Dessert Sliders

When Marx Foods put out the call for bloggers looking to turn dinner into dessert I had to think twice-- this wasn't going to be easy!  But I can't say no to a challenge, so I considered it accepted :)

The goal:  take a sample of cocoa penne (provided by Marx Foods) and make an original dessert recipe that looks like a dinner.  My first thought was to cook up the pasta, top with with a fruity sauce that looked like marinara, and top it with a goat cheese cream.  But that seemed a little to straight-forward.

I decided to transform the pasta by grinding up the cocoa penne and using it as cocoa powder to make... a burger!  Easily dinner-fare :)  I dressed it up for the pictures with appropriate attire- a sesame seed bun, cheese, lettuce and ketchup.  Bon appetit!

Cheeseburger Sliders
Yield:  9 sliders

For the Cocoa Penne Burger:
6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/4c almond meal
1T melted coconut oil
2T ground + sifted cocoa penne
1t honey
pinch sea salt

For assembly:
your favorite macarons, sprinkled with sesame seeds (the bun)
White Chocolate Buttercream dyed orange (the cheese)
Shredded coconut dyed green (the lettuce)
Strawberry Jam (the ketchup)

To make the cocoa penne burgers, add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until well combined.  Divide into 9 portions and form them into "patty" shapes.  Refrigerate at least a few hours to firm up (will be good for a few days).

To assemble the sliders, add a burger to one macaron and top with a smear of buttercream, some coconut and some jam.  Top with another macaron shell to complete the burger.  Repeat with remaining burgers and serve!

What would you have made with the cocoa penne??