Easter is coming up quickly and pretty early this year - it totally snuck up on me! Luckily I don't have kiddos of my own and am not much of church-goer, so my Easter is really all about eating and enjoying sweet treats these days. Last year we celebrated with these Carrot Cupcakes with Orange Vanilla Cream Frosting, two years ago it was veganized Homemade Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs...this year? This year we've damn near perfectly recreated a Cadbury Creme Egg - but with completely vegan ingredients! Let me stop you right here - I didn't ditch the sugar and these are in no way 'healthy'. What they are is delicious and a re-creation of one of childhood favorites. And in that sense, we nailed it. We even took the time to add dyed yellow 'yolks', just to be authentic and such. But don't worry, no chickies were harmed in the making of these gems...just my waistline! They were just too good to say no. Which is why you should really do yourself a favor and make these up for Sunday. You won't regret it and you'll impress the Easter Bunny, for sure! 

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
1/4 cup vegan butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar
a few drops of yellow food coloring (we used this brand)
10 ounces chocolate chips or chopped bar chocolate 
8 egg-shaped molds (or any-shaped mold, really!)

DIRECTIONS
Heat a small pot over low heat. Pour in the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Add in the butter, milk, vanilla and salt and beat the mixture together. Pour the powdered sugar into the bowl about a cup at a time, beating continuously until a thick fondant-like paste forms.

Scoop about 3/4 of the mixture into a small bowl, and the remaining 1/4 into another small bowl. Into the smaller bowl, add a few drops of yellow food coloring and stir until the entire mixture is evenly dyed. Set aside.

Using the double boiler method, melt the chocolate. Pour melted chocolate into the molds, gently turning the mold pan to evenly coat the inner molds. (Obviously we used eggs, but if you only have heart shaped, you 'em! You could probably also just roll the fondant-like sugar mixture into balls and dip it in chocolate, but no guarantees on how they'll look). Tap out the excess chocolate and pop the molds into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to harden. 

Once hardened, fill the molds about 2/3 of the way full with the white fondant mixture (which for us was a little under a tablespoon), then add a small amount of the yellow fondant mixture (a bit under a teaspoon for us) to the middle. You want the eggs nearly full but not so full the you can't easily add the chocolate top layer. Place the molds back into the fridge to set the fondant layer, about 15-20 minutes.

Gently pour melted chocolate over the top of each filled egg mold, using the back of a butter knife or spatula to scrape any excess chocolate from the top of the molds. Pop the molds into the fridge or freezer to set, about 30 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened and set, you can immediately enjoy the creme eggs! Otherwise see the notes below for saving them.

NOTES
Makes about 2-inch 16 eggs OR you can get crafty and apply a bit more melted chocolate to the backs of two half-eggs, connecting them to make 8 large creme eggs. 

These are best kept refrigerated or kept in a cool place, but are fine on the counter (or in an Easter basket) for several hours. They last up to a month in the fridge or indefinitely if kept in the freezer. 

Yep, more pumpkin. We told you it was coming! But this one is more of a treat yo' self kinda recipe. When I was growing up, we always picked apples and pumpkin at Bailey's, the family-owned orchard down the street. Mrs. Bailey would always make the richest, most amazing chocolate & peanut butter fudge, and it was a tradition to get a square before we left the orchard. I know it was full of sugar, but it was heaven. I can still taste it.
Now as an adult, and one who watches my sugar intake at that, fudge isn't something we make often. But with this crazy hot  weather we're still having in Souther California, I was CRAVING some fall.  That being said, we all deserve a treat, and being freezer fudge, its easy to eat just a piece of week and preserve the goodness for months to come. Plus, I'm a SUCKER for pumpkin/ chocolate combos, and the velvety, rich pumpkin layer compliments the dark chocolate beautifully. So today, instead of trick-or-treat, we say TREAT YO' SELF! I think even Mrs. Bailey would approve. 

INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate Fudge Layer:
1/4 cup vegan butter or coconut oil
4 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water

Pumpkin Fudge Layer:
1/4 cup vegan butter or coconut oil
2 ounces cashew butter (or nut butter of your choice)
2 ounces pumpkin purée
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water

DIRECTIONS:
Chocolate Fudge Layer:
Using the double-boiler method (a bowl placed in in a saucepan of boiling water WITHOUT touching the water), heat the butter and chocolate together until melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in half of the confectioners sugar. Add a tablespoon of the boiling water from your pan to the mixture, and stir to remove any lumps. Add in the remaining confectioners sugar and stir like a madwoman (or madman!) until the mixture is smooth. Press into a waxed-paper lined 8x8 baking dish and set aside while you make the pumpkin layer.

Pumpkin Fudge Layer:
Using the double-boiler method (a bowl placed in in a saucepan of boiling water WITHOUT touching the water), heat the butter, cashew butter, pumpkin purée, and vanilla together until melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in half of the confectioners sugar. Add a tablespoon of the boiling water from your pan to the mixture, and stir to remove any lumps. Add in the remaining confectioners sugar and stir like crazy again until the mixture is completely smooth. Pour the mixture over the chocolate layer, then tap the baking dish gently on the counter to smooth and remove any bubbles. Place the baking dish in the freezer to set, for at least 3 hours. 

When ready, remove the fudge from the baking dish by pulling the waxed paper out. Place block of fudge onto a flat surface, like a sitting board, and use a large fat knife to cut into 1-in. squares. Store uneaten fudge in the freezer indefinitely. Enjoy!

Easter is just days away and happens to coincide with another of my favorite, uhm, holidays. Either way, treats were on the menu for snacking and these Reese's egg knockoffs seemed like the perfect way to celebrate. Creamy, sweet peanut butter filling coated with crunchy dark chocolate- yes, please!
Alex and I (okay, mostly Alex) finished the entire initial batch in just three days and barely shared. Whoops! They were too good. I had forgotten just how much I miss treats like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups sometimes. I mean, the originals are filled with awful amounts of conspicuous sounding sugars and animal additives, but even so, THEY WERE SO DAMN GOOD. Re-creating childhood favorites with vegan & gluten-free ingredients is my favorite, and I'm happy to share these with you guys. I hope they make your Easter, or whenever the heck you eat and/or make them for, DELICIOUS.

Ingredients
Peanut Butter Filling:
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky- your preference!)
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coconut flour

Chocolate Coating:
3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions:
Peanut Butter Filling:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor of high speed blender until combined. Mixture should be thick, but smooth (unless you used chunky peanut butter- then expect some chunks!)
Using a scoop, spoon, or your hands, roll dough into 1 inch balls and lay on a non-stick cookie sheet. Then, with either a rolling pin or your palm, slightly flatten the dough and use your fingers to shape the top into an oval egg shape. Pop the cookie sheet into the freezer and let the eggs harden while you prepare the chocolate coating, or until they're solid.

Chocolate Coating:
While the eggs harden, melt chocolate and oil together in a small bowl over a saucepan of water (double boiler method). Remove frozen eggs from the freezer, dip into chocolate, and place back on the cookie sheet. Once eggs are coated, stick them back in the freezer to set completely. If you have leftover chocolate, double-dip the eggs once frozen again, and repeat for a thicker chocolate coating. Eggs are ready for eating as soon as the chocolate hardens!
Makes about 15 eggs, which save well in the fridge or freezer in a sealed container indefinitely. 
These can get a little melty if left out in the heat for too long (or in warm fingers-eat up!), so be sure to store them in a cool place until they're ready to be enjoyed.

It's almost HALLOWEEN! With just a few days left 'till the big, delicious, candy filled night we know you're on the hunt for the perfect holiday treat. Easy enough that you can have it prepared for a party of thirty little bloodsuckers by Thursday, and tasty enough that the accompanying moms will think you're a chocolatier-ing badass. simple to make and all you need are a few candy molds. This recipe makes about 50 small chocolates and  can be made 'raw' by omitting the cooked beet juice for color. Its vegan, gluten-free, and free of common allergens. Did I mention we nailed the creamy, whipped orange cream texture? Its like a fluffy cloud of Halloween goodness. Though I'm sure they'd be great any time of the year. For a little added spookiness, sprinkle a tiny bit of turmeric on the top of each chocolate to add that festive orange color.

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup softened coconut oil
1/3 cup almond milk
12 ounces chocolate
optional:
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons beet juice
(for color)

You'll also need candy molds for 50 small chocolates. You can do it in sections if you only have one or two molds, but it will take a lot longer. Molds are cheap and can be found at specialty cooking stores, places like Target, and online. 
Use a Halloween mold if you have it to make 'em even spoooookier!

Instructions:
Using the double-boiler method to keep the chocolate raw and from burning, being to melt all 12 ounces of chocolate. While the chocolate melts down, begin the filling.
In a food processor combine the coconut, agave, orange and vanilla extracts, coconut oil, and almond milk. Mix about 2 minutes until uniform in texture, whipped and fluffy. Now, optionally, you can color the filling like we did. You can alternately leave it plain and the cream will be whitish. Dye the filling by adding 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric and 3 tablespoons of beet juice, which we got by boiling one small beet in about 1/2 cup water until the water was deep red in color. You can also try using saffron instead of turmeric but it is very expensive.
Once the colors have been added (or not), put filling into a piping bag or a regular zippered plastic baggie with the corner cut and set aside.
For filling candy molds, there are two ways you can go. You can:

1) Use a small paintbrush to coat each candy mold with chocolate. Let harden in the fridge or freezer. Remove your hardened molds from the fridge. Use your piping bar or plastic bag with removed corner to squeeze filling into the hardened molds, filling them to ALMOST full, leaving just enough room for one more layer of chocolate to seal it all together. Place back in the fridge or freezer to set the filling, then remove and use the paintbrush to add on a final, sealing layer of chocolate to the top of molds. You can then use a spatula to scrape across the bottom, leveling out the newly applied chocolates so the bottoms are completely flat. (Or you can skip that step and just tap the molds onto the tables, leveling the chocolate- you don't need perfectly flat bottoms for them to be delicious!) Let cool, harden and set once again.
(We used & prefer this method. You are more in control this way.)

2) Fill each small mold about halfway with melted chocolate. Immediately pipe filling on top of the half filled molds, using your finger to apply a slight pressure to push the filling into the chocolate. Add just enough filling to fill the mold about 75%. The goal here is not to push too hard, so the filling doesn't push through the chocolate 'seal' and can be seen. Apply just enough pressure to force some of the chocolate to displace itself up the sides of the mold around the filling. Add a little finishing chocolate to cover the filling in the molds, use a spatula to scrape across the bottom, leveling out the newly applied chocolates so the bottoms are completely flat. (Or you can skip that step and just tap the molds onto the tables, leveling the chocolate- you don't need perfectly flat bottoms for them to be delicious!)
Allow to cool to and set.

Once the chocolates have all set and hardened, pop them out of the candy molds-carefully! It can be easy to break these fragile little guys if you apply too much pressure when releasing them from the molds. 
Once free from the molds, chocolates can be store in or out of the refrigerator for a few weeks. Just make sure they don't get too warm or they'll melt on ya'. Stores well in a sealed plastic bag or glass jar.
Makes about 50 chocolates. Enjoy!