pb + chocolate fudge

Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: N/A

Serves: 8-16

Fudge... oh, so good. One of my favorite desserts. Well, honestly, anything with chocolate & pb automatically has my heart. That said, if I had to pick a healthier dessert, fudge wouldn't exactly make that list. Usually made with a heavy serving of butter, sugar, & milk, it's not exactly my top recommendation from a health standpoint.

But after a recent trip to Switzerland, a country famous for its chocolate (among other delicious foods), I was inspired to create a healthier spin on fudge. But first, a little story.

Becca & I decided not to go home over the holidays. We had made the decision to go to Europe, & although we knew it would be tough spending the holidays away from family, we wanted to stick it out. So, we started thinking: "If we're going to spend Christmas abroad, what country would be the perfect place to do that?"

A place that reminded us of home. Somewhere quiet.

Not a city.

A bit secluded.

With great food, & of course, chocolate.

The answer was easy, Switzerland. A region with great gastronomy & the Alps as its backdrop. We spent Christmas tucked in a small village, hidden within the mountain range. Sipped the morning's coffee on our balcony, ate a beautifully prepared Swiss breakfast, rode trains to & from villages, walked through ice caves, & so much more. It felt perfect. Our B & B prepared an INCREDIBLE 6-course meal on Christmas Eve, followed by a 7-course meal on Christmas Day - truly some of the best food I've ever consumed. We sat there for over two hours digesting our many courses, took multiple breaks, deep breaths (as if this was making more room in our full bellies), & although we could barely make it up the stairs afterward, we ate nearly every bite. The nights were completed with dips in the hot tub, puzzling, listening to conversations, mountain air, & full hearts.

However, the trip wouldn't be finished without a significant dose of chocolate, I mean, we were in Switzerland. Plus, it was Christmas... so, it was only fitting that on Christmas Day, we made chocolate! We took a class that taught us how cocoa beans go from hanging on a tree to a deliciously sweet (or bitter) piece of chocolate. The entire experience was wonderful, & we created beautiful bars of chocolate to take home. So, it's safe to say that this trip was filled with hefty amounts of cocoa and sugar.

While the chocolate we were finding & consuming was certainly made with higher quality ingredients - dairy from local grass-fed Swiss cows, free of additives & dyes, & made with organic sugar (most of the time), I wanted to make something that could be more supportive for our bodies. Feeling inspired to make chocolate, I remembered that I had always wanted to per-fect a batch of fudge - something I've tried to do before, but unfortunately just didn't taste like the fudge I was after. So we tried again, & this time, I tasted FUDGE. For someone who is very self-critical of her recipes, I was proud. Maybe I just needed a little swiss-piration (wow, that was a horrible pun).

Anyways, I hope you give it a try! Maybe you too can find some inspiration during these colder months to play around in the kitchen. Or, maybe you wanna try something unrelated to the kitchen entirely. Whatever it is, keep your eyes peeled & mind open - you never know what might spark a little inspiration.

ingredients

1 c organic pb

½ c dark chocolate of choice

¼ c honey

2 Tbsp (heaping) of coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla

½ tsp sea salt

optional add-in: ⅓ c chopped walnuts

steps

Add chocolate & coconut oil to a saucepan over low heat, stir consistently to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn. This shouldn't take very long. Once melted, turn the stovetop off & remove from heat.

Once slightly cooled (2 min or so), add the honey & stir until well combined. Add remaining ingredients until fully incorporated.

Line a small pan with parchment paper (I recommend an 8 x 8in pan) and pour the mixture into your pan, top with whatever you want! I went with coconut flakes + sea salt.

Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour before eating (I know - it's a long time to wait, but well worth it!).

Keep stored in the freezer.

Kenn