The other day, I received a box of Ghirardelli chocolate. Be still my heart! This is part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolates.
Since so much chocolate was in the box, I decided to let two co workers taste test the chocolate.
Sue on Midnight Reverie: Smooth, intensely chocolate. It takes a minute for full chocolate flavor to hit then the creamy chocolate taste, not bitter follows.
Sue on Sea Salt Soiree: Creamy and delicious. Still dark chocolate but very rich and satisfying in texture.
Wayne on Twilight Delight (AHEM! where’s he going with this???!!): Great anticipation combined with a slow start, gives a hint of the chocolate pleasure yet to come. Mounting pleasure with gradual release of strong chocolate flavor and pleasant sweetness. Orgasmic finish with lingering chocolate creaminess.
Don’t think I didn’t get to taste but I wanted my Ghirardelli experience in a deliciously, healthy low fat muffin.
*I adapted a recipe found at The Healthy Apple.
- ½ Florida style Avocado, peeled and mashed *Florida avocado’s are the smooth, large, lighter green avocados as opposed to the dark green Hass California avocado with lumpy skin. See more on this at the bottom of the post.
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3.5 oz. Ghirardelli Twilight Delight chocolate, melted
- 4 oz sour cream
- 6 oz plain 2% fat Greek yogurt
- 1 mashed banana
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup Ghirardelli Chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon.
In another bowl, combine the avocado, honey, melted chocolate, sour cream, yogurt, banana and vanilla. *Note- Instead of mashing the banana and avocado before hand, you can add all the wet ingredient to a blender or use an immersion blender to make smooth.
Add the wet ingredient from the smaller bowl to the dry. Mix only until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spray muffin cups with non stick and pour batter into 18 muffin cups, fill them right up, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
Enjoy the sweet rewards!
An alternative to this recipe, but still using avocado is Pam’s recipe for her very own birthday cake. *Pam said this was a little dry so you may want to increase the fat (oil) by just a little or you could create a wash for the cake to add moistness (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, bring to a boil and let boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool and add a flavor such as vanilla (about 1/4 cup)). Make sure to go to Pam’s site for more on this recipe. Email her with questions on how to cook, eat, and make healthy life style changes.
Dairy and Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably fairtrade and organic OR maybe Ghirardelli Double Chocolate?!
- 1/2 cup unrefined sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp xanthum gum
- pinch cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil, melted
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk (hemp or rice milk)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine milk and vinegar. Set aside to let curdle for five minutes before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. Add dry to wet and mix. Pour batter into a prepared 9 inch cake pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Chocolate Avocado Frosting:
- * 1/2 avocado
- * 1/4 cup water
- * 1 TBSP cocoa powder OR maybe Ghirardelli Double Chocolate?!
- * 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- * 1/8 tsp vanilla
- * pinch of salt
- * sweetener to taste
Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Use as topping or eat as pudding.
When I was in the grocery store looking over the avocados, a couple ahead of me picked up one of the large light green fruits. I asked “Do you notice a difference in taste between the Florida avocado and the California avocado?” Both husband and wife responded, saying the Florida fruit seemed a bit sweeter to them with a more pleasing texture.
I don’t eat enough avocados to really notice but it would be interesting if you had an opinion?
As for Ghirardelli chocolate, come on!
Who can possibly resist their intense dark chocolate flavors?
I wouldn’t know the difference between avocados because I just starting eating them recently – can you believe it? I’ve missed out on so many years of deliciousness!!!!
Man, that chocolate looks good. Ghiradelli does it right. 🙂
I avoided them until I had the best ever guacamole in Tahiti. I’ve been a fan ever since.
I didn’t know there were different avocado varieties, but that makes sense that there would be. Love the dairy-free, gluten-free recipe. Looks like it was made just for me. Yay!! 🙂
I’ve always been leery of green things like green smoothies and guacamole but I am 100% for throwing veggies into baked goods for extra nutrition. Avocado is one of the veggies I would like to explore some more!
I didn’t know about the different varieties (over 100 believe it or not) until about 2 years ago.
Wow… those muffins look yummy! Thanks for the great recipe.
Have a super afternoon/week!
Hugs,
Lisa
Thanks Lisa. 🙂
Those muffins look amazing. I have yet to try avocado as the basis for a baked good…my problem is that i like eating them plain too much!
I only ever associated the avoc. with guac. I’ve obviously expanded my horizons. 😉
oooooooh boy! you are one lucky girl to be chosen to test chocolate! I will just have to settle on the picture for now… love how delicious these look! Great review and recipe!
Ghirardelli?! Can’t go wrong there. 🙂
Love dark chocolate with sea salt! Now the muffins–I can’t picture chocolate and avocados together, but they look great! Will have to give it a go.
I know, odd combination but you don’t taste the avocado. It’s a healthy fat that adds texture to the muffin.
I dont like avocados but the muffins look yummy do you taste it alot in this recipe?
I love adding avocado to muffins. One of my favorite baking tricks! And thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I’m hungry again (we just finished dinner a couple of hours ago). Yummy..as always. Much love from Austin!
I made another birthday cake, and this one came out great!! Also gluten free and dairy free:
http://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2011/wacky-birthday-cake/