Chocolate is not something that has ever been optional for me. Like many other women out there, I firmly believe it is chocolate that takes my hand and walks me off the edge on my worst days. More importantly, however, I actually love it. Chocolate is something I look forward to incorporating into meals, that I enjoy savoring when hot and cold, sweet and savory. A beautiful Chocolate Mole, a Theo Fig, Fennel, and Almond bar at the movies, or a cup of hot chocolate sipped while roaming the Market on a rainy day – I don’t care what form it is, I firmly believe that chocolate enhances all of life’s experiences.
Giving chocolate up for a month (outside of a cocoa rub on steak here and there) is more of a sacrifice than I can possibly describe. Before I said goodbye to chocolate for a month, I had to say goodbye. Very carefully, I adapted one of Martha Stewart’s recipes to become as close to Whole30 perfection as possible – minus the guilty, gooey, deliciously sweet dessert part. I made silky-smooth chocolate ganache mini-pies, held together by golden coconut crusts. These little beauties were fragile and took much longer to set than Martha’s did, but they were a very tasty – and completely guiltless – treat.
Chocolate Silk Coconut Pies
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
11 oz. unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 1/4 c. canned coconut milk (including the creme)
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70 percent cacao or more), finely chopped
Optional: dried cherries or almonds, coarsely chopped
Method:
1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor (or using hand-held mixer), process butter and 1/3 coconut until a ball forms. Transfer to a medium bowl and combine the rest of the coconut using your fingers.
2. Press coconut mixture into bottom and up the sides of muffin tins to form the crust, leaving top edges loose and fluffy. Place a foil ring around the edges of each crust to prevent burning. Bake until centers of each mini-crust are brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and bake until edges are browned, 5 minutes more. Cool crusts completely.
3. Make the filling: Bring coconut milk just to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, then stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is combined. Pour into coconut crust. Refrigerate until filling is set, up to one day (mine took close to a whole day).
4. Optional: Once pies are nearly set, sprinkle tops with coarsely chopped almonds or dried cherries.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 24 hours
Serves: 12 mini pies