So the holiday season has brought with it the groaning tables of baked goods and candies, both homemade and not, and none suitable for the food allergic. So it’s time to make your own! I’ve made a few recipes of gluten-free vegan cookies, with mixed results (all edible, none outstanding, none of the recipes my own), but cookies are time-consuming and kitchen-consuming. So are cakes and pies.
Needing a last minute treat for the holidays, to satisfy my own sweet tooth, which spends a lot of time being teased these days, I wanted to try making truffles out of coconut milk and chocolate, with some added flavors to deepen the chocolate’s flavors. I had a great idea, but like so many great ideas, it didn’t pan out quite as planned — these didn’t set up the way I wanted them to, so I froze them. The result was a homemade version of those single bite ice cream treats that came out a few years ago.
They are super quick to make, with most of the time involved being cooling and freezing the chocolate. The dishes involved are minimal. These should keep for a few weeks in the freezer, and some of them are going to work with me for the mid-afternoon chocolate cravings.
Quick Chocolate Bites
- 10 oz of chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)
- 13.5 oz of full-fat coconut milk (1 can)
- 3 Tablespoons good berry jam (strawberry, raspberry, black cherry), seedless recommended (and by “good,” I mean that I generally choose jam — and many food products — by looking for the one with the fewest number of ingredients. For jam, I prefer sugar be used rather than any other sweetener, and few or no preservatives)
- 1 teaspoon of basil, chopped finely, optional (the frozen cubes of herbs are great for recipes like this)
Put the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl, and set aside.
In a sauce pan, combine the coconut milk, jam, and basil, if using. Whisk together, and bring to a boil.
Pour the boiling coconut milk mix over the chopped chocolate, and stir until chocolate is fully melted. Let the mixture cool until it’s not steaming anymore, then cover and refrigerate until fully chilled (overnight is good).
Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, portion out approximately 1 Tablespoon dollops of the pudding consistency mixture onto a foil or parchment paper-covered cookie sheet, and freeze until solid, about an hour. Store in sealed containers or plastic bags. Use to satisfy chocolate or sugar cravings as they arise.
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