Orange Creamsicle Coconut Bark

Creamsicles!  Oh those where the days.  School was out for the summer and that meant it was time to visit great-grandma!  I could hardly wait to get there… as I bounced along in the Greyhound bus, visions danced in my head;  mud pies!  bike riding!  swimming!  My girlfriend Bonita!!  Worms and freckles!  Summer rains!  After the storms would pass through, there were rivers of water racing down the gutters in the streets.  This meant Amie Sue had to get to work!  Off came the shoes, long gone were the socks, and with a running leap I would race across the green grass and jump into the raging road rivers.  There I stood braving the ankle-deep water. haha   I would run up and down the streets, shuffling my feet causing the water to spray all over.  Seeing a car coming from a distance, I would pause,  anxiously awaiting for it to pass by and spray me with rain water that had collected in the pot-holes.  I stood up straight, shoulders back, my face lifted toward the warm sun, I was in position!  Wooosh!  Score!  One drenched Amie Sue who was rejoicing as water dripped down her face.  Then my attention would return to the water flowing in the street and would continue my mission, for this was serious playtime.

I bet you are wondering just what the heck all of that has to do with creamsicles aren’t you?  OK, so maybe I got a bit sidetracked as I was visiting memory lane but to end the story, my day would finish back at grandma’s.  Soaking wet, muddy, hair matted to my face and a smile spread from ear to ear… great grandma would come outside and greet me with a homemade creamsicle on a stick.  After my special treat it was time for a hose-down before I could come into the house to take a bath.  Aaah, those were the days.

Nutritional value per treat (1 Tbsp)

Calories – 117 / Fat – 14 g / Carbs 0.4 g / Protein 0.1 g

Ingredients: yields 8 (1 Tbsp bark chips)

• 1/2 cup raw cold-pressed coconut oil or coconut butter, softened
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp alcohol-free stevia liquid (adjust to your tastes)
• Opt: 2 drops natural food coloring; orange

Preparation:

1. Soften the coconut oil by placing the coconut container in a bowl filled with hot water.  Do not completely melt it, just warm it to a softened stage.  The reason for keeping the coconut oil at a  soft stage rather than melted is when the oil is pure liquid all of the added ingredients sink to the bottom of your mold.  With the coconut oil at a soft, thick stage everything will remain suspended in the oil.
2. Add the extracts and stevia.  Using a spatula, mix everything together until well combined.  Pour mixture into the mold and gently tap it to even out the batter.
3. Freeze for at least 10 minutes.  Once frozen, pop them out and store in an air-tight, freezer proof container.
4. Note: these will melt at room temp so it is best to pull one out and eat right away.

Posted on Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 6:36 pm. Filed under: Coconut Bark Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, leptin approved, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, sugar-free, Vegan RSS 2.0 feed.