Donuts are my kryptonite. There are very few things in this world that make me forget that I have self control, and donuts are pretty much all of them.
I usually avoid them for this reason, but while on Spring break earlier this month visiting my cousins in North Carolina, I decided to treat myself to a toasted amaretto donut. Yes, it was as good as it sounds. And in those few, all-too-short minutes of edible bliss, I fell head-over-heels. Of course, the honeymoon was short lived, because I came sugar-crashing back to reality almost instantly. But it was worth it.
So, I know I just gave you a dessert recipe. I know.
I also know that I outlined my unpopular opinion on Valentine’s Day in last week’s post, and now it would appear that I have made you heart-shaped chocolates. But I feel like that’s OK, because Valentine’s Day is over. I’m a weird kind of stubborn sometimes… Also, the only ice cube trays I own are those heart-shaped ones from Ikea. So, there’s that. But you should totally make these next time you have a date over, because they’ll probably fall for you immediately (if they haven’t already).
And I know you may be a bit chocolate-d out from all the chocolate you may have consumed since last Saturday. But for me, there is no such thing as “chocolate-d out,” and I don’t think I’m alone. So I am honoring this month’s Recipe Redux theme, “Favorite Chocolate Matches,” with a super easy, delicious truffle recipe.
Amidst this extremely busy (and freezing) week, simple was the best way to go. I had been planning some kind of cocoa chili, but then earlier this week I made cinnamon chili instead, because I was 100% hungry and only about 60% adventurous. Such is the life of a grad student.
And so this morning, on the morning OF this post’s due date, I still did not have a recipe. Oops. Although, in the true nature of the challenge (which was to find a way to use leftover chocolate), I used two other leftover household staples to make these little nuggets of heaven – peanut butter and dates. So many of my favorite candies boast the peanut butter-caramel-chocolate trifecta, and dates are a perfect healthy way to simulate the texture and flavor of caramel.
I made these before heading off to see a student, popped them in the freezer, and they were perfectly set by the time I got home. Then, I had just enough time to pop them out of the mold and photograph them before I went out to rehearsal. If that’s not proof that these are low-maintenance, I don’t know what is. And I’m kind of high-maintenance. But these honestly taste super fancy, so nobody will have to know your secret 😉
Combine mashed dates with a pinch or two of sea salt. Combine and set aside.*
Spoon a small amount of dark chocolate into each section of a silicone ice tray or mold. Using the back of a teaspoon, spread the chocolate to thinly coat the bottom layer of each section. This layer should still be thick enough that you can’t see any of the tray through the chocolate.
Place in freezer to set bottom layer, about 5 minutes.
Fill each mold about 2/3 of the way up with mashed dates.
Fill the rest of each mold evenly to the top with peanut butter.
Thinly spread the rest of the chocolate on top of each candy (i.e. don’t cover the whole surface of the tray/mold with chocolate).
Return to freezer until set, about 1 hour.
Notes
*If necessary to help with mashing, microwave the dates first for about 20-30 seconds.
If you’re like me, your favorite part of getting Chinese food is the Sesame noodles. Cold or hot, there is just something so appealing about a giant bowl of carbs slathered in a crunchy peanut sauce. Unfortunately, those aren’t good for you. Fortunately, I’ve come up with what I think is a pretty darn good replacement!
If you’ve never tried Shirataki noodles, they’re AMAZING! They range from 0-30 calories per bag, and they fill you up! If your grocery store carries them, you can find them in the tofu section, but the ones I used for this recipe are the regular Shirataki noodles which are made from yam flour. The noodles come in a variety of shapes (even macaroni), and while I won’t lie to you and tell you that it’s the same texture as regular pasta, I’m also serious that this is the best pasta replacement ever.
Spicy Mango Sesame Noodles (Generously serves 1 – Double or triple recipe to use as a side dish):
1 bag 0-calorie shirataki noodles
1/4 mango, sliced into thin strips
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbs. crunchy peanut butter (I used Earth Balance coconut peanut butter)
1 tsp The Heat is On peanut butter by Peanut Butter and Co. (or sriracha to taste)
1 tbs. Bragg’s liquid aminos or soy sauce
Sesame seeds (you can choose to toast them if you wish)
Rinse, drain, and dry noodles according to package. Place noodles in a nonstick pan with garlic. Add remaining ingredients once pan is heated and stir in pan until combined. Garnish with sesame seeds.
HEY THERE!
Welcome! I'm Sarah, a violinist, culinary instructor for musicians, and blogger here at The Hungry Musician. Click here to read more about me!
