Secret Ingredient Skinny (Peppermint) Chocolate

Have you heard of Trim Healthy Mama (THM)?  It's a crazy-successful way to eat that helps to balance blood sugar and aid weight loss through combining foods in certain ways.  In a nutshell, you don't want equal amounts of the two primary fuel sources in the same meal.  So you'll have an "S" (Satisfying) meal that is based around healthy fats OR an "E" (Energy) meal that's more centered around healthy carbs.  There's tons more to it than that, but that's the big idea.

If you want to learn more, the two charming sisters -- Pearl and Serene (aren't those the best names??), who developed the THM plan and recipes -- have a fun website where they have more info, videos and sell their books; and they also have a Facebook page.

One of their famous recipes is called "Skinny Chocolate".  It's made with three main ingredients: coconut oil, unsweetened cocoa powder, a sweetener  plus a tiny pinch of salt.  People love it.

Me, not so much.  It's a little bland and not creamy enough to really get me to chocolate happy-ville. (Sorry, THM'ers who love this stuff!!)  I love all the recipes I've tried so far and practically live on their Lazy Lasagna, but I had to create my own go-to for my chocolate fix.

So I've played with the recipe over the months and looked on Pinterest -- tons of variations out there!!  I love to bake and have learned a few tricks along the way.  One chocolate-maker's trick is this secret ingredient:  for deeper, more complex chocolate flavor, add instant espresso powder. 

Secret Ingredient Skinny (Peppermint) Chocolate  (S)

• 1/2 cup coconut oil (refined or virgin -- up to you)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ​2 - 4 teaspoons (to taste) Pyure Organic All-Purpose Sweetener (or THM's Super Sweet Blend)
• 1/8 teaspoon mineral salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon espresso powder for a deeper and more complex chocolate flavor.  For a mocha flavor, add even more to taste -- perhaps up to 2 teaspoons (something like this from King Arthur) 
• 1/2 teaspoon chocolate flavored stevia (I use Sweetleaf brand)
• 3 - 6 drops peppermint essential oil (optional -- see note about brand below)

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• Measure all ingredients except the peppermint oil into a glass measuring cup.  Mine is a one-quart size, but if doesn't have to be this big.  
• Melt and warm in a microwave - slowly.  I do 50% power for 20 seconds at a time until the coconut oil is melted and the mixture is slightly warm.  
• OPTIONAL: Add 3 - 6 drops peppermint essential oil to taste.  Note: only use premium essential oils that are deemed safe to ingest (see below).
• Blend together really well using an immersion blender or milk frother (whatever you have on hand).  My little milk frother is in the  back of the first picture and it does a great job at small jobs like this.

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• Pour into lined mini-muffin pans (or ice cube trays, etc.).  This recipe make about 16 little cups.
• Optional: Sprinkle a tiny pinch of mineral salt over the top of the chocolate -- just a few (I don't count of course -- just a tiny amount, maybe 10-15  grains of salt) on each.
• <Ingredient note:  Sweetleaf makes other flavored liquid stevias -- even an English Toffee one, which would make a nice addition for a salted caramel-type flavor!>
• Put the trays into the freezer to harden.

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mmmmm ... let chocolate harden and store in freezer (a good idea -- that way they are out of sight or I'd eat the whole pan!).  

No sugar, easy to make -- guilt-free chocolate!  Try it and let me know what you think!

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