Sh*t, that's fresh: Chapter 6
The sweetest things 🍫
One of the more surprising things about our time in Hawaii is the bugs.
I mean, you hear stories, but until you’ve looked down at the grass and seen it moving while cheering on your husband during a sunrise road race, I think it’s hard to really understand the sheer number of cockroaches you’ll see.
And it doesn’t matter how tidy you are, or how many traps you have in place, they are going to find a way into your life (and heart, possibly?).
Much like the night we were driving home on a dark highway from Waikiki.
Blissed out from a neat day on the town, we suddenly saw something in the shadows.
It was about the size of a big toe, and I swear it was doing the mambo.
Hahn swerves.
Then screams (in an octave I’d not thought possible): Ohmygosh, what IS that thing?! GET IT.
Screeching back: I think I lost it!
Reaching for the overhead light, Hahn lets out a guttural yell: DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH THAT LIGHT.
And then there was silence.
Both of us deep in thought of the horrors that might be circling us in the dark, and trying our best to get home without having our feet touch the floor.
So what does that have to do with sweet things?
Well, nothing.
Except for the fact that I think dates look a bit like cockroaches, and I kind of get the ick every time I cook with them.
But please don’t let that deter you from making this next recipe - because as awful as they may look, dates are naturally sweet and almost caramel-like in both their flavor and texture.
Pair them with peanut butter, dark chocolate, coconut and sea salt flakes, and you’ll have a treat that is SOOO SATISFYING, and almost guilt-free.
But we’re not really worried about that whole guilt thing around here anyway, now are we?
Here’s what you’ll need to make Nature’s Candy:
Medjool dates
peanut butter
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
shredded coconut
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Slice open each date and remove pit from the center.
Arrange dates on a parchment-lined sheet tray and add a dollop of peanut butter to the center of each.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt dark chocolate chips for 30 to 60 seconds, or until soft. Be careful when removing the bowl from the microwave because it will be HOT. Stir the chocolate until smooth and drizzle a bit over each date.
Sprinkle dates with sea salt flakes, and top with a pinch of shredded coconut.
Freeze for about an hour so they can come together, then individually remove from the freezer to enjoy as you’d like.
Good To Know: We let our dates defrost for about 15 minutes before sinking our teeth in, otherwise they can be a bit tough since they’re, well, frozen.
Oh, and these beauties are good for up to 30 days as long as they’re stored in an airtight container in the freezer.
Yay!
Being a chef (and artist), I work with a lot of brands to create videos, recipes, and photos that can be used for their own creative needs. And while I share some of these projects with you, there are many of them I never do.
But this Dark Chocolate-Dipped Orange Hazelnut Biscotti recipe I made in collaboration with our friends at Suvie was just too good NOT to share.
And did you know that biscotti means twice baked? Not me.
So here’s what you’ll need:
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add orange zest, egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Now dump that into the other bowl and mix until combined.
Pro Tip: I like to use my hands for the mixing of the two bowls.
Add hazelnuts and get your hands dirty to combine again.
Cut a piece of parchment paper so it fits inside your Suvie pan. Transfer the dough from the bowl to the parchment and mold into a 9 x 2.5 inch log.
Insert the pan into the top zone of your Suvie Kitchen Robot and set the Top Zone to Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.
After baking, remove pan from the Suvie and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
Once cool, transfer log to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces. This should give you about 14 biscotti pieces.
Distribute these pieces, cut-side up, between two Suvie pans.
Place pans in the Suvie and set the Bottom AND Top Zones to Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, making sure to flip the biscotti halfway through the bake.
After baking, remove pans from the Suvie and set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt dark chocolate chips for 30 to 60 seconds, or until soft. Be careful when removing the bowl from the microwave because it will be HOT. Stir chocolate until smooth and dip the bottom half of each piece of biscotti into the chocolate sauce.
Lay chocolate-dipped cookies on a sheet tray and place in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set for about 15 minutes.
Enjoy with coffee, or just dancing around the house in your skivvies.
Whee!
Good To Know: If you don’t have a Suvie Kitchen Robot and will be using a traditional oven to cook these, simply use a sheet tray instead of Suvie pans, and use the same cook times and temperatures mentioned above.
Not that into food and wondering how you even got here?
Please enjoy some postcards from Montana.
Because maybe, just maybe, the clouds and trees and flowers love looking at you, too.
Wishing you a safe and wonderful holiday weekend,
Lisa
