Coconut Ganache Cups

Oh lordy these are good! A few simple ingredients and a couple of hours of waiting and you have a decadent little treat for your Friday. Perfect to greet the kiddos with when they storm the door down at hometime.

Topped with your favourite goodies, they are so easy to make and even easier to devour!

Bee pollen and cacao nibs have become a firm part of my diet and recipe repertoire. I love the added crunch they bring to a dish. The smokiness of cacao nibs and the fact that they have 300 times the antioxidants as blueberries is even better. A perfect chocolate hit without the nasties. Bee Pollen on the other hand is one you have to be a little more careful of, especially if you suffer from hayfever. Test for allergies before you scoop a handful into your gob. If you have any reactions to them (itchy mouth, sneezing), put the jar down and step away! Even when I was buying the bee pollen, the producer asked me about my allergies and if I had tried them before. Always to be aware of natural products as they can cause dangerous reactions. I can only ever eat a few at a time otherwise, the sneezing monster comes out. Aside from that though, they are super delicious, add a wonderful crunch to these cups and are brimming with protein and essential amino acids.

With the French doors swung open and the gorgeous afternoon Spring breeze blowing through today, the smell of my balcony garden began to fill the apartment with lovely smells of fresh chives, sage and what I am most looking forward to, the almighty purple Kale. Kale chips ahoy!! It’s the first time I have ever had a go at growing my own veg. I love it. We also get just a little sun on our balcony in the afternoon which makes it perfect for a mini photo shoot with some tasty models

Despite this pretty little morning at home, I was coughing and sneezing. This morning I went for a run around the lake. The sun was shining, it was glorious. The heat towards the end nearly had me on my knees but it amazed me how much your body can go forward when you let your mind believe that you can do it. After I left the lake, I was taken over by a fit of the sneezes. Oh, Hayfever season how I loathe you. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Spring but every sneeze on a Spring afternoon brings with it horrible flash backs of my childhood summers afraid to step outside. One summer when I was about ten years of age, our art teacher brought us out to Rosses Point beach for an afternoon still life session. 15 minutes  after arriving and sitting amongst the grass, the rushes and all my classmates, I started sneezing and coughing.  I was gifted my teachers massive sun glasses to help keep the pollen out of my eyes but by the time mum came to collect us, I was no longer the doting little girl she had dropped off for art class, I was the mean sneezing machine. Oh the embarrasment of it all. I usually end my Spring days looking a bit like the hunchback. Achooo!!

Anyhow, enough of this and more of these….

Coconut Ganache Cups

1 cup nuts (macadamias, walnuts, almonds..take your pic)

6 large dates

150g 75% organic dark chocolate

125 ml Organic Coconut Cream

Cacao nibs

Orange zest

Bee pollen

Line a muffin tin with ten liners.

Mix the nuts and dates in a blender until resembles breadcrumbs. Scoop into the muffin liners. Press down with a spoon. Place in the fridge for an hour.

Break up the chocolate and place in a mixing bowl.

Heat the coconut cream on a medium heat until just bubbling.

Pour the coconut cream over the chocolate, allow to sit for a few minutes.

Whisk the cream into the chocolate until evenly combined.

Take the muffin tray out of the fridge and spoon/pipe the ganache onto the base.

Top with cacao nibs, bee pollen and orange zest. The toppings are optional and can be changed around to suit your tastes

These are completely dairy free and gluten free but unfortunately for those with nut allergies, they do contain a lot of nuts.

I hope you enjoy them, I am bringing these beauties on our road trip down to Pemberton. We’re off on a fitness and foodie retreat with the lovely people from Equilibre – Fitness for Foodies. Good food, wine, exercise and good company. Can’t wait!!