Dark Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

March 30, 2014 by Christine Skari

Can we just take a look at these for a second, please?

Actually maybe we should take a few minutes. Or hours. I could stare at these babies 4eva.

Gooey. Stuffed with big chunks of dark chocolate. Topped with the most delicious peanut butter frosting you’ve ever had! Seriously, I could swim in that frosting and probably ate a good quarter of it straight out of the bowl before topping the brownies.

It’s a frosting-casualty that I’m willing to sacrifice.

You know, me and brownie go waaaaaay back. They probably come in second as my favorite dessert (apple pie will always hold the gold medal in my heart), and I ain’t no brownie snob either. Give me a pre-made box of brownie mix and I’m as happy as a clam. A clam with brownie batter smothered all over its shell. What am I talking about again?

Oh yeah, these.

They’re made entirely from scratch, but come together ridiculously quickly. I can probably have the batter done in less than 10 minutes, and that’s with me stealing bites every 4 seconds. Yes, that’s right. 4 seconds to be exact. The base layer of these gorgeous little love bites comes from Something Swanky. I found her recipe off Pinterest (also you should follow me so you can see all 9 million recipes I’ve pinned) a few months ago, and don’t think I’ll ever use another brownie recipe again. Thick, fudgy, and with big ol’ chunks of chocolate. What more could you possibly want?

And now I really need to get back to talking about this frosting. I want to spend all of my waking hours combining butter and powdered sugar and peanut butter and happiness and then eat it out of the mixer with a spoon the size of my face while watching Game of Thrones on the couch. Very specific, I know, but that’s my dream in life.

It’s just so light and fluffy and perfectly sweet that I can’t even handle it. I just want to nosh all over it SO HARD. And you will too, once you try it.

Please, please make these. You will thank me.

Brownie Base from Something Swanky

White Chocolate Cranberry Protein Bars

March 2, 2014 by Christine Skari

While I do as much strength training as I do cardio, I’m pretty bad about getting in enough protein for the amount of working out I do. I’m a carb-girl (my laptop just auto-corrected that to crab girl, yes, computer, I’m a crustacean) at heart and would much rather have a bowl of pasta or oats than a chicken breast. Along with that, I’m not a huge fan of protein shakes and I find that most store-brought protein bars can get pretty expensive.

That’s why I’m in love with these White Chocolate Cranberry Protein Bars. They taste like a candy bar and are smothered in white chocolate, but also are sizable, filling, and have 9 grams of protein. This way, I can have my carbs and eat them too!

As always, I would really appreciate it if you could help share these on Pinterest! (Just hover over any of the pictures to pin!) Thank YOU!

They’re absolutely perfect with a warm cup of coffee or tea and genuinely taste good. And not in a “LOL OMGZ this is sooo good for healthier food” way, but in a “I want to eat this for dessert” way. In fact, I’m nibbling on one right now and just got a piece with a big glob of chocolate on it. Sugar euphoria!

But in all seriousness, this recipe is delicious! I highly recommend it if you’re tired of eating protein bars with ingredients you can’t pronounce, or if you’re just looking for a genuinely tasty snack.

Also, shoutout to Amanda for inspiring me with her Almond Fudge Protein Bars! If the white chocolate and cranberry combo ain’t your thangg, you can’t go wrong with her recipe!

I’m haring these with WIAW! Thanks, Jenn for hosting!

Fudgy Dark Chocolate Avocado Cookies

February 18, 2014 by Christine Skari

I know, I know.

Avocados and chocolate? What the heck? I’ll I can say is, don’t judge it till you try it.

I first became a big fan of the combination when I tried my Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles back in August. They became one of my most popular recipes and have gotten rave reviews from readers who have tried them! They were featured on Greatist, as well as adapted by The Detoxinista, where a huge number of people have reported that they tried them and were amazed at how rich and delicious they taste :). If you need any convincing, just go check out some of the comments on my truffles or on the Detoxinista’s page!

Anyways, these Fudgy Dark Chocolate Avocado Cookies are just as good and oozing chocolate flavor and decadence. I mean, just check out that chocolate gooey-ness! The avocado completely replaces all the butter that normal cookies are made with and add a wonderful richness without adding any avocado flavor.

It’s a cookie miracle!

I can’t stress enough how tasty these are. And not in your “this is pretty good for being healthier”, but genuinely mouthwatering. If you dished these fudgy cookies up to a bunch of kids or brought them to a potluck, no one would be able to tell that avocados make up the primary fat source!

Enjoy!

I’m linking up to WIAW to share these tasty treats! Thanks, Jenn, for hosting!

Mocha Avocado Truffles

January 23, 2014 by Christine Skari

So these:

But first, this:

I’ve been busy lately. The combination of studying, classes, exercising, making time for friends and Kyle, and balancing my blog don’t leave me with much time to spare. In fact, as I write this, I’m sitting in my college’s library taking a break from writing a tedious French essay. Now that I think about it, I should probably just live here since I already spend the majority of my free time sitting at a desk with a textbook and a latte. Woohoo! Don’t I sound like a regular party animal!

Anyways, while I am finding time to cook dinner most nights, it’s always a welcomed relief to have healthy and delicious snacks waiting for me when a craving strikes. Even better if they include chocolate, because chocolate makes everything better. True fact. Think about it. World hunger? Chocolate. Diseases and progress in science and technology? There’s a bizarre juxtaposition between a country’s chocolate consumption and the number of Nobel Peace Prize winners per its population density. Shoutout to my motherland, Norway! You go, Glenn Coco!

So that’s why I’m in love with my new version of my Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles. Enter: Mocha Avocado Truffles! Not only do I get to eat a tasty truffle made with dark chocolate, but I also get my caffeine fix, which will lead me to be successful in life. Let me explain with this helpful diagram.

Absolutely foolproof.

But seriously, they taste just as rich and chocolate-y as truffles made with tons of sugar and heavy whipping cream. And, you can hardly taste the avocado, if at all- pinkie swearsies. I’ve tested them on at least 10 different people, and every single one of them is shocked when I tell them that they’re made primarily from an avocado. If you don’t believe me, go check out some of the reviews in the comments of my original version.

This is one of Kyle’s favorite recipes and he loves enjoying them with his morning coffee while immersed in a good book!

Skinny Salted Caramel Apple Crisps

January 21, 2014 by Christine Skari

When it comes to food, I usually have a pretty good sense of intuitive eating. All you can eat Korean barbecue? No problem. I eat till I’m full. Free pizza? If I’m not hungry, I don’t really care to have it. But, throw in anything that involves apples and brown sugar and I’m a sucker. Zero self-control. Like, I’ll eat apple pie till I’m sick and eventually have to ask Kyle to take it away from me.

What I’m trying to say here, if you haven’t already caught my drift, is that I have the self-control of a 4 year old when it comes to any type of apple dessert.

That’s why, these single serving Skinny Salted Caramel Apple Crisps are perfect for me! Well, they’re perfect for anyone who loves gooey homemade caramel blended perfectly with soft baked apples. Then you throw on a fabulous crumble made with golden raisins, pecans, and oats and you’re set! A fantastic dessert with only 235 calories and with its own built-in control system for those days when you think it best not to devour an entire pie singlehandedly.

One recipe makes two mouthwatering crisps total, so you can use it to earn brownie (err… apple crisp) points with a significant other, or you can stop kiddin’ yourself and just inhale the second one as well. You’ll have to guess at which option I’d go with.

Honestly, these crisps have everything you could possibly want in an apple dessert and are bursting with that sweet caramel flavor that’s accentuated even more by that small pinch of salt that makes them mhhmm mhmmm good.

And they’re easy to boot! Cut up yo’ apples, pour that sweet caramel over (don’t lick the spoon, you’ll burn off the top layer of your tastebuds… not that I would know), and straddle that streusel right up in there. Also, let’s pretend I didn’t just use those two words in a sentence together.

Then you get a scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts into the ramekin and makes you swoon. Honestly, why are there Hey Girl memes when skinny salted caramel apple crisps and vanilla ice cream exist in the world? Some things in life just don’t make sense.

Ahhh, that’s better.