Raw Cherry-Hemp Brownie

I really want to thank everyone who has been leaving such wonderful comments!

I am so humbled by such kind words, it makes me feel so good, like I am not alone in my little raw food world..hehe!

And now...
The raw vegan holiday cookie of the week...

Raw Cherry-Hemp Brownie

Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
½ cup soft dates
½ cup dried cherries
¼ cup hemp seeds
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ teaspoon cherry extract
¼ cup cocoa powder
Dash salt


1. Process all ingredients in food processor fitted with “S” blade until mixture holds together.

2. Shape into rounds or pear shapes for Rudolf:) I made about 1 dozen.

3. Chill while making frosting.


Raw Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
¼ cup coconut oil, room temp
¼ cup grated cacao butter, 2 tablespoons melted measure
1 tablespoon agave
1 tablespoon cacao powder

Melt cacao butter over hot water in small bowl. Let cool about 15 min at room temp.

Add coconut oil, agave and cocoa powder.

Mix until well combined. If cacao butter is very warm, and melts coconut oil, allow to stand at room temp until frosting consistency.

This frosting will be soft at room temp, but get hard when chilled.

Decorate frosted brownies as shown using dehydrated raspberries or cherries, almond slices, cut pecans, pumpkin seeds, and currants.

Please forgive the quick post today:) Holiday Hugs to all!!!

Pilgrim Hat Brownies:)

Here is a very fast and easy dessert idea for your raw Thanksgiving feast.

Pilgrim Hat Brownies

Ingredients for brownie:
2 cups pitted dates
1 cup walnuts, or nut of choice
1/4 cup cocoa powder, or more to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract, or 1 inch scraped vanilla bean
pinch of salt

For buckle:
slice of dried mango or other fruit leather, cut into buckle as pictured.

1. In food processor fitted with "S" blade grind dates until a ball forms.

2. Add nuts, cocoa, vanilla, and salt, and process until mixture will hold together. This is an extremely fudgey brownie. Increase the amount of nuts to 2 cups for a firmer mixture.

3. Pack brownie mixture into 3 small (3 ounce size) plastic cups, leaving about 1/4 of an inch at the top. You can also just shape them by hand:)

4. Divide remaining mixture into 3 balls, and flatten into a disc shape. You can cut it with a round cutter, if desired

5. Sharply rap up-side down cup on counter to release brownie.

6. Place top of hat onto disc and add buckle:) You can also add a mango hatband if you have long enough strips.

I put them on cupcake papers and added a pick.

Use your favorite brownie mix for this idea. You can also make tiny ones using a shot glass size cup for a cute cupcake top:)

Thanks so much to Vegan Baking.Net for featuring this recipe in their raw Thanksgiving article!

Look at this funny picture from this morning:

My neighbors cat looked quite surprised by the turkeys!

The first turkey is a big tom, you can see his beard sticking out from his chest:)

Halloween3

Another trick for creating a festive Halloween party is to use a raw recipe that you already love and dress it up for the party.

I love Sarma's Congo Bars featured in her book Living Raw Food. Don't worry if you don't have the book yet, this recipe can be found online! Thank you Sarma for sharing this wonderful recipe:)

I had to make some slight ingredient changes, but they still came out fantastic!
You can cut these into desired shapes, or play around a little like I did:)

The little squares are made in a silicone brownie bite mold. The cupcakes are the chocolate base mixture rolled into balls, topped with the coconut mixture, and placed in mini cupcake papers made for Halloween. These were very easy to make. I processed the base mixture a bit more so they could be easily molded.

All the special treat molds, wrappers and picks are available at larger craft and department store.

I also molded some of the Congo Bars in cookie molds. This was a metal pan, so to release the chilled treats, rub the outside of the pan with a clean cloth rinsed and rung out in very hot water.

A few creepy props like the novelty mice, treat bags, and Halloween picks make them perfect for your guests.

These work especially well because of the black and white color combination. Of course you may use your favorite brownie and white icing the same way. This party idea is geared toward older children and adults.

I am adding this post to Healthy Raw Halloween Recipes for convenience.

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Here are some of my favorite pics from yesterday:) We went to the Oktoberfest at Whiteface Mountain. I always love going to the high peaks area. It is about 20 minutes from where we live, so we go several times a year, but fall is my favorite:)

A lovely waterfall on the way

Going into the ski area

The Ausable River as we were walking in

On the gondola going to the top of little Whiteface...waving to Joyce in the Green Mountains of Vermont in the background:)

Looking down at Lake Placid

The top of Little Whiteface

Raw Caramel Brownie Bites

I have been thinking about creating a recipe like this for a while.

They are made from three of my own recipes I have used before, combined:)

I like to make decadent desserts such as this one in a miniature size, because they are so rich !

The Brownie Crust:
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup dates, about 6 medjool
2-4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil, softened
Optional:
pinch of salt, dash of vanilla

1. Pulse nuts in food processor fitted with "S" blade until coarsely chopped

2. Pulse in dates, cocoa, and oil(and salt and vanilla if using) until mixture begins to hold together

3. Press into 12 flexible mini muffin cups, or 1 or 2 larger tart pans forming a thin crust.
This also works well as a bar type of treat in a 8"x8" pan.

4. Chill while making caramel.

You can also make this with your own favorite brownie mixture, and any nut you prefer.

Caramel Filling:
1/2 cup dates, about 6 medjool
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lucuma powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
vanilla seeds from about 2" of vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth in magic bullet or blender.

2. Spoon into chilled brownie crust.

3. Chill while making chocolate topping.

These are also excellent with a center of sweetened almond butter:)

Chocolate topping: This is just my chocolate chip recipe:)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
2 tablespoons cocoa butter, liquid measure after melting ( approx 1/4 cup grated flakes from block of butter)
1 heaping teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon agave
Optional:
pinch of salt, dash of vanilla
Garnish:
12 pecan halves, optional

1. Melt cocoa butter in small cup placed over very hot water until liquid. I use a pyrex custard cup set in a mug filled with really hot water.

2. When melted, stir in coconut oil, cocoa, and agave (and salt and vanilla if using).

3. Stir until all ingredients are smooth.

4. Allow to cool until it is the texture of very thick hot fudge.

5. Spoon by teaspoon onto top of caramel on chilled tarts.

6. Top each with a pecan half, or chopped nuts mixed with cacao nibs.

7. Chill until firm.

Best kept in the fridge in the summer:)

Hemp Brownie Sundae

As soon as I saw this hemp brownie recipe by bitt on gone raw yesterday, I knew I would have to make it!
My favorite recipes lately have been quick and easy, so this one fit right in:)
It is a great way to get in more healthy hemp and pumpkin seeds.
Thanks to bitt for another great recipe!

I doubled the recipe, and shaped the mix in a bite-size brownie pan. Chilling the brownies make them easier to release from the mold. I dipped the top of each brownie bite in additional hemp seeds, then decorated some with goji berries, walnut halves, or a pumpkin seed.
For the little sundae, take a brownie, and top it with a mini scoop of stRAWberry ice cream. The chocolate sauce is just blended date paste, coconut oil, and cocoa powder, but this recipe looks great!

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup soaked almonds, sprouted if desired
¾ cup hemp seeds
1 cup fresh water
3 cups ripe strawberries, washed, hulled
½ cup date paste, soaked dates,blended with water
1 inch vanilla bean seeds, or 1 tsp. extract
optional:
up to 1 tablespoon beet juice to enhance color

Preparation:

1.blend almonds,hemp,and water.

2.strain using nut milk bag.you should have about 1 cup “cream”.*

3.add cream to blender with berries ,vanilla, date paste, and beet juice if using.

4.process in 1 and1/2 quart ice cream maker.

*this recipe was made before I had a high speed blender, so now I don't strain:)
Sweet ripe strawberries are best for this recipe. The strawberry flavor may be enhanced by adding a ripple of strawberry jam(strawberries blended with a few dates).

Just adding this pretty butterfly pic from today:) The milkweed has grown so much and is flowering now.