By Dori Best, LPC
Recipe of the month: Coconut Chocolate Bonbons
This recipe is chock full of coconut ingredients, along with a little dark chocolate, almonds, and apple. Sharing healthy food with friends or family members can support our physical health and our emotional well-being, which is our theme for August. Mindfully choosing healthy ingredients, preparing them, and sharing them with those we care about can all contribute to positive feelings and well-being. Check out the health benefits of coconut ingredients and unsweetened raw chocolate at the bottom of the recipe.
Coconut Chocolate Bonbons
Ingredients:
1 1/2 peeled and cut organic Granny Smith apples
3/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup organic raw unsweetened chocolate
1 big spoonful coconut sugar (if desired)
1/2 cup organic ground coconut
10 organic almonds (cut into little pieces)
Preparation:
- Peel and cut the apples, then microwave them between 60 to 90 seconds until they are warm enough to melt the coconut oil.
- Place the apple, chocolate, and coconut oil in a blender and process until a homogeneous paste is formed.
- Add the sugar, if desired, and the ground coconut to the paste.
- Take an ice tray and place the cut almonds and a little bit of the coconut at the bottom of each unit. (This will make it easier to remove the bonbons from the ice tray.)
- Place the paste in each ice tray unit.
- Let them freeze, keep them frozen until 10 minutes before serving them.
Benefits of organic virgin coconut oil
The fatty acids in coconut oil can encourage your body to burn fat, and they provide quick energy to your body and brain. They also raise HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood, which may help reduce heart disease risk. Some studies linked coconut oil with heart health and an anti-microbial effect. It can significantly reduce your appetite, which may lead to reduced body weight over the long term.
Benefits of organic unsweetened raw chocolate
In its natural state, chocolate is bursting with antioxidants to fight free radicals, even more than fruit, vegetables, or tea! Chocolate supplies micronutrients, such as potassium, zinc, magnesium, and iron, and is one of the richest food sources of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. It also lowers blood pressure by aiding in the relaxation of blood vessels, so your blood easily travels where it needs to. Also, flavanol-rich cocoa and chocolate act similarly to low-dose aspirin in promoting healthy blood flow. Reducing the blood’s ability to clot also reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Tip: Fall is just around the corner. Plan to try this recipe again when fresh apples are available from local grower’s markets.