Chocolate Raspberry Shortcakes

chocolate raspberry shortcakes

 

 

If you like a light, not too sweet dessert, this one is for you–Be forewarned:  this is not a sweet, fudgy cookie. Super easy to put together, this recipe uses Thrive Foods right from your home store.  I made the whipped topping earlier in the day and put the rest of the dessert together after work–along with making the rest of the meal–just in time for supper with friends.

Chocolate Raspberry Shortcakes
Rich chocolate shortcakes, raspberry sauce and whipped topping. Great combo.
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For the shortcakes
  1. 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  2. 1 cup Thrive White Flour *
  3. 1 cup Thrive White Sugar * ( Next time I will add a little more)
  4. 1 1/2 t. baking powder
  5. 1/2 t. Thrive Baking Soda *
  6. 1/4 t.Thrive Salt *
  7. 4 T. cold butter, cubed (original recipe calls for unsalted. I will do that next time.)
  8. 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the raspberry filling
  1. 3 cups Thrive Raspberries (freeze dried)
  2. 2 T. Thrive White Sugar, or to taste
  3. 2 t. vanilla extract
  4. Vanilla Whipped Topping (future post) or whipped topping of choice
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. To make the shortcakes: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter. Blend the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the heavy cream and stir the mixture with a fork until it forms a dough.
  3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface (should be 1/4 inch thick). Using a biscuit cutter, cut out 4 shortcakes (depending on the size of biscuit cutter you use, you will end up with more shortcakes than what you need for this recipe). Place shortcakes on a lightly greased baking sheet (I used a reusable parchment sheet), and bake for 12 minutes (a toothpick placed in center should come out clean). Put the shortcakes on a wire rack to cool.
  4. In a small bowl, cover the raspberries with warm water. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes until softened and rehydrated. Drain. In another bowl mash 3/4 cup of the raspberries with a fork, stirring in the white sugar and vanilla. Blend in the remaining raspberries.
  5. Carefully cut the shortcakes in half horizontally with a serrated knife--this was surprisingly easy to do. Transfer the bottom half of each cake to an individual plate. Place a spoonful of the raspberry sauce and a spoonful of vanilla topping on each bottom piece. Place the top parts on each dessert and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Or maybe use clear sugar sprinkles! Yes, next time I am trying that idea.
Notes
  1. * I am finding ways to "Thrive-alize" recipes in order to use Thrive items from my home store. You can still use your regular store-bought items for this recipe.
Adapted from Thrive Cookbook
Adapted from Thrive Cookbook
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Chicken & Wild Rice Pilaf

Chicken & Wild Rice Pilaf

I am all about quick and easy and this recipe is, as well.  I used one of our Thrive Life Express Meals–Wild Rice Pilaf–and added chicken to give it a little protein boost.  So delicious, so easy, so quick, so also goes well in a flour tortilla.  You could use your own pilaf recipe or boxed rice pilaf and leftover chopped chicken.  I tend to go to my Thrive Foods because I like to find ways to incorporate these items from my Home Store on a regular basis.  Either way, this is yummy and your family will enjoy it, especially if it keeps your kitchen time down during a laid back or busy summer.  Well, any season for that matter.

Chicken & Wild Rice Pilaf
Quick & easy side or main dish!
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pkg. Thrive Life Wild Rice Pilaf Express Meal (or your choice of pilaf)
  2. 1 - 2 cups Thrive Chopped Chicken, rehydrated
  3. Butter
Instructions
  1. Mix contents of package with 2 1/2 cups boiling water.
  2. Add 2 T. butter to the rice. Simmer for 5 minutes, covered.
  3. Let stand for 5 minutes, then add the chicken. Stir to mix well.
  4. Serve.
Adapted from Thrive Life Express Meals
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Baklava Cookies

My first bite of these cookies, warm out of the heaven, was a heavenly experience!  You just gotta eat ’em warm.  They’re still good once they’ve cooled, but warm? Holy Macaroni!–as my 7-year old would say. 🙂

To learn more about how you can get Thrive ingredients in YOUR kitchen, visit my website.

(This pic was submitted by me to the Thrive Life recipe site and is labelled with my Thrive Life website url.)

Ingredients:
6 tbsp. butter
 3/4 c. THRIVE Powdered Sugar
 5 tbsp. THRIVE Honey Crystals
1 tbsp. water
1 c. almonds or walnuts, finely chopped
 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
 1 c. butter, softened
 2 tbsp. water
 1 egg
 3 1/3 c. THRIVE Vanilla Sugar Cookie Mix


Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, melt the 6 T. of butter over low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, honey crystals, and 1 T. of water.
2. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and add nuts and cinnamon. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
4. In a mixer, cream the 1 cup of butter for a few minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add in 2 T. water and egg and mix well, scraping down sides part way through.
5. Add in the sugar cookie mix. Mix well, until dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl.
6. Using a 1.25″-diameter cookie scoop, place cookie dough on cookie sheet leaving 2″ spacing around each cookie.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Remove cookie sheet from oven and top each cookie with 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of the nut mixture.
9. Return cookies to oven and bake for 3 minutes.
10. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes, then remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.

To use this recipe without Thrive cookie mix, substitute your own cookie recipe, mix, or dough for the last four ingredients.  To use without Thrive honey crystals, use 4-5 tablespoons of honey.

Shawarma-jo Tacos

 shawarmajo tacos labeled

 

Thank you, Disney Cruise Line!

Why?  Well, it was there–by the pool deck–that I had my first taste of shawarma.  I thoroughly enjoyed the shaved, slow-roasted chicken with its unusual spice set.  The fresh fixins and delicious garlic aioli made it a special treat.

I’ve been wanting to figure out how to recreate it but, doggone it, I don’t have a roasting spit or the patience for all-day roasting!  And ever since I started using Thrive Life foods, I’m been a little spoiled in the quick meal prep department.  I want it.  And I want it now.  

So I combed the internet, looking for just the right recipe to “Thrive-alize”.  After a less than stellar attempt, I found a recipe that fit just right.  Thrive’s Seasoned Chicken Slices make it super fast.  They are freeze dried and reconstistute quickly.  Once the spices have been added to them, they really only need to heat through!  

Why the funky name?  Well, I thought I’d use my Thrive dough mix to try and simulate naan bread.  Didn’t work.  But what happened was a scone-like bread circle that my family has previously used for Navajo Tacos.  So I thought, well…..let’s mix the two.  Add a little garlic sauce, and there you go!

If you don’t want to try this recipe with Thrive foods (why wouldn’t you, though?  It’s so super fast!) then I encourage you to visit the recipe site that I used as a springboard for my Thrive-alized version, Jo Cooks.  And if you don’t have time to do the bread, pick up some naan bread in your grocery store.

Give shawarma a try.  Your hunger will be AVENGED!  

Shawarma-jo Tacos
Serves 8
Deliciously unusual spiced chicken piled with fresh fixins and garlic sauce atop a circle of bread.
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Prep Time
1 hr 10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 30 min
Prep Time
1 hr 10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 30 min
Taco Bread
  1. 2 1/4 tsp. THRIVE Instant Dry Yeast
  2. 1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
  3. 4 c. THRIVE Honey Whole Wheat Dough Mix
Chicken Shawarma
  1. 4 c. THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Slices - Freeze Dried
  2. 2 c. hot water
  3. 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
  4. 1/2 c. Olive Oil
  5. 2 tsp. Paprika
  6. 1/2 tsp. Ground Turmeric
  7. 2 tsp. cumin
  8. 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  9. 2 tsp. ground black pepper
  10. 1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
  11. 4 clv. Garlic, minced
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
  1. 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
  2. 1 c. Vegetable Oil
  3. 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
  4. 6 clv. Garlic, peeled
  5. 1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
  6. 1 tbsp. THRIVE Parsley
Toppings
  1. diced hothouse cucumbers
  2. halved grape tomatoes
  3. iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly
Taco Bread
  1. Dissolve yeast in hot water (hot from the tap). Add salt. Whisk. Stir in Thrive dough mix.
  2. Knead for 5 minutes. Lightly cover dough with a little vegetable oil, place in bowl, cover with towel, and allow to rise until dough has doubled in size.
  3. Punch dough down. Divide into 8 equal pieces.
  4. Place nonstick or cast iron skillet on stove on medium heat.
  5. Take one piece of dough, roll into ball, then flatten as thin as possible with your hands. Place on skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
  6. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
Chicken Shawarma
  1. Put the chicken into a bowl and add the 2 cups of water. Toss with a spoon every few minutes while you let it reconstitute (about 15 minutes).
  2. Put remaining shawarma ingredients into a small bowl, whisk well, and pour over the chicken (after the chicken has sat for 15 minutes). Toss to coat the chicken well.
  3. Drizzle a little vegetable or olive oil in a large skillet and heat to medium high on the stove. Pour in the chicken and allow it to heat through for about 5 minutes.
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
  1. Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and process for 1-2 minutes. Allow to rest while you prepare the toppings.
Assembling the Taco
  1. Place a bread circle on a plate and top with some chicken.
  2. Add toppings and drizzle with sauce.
Notes
  1. This recipe is highly customizable; reduce or increase the shawarma spices as you see fit.
  2. Too much garlic? Simply reduce.
  3. Want a creamier sauce? Increase yogurt and decrease oil.
  4. Play around with it and make it your own!
Adapted from Jo Cooks
Adapted from Jo Cooks
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/