chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts

Chocolate.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

Peanut butter.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

Pretzels.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

Only one of the best dessert combinations ever.

And now…combined with doughnuts!

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

While the doughnut book still has 6 excruciatingly long months until its arrival, you can now find it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for pre-order!  The day I realized this was incredibly surreal. 

My name—can be typed into Amazon—and a BOOK appears—and apparently I wrote the thing!?  What!?

I am still in disbelief and giddy like a child waiting for its official release day. 

The cover is not quite finalized yet, with a new photo and text changes to come.  The photo is nearly the same but reshot with better lighting.  I had to get it just right! 

So, to celebrate this pretty fantastic milestone in my life I decided to bake doughnuts.

Go figure.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

And this recipe isn’t actually even in the book.  Somehow, I still think of new flavor combinations pretty frequently.  As if 101 doughnuts weren’t enough, here is 102!

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

This doughnut was also celebrating our friend Michelle’s 30th birthday, along with lemon vanilla doughnuts and chocolate cinnamon roll doughnuts.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

The pretzels on top were a no brainer.  I had to go all out.  And believe it or not, gluten-free pretzels aren’t all that bad!  Pretty tasty, in fact. 

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

I figured this was needed today.  It is Monday after all.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

Right now I’m in the thick of editing the book.  I have the entire printed out version sitting on my desk as we speak.  I’ve been going through it like a detective with a red pen.  It’s actually been surprisingly fun!  I’m nearly done with the first round and then have about 1-2 more rounds of edits to go.  In just a few short weeks it will be completely out of my hands!

baked doughnuts for everyone // edible perspective #glutenfree

Until then, let’s eat.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

Print this!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Doughnuts

gluten-free // yields 8 doughnuts

for the doughnuts

• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/3 cup sucanat or pure cane sugar
• 3 tablespoons peanut meal or almond meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup ground dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350* F and thoroughly grease 1-2 doughnut pans.
2. Stir the oat flour, sweet rice flour, sucanat, peanut meal, and baking powder in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl whisk the eggs, then whisk in the milk, applesauce, peanut butter, oil, and vanilla until fully combined.
4. Pour the wet into the dry bowl and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined [when you no longer see dry flour].  Avoid over-stirring.
5. Gently fold in the ground dark chocolate until just incorporated.
6. Spoon the batter into the molds filling to just below the top of each mold, about 1/8-1/4-inch below the top.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 18-22 minutes until light golden brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then slide a thin, flexible spatula around the outside of each doughnut to help loosen them out.
9. Place on a cooling rack and allow to fully cool.

for the chocolate peanut butter pretzel coating

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil, optional
• broken gluten-free pretzels, to top
• large flaked sea salt

1. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl for 30 second increments in the microwave.  Stir after each until fully melted. About 1 1/2 minutes.
2. Add in the peanut butter and stir until melted and smooth.  Microwave another 20-30 seconds if needed.
3. Let cool for 5 minutes then dunk the top of the doughnut in the bowl and/or spread on with a spatula.
4. Top with broken pretzels an a sprinkle of sea salt.
5. Let set to harden then serve.

notes/substitutions: This recipe yields 8 standard doughnuts using the Wilton brand doughnut pan.  Peanut meal can be ground from roasted/unsalted or raw peanuts.  Pulse in a blender, coffee grinder, magic bullet, etc. until soft and flour-like, similar to almond meal.  Be careful not to over process.  Sift out any large pieces before measuring.  Grind dark chocolate chips until you are left with small, pebble-like pieces.  Refer to the first photo.  For altitude around 5,000’ increase your oven to 365-375* and reduce the baking powder by 1/8-1/4 teaspoon.  Bake time will change to 16-20 minutes.

chocolate peanut butter pretzel doughnuts // edible perspective #glutenfree

And the winner of the More Peas, Thank You giveaway is Lindsay!  Congrats Lindsay, I will be emailing you shortly.

Thanks to all who entered!  I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of your favorite veggies and how you like to prepare them.  I think I could use a few servings after the pile of doughnuts I ate Friday night.  Yum.

Ashley

Almond Joy Smoothie + Milkshake

That’s right, two lusciously thick + creamy, drinkable recipes in one post!  After seeing your excitement over the Vanilla Bean Shamrock Shake I’ve been trying to come up with another variation just as enticing as that.

And I think I got it.

Almond Joy Smoothie // edible perspective

• coconut milk
• shredded coconut
• almonds
• chocolate
• medjool dates

ALMOND JOY milkshake!!!  And smoothie!  I wanted to create a dessert version and a breakfast version.  And let me tell you, I can’t decide which I like more.

Almond Joy Smoothie // edible perspective

If you aren’t a fan of the Almond Joy candy, not to worry, this is no where near as coconutty + sweet as that.  It has a smooth + mild coconut flavor from the coconut milk + shredded coconut, a light sweetness from the sticky + caramel-like dates, a hint of almond flavor from the almond butter, and a nice punch of chocolate from, well, chocolate!

However, if you want a more robust coconut or almond flavor feel free to add in coconut and/or almond extract to your liking.  I tried to make these as simple as possible, choosing to leave those ingredients out.

Almond Joy Smoothie // edible perspective

Also, did I mention??

No ice cream needed!!  Just an ice cube tray to freeze the milk and a blender powerful enough to crush ice!

I’m not excited about this at all…

Almond Joy Smoothie // edible perspective

To keep the smoothie version a bit lighter I used lite coconut milk and cocoa powder, instead of full fat coconut milk and dark chocolate.

Still quite indulgent tasting, but definitely breakfast worthy. 

Almond Joy Smoothie // edible perspective

Finished with a toasted coconut topping and an extra-wide straw.

Almond Joy Smoothie // edible perspective

Now for dessert.

Milkshakes have to be one of my favorite treats ever.  I would take a milkshake over cookies or cake or pie.  I’m not sure what it is about milkshakes that I love so much.  I’m a definite ice cream girl, which obviously has something to do with it.  It may also be a product of my child-like habit of stirring my ice cream into a pool of ice cream soup.  Maybe it’s because you can pack so many flavors into one drinkable treat?  Maybe it’s because they’re so easy to make? 

I just don’t know!! 

But it doesn’t really matter.

Almond Joy Milkshake // edible perspective

Can I stop for a moment to talk about the photographing of this milkshake?

Ice cream can be a challenge to photograph.  And milkshakes + smoothies, even more so.  This is because of the melt factor.  You have to be READY!  Everything set up.  Camera in place.  Pour, click, done!

You have a little more time with scooped ice cream in comparison to milkshakes, though.  Once you pour the milk shake [or smoothie] a thin liquid almost immediately starts to pool around the rim of the glass.  This also happens with things like marinara sauce.  It’s not the most appealing look as it resembles a watery liquid.

Almond Joy Milkshake // edible perspective

So, I was all ready with this empty glass.  I poured the milkshake while simultaneously clicking the shutter button on my camera. 

I scooped the coconut whipped cream from a bowl and miraculously got that adorable little peak to form just before sliding it off the spoon.

I was nervous as it slid onto the top of the milkshake because as you can tell I filled the glass to the brim.

PLOP! 

The coconut cream landed.

The glass overflowed.

And then it froze in time.

Almond Joy Milkshake // edible perspective

No, seriously.

I must have photographed this thing for 5 minutes. 

The overflowing drips didn’t move. The coconut cream stayed perfectly in tact right on top.  It was like a photography dream!

Almond Joy Milkshake // edible perspective

Time froze.

Or maybe it’s just that thick.

Yup.

Almond Joy Milkshake // edible perspective

Print this!

Almond Joy Smoothie

gluten-free, vegan // yields 1 smoothie

both recipes adapted from: vanilla bean coconut shamrock shake

• 1 cup lite canned coconut milk
• 1/2 – 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded/flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Shake the can of coconut milk then pour 1 cup of milk into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. 
2. Once frozen, place the ice cubes, 1/2 cup almond milk, and all other ingredients in a high powered blender.
3. Blend and stir/scrape the sides until fully smooth.  Add more milk as needed to thin out.
4. Serve and top however you like. ie: raw chopped almonds, toasted coconut, cocoa powder, melted coconut butter, etc.

Almond Joy Milkshake

gluten-free, vegan // yields 2 milkshakes

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 3/4 – 1 1/4 cups lite canned coconut milk
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened shredded/flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4-6 medjool dates, pitted, or 3-4 tablespoons honey, agave, brown rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate, vegan if needed

1. Vigorously shake the can or whisk contents in a bowl until the liquid and solid are combined, then pour into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid.
2. Once frozen, place the ice cubes, 3/4 cup lite coconut milk, coconut, almond butter, cocoa powder, dates, and vanilla in a high powered blender. Reserve the chocolate until the end.
3. Blend and stir/scrape the sides until fully smooth. Add more milk as needed to thin out.
4. Add the chopped chocolate and pulse until chocolate is finely chopped throughout the smoothie, keeping some of the crunchy texture.
5. Serve and top however you like. ie: coconut whipped cream, toasted coconut, chocolate coconut butter magic shell, etc.

tips/substitutions: For a more robust coconut flavor, toast your coconut before blending.  You can do this by spreading coconut on a baking sheet and broiling over low with the oven door cracked.  Stir frequently and watch the entire time as it burns very quickly.  Coconut extract will also add a stronger coconut flavor. The dates are used to naturally sweeten both drinks and they do add to the thickness.  If you can’t find dates use your favorite liquid sweetener.  If your dates are not fresh and soft you’ll want to soak them in water for about an hour.  Drain the liquid and then remove the pit.

Almond Joy Milkshake // edible perspective

The crunchy, chocolaty bits were my favorite part!

Now…

Drink up!

Ashley