I love making cobblers for dessert in the summer with seasonal fresh fruit. Cobblers are quick and easy, but can be dressed up with ice cream or homemade whip cream. I usually make peach or pear cobblers, but this time I tried to create something new for dessert: Chocolate Cherry Cayenne Cobbler.

I couldn’t resist the beautiful red cherries at the Boulder Farmers’ Market. And when I found myself craving dessert on Saturday night, a chocolate cherry cobbler was the answer.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp (or more) of cayenne
• 1/3 cups sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 TB walnut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3-4 cups cherries, split in half and pitted

Put the cherries and chocolate chips in a pie pan or any other glass baking dish. Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside in one bowl, and mix together the wet ingredients in another. Pour the wet into the dry, mix well, and pour over the cherries. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or so, until the top is baked all the way through. Ovens definitely vary, so check it after 20 or 25 minutes to be sure it isn’t over-cooking.

Could it get any better than banana chocolate chip coconut walnut bread? Or, in this case, muffins? I made muffins because they bake so much more quickly than a loaf, and in the summer heat, that makes a big difference. Muffins are also more manageable… you can easily count how many you’ve eaten. That might not be a good thing, but this recipe is.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda (a little less if at altitude)
• 1 TB cinnamon
• 1/2 cup toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl (except for the nuts, coconut, and chocolate). With the mixer on a slow speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Finally, mix in the nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips.

I poured mine into muffin pans lined with If You Care baking cups. I like this brand because they are more environmentally friendly than your average baking cups.

My delicious muffins were done in about 20 minutes. But, make sure to check them by sticking them with a skewer or knife to be sure they’re baked all the way through. Cool on a wire rack and try to enjoy in moderation.

After making fresh almond butter, my Vita-Mix was a little more difficult to clean than usual because right down under the blade was a few tablespoons of unreachable almond butter. Luckily, it was also time for dessert, so I added 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, a sprinkle of cinnamon, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 2 cups plain rice milk. I blended up the best.drink.ever.

As with all of my Vita-Mix smoothies, throw all of the ingredients in, turn to speed 10, then high, then enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain rice milk
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup shelled walnuts