It’s Thanksgiving week! 💃 And after those big holiday meals, a dessert that helps w/ digestion is just what we need. Fennel seeds are one of my favorite post-meal superfoods, so I’ve turned them into a delish digestive dessert.– dark chocolate fennel bark!
✨ THE POWER OF FENNEL
Fennel seeds are magical for your digestion. Research suggests they contain compounds that relax digestive tract muscles which then helps reduce gas & relieve bloating. Fennel seeds also help freshen your breath and may help regulate blood sugar. All wonderful things after a meal! 💥
✨ WHAT DO FENNEL SEEDS TASTE LIKE?
Fennel seeds have a natural “sweet” taste. They taste a little like black licorice, but don’t let that scare you away! I don’t like black licorice, but I love the flavor of fennel.
✨ HOW TO ENJOY FENNEL SEEDS
You can make fennel tea to have alongside your usual Thanksgiving desserts. Just add 1 tea bag* to your favorite tea cup, pour in 8 ounces of almost boiling water, and let steep for 3-5 minutes.
*Fennel tea bags are found in the tea section of most grocery stores, but you can also make tea w/ whole fennel seeds from the spice section. Use 1-2 teaspoons of seeds, crushed lightly on a cutting board with a wine bottle or rolling pin. Put the crushed seeds in a tea infuser, add hot water, and let steep.
Another way to enjoy FENNEL SEEDS is to make this DIGESTIVE- HELPER DESSERT…
Just 3 ingredients: dark chocolate chips + fennel seeds + orange zest
1. Put 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Put the chips into a cold oven, turn to 350°F, and in ~5 minutes the chips will be melted.
3. Take the melted chips out of the oven & spread into a 1/8″ thick rectangle.
4. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds + the zest from 1 orange. You can find whole fennel seeds in the spice section of most grocery stores. Pro tip: Crush seeds lightly on a cutting board with a wine bottle or rolling pin before sprinkling over melted chocolate.
5. Put in the fridge for 15-ish minutes to harden. Crack or cut into pieces.
PS: Watch how I melt chocolate in the oven HERE. It’s one of my fav kitchen hacks.
BONUS
Ginger is another helpful spice for after-dinner digestive woes.
Try my 5-ingredient, flourless Gingersnap Cookie recipe HERE.
