There's nothing better than chocolate pudding on a cold winter night. I have made similar puddings before, but this one was particularly yummy. I consider it to quite healthy because of the relatively low sugar levels - because most of the bulk and sweetness come from the kumara (this is another case where we have different names for the same thing, but I'm pretty sure these particular kumara are called yams in the US). The texture varies depending on how much you mash/puree the kumara, I quite like it with a bit of variation rather than completely pureed. The kumara needs to be pre-cooked. I often put them in the oven when I'm using it for other things so I have them ready to be mashed - remember to poke a few holes in it before you bake it.
Ingredients:
One large orange pre-baked kumara (yam) - you could also use other varieties but these ones have a nice texture.
50 grams butter or coconut oil
2 free-range eggs
Half a cup of cream or coconut cream
1/4 cup of brown sugar, honey or preferred sweetener
30 - 50 grams very dark chocolate, I used Schoc 100%
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot water
Recipe:
1. Melt the butter in a medium sized pot, when it has melted remove from heat and add in the chocolate in pieces
2. Mash/puree the kumara and add to the pot along with the eggs, sugar and cocoa. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add the hot water and heat gently until the mixture is heated to your satisfaction.
My two year old loves this - she ate her whole cup full and then asked "More chocolate?"
She is now on her third little cup "Yum!"
I also had the idea that I might use up some of the extra pudding by freezing it in ice block moulds.
The Chocolate Non-Controversy
One thing I have come across in my research of the Weston A. Price Foundation is that Nourishing traditions is very anti-caffeine despite having a recipe for kombucha which used caffeinated tea. Many of the nourishing blogs I have come across include chocolate (and sometimes coffee) containing recipes - something that I am in immense support of being a huge chocolate fan. Although this could be seen as a contradiction I prefer to see it as an example of the dynamic nature of a grass-roots movement - whereas in a hierarchical top-down movement the chocolate rebels would have been thrown out long ago. I'm not sure if there has been any discussion about this within the movement.
This was posted as part of The Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter
Regard the note on Chocolate. Among Vegan's I found that the degree to which dietary restrictions are applied varies from individual to individual. Many vegans for example, while they might consider that in principle eating honey is wrong because it exploits the bees, will still eat it occasionally. Catholics who eat red meat on a friday might be another example. I would suspect that for those Weston Pricers who consume it, caffeine falls into a similar gray area. Not really bad, but not completely good either?
ReplyDeleteWhile no food is completely good, I consider chocolate to be rather wonderful with it's micro-nutrient and trace element complexities - I haven't seen it written about as something that's a bit naughty, it seems to blend in with all the other WAPF ideas on the blogs despite being banned from Nourishing Traditions.
ReplyDeleteThe reason Fallon gets away with not eating chocolate is because she eats so much sugar ;-) Each to their own stimulant.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know how much sugar Sally Fallon eats but I don't think there's all that much in the recipes in Nourishing Traditions. Most of the sweeteners used are less refined like rapadura and maple syrup - and I don't think the quantities are very large.
ReplyDeleteIt's relative I guess. I find her ice-cream recipes pretty sugar rich but then I tend to use fruit alot in ice-cream. I haven't made her other sweet things :-)
ReplyDeletePeople always recoil in horror at the thought of using vegetables in sweets and desserts, but examples abound: pumpkin pie, rice pudding, carrot cake, coconut singori, zuchinni bread - these are just a handful of the vast number of applications to which vegtables can be put to a sweet use. Admitedly, some have a substantial amount of sugar added to them in the process of making them, but imagine crafting treats using vegetable components - the benefits to be had are substantial, without any loss in appearance or flavour.
ReplyDeleteOh - yum - I've got to try that Isa!
ReplyDeleteAnd have you seen the diet plans of some of the Weston Price leaders? If I recall correctly Mary Enig chugs down the coffee!
I would like to find that encouraging, except I suspect that coffee and chocolate are amongst those things that can be bad for some people and good or at least non-threatening to others. (And I think I'm one of the people it's bad for ... although I love it so!)
Mmm pumpkin pie. That's a family favourite.
ReplyDeleteJohanna, I haven't seen that - where can I find it? I find I can tolerate chocolate quite well but not much coffee - I'm quite sensitive to the caffeine I think, or possibly some other active part of it. I love chocolate, especially the Trade Aid dark orange and mint. Yum!