Don't even get me started on the the muffin top crumbles. I have a collection of muffin tin liners above the microwave with colors and designs for every season. But you see, I have this issue where once I eat one muffin, I eat ALL THE MUFFINS. Like zero self-control. They are just so small and delicious, I swear they call my name, and before I know it my desk is covered in dirty muffin tin liners and I feel super guilty. 

So in attempt to get inspired while scrolling through my favorite food blogs last week, I discovered these cranberry orange muffins. I've never been much of a cranberry fan, but I knew we had a big bag of them left-over from when I made Dark Chocolate Cranberry Crumble Cake last month so I figured I'd give them a try. Knowing my muffin obsession, I attempted to make these a little healthier so I tossed out the 3/4 cups of sugar the recipe called for and poured in a nice 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup (seriously, I put that shit in everything) instead. To make them more suitable for breakfast, I swapped out the all purpose flour and pulsed some oats into flour for added protein and fiber. While I was at it I trader butter for coconut oil and threw in some flax seed to replace the egg because why not make them vegan? How easy was that?! {cue Ina Garten} I added a touch of cinnamon for warmth and to combat the tangy citrus and topped things off with a sweet oat crumble. The results are so so good. 

They make the perfect breakfast muffins that won't leave you feeling guilty. They are bright and zesty (the fresh squeezed OJ does that!) which serves as the perfect pick-me-up for cold winter mornings. They are unbelievably moist and the oat crumble makes them feel like such a treat but somehow still healthy at the same time. Pop these guys in the toaster with a nice smear of butter/earth balance and you will thank me. 

Orange Cranberry & Oat Breakfast Muffins 
Adapted from Pastry Affair 
Makes 24 muffins 

For the muffins:
2 flax eggs (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water + 2 tbsp flax seed meal + 1/4 tsp baking powder) or chicken eggs
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats 
1.5 cups whole wheat pastry 
zest of 2 oranges 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 cup pure maple syrup 
1 cup coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (from about 4 oranges) 
2 heaping cups cranberries (fresh or frozen) 

For the crumble: 
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats 
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour 
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons coconut oil, cold 

Prepare the flax eggs. In a small prep bowl stir flaxseed meal, water, and baking soda together. Let sit for 15-20 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend oats in a food processor fitted with a blade until it becomes powdery, about 1 minute. Don't worry about getting it as fine as regular flour, it will have more body and chunkiness and that's okay. In a medium bowl, whisk the oat "flour", whole wheat pastry flour, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder together. Set aside.

Make the crumble. Whisk the oats, flour, sugar and salt together until combined. Using a fork mix in the coconut oil until mixture becomes wet and crumbly. Refrigerate until right before use. Even 3 minutes in the fridge will help the coconut oil harden up. 

In a large bowl whisk together maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and flax eggs. The oil will look like it won't incorporate, but just keep whisking, it will. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, one third at a time, whisking to combine. Once incorporated it will be super thick and hard to stir. Pour in the orange juice and whisk until completely incorporated. Stir in the cranberries. Pour into lined muffin tins, top with oat crumble, and cook for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.