Naughty or Nice: The Chocolate Files

Have you ever had one of those days where you want to break out of your set mold?  A day where you want to unleash your inner indulgence after months of being good? Or a day where you want to stifle the urge to eat cookie dough ice cream by the gallon full? Energy is excited to bring you some of our favorite recipes that tap into your inner rebel or rule-following renegade.  With each series of taste-testing, and kitchen experiments Energy will introduce recipes that set you on your path to naughty or nice.  We must admit a little secret though.  The naughty, while tempting will always continue to include the ultimate use of the freshest, most natural and always organic ingredients.  As for the nice, well, what else would you expect? We will make sure to include brand names that we find are most successful for our recipes where necessary. No we are not paid promoters.  We are simply a food loving group dedicated to sharing what we know is our absolute best.  Do you have naughty recipes that you would like to become nice? We would be delighted to assist you with your recipe transformations.  Would you like to know which particular ingredients are good for you and why? Let’s start a healthy, flavorful conversation together.


We encourage you to post pictures of your recipe successes to

• our Instagram page with the tag #energytry
  our Facebook page with the tag #energytry
  
  Today I am in the mood for chocolate.  Dark, rich, mouthwateringly smooth chocolate.  I find that making sure I get my chocolate fix each day (even if it's just a couple of bites) really helps me push through my sweet cravings.  Any type of dark chocolate with a cacao percentage higher than 70% really gives your body a portion of the antioxidants it needs to fight illness.  I have also found that raw cacao bits (or nibs) as they are sometimes called really taste good over Greek yogurt, or in a smoothie.  They are a bit bitter on their own, but mixed together with fruit, they givs you the sweet bite you are craving. 
  
  One of my favorite go to snacks after yoga at Energy, or a run outside is a chocolate protein muffin.  These days most grocery stores offer a huge selection of specialty ingredients that you can find in the baking aisle.  I am a huge proponent of Bob's Red Mill brand of flour, flax seed, etc.
  
  
  Chocolate Flaxseed Muffins from Maria Emmerich
  
• 1 cup flax seed meal
  1/2 cup chocolate egg white or whey protein
  4 tbsp coconut oil or butter
  1/4 cup Erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite (or 1/4 cup Swerve)
  2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  4 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
  2 tsp baking powder
  2 tsp vanilla extract
  1/2 tsp salt
  2 oz chopped almonds (optional)
  1 c unsweetened chocolate almond milk or coconut milk
• 
  Pre-heat oven 350 F. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, let stand for 3 minutes. Spray a 12 muffin pan with non-stick spray. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tins. Bake 25-30 minutes. (To make these more chocolatey I added 3 TBS of unsweetened
  cocoa powder and 1/4 t. of stevia.) Makes 12 servings.
  
  NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving):
  Traditional Chocolate Muffin = 401 calories, 21g fat, 5g protein, 61 carbs, 3g fiber
  “Healthified” Muffin = 236 calories, 12g fat, 10g protein, 6 carbs, 4 fiber

      These muffins also work really well as baked donuts or spread with layer of peanut or almond
      butter.

Sometimes life just calls for a decadent dessert.  I am a chocolate cake loving addict, and there are times when nothing else will do.  I get myself in trouble for watching too much Food Network television, and before I know it my downstairs is turned into a test kitchen.  If you want the best, and I mean BEST most fabulous chocolate cupcake, look no further than the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten.

Ina's Chocolate Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Icing

Ingredients :
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup good cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing

Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Ok Energy! Who's in? We are happy to do taste tests in the studio:-)

Author: Joanna Etshokin
Photo Sources: Chocolate Flax Seed Muffins (Maria Emmerich)
                       Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins (Ina Garten and Food Network)