Dark Chocolate Almonds

My favorite nut just got healthier and more delicious than ever with a gentle ,smooth decadent chocolate coating.My initial plan was to use cocoa powder,but some how the recipe never turned out right ,then I got the idea of using Dark chocolate which magically coats the almonds to make this whole new healthy snack.
Remember there is Chocolate and then there is Healthy Dark chocolate with more than 60% cocoa,in other words check the label of the brand you buy,go for the one with lower sugar and more concentrated cocoa,the power house of anti-oxidants(I personally prefer the Ghirardelli brand)

A little effortful task,coating almonds one at a time,but its all worth it.


Recipe : Dark Chocolate Almonds

Ingredients
30-40 (about 2 cups) raw almonds
1 cup Dark chocolate chips(with at least 60% cocoa,I use Ghirardelli)

Method
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave until glossy and smooth.
Dip one almond at a time in to the warm chocolate and lay on a parchment paper.You may have to melt the chocolate again if it starts to set.Let the almonds cool completely about an hour or lesser depending on room temperature. Transfer to a clean air tight container,if at all there are any left overs,most likely not.



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Dried Fig Bread(No sugar added)

Super moist bread ,as good as dessert but lower in sugar and high in fiber.What's not to love?


Since figs are high in natural sugars,the bread is sweet enough without a need for any other sweetener.Figs are good source of minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. 5 medium figs can contain about 100mg of calcium.



Symbol of abundance and fertility,fresh figs are seasonal but dried figs can be devoured any time of the year.These are Turkish imported figs,I puree them in my recipe,but some figs can be hard to puree,should be soaked in water an hour or two before grinding them.


Recipe : Dried Fig Bread(No sugar added)
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of whole Wheat flour
2 organic eggs
12-15 medium dried figs,hulled and chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder(alum free)
3/4 cup organic skimmed milk
1/4 cup of canola oil

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven.Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with oil or line with parchment paper; set aside.

Puree the the figs(reserve few for topping)in a high-power blender(Vitamix) until smooth,add a tablespoon of water if needed.
In a large mixing bowl sift the flour along with the other dry ingredients(salt and baking powder)
In a separate bowl crack eggs and whip for few seconds,add oil ,vanilla and fig puree.
Mix the wet and dry mixtures.Pour in the prepared loaf pan,sprinkle the chopped figs in rows,bake in the middle rack of the oven until the crust is lightly brown about 40-45 minutes.
Cool about 30 minutes;loosen the sides using a table knife,flip the pan on to the cutting board. Slice and serve with a hot cuppa black coffee. Can refrigerate for a week in an air tight container.



The fig bread is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #270,hosted this week by Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu

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