Hot Cocoa Protein Cookies

Is there anything better than hot cocoa on a winter day? These Hot Cocoa Protein Cookies have all the flavour of my favourite drink (thanks to Naked Nutrition's Hot Cocoa Protein Powder) but are easier to share - that is, if you let anyone!

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Okay, I know I said in my last post that my Chocolate Cherry Panettone with Almonds would be my last post of 2021, but I apparently don't do well with downtime over the holidays! Since the Marbled Peanut Butter Biscotti was such a hit at Christmas, my sister asked me if I could make her some chocolate cookies with the Naked Shake that I had, and since I didn't have anywhere to go and the kitchen was free today (yay!) it was the perfect opportunity to get baking. I started off with a mini-batch of Gosh Darn Good Cookies using coffee concentrate, and while that chilled I started this dough inspired by All Things Mamma. 

What I love about this cookie is how easy it is. I did it all in a bowl with a fork and spatula, it only needed an hour in the fridge and the batch made 25 perfectly portioned cookies - more than enough to satisfy the chocolate hounds here! I decided to up the chocolateyness (yes, that is a word) of the recipe with dark chocolate miniatures instead of Hershey's Kisses, which we aren't a fan of. The minis melted beautifully due to their thinness, and added that bitter edge to an otherwise sweet cookie. I'd imagine couverture discs would be lovely here as well!

Have a sweet New Year everyone!

Chocolate Cherry Panettone with Almonds

Chocolate Cherry Panettone with Almonds is such a festive way to kick off the holiday season! A dash of vanilla and orange flower water and a hint of saffron make this extra special, while a few scoops of @nakednutrition Pumpkin Spice #nakedshake adds protein and more flavour!

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My favourite thing about the holidays is the smells associated with the spices and sweet baking that takes place. On the 23rd of December each year, my mom wakes up extra early (about 5AM) to start making our traditional holiday brioche and Challah, so by the time I'm awake to braid the Challah the house is already filled with the scents of cinnamon, dried fruit, yeast and sugar. My contributions are often less labour intensive - say, gingerbread and biscotti - but the timing worked just right this year for me to get in a holiday loaf of my own!

Last year I made these rich, golden panettone loaves as gifts, and it was in this vein that I decided to give it another twist. This time, I added dried cherries, almonds, and a hit of spices and protein with Naked Nutrition's Naked Shake in Pumpkin Spice flavour. Along with the whole wheat flour, I added some extra fibre with Naked Fiber, and tossed in some chopped dark chocolate for good measure (everything is better with chocolate!). 

I chose to bake this batch in two standard loaf pans, but you can also bake them in Texas-style muffin pans using the instructions here. If you don't have saffron, the same amount of turmeric will give the same colour (though not flavour), and for the orange flower water you can sub in some orange juice (again, different flavour but still delicious).

I wish each and every reader a safe and happy end to 2021 and a lucky 2022! I will be back in January with more delicious treats (and ramblings as I keep navigating my grad program).

Marbled Peanut Butter Biscotti

Marbled Peanut Butter Biscotti is the perfect melding of two vegan doughs: one made with @pbfit and one with the rich flavours of @nakednutrition Hot Cocoa Naked Shake. Great on their own, or dipped in dark chocolate for an extra layer of decadence!

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Whew, what a December! Now that things are relatively settled (I hope) and exams are done, I've had time to bake for the holidays! Like last year, I kept things really scaled back since we aren't having the gaggle we normally do here (and without me working, my coworker gift list is non-existent). I did, of course, have to make at least one batch of biscotti and after receiving a tub of Naked Nutrition's Naked Shake in Hot Cocoa flavour I knew I had to use it somehow.

For me there is no better flavour combination than peanut butter and chocolate, so that was an easy pick! I don't often have a jar of peanut butter around, but I did have some powdered peanut butter from PBFit and used that. When I opened the lid on the Naked Shake, I was blown away by how good it smelled - think the richest brownie batter with a hint of milk (a feat for a vegan powder, but then again every single product I've received from Naked Nutrition has been beyond delicious). A serving is only 130 calories, but it packs 20g of protein - and let me tell you, mixing the powder with a bit of cold water before adding some boiling water makes a pretty rich hot cocoa!

The dough for this biscotti requires two separate preparations and some finessing to shape the logs (wet hands really help) but boy is it worth it! While most of the finished biscotti were wrapped for gifts, the ends of the logs became snacks that were a welcome addition to the holiday bustle here at home!