Last week, my mom mentioned that her company had scheduled a trip to Hawaii during the summer to visit one of the scientific projects they help fund, and the tour included enough spots for her to bring one guest. Since Dad had already planned a long backpacking trip with his buddies that particular week, she asked if my brother or I wanted to come with her.
I immediately checked my calendar and wrote back 10 seconds later with an emphatic YES! The following evening, I called Mom, and she shared a few more details about the excursion and her travel plans.
For the next few days, I daydreamed about my favorite Hawaii activities and restaurants. Our family has vacationed there around fifteen different times throughout my life, which meant plenty of memories floated through my mind during the day!
At the top of my favorites list sat two places known for their desserts, a restaurant and a little ice cream shop called Lappert’s. We always stopped by the latter at least two or three times during our trips because it created some of the best ice cream we’ve ever tasted.
The ice cream shop sold classic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, mint chip, and cookies ’n cream… But we usually gravitated towards the Hawaiian themed options: Auntie Lilikoi’s Passion Fruit sorbet; Kauai Pie, Kona coffee ice cream with coconut flakes, dark chocolate fudge, macadamia nuts, and vanilla cake crunch; Nēnē Tracks, vanilla ice cream with mini peanut butter cups, dark chocolate fudge, salted caramel, and chocolate covered honey roasted almonds, cashews, and peanuts; and Mauna Kea’s Secret, vanilla ice cream with fudgy brownie chunks and raspberry sorbet swirled throughout.
As an incredibly indecisive person, I always had the hardest time picking out just one flavor to try, even though we visited the store multiple times… So I really appreciated how Lappert’s offered half-sized scoops, which meant I could order a half portion of two different flavors for the price (and size) of one normal scoop!
Yet just about every time, I ended up ordering Mauna Kea’s Secret as one of my half scoops. That rich chocolate brownie paired with the fruity sorbet, all tied together in that sweet and creamy base… It took nearly all of my self control not to speed through and polish off that ice cream in record time!
Since I continued to daydream about that ice cream for the rest of the week, I decided to take matters into my own hands. It’s still a bit too chilly for homemade ice cream right now (at least for me!), so I made the next best thing…
These Healthy Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Frosting! These brownies taste even richer and chocolatier than the chunks in those Lappert’s scoops, and this sweet frosting marries the flavors of the raspberry sorbet with the creaminess of the ice cream.
Yet unlike the Hawaiian ice cream, this dessert contains no refined flour or sugar and just 73 calories in each brownie!
Continue reading & see the rest! ›› Healthy Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Frosting
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