Another semester is almost over, and needless to say I have been busy. I have only been cooking the basics lately and haven't had much time for creative cooking. I have actually been meaning to post this dessert recipe for a while but haven't had time to sit down and write out the recipe. These little rocky road candies are inspired by Nigella Lawson's from her book How to be a Domestic Goddess. In her recipe she uses brazil nuts and mini-marshmallows. I chose to use raisins instead of marshmallows because they are sweet and chewy still, but are less processed than marshmallows. You can use any dried fruit and nuts in these, of course.

Raisin and Almond Rocky Road
Printable Recipe

8 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate
3 oz raw almonds, coarsely chopped
3 oz raisins (I used a mix of golden and regular raisins)

So I've been drinking green smoothies for maybe maybe a month to six weeks now and I have to say when I skip my smoothie in the morning I really miss it! They make me feel energized (I've been referring to them as rocket fuel). I drink them on an empty stomach the first thing in the morning, then maybe an hour or hour and a half I will have my real breakfast (typically scrambled eggs+egg whites with various add-ins). I have found smoothies that incorporate some fat and usually a banana serve as a full meal smoothie. They keep me full, which surprises me because smoothies have never kept me full before. Maybe it's the greens too...all that fiber keeps me full. I haven't had that success with protein powder-based smoothies (and I haven't found a protein powder I have liked yet and/or didn't give me a stomach ache), which leads me to believe it's the fiber and healthy fat that keep me full till lunch time.

Yes, your stand mixer look beautiful on the kitchen counter, but maybe you’re like me and don’t use it nearly as much as you anticipated? We could make constant batches of cupcakes or pies, but that might not be the best idea. I found the solution: make whipped cream.

Seriously. Fresh whipped cream is more delicious than you could imagine, and having a stand mixer means preparation is ridiculously easy. I am constantly whipping up (haha) batches on the fly. Keep a jar of whipping cream in your fridge, and you’ll be surprised by how often you finding yourself using reaching for it.

There is no need to ever buy store-bought whipped cream if you have an electric mixer of any sort, but especially a stand mixer. You add three ingredients, turn the mixer on, walk away, and come back to a bowl of white heaven. Eat it with fruit, pancakes, hot cocoa, pudding, or by the spoon. You can even pipe it through a pastry bag for a nice shape!

Prep your mixer by cooling the metal bowl in the freezer for a few minutes.

I've gotten behind on my cooking posts because I have been working a lot lately. This recipe is one of the treats I made for Valentine's day! After working so much, it was nice to do some assembly line work making these treats. I love the combination of dried fruit and chocolate and I particularly like apricots, so this recipe is a win for me. Plus, I mailed these and they arrived in fairly good condition. I am hesitant to mail Paleo or grain-free treats because they might crumble easily or not be very fresh when they arrive since they tend to have a shorter shelf life.

Since bridal season is coming up, I think these would be a great grain-free party favor or snack to have on the buffet table. You could arrange each one after it dries on mini muffin cup liners or place a few in cellophane favor bags.