Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Just in time for Easter! Rich chocolate-peanut butter eggs that are even better than the store bought kind. Plus, they are gluten free!

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Yields about a dozen eggs (depending on how big you want to make them)

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. confectioner's sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter

1-3 Tbsp. soy milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you prefer)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. shortening (I use Earth Balance Sticks)

METHOD

1. Melt the peanut butter and Earth Balance Butter together in a saucepan. Then add in your vanilla extract and only one tablespoon of soy milk.

2. Take your saucepan off the heat and add in your confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Using a hand mixer, start to blend everything together slowly. After the confectioner's sugar is added, add in more soy milk one tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too stiff. This is where it gets a little tricky. Use your judgement because you want the peanut butter mixture to be a little firm yet workable because you will be forming it into eggs.

3. Shape the mixture into eggs. You can do small or big, whatever you prefer. I shaped mine by using a deviled egg holder that I still have laying around from my pre-vegan days. I found that shape works really well for these eggs. After you form your eggs, lay them on waxed paper and freeze them for an hour.

4. About half way into the freezing process, start preparing the chocolate dip. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and shortening. The shortening will add a glossy effect to the eggs. Be careful not have have any water in the bowl with the chocolate and shortening, it will make your mixture seize up, and no one like that. Melt over a medium heat and stir frequently until smooth.

5. At this point your eggs should be good to go. Using a fork, dip the eggs in the chocolate to cover the entire egg, then let it rest on wax paper. Before the chocolate starts to cool, decorate with your favorite sprinkles. I use Sprinkelz which are vegan, organic, and gluten free.

6. After all of the eggs are dipped and decorated, let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or they can stay in there until ready to be served. The longer they sit, the better the chocolate dip sets up.

7. Enjoy and have a happy Easter!

Mocha Mamas

Mocha Mamas

This is not an original recipe of mine, however these cookies turned out so pretty (Chris baked them) that I had to take a picture before they are all eaten! You can find the recipe in the cookbook, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romeoro. I highly suggest buying this book because there are so many accessible vegan cookie options.

Guacamole

Guacamole is amazing because 1) it is the ultimate fresh food 2) it is simple to make 3) it is so healthy for you! Feel free to take this recipe and add in whatever you like: tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, etc.

Guacamole

Serves about 4 people

INGREDIENTS

3 avocados (see tip below)

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

cilantro, chopped, to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a lime, juiced

1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

METHOD

1. Place your avocado meat into a medium bowl. If you are unfamiliar with how to cut open an avocado, proceed on down to the avocado tips.

2. Combine the red onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, and lime juice with the avocado. Using a potato masher, mash and stir everything together until you get the desired texture and consistency you want.

3. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Our new favorite that we have found is Food Should Taste Good Lime Tortilla Chips.

4. Eat right away, it will go brown within a couple of hours or so. It is not like restaurant guacamole with MSG to preserve it - and that is a good thing! So you can't make it ahead of time before a party, but it is very simple and quick to make. Enjoy!

AVOCADO TIPS

Finding the right avocado:

You want to find a ripe avocado at the market, but not too ripe. I never go by the "ripe" sticker on the fruit, because it is usually too ripe and you'll cut into it and find that it is mostly brown. To find the perfect avocado, they will first be pretty much a dark brown, not green. Secondly, you want to pick it up and give it a slight squeeze. If it is really firm, then it is not ripe. If it is slightly squishy, then you have found a good one :)

Scooping out the flesh:

1. You want to scoop out as much of the flesh as possible, so the best way I have found (by working in the food service industry) is to take a big knife and slice all they way around the avocado, then twist apart to make two halves.

2. One halve will still have the pit inside. This is where you take the knife and whack the pit so that the blade sticks in. Be careful with this though! I usually don't hold the avocado when I do this, because with my luck I'll slip and get my hand instead. Twist the knife gently and the pit should come out (unless your avocado is not ripe).

3. Now take a butter knife and cut into the avocado flesh by making vertical and horizontal lines. You will then have squares cut into the avocado.

4. Take a spoon and scoop everything out of the shell. Repeat with the other halve.

Raspberry Martini

I hope you enjoy one of my best martini creations! It does take a little bit of time and effort, although it is well worth it!

Raspberry Martini

makes one martini

INGREDIENTS

Ice cubes (about 5-6)

1 Pint fresh raspberries (leave behind a few for garnish if you want)

Raspberry Vodka

Dekuyper Razzmatazz

Sour Mix (use recipe below)

EQUIPMENT

Martini Shaker

Wheatgrass/Soft fruit juicer

Jigger (unless, you just guess)

BASIC SOUR MIX RECIPE

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 lemon, juiced

3 limes, juiced

Mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan and warm over a medium heat. Keep an eye on your sour mix by stirring occasionally. Leave on the stove top until the mixture is warm to the touch, and everything is mixed together. You can adjust the sugar to juice ratio if you prefer your drinks more sweet or sour.

METHOD

1. Juice your raspberries. I use my wheatgrass juicer, but you can use any soft fruit juicer. The trick is to extract the raspberry juice and leave behind the seeds (otherwise if you have seeds in your martini shaker, it will prevent the liquor from coming out into your glass). If you juice all the raspberries in the pint, you'll have enough juice for 2 drinks.

2. In a martini shaker combine the ice cubes, 1-1/2 shots vodka, 1 shot Razzmatazz, 1/2 the raspberry juice, and 1-1/2 shots of sour mix. Shake it all up!

3. Pour into a frozen martini glass (I keep mine in the freezer). Or, if you do not have a cold glass available, put about 4-5 ice cubes in the glass (whatever will fit) and add cold water. Let it sit for about 5-10 seconds. Dump the ice water out, and fill your glass with your drink.

4. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

5. Enjoy responsibly.