When it comes to chocolate pots de crème, there’s no messing around. These dense little cups of smooth, dark chocolate don’t pretend to be delicate or airy, and you’ll never mistake them for bland-tasting instant pudding or low-fat chocolate mousse. With just one bite, you’ll taste the message loud and clear: These bittersweet pots de crème are intensely chocolatey, decadently full-fat, and proud of it.

I rarely indulge in sweets these days, but dark chocolate is my kryptonite — so when occasion calls for it, I’ll happily whip up a batch of dairy-free chocolate pots de crème. And my favorite ways to amp up the intensity of this special treat is with a touch of cinnamon, vanilla, and ancho chile powder — a flavor combination inspired by the rich, spicy kick of traditional Mexican hot chocolate.

This recipe is foolproof, provided you don’t rush things. Yes, I know it’s virtually impossible to exercise self-restraint when it comes to chocolate, but to ensure a silky-smooth ganache, staple these three tips to your forehead:

• Be patient when forming the base custard,
• Step away from the chocolate for a full five minutes while it’s melting, and
• Stir slooowly and deliberately when combining the melted chocolate and custard.

Trust me: you’ll be rewarded for your stoic Jedi ways.

Ready to learn how to make these little pots o’ joy?

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[UPDATED October 29, 2012: This ain’t a new recipe (it’s from a year ago), but I wanted to repost it for folks jonesing for an easy pumpkin dessert recipe to serve for Halloween. Enjoy (again!)]

Who misses pumpkin pie after going Paleo?

Look no further — here’s a mini crust-less version where the silky spiced custard and crunchy coconut topping will surely satisfy your autumn sweet cravings. You can bake these custards in the oven or pop them in a SousVide Supreme (195°F for 60-90 minutes). 

Here’s what to gather to make ten 4-ounce ramekins:

• 1-1/4 cup coconut milk (I used Aroy-D)
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup grade B maple syrup
• ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree (I use Libby’s)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup toasted coconut flakes (bake raw flakes in a single layer at 300 F for 3-5 minutes until golden brown)

Here’s how to make them:

Gather your ingredients…

…preheat the oven to 325°F, and boil a full kettle of water.

Get two 9” x 13” glass baking dishes and lay a small towel on the bottom of each one (the towel will keep the ramekins from slipping around).

Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it’s steaming but not boiling.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the maple syrup…

…and whisk well.

Slowly add the warmed coconut milk to the egg and syrup mixture (a little bit at a time) and mix vigorously.

(Don’t be impatient and add the hot coconut milk all at once or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!).

Toss in the pumpkin, spices, vanilla, and salt…

…and stir until well-blended.

Divide the ramekins into the two towel-lined baking dishes (ten ramekins won’t fit in one dish) and ladle in the mixture.

Pour boiling water into the baking dishes until it reaches halfway up the ramekins and carefully transfer them to the oven.

Bake custard cups for about 30 minutes. The custards are ready when a knife inserted into them comes out clean and they’re still slightly jiggly in the middle.

Cool the custards on a wire rack until they’re room temperature (about 1 hour)…

…and top each one with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

These custards taste great cold, too. Refrigerate the ramekins and top with toasted coconut right before you devour them.

Happy Festivus, my peoples! In celebration of Hanukkah, I’m offering you the recipe for my special Christmas chocolate truffles. You know, for Kwanzaa.

Look: I know this recipe ain’t exactly the height of Paleosity. I’m perfectly aware that truffles are CANDY, and that there’s some sugar in the chocolate. But hey, it’s the holidays, and I’m certainly not above an occasional treat. Snarf some of these babies down, and wait until January 1st to start your next 21 Day Sugar Detox or Whole30. That’s what I’m gonna do!

This recipe makes 36 truffles, and you’ll need:

• 10 ounces of dark chocolate, 70% or higher
• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut and/or ½ cup unsweetened cocoa

Start by cutting the chocolate into small shards on the diagonal. Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a medium bowl and set it aside.

Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Then, pour the coconut milk over the chocolate and coconut oil, and…

Stir ever-so-gently with a rubber spatula to combine. Don’t mix vigorously or the chocolate will get grainy.

Add the vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.

Transfer the chocolate mixture to a sealed container and chill in the fridge until solid (at least 4 hours).

Meanwhile, spread the shredded coconut on a parchment-lined baking tray, and toast it in a 300°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the flakes to a shallow bowl when cooled. If you’re coating the truffles in cocoa powder, pour some into another bowl, too.

Using a small (1-inch in diameter) melon baller or disher, scoop out 36 balls of chocolate. Roll each ball of chocolate between your palms to form a smooth ball. Don’t freak out if some of them are misshapen — it’s just candy, people. 

Coat each truffle in the toasted coconut or cocoa and sift the excess through your fingers.

These truffles can be kept in an airtight container for a week in the fridge, or about three months in the freezer.

If you’re freezing the truffles, don’t coat them with shredded coconut or cocoa powder until you’re ready to serve them. Instead, bring them to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before coating and serving. Roll the truffles in your hands to melt the exterior and the toasted coconut and/or cocoa powder will adhere easily.

I know it’s been a few weeks since I last posted a new recipe, so thanks for being so patient with me while I’ve been busily cranking away on my side project. I promise you: The wait will be worth it.

Happy National Pumpkin Pie Day!

What little monster doesn’t like downing a couple of bloody eyeballs now and then? Especially if they’re sweet and juicy?

Here’s a quick and easy Halloween treat you can assemble with just a handful of ingredients: longans, blueberries, and frozen mixed berries.

I purchased a couple pounds of fresh longan fruit from 99 Ranch Market…

…and enlisted the help of the Double-O’s to help peel them.

If you start at the stem end, the rest of the skin is pretty easy to remove.

The peeled longans already look like eyeballs — hence the name, which literally translates to “dragon eye” in Chinese.

The large seeds in the center are inedible so I removed and replaced ‘em with blueberries.

Yes, you can find canned and de-seeded longans at an Asian market, but they’re steeped in heavy syrup and who knows what else. I’m not gonna lie — removing seeds from fresh longans is kind of a pain in the keister because the flesh clings to the fruit —- but it’s worth it.

After the longans were halved and deseeded, I placed a blueberry in the center of each bisected piece of fruit.

Once the eyeballs were assembled…

…I blitzed half a bag of Trader Joe’s Very Cherry frozen berry blend.

I plated the “bloody” berry puree on a plate, dotted it with “eyeballs,” and added extra “blood” to each “sclera.”

Lil-O found them almost too creepy to eat.

Sweet yet revolting — kind of like me!

When I got home from work, I rounded up my little sous chefs and we set to work making apple cinnamon cookies from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations. It was Mother’s Day and this mama wanted some cookies!

I love making cookies with my boys so it was fun baking a batch that were tasty and healthy. Yes, skeptics, those two adjectives can go hand in hand. These cookies are really simple to make and they’re sweet enough to satisfy this reformed sugar addict. Plus, the smell of baked apples, cinnamon, coconut, and almonds is HEAVENLY!

The recipe and my step-by-step photos after the jump…

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This morning, right after I went to bed, Fitbomb and the kids decided to tackle a cooking project to ring in the New Year. Specifically, they made primal chocolate chip cookies from one of my favorite blogs, The Food Lovers’ Primal Palate.

The grain-free cookies are made with almond flour, coconut oil, chocolate chips, eggs, maple syrup, baking soda, and vanilla extract. 

In case you’re wondering, that’s my sister’s homemade vanilla extract. She’s a DIY cooking maven, no doubt.

My kids were so excited to make the cookies, they both patiently waited their turn to stir the batter…

…and it didn’t devolve into fisticuffs. 

Here’s the finished dough…

… and the freshly baked cookies right out of the oven:

How’d they taste? I don’t know (big pat on my back) but the kids loved them!

I seem to be missing out on a lot of good eats while I’m sleeping the day away.

Nonetheless, I’m so effing glad I was sleeping this morning or I would have cheated on the Whole30 without a batting an eyelash. 

Trust me, this guy is a great salesman: