Recipe: Dark Chocolate Easter Nests

Easter is the time for chocolate chocolate and more chocolate. 

How did chocolate get so intertwined with the 're-birth' of Mr Jesus Christ?  Further more,  why is the easter intrinsically linked to the egg? 

One person at the table last night (she who must not be named) suggested that little chicks were hanging around Jesus' cave upon his re-awakening. 

My instincts tell me that the egg is linked to the creation of life; and chocolate is linked to celebration. To find out, I will have to take a trip to see the old village vicar, but I'm not that desperate to sit through the life of Christ any time soon...

Anyway- Chocolate! -Easter! -Eggs! ...

Cranberry and Almond Biscotti

I have been dying to have a go making the famous Italien biscuit the biscotti.  The biscotti is my favourite biscuit:  not just because it is super tasty, crunchy and a pretty addition to one's coffee, but also because it is a healthy biscuit- guilt free and fabulous. I finally gave a recipe a go making a few changes as I went to accommodate what I had in the cupboard and what I thought would taste nice.  So here is the recipe for my healthy cranberry and almond bran biscotti biscuits.  My oh my were they yummy. 

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour (wholewheat preferable as it contains more fiber and flavour)

3/4 cup crushed bran flakes

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons of skimmed milk

2 tablespoons of coconut oil (you can use canola or any cooking oil but coconut what I used)

3 tablespoons of honey

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

2/3 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 chopped almonds

Instructions: 

1) Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

2) In a large mixing bowl put the flour, bran flakes and baking powder. 

3) Whisk eggs in another bowl and add your other wet ingredients (milk, oil, honey, almond extract)

4) Add your wet ingredients to the other bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. You will have a ball of dough in your bowl. Now add your cranberries and almonds and mix further making sure your cranberries and almonds are right in that mix.

5) place your ball of dough onto a large piece of clingfilm and mould into a log. your log should be about 1inch high, 3 inches across and 12 inches long. With the cling film wrap the dough on either side and shape further into a smooth log. 

6) Put a baking sheet onto a tray and now put your sticky biscotti dough onto your baking sheet removing and throwing away your clingfilm. 

7) Put your biscotti log in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Your biscotti log should be lightly brown. 

8) Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

9) With a cerated knife, cut your biscotti into slices about 1/2 inch thick. 

10) Place back onto the baking sheet and chuck in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until toasted, lightly brown and crispy. Leave to cool.

11) Enjoy your homemade healthy biscotti. Nom nom nom.

Toasted Coconut

Toasted coconut is one of my favourite treats.  I first had this in Kenya when we went over to a friends house for dinner. Whilst we were all sipping on cold coke’s, ginger ale’s and beers, Suzi brought out a bowl of this healthy snack. Coconut, sun, a cold bevi and the beautiful scenery of the Kenyan beach, we were really in luxury.  Not only is this snack healthy full of good fats, it is very easy to make.

Thinly slice fresh coconut (the best), or coconut chunks which you can buy at any good supermarket (I know Waitrose in England does this). 

Once all your coconut is sliced nicely, place on a tray with foil.

Sprinkle/ grind some sea salt on your coconut.  Place your tray of salted sliced coconut under the grill. Toast for five minutes until the coconut is lightly brown. Turn the slices over and toast for a further two minutes. 

And voile la! You have your toasted coconut treat. Put in a bowl and serve.  This tastes surprisingly like popcorn.  Although this treat is healthy, it is high in healthy fats. So eat in moderation- like everything I guess.   It is for this reason you will get very full quite quickly from this treat.