Wednesday, October 1, 2008

"Mounds" Chocolate Candy

Dark chocolate.....chewy coconut....crunchy almonds.....does this make your mouth water for a Mounds candy bar? I recently discovered a sugar-free recipe for homemade Mounds. They not only taste better and fresher than the store-bought candy, but they actually offer nutrients! They are made with virgin, unrefined coconut oil which makes them especially tasty! (An added benefit to spending $10 on a jar of coconut oil is that you can also use it on your skin. It is extremely moisturizing and smells heavenly, too.)

I tested the recipe last night and gave the little Mounds to several different people and they were a big hit! They are a perfect little disc size that will quench your sweet tooth. I think it would be hard to overeat them because they are so fatty and rich. Unlike cookies where you end up eating a handful straight from the oven, these little chocolate dreams are stored in the freezer to keep the coconut oil from melting, and somehow one is enough! I'm a pretty good judge about things like this because I rarely eat only one of something I love.

Preparing them takes only about 10 minutes, but there is some waiting/freezing time involved. From the time you begin, you will have a finished product in one hour. They are so good. Thanks to The Nourishing Gourmet for the recipe!

"Mounds" Frozen Candy Bars

1 1/3 C. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 C. coconut oil (unrefined, virgin is best)
1/4 C. honey
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 C. sliced almonds

  • Melt coconut oil and honey over low heat until just melted. Whisk to combine. Add almond extract and coconut flakes.
  • Take a 12-compartment muffin tin and evenly distribute the almonds in each. Then evenly distribute the coconut mixture over each of those. Place in freezer on flat surface for 30 minutes.
  • Next, you will prepare the chocolate:
3/4 C. cocoa powder (not dutch cocoa)
1/4 C. honey
1 C. coconut oil
1 Tblsp vanilla extract

  • Combine these ingredients in a 2-cup measuring glass and place in a pot of simmering water. Heat and whisk until everything is just melted. Remove from heat and continue to whisk until smooth.
  • Take out the tin of frozen coconut and evenly distribute the chocolate mixture over it.
  • Put back into your freezer and freeze until hard, about 30 minutes.
  • To get them out after freezing, simply pop them out with a knife. Keep them frozen as they melt otherwise.
  • Enjoy!

5 comments:

Amy said...

i am thrilled to find your blog as i have recently (sept.21) given up refined sugar and white flour. i am attempting to follow a low-glycemic diet (limiting ALL sweeteners). i want to lose weight, have more energy and be healthy. i have appreciated reading your journey.

My Year Without said...

How exciting to commit to healthier eating! You will find all sorts of interesting facts along the way. I hope your experience will be enriching. If you have any suggestions or would like some more information on a subject like glycemic index, let me know. I love learning along the way, too!

Frederick said...

Me too, Amy. I'm doing my best to avoid refined sugar and white flour. I think the human body was not designed to eat these at all.

My Year Without, thanks for this recipe. I love chocolates but when I became health-conscious, it's one of the first foods that I began limiting in my diet. Your recipe might allow me to re-incorporate chocolate back into my diet, moderately of course.

Cheers,
Frederick
www.coconut-oil-central.com
Your Drugstore in a Bottle

Unknown said...

Awesome post, but I feel compelled to correct you on something.

"Almost Joy's got nuts. Mounds don't

BECAUSE

Sometimes you feel like a nut...
and sometimes you don't..."
-TV Commercial Jingles own me

Amanda Kaake said...

I made these today and they were yummy. Next time I would do these in mini muffin tins and use whole almonds. i LOVE almonds! I didn't have almond extract so I used vanilla and it still turned out great. I think I would also like to add in some peppermint oil something (in the chocolate mixture) for a change. These were very yummy. I love that we got a superfood snack out of something that seemed not healthy. We used raw cacao (superfood). Love it!