Raw Vanilla White Chocolates

by Alissa Segersten, Cookbook Author and Food Blogger

white bowl filled with white chocolates make in various shapes with a pretty design on top

Recipes reprinted with permission from Nourishing Meals (October 2016). Photo by Alissa Segersten.

I have a special treat for you—a healthy recipe for raw white chocolate!

This recipe uses just a few ingredients and is dairy-free. Traditional white chocolate usually contains sugar and milk solids, along with cacao butter. My recipe uses raw honey and raw cashew butter, as well as raw cacao butter.

If you can’t handle the buzz dark chocolate gives you then try this recipe. It’s caffeine-free but still has some of the feel-good compounds found in chocolate.

Raw Vanilla White Chocolates

Yield: about 60 bite-sized white chocolates
dairy-free • gluten-free • no refined sugar

INGREDIENTS

1 cup melted raw cacao butter (about 8 ounces)
3/4 cup raw cashew butter
4 to 5 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon raw vanilla powder
pinch sea salt

METHOD

Melt the cacao butter over the lowest heat possible. Add to a blender along with the raw cashew butter, honey, vanilla powder, and salt. Blend on high until smooth.
Pour liquid white chocolate into candy molds or a glass bread pan lined with parchment paper. Before filling, place candy mold or bread pan onto a cookie sheet (this way you can easily transfer it to the freezer).
Freeze the candy molds or bread pan for 30 minutes.
Remove from freezer and pop white chocolates out of the molds or remove the parchment and block of white chocolate from bread pan and cut into squares with a sharp knife.
Freeze chocolates for storage.

OPTIONAL FILLING

2 tablespoons raw almond butter
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
2 to 3 teaspoons raw honey

METHOD WITH FILLING

Add the filling ingredients to a small bowl and stir with a fork until combined.
Roll 1/2 teaspoon-sized portions in your hands.
Fill the candy molds 3/4 full with the liquid white chocolate mixture. Drop in each ball of filling.
Fill each candy mold the rest of the way with the white chocolate.

NOTES

You can vary this recipe by omitting the vanilla and adding 1 teaspoon peppermint extract for peppermint candies. You can also try adding either 1 teaspoon of organic lemon or orange flavoring in place of, or in addition to, the vanilla powder. You can also make a filling for the chocolates (see optional filling above). These white chocolates do best stored in the freezer or refrigerator, otherwise they begin to get soft at room temperature.

About the Author

photos of alissa segersten of whole life nutrition and nourishing meals

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She is the founder of Whole Life Nutrition and Nourishing Meals, the mother of five children, a whole-foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them, and offers elimination diet recipes, healthy gluten-free recipes, and paleo and vegan recipes, as well as tips for feeding your family a nourishing, whole-foods diet.

Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole-foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book.

Learn more at nourishingmeals.com.

Local Vendor Profile: Chocolate Necessities

by Dave Straub, Cordata Produce

February 2020

bars of chocolate necessities chocolates are stacked with roses visible in the corner

Chocolate Necessities makes high-quality chocolate bars, truffles, and charming chocolate figurines in its Bellingham facility.

Photos by Wyeth Stiles and Habiba Sial

Inside the Chocolate Factory

In a drab business park out the Guide Meridian, among all the sheet metal siding, one unassuming door reads, Chocolate Necessities. I passed through this door and, as if by Narnian portal, found myself in a European-style chocolaterie shop, the air inside dominated by the aroma of chocolate.

Kevin Buck, the owner, led me to the source of the smell. We navigated a maze of racks stacked with thousands of truffles and emerged in his workshop where four large machines churned vats of melted chocolate.

the brisk snap gave way to a silky texture after a few chews

This process of tempering controls the crystallization of cocoa butter, he explained, resulting in a firm glossy chocolate that snaps when bitten and melts near body temperature. I had previously eaten a Chocolate Necessities dark chocolate bar and delighted in how the brisk snap gave way to a silky texture after a few chews. These machines and a little science are the reason.

Meet Kevin Buck

Buck, who has a white goatee and the look of someone perpetually busy but content, talks about his journey into the chocolate business like an international adventure story.

He first tasted couverture chocolate in Canada and immediately realized it to be superior to commercially produced candy bars in the United States.

chocolate necessities owner kevin buck smiles in front of a display in the retail tasting area of his chocolate facility

Chocolate as Culinary Art

This discovery led him to Belgium where the Callebaut factory produces some of the finest couverture chocolate in the world. They also buy only sustainably grown cocoa beans and work directly with co-ops in West Africa to ensure farmers receive a livable wage. Here Buck learned firsthand how to work with chocolate as a medium of culinary art. This knowledge, combined with passion, sealed Buck’s fate.

“He came home to Bellingham and began what has now been a 34-year career “driving after the ultimate in taste experience,” as Buck puts it.

Passion to Create a Unique Flavor Experience

He scours the world for unique chocolates and flavors to pair them with. A recent creation by chocolatier Nicole Robillard combined the delicate Japanese flavor of yuzu citrus with ganache and dark chocolate.

These flavor experiences have created a cult following.

Dedicated patrons return every week to see what’s new. Years ago, Buck combined a Cuban chocolate with Tahitian vanilla and people still talk about it to this day.

The dark chocolate espresso bar might be my favorite. The aroma of hazelnuts in
the filling lifted the flavors of chocolate and coffee in a way I’d never experienced before.

Buck loves his job. “It’s the perfect mix of creativity, hard work, and a little snobbery,” he said. “I like nice things.”

Chocolate Hearts for Valentine's Day

staff at chocolate necessities loosens chocolate hearts from a mold to cool on a sheet pan

Chocolatier Nicole Robillard works behind-the-scenes at Chocolate Necessities making chocolate hearts for Valentine’s Day. Nicole and owner Kevin Buck said Christmas is the busiest season in the chocolate biz, but if they could extend Valentine’s Day to run for two weeks, like the winter holidays, it would easily eclipse Christmas.

Chocolate Appreciation 101

Bellingham prides itself on appreciating the nuances of flavor. Words like IBU, terroir, and mouthfeel get tossed around in the seemingly endless number of microbreweries, espresso bars, and wine shops that have sprung up to provide unique taste experiences.

But what about chocolate?

Cacao in its many forms possesses just as many nuances when sourced and prepared thoughtfully.

Chocolate Necessities provides this service for those who are in the know, but Buck is the first to admit he flounders at marketing.

A chocolate lover must seek out or stumble upon his chocolate creations at one of his shops or in the aisles of the Co-op, which is where I found their bars, subtly but elegantly wrapped among all the other chocolate we sell. In a way, I find this adds to the excitement of feeling like you’ve discovered something unique.

Discover your Favorite Creation

One Chocolate Necessities creation I found at the Co-op was filled with port-infused ganache. After the chocolate began to fade, fruity notes danced around my tongue and the oaky smell of a port lingered in my nose.

Cacao is in the plant genus Theobroma, which comes from the Greek words for “food of the gods.” Culinary artists like Buck begin with something divine and make it better.

Learn More

Learn more at the Chocolate Necessities website or take a tour! Chocolate Necessities owner, Kevin Buck, enjoys welcoming the public to his tasting room at 4600 Guide Meridian (at Horton Street). He gladly chats with folks about chocolate, his production process, and shares a tasting experience so visitors can learn what makes his chocolates so divine.

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

by Alissa Segersten, Contributing Author

This decadent vegan tart can be made with any berry, but I especially like the combination of tart raspberries and sweet chocolate. The tart is best served the day it’s made. You can also use a smaller tart pan (an 8-inch works well) and halve the ingredients. Be sure to use the full fat coconut milk that comes in a can.

Recipe from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.

Photo courtesy of Alissa Segersten

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

About 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

Crust

3 cups hazelnut meal
¾ cup arrowroot powder
¼ cup coconut sugar
¾ teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons cold coconut oil
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling

2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 3 hours
½ cup raw cacao powder
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup coconut milk
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pint fresh raspberries

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 11-inch round tart pan with coconut oil.
Place the hazelnut meal, arrowroot powder, coconut sugar, and sea salt into a bowl and mix together. Add the coconut oil and mix it in using your fingers or a pastry cutter until fine crumbs form. Then add the water and stir together with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball. Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake for about 25 minutes. Then remove from oven and cool completely. I like to put it into the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
To make the filling, place the cashews into a bowl of water and let soak for about 3 hours. Then drain and rinse. Place soaked cashews into a high-powered blender. Add the cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut milk, and vanilla. Blend until super smooth, adding more coconut milk by the tablespoon if needed.
Pour chocolate filling into cooled crust and chill for 2 hours.
Pop tart out of the pan by pushing it up from the bottom. Place onto a serving platter. Decorate the top with the raspberries. Serve.

About the Author

Learn more at nourishingmeals.com.

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

by Alissa Segersten, Contributing Author

It’s summer! Time to break out the ice cream maker and whip up some dairy-free ice cream. Plus, it’s cherry season right now.

Don’t have an ice cream maker? Watch a video that explains three easy methods to make ice cream without a machine.

Photo courtesy of Alissa Segersten.

Every summer, my family enjoys the messy task of pitting dozens of pounds of cherries for the freezer. Having a good cherry pitter that can handle the task of many cherries is key! Your children can remove the stems and help use the pitter. It’s quite satisfying watching all of those pits fall into the container, while the pitted cherries shoot out into a bowl! I just pour the pitted cherries into large containers for freezing.

Use your frozen cherries for cherry ice cream, cherry smoothies, or cherry-oat crisp. With all of the health benefits sweet cherries have, doesn’t it make sense to eat a bowlful a day while they are in season, and freeze some to enjoy throughout the year?

This coconut milk-based ice cream is a perfect way to indulge in both antioxidant-rich cherries and dark chocolate. Serve it as a sweet treat after dinner or a healthy mid-afternoon snack.

Be sure to use full fat coconut milk in this recipe. The hemp seeds give it some extra creaminess, healthy fats, and amino acids. You can easily omit the chocolate, if desired. You can also replace the cherries with blueberries, strawberries, or diced mango. All variations are delicious!

Chilling the coconut milk beforehand helps to solidify the cream into ice cream during churning. This nutritious dairy-free ice cream is full of beneficial fats found in the coconut milk and hemp seeds. It’s quite simple to make your own ice cream, and once you do, you’ll likely never go back to the store-bought stuff!

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook
Dairy-free, paleo • About 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cans full fat coconut milk, chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons raw honey or coconut nectar
¼ cup hemp seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups chopped frozen cherries
¼ to ½ cup finely chopped dark chocolate bar, dark chocolate chips, or raw cacao nibs

METHOD

Place the chilled coconut milk, honey, hemp seeds, vanilla, and almond extract into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into your ice cream maker.* Add the chopped frozen cherries and chocolate chunks, chips, or cacao nibs. Process according to the directions that came with your ice cream maker. I usually let mine churn for 20 to 25 minutes and then transfer to a container for storing in the freezer.
Freeze for 2 to 3 hours or until ready to serve. Serve each bowl with fresh cherries if desired.

*Don’t have an ice cream maker? Watch a video that explains three easy methods to make ice cream without a machine.

Eat the Rainbow

Eat the Rainbow: Starting with Red Cherries
By Alissa Segersten, Contributing Author

These jewels of the summer produce season offer a bevy of health benefits, as well as being irresistibly delicious.

Health Benefits of Sweet Cherries

Cherries are very high in antioxidants

Cherries are considered to have a high ORAC value (oxygen radical absorption capacity). What does this mean for you? Our bodies produce free radicals every day, and some people produce more than others. For example, when you are hypersensitive to a particular food or food group and you continue to eat that food, your body produces more free radicals than usual. Free radicals steal electrons from your cells, causing damage to cell membranes, proteins, and DNA. Having a lot of antioxidants in your body from the food you eat allows the free radicals to use electrons from the antioxidants, instead of your cells. The key is to lower the amount of free radicals your body produces, and increase the amount of antioxidants you consume. Eating a bowl of fresh (or frozen) cherries each day is a great way to do this!

Cherries reduce inflammation

Studies have shown that dark sweet cherries can reduce markers of inflammation such as CRP (C-reactive protein), as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines (immune system messengers) such as TNF-a. What does this mean for you? TNF-a creates a more inflammatory environment in your body, meaning you might feel more pain and aches all over when higher levels of TNF-a are circulating in your body. It is also produced in larger amounts when you have an autoimmune condition like rheumatoid arthritis. Research shows that a cherry-enriched diet reduced inflammation markers in animals by up to 50 percent! Certain plant chemicals called anthocyanins found in dark red and purple plant foods, especially dark sweet cherries, are responsible for inhibiting TNF-a production.

Cherries have been shown to reduce gout attacks

Research shows that the consumption of cherries can be an effective and natural anti-gout therapy. Daily consumption of 10–12 cherries has been shown to significantly reduce inflammation and gout attacks in gout patients.

Cherries protect against cognitive decline

Reducing oxidative stress is a key ingredient for decreasing cognitive decline. Cherries reduce oxidative stress in spades. The phenolic compounds in cherries play a key role in protecting the brain’s neuronal cells from cell-damaging oxidative stress. One study found that 12 weeks of sweet Bing cherry juice consumption (200mL per day) was able to improve cognitive performance in adults with mild to moderate dementia.

Cherries protect against cardiovascular disease

The anthocyanins in dark cherries help by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, meaning that cherries can help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol—oxidized cholesterol is a key factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. The phenolic compounds in cherries have also been shown to lower blood pressure.

References:

Blando, F., & Oomah, B. (2019). Sweet and sour cherries: Origin, distribution, nutritional composition and health benefits. Trends In Food Science & Technology

Kent, K., Charlton, K., Roodenrys, S., Batterham, M., Potter, J., & Traynor, V. et al. (2017). Consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice for 12 weeks improves memory and cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia. European Journal Of Nutrition

Kim, D., Heo, H., Kim, Y., Yang, H., & Lee, C. (2005). Sweet and Sour Cherry Phenolics and Their Protective Effects on Neuronal Cells. Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry

Kelley, D., Adkins, Y., Reddy, A., Woodhouse, L., Mackey, B., & Erickson, K. (2013). Sweet Bing Cherries Lower Circulating Concentrations of Markers for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases in Healthy Humans. The Journal Of Nutrition

About the Author

Learn more at nourishingmeals.com.

Decadent Chocolate Avocado Mousse

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

For all you chocolate lovers out there, this one is for you.

This decadent treat doesn’t require hours of labor to make and is full of healthy fats and fiber that will leave you feeling full and satisfied.

Make sure to choose avocados that are perfectly ripe but just slightly give to the touch. If they are too ripe, the avocado flavor is more prominent.

Photo by Selva Wohlgemuth

Decadent Chocolate Avocado Mousse

(gluten-free and vegan)
Makes 5-6 servings

Nutritionist Tips: It tastes best if made the night prior to allow the flavors to intensify. Find the darkest cocoa powder you can, because this is the key to mask the avocado flavor and boost the decadence factor of the recipe. I’ve had good results with Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup dark chocolate chips (I get mine in the bulk section)
2 ripe large avocados
¼ cup extra dark cocoa powder (make sure to get the extra dark)
5 tablespoons maple syrup
2 pinches sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons soymilk (any other milk will do too)

VARIATIONS

Mint: Add 1 teaspoon organic peppermint extract

Spiced Thai Ginger: Add 1½ teaspoons ground ginger and ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne (per your preference)

Vanilla: Add an additional teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

Set up a small double boiler by filling a small saucepan with a little water and placing a small ceramic bowl inside. Put the chocolate chips inside the bowl and heat the saucepan over medium to melt the chocolate.
Meanwhile, add the avocados, cocoa powder, maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla, soymilk, and additional spices to your food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the chocolate when melted and continue to process until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
Spoon the creamy smooth mousse into a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to develop and the mousse to set. Garnish each serving with chocolate shavings and a strawberry. You can even go an extra step and serve the mousse with a dollop of whipped coconut cream or regular whipped cream.

More Healthy Desserts

Harvest Apple Crisp
(gluten-free and vegan)
This recipe is lower in calories and sugar than a traditional apple crisp or pie.

Low FODMAP Double Berry Pecan Crisp
(gluten-free and vegan)
This recipe is perfect for people on a low FODMAP diet.

Ask the Nutritionist

Have questions? Send them to contact@happybellynutritionist.com. Selva Wohlgemuth is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Learn more about her approach to general health and well-being at her Happy Belly Nutrition website, and see her recipes and other kitchen tips at Poppies and Papayas.

Three Tried-and-True Gluten-free, Vegan Desserts

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Co-op News contributor

November 2018

Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

Gluten-free? Vegan? Low FODMAP? Desserts are always tricky when accommodating many different dietary restrictions. Try these three tried-and-true gluten-free, vegan desserts!

You want dessert to be wholesome and full of good ingredients, yet you also want to make sure it tastes delicious and decadent. It can be so frustrating when you plan ahead, purchase, and make a dessert and it is a complete flop.

These days it can be very hard to sift through the millions of recipes online trying to decide which one not only looks good but will also taste good and not cost you an arm and a leg.

Don’t despair! I have you covered.

I have three tried-and-true recipes. All very simple and delicious.

The two crisp recipes are very similar but use different fruit and nuts. The small amounts of sugar called for in the crisps can be replaced with coconut sugar if desired. The white rice flour and arrowroot powder can be purchased in small amounts in the bulk section, so you do not need to buy a huge bag just for a single tablespoon. I personally prefer to use butter or ghee in the crisps, but if you are vegan, coconut oil
is just as delicious.

For the chocolate mousse, find the darkest cocoa powder you can, because this is the key to mask the avocado flavor and boost the decadence factor of the recipe. I’ve had good results with Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder.

The Recipes

All three recipes are gluten-free and vegan. Serve a dessert that everyone around the table can enjoy!

Harvest Apple Crisp

When you are too busy to make a pie crust, or simply don’t have the ingredients on hand, this simple crisp recipe will hit the spot. Plus, it’s lower in calories and sugar than a traditional apple pie or crisp. Step into fall with this aromatic and tasty delight!

Low FODMAP Double Berry Pecan Crisp

Staying away from fall favorites such as apples and pears is a must if you are following a Low FODMAP diet. If you still have frozen bags of summer’s harvest in your freezer then this recipe is for you. You can use whatever mixture of cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries you have on hand.

Decadent Chocolate Avocado Mousse

For all you chocolate lovers out there, this one is for you. This decadent treat doesn’t require hours of labor to make and is full of healthy fats and fiber that will leave you feeling full and satisfied. Make sure to choose avocados that are perfectly ripe but just slightly give to the touch. If they are too ripe, the avocado flavor is more prominent.

Ask the Nutritionist

Holiday Recipes: Sugar & Spice

Recipes by Robin Asbell

Spice up your holiday spread with much-loved classic treats like this Chocolate Glazed Nut Brittle.

Chocolate Glazed Nut Brittle

A recipe of decadent brittle makes wonderful gifts, a little goes a long way! Portion and package festively for teachers, coworkers, and friends.

Makes 2 1⁄2 pounds (approx. 27 servings).
Prep time: 1 hour;
20 minutes active

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar
1⁄2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter
1⁄3 cup light corn syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1⁄2 cups roasted salted peanuts or cashews plus
an optional 1⁄4 cup, finely chopped
8 ounces dark chocolate, melted

METHOD

Line a large sheet pan with a rim with parchment paper.
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup and bring to a boil to create caramel. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is light brown and registers 300°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the nuts, then immediately scrape the brittle onto the prepared baking sheet. Using the back of a large spoon (oil it lightly if it sticks), spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spread melted chocolate over the brittle, sprinkle with the finely chopped nuts, if using, then chill. Break the brittle into large shards. Store in airtight containers for up to two weeks.

Gingerbread Cookies

Makes 48 3-inch cookies.
Prep time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1 1⁄2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1⁄4 cup light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup molasses
1 large egg

Royal Icing

2 cups powdered sugar, approximately
1 large pasteurized egg white or 2 1⁄2 tablespoons meringue powder
1⁄4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water, approximately

METHOD

In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Using a stand mixer or an electric beater, cream butter until soft, then add brown sugar and beat until well-mixed. Add molasses and beat, scrape down and add egg, beat again until combined. Stir in the flour mixture. Divide dough into four rectangular pieces, place between sheets of parchment and roll out 1/4" thick. Stack sheets of dough on a baking pan and chill for 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lay sheets of dough on counter, remove top layer of parchment and use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Using a thin spatula, transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat process with scraps.
Bake 12 minutes, switching the pans between oven racks halfway through. When cookies are puffed and look dry, remove and cool on the pan for five minutes, then move cookies to a cooling rack.
Using a stand mixer or electric beater, mix powdered sugar with egg white or meringue powder. Mix in lemon juice and water, a tablespoon at a time, to reach desired consistency. Transfer icing to a piping bag with a small round tip and use to draw outlines on the cookies.

Poppy Seed Rugelach

Rugelach, a traditional Jewish treat, can also be filled with chocolate chips, walnuts, arzipan, or fruit preserves.

Makes 24 cookies.
Prep time: 6 hours (includes chilling);
1 hour active

INGREDIENTS

1 1⁄2 sticks butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups flour
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup poppy seeds
1⁄4 cup milk
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons raisins, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest

METHOD

Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add flour, sugar, salt and beat to combine. Form 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap; chill 4 hours.
In a coffee grinder, grind poppy seeds coarsely then heat in a pan with milk, honey, raisins, and zest. Stir over medium-low until thickened, approx. 20 minutes, then cool completely.
Preheat oven to 325ºF and line two sheet pans with parchment. Roll out dough to make two 12" rounds about 1⁄8" thick, then spread each with half the filling. Use a pizza cutter to cut each round in 12 wedges. Roll up each piece from the wide end, bend in tips to make a crescent. Place on pan, chill 1 hour.
Bake for 40 minutes, switching the pans between oven racks halfway through.
When done, cool cookies on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

BIJA Chocolate Tastings

Happy First Anniversary, BIJA! To celebrate, BIJA will be in our stores for tastings and all BIJA chocolate bars are on sale for 2/$6 (reg. $4.99) through Tuesday, May 2.

Tastings—
Cordata: 3 to 6 pm Friday
Downtown: 11 am to 3 pm Saturday

BIJA Chocolate Tastings

Happy First Anniversary, BIJA! To celebrate, BIJA will be in our stores for tastings and all BIJA chocolate bars are on sale for 2/$6 (reg. $4.99) through Tuesday, May 2.

Tastings—
Cordata: 3 to 6 pm Friday
Downtown: 11 am to 3 pm Saturday

Baked from Scratch with Love: The Co-op Bakery

by Lisalyn Osborne, Bakery department assistant manager

The Co-op bakery team takes pride in preparing baked goods from scratch, using top-quality ingredients, like these melt-in-your-mouth vegan chocolate truffles. Co-op bakers also excel at creating beautifully decorated and delicious custom treats—tailored to customer specifications.

Co-op bakery staff had a very busy year, whipping up several new tempting treats that quickly became popular staple items in our bakery cases.

If you haven’t yet tried the expanded selection of muffins or brioche (mouthwatering creations both sweet and savory), that is an oversight you might want to correct immediately.

Other edible masterpieces coming from the bakery ovens included custom-made birthday cakes and specialty delights that were as beautiful as they were delicious, including an adorable Thomas the Tank Engine cupcake cake and a stunning winter wonderland scene of chocolate ganache-topped cupcakes with sugared thyme and cranberries and meringue mushrooms. Oh, my!

christmas cupcakes marshmallow snowman winter decorations

Co-op bakery staff also made some very special birthday boys and girls happy with treats made to satisfy specific dietary requirements, because everybody deserves a sweet celebration on their birthday. Vegan, grain free, sugar free, dairy free, paleo—bring your special request to our talented, experienced baking team and they will create something spectacular to meet your needs.

because everybody deserves a sweet celebration on their birthday

Every February, keep an eye out for decadent specialties to woo your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, including Hearts of Darkness, Bleeding Hearts, Truffles, and I Heart You and Chocolate cakes.

Each and every cookie, cupcake, pesto Parmesan brioche, pumpkin cloud cake, and chocolate caramel cream pie—from the simply sublime to the dazzlingly divine—was made from scratch in our kitchen using the highest quality, non-GMO, and organic ingredients we can affordably source. You’ll never find any artificial colors, antibiotics, or hormones in any of our bakery goods.

The new bakery kitchen, completed in 2016, has 1,300 square feet, about three times the size of the bakery’s former work space. And added some long-wished-for new equipment including ovens that adjust for humidity and a steam kettle (which is basically a giant bain marie or double boiler) for making custards and other recipes that require a gentle heat.

Having a dedicated space also made the rigorous cleaning process prior to the gluten-free bake more efficient.

Oh, and windows! The Cordata kitchens were lovely, but sort of lacking in the window department. Downtown, passers-by can peek behind the scenes and see bakery staff at work through the large windows along Holly Street that also bring some welcome natural light into the bakery work space.

We hope you enjoy eating the delicious goodies that result from the magic (and heartfelt work) that goes on behind the Co-op bakery kitchen doors.

by Alissa Segersten, Cookbook Author and Food Blogger

Raw Vanilla White Chocolates

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

OPTIONAL FILLING

METHOD WITH FILLING

NOTES

About the Author

by Dave Straub, Cordata Produce

February 2020

Inside the Chocolate Factory

Meet Kevin Buck

Chocolate as Culinary Art

Passion to Create a Unique Flavor Experience

Chocolate Hearts for Valentine's Day

Chocolate Appreciation 101

Discover your Favorite Creation

Learn More

by Alissa Segersten, Contributing Author

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

About the Author

by Alissa Segersten, Contributing Author

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Eat the Rainbow

Health Benefits of Sweet Cherries

Cherries are very high in antioxidants

Cherries reduce inflammation

Cherries have been shown to reduce gout attacks

Cherries protect against cognitive decline

Cherries protect against cardiovascular disease

About the Author

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

Decadent Chocolate Avocado Mousse

INGREDIENTS

VARIATIONS

METHOD

More Healthy Desserts

Ask the Nutritionist

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Co-op News contributor

November 2018

Gluten-free? Vegan? Low FODMAP? Desserts are always tricky when accommodating many different dietary restrictions. Try these three tried-and-true gluten-free, vegan desserts!

The Recipes

Harvest Apple Crisp

Low FODMAP Double Berry Pecan Crisp

Decadent Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Ask the Nutritionist

Recipes by Robin Asbell

Chocolate Glazed Nut Brittle

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Gingerbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Poppy Seed Rugelach

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

by Lisalyn Osborne, Bakery department assistant manager

Co-op bakery staff had a very busy year, whipping up several new tempting treats that quickly became popular staple items in our bakery cases.

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