Chocolate Decadence

Have a love for chocolate but deprive yourself the joy of eating it? Chocolate has many benefits which include contributing to a healthy heart, reducing stress, and even higher intelligence. So indulge and reap the benefits of this scrumptious snack (in moderation, of course!). Try some of these delicious dessert recipes featured in our cookbooks Mindful Eating and Sweet & Savory Cooking. These recipes capture the true flavor of your favorite desserts using healthier ingredients than traditional recipes.

Rich Gluten-Free Molten Chocolate Cake

Gluten-free baking often requires using several different types of flours and starches in one recipe, and it’s important to be sure they are thoroughly blended. In this recipe, I use a whisk to combine the sorghum and tapioca flours, the potato starch, and the xanthan gum, along with the powdered sugar, to make sure my dry ingredients are homogenous.

Makes 8 individual cakes

• ¼ c. plus 2 Tbsp. sorghum flour
• 1 Tbsp. tapioca flour
• 1 Tbsp. potato starch
• ¼ tsp. xanthan gum
• 1½ c. powdered sugar
• 8 Tbsp. butter or Smart Balance
• 8 oz. 64 percent dark chocolate
• 1 banana
• 3 eggs
• 3 yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
• Berries, for serving

Heat the oven to 425°F. Spray eight 4-oz. ramekins with nonstick baking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, and powdered sugar. Set aside. Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave or in a double boiler.

In a separate bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth. Add the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and Grand Marnier and incorporate into the chocolatebutter mixture. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins and bake for about 15 minutes, until the sides of the cake are set and the center is slightly jiggly. Run a knife around the edge of the ramekins and invert onto serving plates. Serve hot with fresh berries.

Serving Size: 1 cake calories: 580 total fat: 28 g carbs: 77 g dietary fiber: 4 g protein: 8 g

Blackberry Chocolate-Chunk Gelato

You can use frozen berries and you’ll strain out all the seeds. To make a blackberry puree, pile them into a blender or food processor (make sure they are thawed, if using frozen), process until smooth, and then push through a mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula. For 1 cup puree, start with about 2¼ cups berries.

Makes about 4 cups, eight ½-cup servings

• 3 c. 2 percent milk
• 5 egg yolks
• ¾ c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. blackberry puree
• ¼ tsp. xanthan gum
• ½ c. chopped 64 percent dark chocolate chunks

In a saucepan, heat the milk until it comes to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, combine the eggs yolks and sugar in a bowl and slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return the milk-egg mixture to the stove on medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula until it begins to thicken; the custard will coat the back of a spoon. (Take care not to overheat because the eggs will scramble.) You can test with a thermometer; it should reach 165°F.

Remove the custard from the heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and cool. Stir in the blackberry puree and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Once chilled, whisk in the xanthan gum. Freeze according to your ice-cream maker’s instructions. While the gelato is mostly frozen but still soft, stir in the chocolate chunks. Transfer to an airtight container and let freeze another hour or so to firm up before serving. Freeze for up to three weeks.

Chocolate-Cranberry Coconut Macaroons

You can change this recipe to suit your tastes—simply keep the proportion of dry ingredients the same. For instance, if you don’t like coconut, add more cereal. Chef Kim uses celiac-friendly cereal at Miraval: gluten-free Organic Maple Buckwheat Flakes. You can substitute any flake-type breakfast cereal, from Special K to Bran Flakes.

These refrigerate well should you live in a hot, humid climate. Store the macaroons in an airtight container in the refrigerator after 24 hours to prevent separation and “weeping.”

Makes 2 dozen

• 2 c. flake-type cereal, such as Organic Maple Buckwheat Flakes or Special K
• ½ c. sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ c. dried cranberries
• ¼ c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 large egg whites
• ¾ c. sugar
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ? tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the cereal, coconut, cranberries, and chips in a large bowl.

In a bowl fitted with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and whip until thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and salt, and continue to mix for another 10 seconds.

Fold the meringue into the dry ingredients, being careful not to deflate the meringue.

Using a ¾-ounce scoop (1½ Tbsp.), portion the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the sheet pans and continue baking until golden brown and the cookies lift freely from the parchment, about 16 minutes.

Let cool on the baking sheets before serving, at least 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to two days.

Calories: 50; total fat: 1 g; carbohydrate: 10 g; dietary fiber: 0 g; protein: 1 g

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