Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

This smoothie is a beautiful marriage between decadent Lindt chocolate bars and tart cherries. Fortunately, in this case, decadent doesn't have to mean unhealthy. The black beans help bring the glycemic level down, and the maple syrup gives sweetness without compromising on health.

2 cups frozen cherries, no sugar added  (1 12 oz. package)
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon Hershey's special dark cocoa
2 squares Lindt 70% chocolate (about .75 oz.)
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Break the Lindt chocolate into smaller pieces; place pieces in small container and melt at power level 3 in microwave for 1 minute; stir and continue heating until melted.  Add the maple syrup to the melted chocolate. Set aside.

Place cherries, apple juice, black beans and cocoa in blender.
  
Add chocolate/syrup mix and process until smooth.

This smoothie is a bit higher on the caloric scale than some, so it's best to split it into at least four servings. 


The health benefits of cherries are too numerous to count!

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