Lately, I've been making these yummies... and just before you continue I need to make a point about raw or healthily cooked desserts. Dessert is only for occasions, that's what makes it a treat. Anything in excess will cause problems. Especially cacao (chocolate) because it is a stimulant for the body, as in it will boost adrenal function. Too much of a good thing will hinder your health progress. Also, sugar can cause complications in some individuals. Be your own naturopath and use your wisdom as a compass to steer you in the right direction...
Crunchy Chocolate Brownies
I love these after an exercise challenge or as a mid- afternoon snack. Brownies aren't an everyday snack but fantastic when the weather is cool, you need extra energy and as something different. This recipe is so easy, you basically mix the ingredients in the food processor until it forms a dough. Every batch is different depending on the moisture/ oil content of the ingredients, the varying amounts you put in and the method you process them. The beauty of this recipe and others is if you don't need to be exact when it comes to measurements, just go with it and taste along the way to make sure it's on the right track. Quite honestly, this one is a fail proof recipe.
Ingredients…
1 ½ cup pitted dates
¾ cup walnuts
¼ cup soaked and dehydrated buckwheat (buckwheaties) you can use puffed rice or quinoa
2 tbs of raw cacao powder
Vanilla bean or extract
Pinch Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Method...
1. Put dates, walnuts, cacao, vanilla, and salt in food processor and process until a dough forms.
2. Add dehydrated buckwheaties to the mixture and pulse until dispersed. The mixture should feel soft and springy.
3. Line a square brownie tin with plastic wrap and press mixture neatly then refrigerate.
4. Once chilled it will firm up. Cut square pieces and store in an air tight container.
**With this one I added 2 tablespoons of maca powder for extra nutritional oomph.
Fruit 'n' Nut Clusters
When Heather Pace came down for a visit she showed me this super easy and yummy fruit 'n' nut cluster recipe. If you have cacao, any combo of nuts, seeds and dried fruit will magically turn into a chocolate bomb. These remind me of handmade goodies from Haigh's, or other chocolate delicasy stores. Wrap them up in a nice box and tie a ribbon on and you have a welcoming gift.
This will make a small batch (approximately 6) of chocolate clusters. Double the recipe if you more and add extra sweetener if you prefer...
250ml of Basic Chocolate recipe
3/4 cup with a mix of walnuts, almonds, macadamias, desiccated coconut, buckwheaties (soaked and dehydrated buckwheat), and sultanas
Other great cluster fillers goji berries, fig, dates, apricots, coconut, cashew, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame, Brazil nuts, pecans etc. Any of these will taste awesome, just pick and mix.
Method...
1. Melt chocolate mixture in a bowl, over a saucepan filled with water.
NOT directly on the stove because the chocolate will burn and it will reach a high temperature, which we want to avoid
2. Whisk the chocolate until it's completely smooth and keep whisking until it starts to cool off just a little then add the nut and fruit mix
3. Keep whisking until the chocolate starts to thicken. It will start setting to the sides of the bowl (about 10 minutes or so), at this stage it is ready to be set
4. Use spoonfuls of the mixture and line quickly (and neatly) onto trays with baking paper. For quicker setting you can put the trays in the fridge
Apple & Sultana Cookies
Oat based cookies have such a "home-baked" taste and a must have for the changing season. Think cooler nights and rainy days and a more wholesome mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacky for autumn. This recipe is better suited as a daily pick-me-up with less sugar and no cacao.
Ingredients...
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut flour (or oat flour)
1 cup apple or banana puree
1 cup of sultanas
1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
1/3 cup of honey
1/2 cup coconut butter (can use oil instead melted)
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or fresh vanilla bean
A pinch of Himalayan salt
Method...
1. Combine the oats, flour, sultanas, spices, salt in the food processer on pulse, just enough to mix everything through and break up the sultanas and oats a bit
2. Either blend or process apples or bananas until smooth
3. Mix the fruit puree with the oat mix and add the honey then coconut butter/ oil and stir in until it's well mixed and forms a doughy consistency
4. Use spoonful amounts onto tray, roll then use a fork to press down.
5. Dehydrate for 45 minutes on 145 then reduce to 115 for 7 hours (or until desired dryness)
**Store in an airtight container in the fridge
***Can bake this recipe in the oven and baked at 145 degrees for about 20 minutes...
Chocolate mousse
Is it possible to have a healthy chocolate mousse that tastes like one too? YES! AND it takes less than 10 minutes to make (20-30 minutes to chill). The trick is to just blend blend blend until silky smooth in the food processor, which takes just a few minutes because avocados are so easy to work with. Everyone loves this mousse as long as they like chocolate and aren't allergic to avocado... but no one will guess it's in there because all you can taste is the cacao goodness. I like to add little extra's like maca powder or mesquite powder as a superfood boost but you don't need to, just the avocado and cacao is enough.
2 ripe avocados
1 very ripe banana or young Thai coconut meat (optional)
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
2-3 tbs cacao powder
pinch of Himalayan/ Celtic salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Method...
1. In a food processor blend the avocados, banana, sweetener, salt and extract then add sifted cacao powder in last until the mixture has a light, super smooth consistency.
Lemon shortbread cookies aka melting moments
I created this recipe with the full intention to replicate a melting moment (lemon shortbread biscuit with sweet and tangy filling). It still amazes me just how close it is to the real thing! The filling is 100% spot on and can be used as an icing for a carrot cake. The shortbread cookies can be slightly dry, or hard to work with if you don't add enough coconut oil or water. This is a rich recipe, so make them neat and small and serve with a cup of herbal tea.
2 cups coconut flour
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 tsp stevia powder
1 tbs lemon powder
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
Method...
1. Sift the coconut flour into a bowl, add stevia, lemon powder, vanilla extract and mix
2. Add the melted coconut oil. It should look quite gooey at this point
3. Add the maple syrup. The consistency will change into shortbread type dough. Add a a couple tablespoons of water for more moisture for easier handling
4. Mix well (I did this by hand) then press cookie shapes onto trays lined with baking paper
5. Use dehydrator (115 f for about 30 minutes) or just refrigerate. I did both and I prefer the dehydrator. It finished with the shortbread, slightly drier texture.
Macadamia icing...
1 cup macadamias
1/2 lemon juiced
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp stevia powder
Approximately 3 tbs of water
pinch of Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
the rind of half a lemon
1 tbs lemon powder
1/4 cup coconut butter (melted)
1. Rinse macadamias and soak for about 30 minutes to 1/2 hour (optional but it makes blending easier)
2. Add lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, vanilla extract, lemon powder, stevia and macadamias to a high speed blender and blend until you reach a smooth consistency
3. Add the maple syrup and continue blending until it's smooth and creamy
4. Use 1 tsp of the macadamia icing to every 2 cookies
5. Store in an air tight container and on the kitchen bench, they are best eaten within a couple days.
** lemon powder is an fantastic product I have found. It is dehydrated whole lemons that have been powdered. It adds a flavour punch, colour hit and nutritional extra. It isn't to be used without fresh ingredients, just as an extra.
Love
Ulyana...
Love
Ulyana...
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