30 Before 30 And Vegan Cherry Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Brownie Bombs!

There is a combination of thrill, fear, and sadness to the milestone of becoming 30. The fact remains that I'm getting older and beginning a new chapter after surviving through some tough situations. Like a bad knee that could've waited twenty years. Moving to Philadelphia alone has opened up exciting doors and opportunities, especially to a starving, hungry vegan artist like myself. When October 7th gets here- in 30 day no less, I figured it was a good time to create some sort of Bucket List before it gets here. I hope that 30 symbolizes more than just a number, just an end to the terrific twenties of Paris trips, Wizard World conventions, graduating art school, gaining Bitch Flicks and Dayton City Paper writing positions, and graduating from 14 year vegetarianism to vegan. I'm thinker bigger- trips to Africa, other European cities, Aussie, and maybe a few vegan conventions under my belt. Whatever the thirties bring, I'm willing and able to have more adventures! Now wondering why my Vegan Mofo theme wasn't 30 Before 30! Grrrrrr!!!!

30 Before 30: The List

The big 3-0 is coming....

1.) Take a picture of 30 Philadelphia murals that inspire me and my work.
2.) Learn how to count to 100 in French.
3.) Go to New York City.
4.) Go to Dun Well Doughnuts in New York City.
5.) Eat at a fancy restaurant sans a date and hope no one stares with pity.
6.) Swoon at the free Trey Songz concert at Electric Factory.
7.) Attend a free author reading at the Free Library of Philadelphia.
8.) Also look at their Beatrix Potter collection.
9.) Pose with the Liberty Bell.
10.) Find a food cart that has a vegan item.
11.) Dance the night away.
12.) Sing some bad karaoke.
13.) Find a bloody bag of those awesome Earth Balance Aged Vegan White Cheddar Puffs!
14.) Perform my secret poetry live! (eeek!)
15.) Plein air in Fairmount Park.
16.) Bake a lot of pumpkin bread! (chyeah!)
17.) Profess love.
18.) Finish reading
19.) Take the bus to a random, unforeseen place.
20.) Ride the train on a Thursday.
21.) Treat a classmate to a free vegan lunch.
22.) Treat someone to a homecooked vegan meal.
23.) Enter three writings into a contest.
24.) Finish writing "Route?"
25.) Post a recipe of snickerdoodles.
26.) Post a recipe of chocolate chip cookies.
27.) Promote AfroVeganChick more.
28.) Gain 300 Facebook likes. (wishful thinking)
29.) Get employed here. (I have an interview on Tuesday! *prays heavily*)
30.) And as for the last...... host a birthday giveaway of goodies for not only the chosen Vegan Swap Package recipient but for one lucky AfroVeganChick blog follower! Woot! Woot!

Well, now that the list is finished, let's move onto sweeter fare.
Remember those brownies for those summer ice cream sandwiches? The ones with the minty chocolate chip ice cream center?
Imagine them again- reinvented, warm and fresh from the oven topped with Peanut Butter Company's Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter because there is no such thing as a frosting as ready made as that, especially at room temperature. I'm getting to the very obsessive, super duper addictive stage of Dark Chocolate Dreams and I doubt that there's a way out. In fact, I'm pretty darn sure that it is going into my October Vegan Swap Package (that is if my person isn't allergic to pb) and that means it'll be part of my birthday goodie bag that I cannot wait to make! I'm just very, very grateful to all of my supportive friends and fans coming to the page and spreading love and feel that little contests are a way of giving back.
In the brownie sense, after baking, they don't get sliced or frozen. Instead, they are slightly cooled, layered with Dark Chocolate Dreams, a smidgen of shredded coconut, and plump, juicy cherries. It's an amazing, decadently glorious dessert that prettily looks like Black Forest, but tastes like a chocoholic's greatest fantasy in two voracious bites.
That's why they're called the "you dropped the bomb on me baby" brownies!  Yippee a The Gap Band reference!

Vegan Cherry Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Brownie Bombs Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter & Company's Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
12 dark sweet cherries, pitted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 12 count muffin tin.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Mix melted coconut oil, vanilla, and almond milk separately.
Blend wet with dry.
Add apple cider vinegar and cinnamon.
Pour into muffin tins.
Bake for 25-30 minutes- or until fork is clean.
Cool.
Layer each with a generous amount of Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter.
Top with shredded coconut and an opened pitted cherry.

Brownies are topped with simple treats.

Heaven for a cherry & chocolate lover.

Hard enough to eat one, but could a chocoholic's heart really stop at the magical number of three?