I know some of you may enjoy the Valentine’s Day celebrations and some may be against the hype… Let me give you my take! My husband, son, family and friends are all very important to me and I think Valentine’s Day can be a day to celebrate the love in our lives from all these special people! To me, Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to show whomever is important to you how loved they are and how blessed you are to have them in your life. So, I propose this Valentine’s Day you invite over all of the special people in your life, and celebrate love while enjoying a great meal, a couple of drinks and this delicious Chocolate Hazelnut Torte recipe with Coconut Whipped Cream!
I can’t get enough of chocolate and hazelnuts (and don’t get me started on chocolate and coconut!). Together, they form a flavour combination that is sent from the heavens. This dessert is every bit as good as it sounds. It’s rich and creamy with just the perfect amount of chocolate decadence. I hope you like it as much as the team and I do!
Before we jump into the recipe, a couple of things. First, this recipe has hazelnuts in it. As you may or may not know, hazelnuts are low in FODMAPs in small quantities (about 10 per serving). Although the recipe calls for a cup of hazelnuts, they are spread out over the whole torte. So ensure you stick to a small serving of this dish. Additionally, to maintain its shape, the torte needs to be kept in the refrigerator. The key to this recipe is adequately drying the tofu before using it in the recipe. Yes that’s right, I said tofu. In a torte! However, if you feel like the filling you prepared isn’t solid enough, no worries! The water will quickly start to evaporate out of the torte and within 24-48hrs your torte will look Pinterest-worthy! If this is your first crack at a torte, I recommend preparing it a couple of days before you plan on eating it (if you have that kind of self-control), just in case it needs to dry out a little.
Low FODMAP Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
* Recipe adapted from Jessica DeMarra’s recipe on the Sprouts & Chocolate blog
Makes: 8 servings
Time: 20 minutes prep, 6 hours setting time
INGREDIENTS
Hazelnut Crust:
1 cup hazelnuts, raw
1 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Pinch of sea salt
Chocolate Filling:
½ block of extra firm tofu (about 7-8 ounces)
½ cup Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips
1 can full fat coconut milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
4 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Place hazelnuts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in oven for about 12 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. Keep an eye on the nuts as they burn quickly. The skins should be blistered and pulling away from the nut when done.
Once the nuts are finished roasting, pull them out and wrap them in paper towel and then a kitchen towel. Let steam for about 5 minutes. Once done steaming pull off the kitchen towel and rub the hazelnuts into the paper towel with your hands, to remove the skins. (NOTE: You probably won’t be able to remove all of the skins and that’s okay! Let go of your perfectionist ways ;-))
In a food processor or blender, grind the oats into a fine meal and transfer into a large bowl. Repeat with hazelnuts for about 1 minute (do not over process or they will turn into a butter) and transfer into the large bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Line the sides of a spring form pan with parchment paper (you will probably need to cut it down to size), so the filling won’t stick to the sides.
Push the crust into the bottom of the pan and create an even base. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F degrees. Set aside to cool.
Pull out the tofu and remove what you need from the block. Cut into small chunks and press between paper towel until the pieces are as dry as possible. Set aside.
Slowly melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a saucepan with the stove temperature at the lowest it can go. Watch and stir frequently until the chips are melted. (NOTE: You can use a microwave for this step if you feel comfortable, just know that overcooking the chips will cause them to get dry and crumbly, so make sure you go slowly!)
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until completely silk smooth.
Pour the filling into the pan once the crust has cooled.
Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or until the filling has set.
Low FODMAP Recipe: Coconut Whipped Cream
If you are living lactose-free, you probably miss delicious, thick, fluffy whipped cream at least a little. Since I incorporated the low FODMAP diet into my life, I’ve felt so much better! But I also knew I had to figure out a way to enjoy whipped cream without all of the digestive distress. This is the part where coconut milk jumps in and saves the day! I promise that coconut whipped cream will make you forget all about dairy-based whipped cream ;-).
Although the recipe for coconut whipped cream seems straightforward, there are a few factors that will make or break the outcome. When I first started making coconut whipped cream, I did a fair bit of troubleshooting before I mastered the art. Here are my tips and tricks for setting yourself up for success when it comes to making coconut whipped cream!
- It all starts at the grocery store. Picking the can of coconut milk is EVERYTHING. Here’s what you need to look for:
- Make sure the coconut milk is full fat. It is the fat portion in the milk that is thick and creamy and is what is used to help the whipped cream keep its shape.
- Do not buy a can of coconut milk with emulsifiers. Emulsifiers help the fat evenly distribute through a water-based liquid, which we don’t want. The watery part of the coconut milk just isn’t thick enough to obtain the texture we are looking for, so you need to make sure you can use the fat without the watery base. Common emulsifiers could be labelled as lecithins or polysorbates. If you aren’t sure about an ingredient, look it up on the internet to see what it’s purpose it.
- Note: Some of the canned coconut milks use gums as thickeners, gums have not yet been tested by Monash University for their FODMAP content, so make sure you are able to tolerate gums before purchasing coconut milk containing any type of gum.
- Bring the coconut milk home and put it directly in the fridge. The coconut milk needs to sit and solidify prior to using it. While it sits in the fridge, the fat will float to the top and the water-base will rest on the bottom. The fat will solidify and make it easier to separate when the time comes to use it.
- On the day you plan to make your whipped cream, put the bowl you plan on using and the hand mixer attachments in the freezer to chill. The coconut fat needs to be cold to stay really thick.
- When ready to prepare, pull out the can of coconut milk from the fridge and be careful not to shake or disturb it. Carefully flip it over to the opposite side that it was resting in the refrigerator (so the fat that floated to the top is now at the bottom) and open the can. Pour out the watery liquid.
- After pouring out the watery liquid you should be left with a white semi-solid mass. Do your best to remove as much of the watery liquid, as the less liquid your whipped cream contains, the thicker it will be.
- Measure out 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, set aside. Pull out the bowl and mixer attachments and put the coconut fat from the can in the bowl. Start whipping the cream and slowly add the sugar and vanilla. Whip on high speed until the cream starts forming thick peaks (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- It’s ready to eat! You can serve immediately or if you want to use it later that day you can store it in the fridge. It will hold up for about 24-48 hours in the fridge, however, if you feel like it’s not as fluffy as it was originally, use the hand mixer to beat it for an additional minute or two before serving to incorporate more air and make it fluffier.
This chocolate hazelnut torte and coconut whipped cream combination is the perfect way to celebrate love and low FODMAP living and I really hope you enjoy them! If you are looking for something a little less rich, our Chocolate Coconut Covered Strawberries are sure to please!
Wishing you good gut health & wellness,
Stephanie and the Team