Raw Double Fudge Brownie Cake

Inspired by The Voracious Vegan

We have moved, please use this link:

http://rawfullytempting.blogspot.com/2010/01/raw-double-fudge-brownie-cake.html

W and I attended a Native American Indian Pipe Ceremony on Saturday and had a fabulous time. It was a spiritual prayer circle or sorts, and the ceremony was very moving. It was a time for being present, with like-minded people, and putting our intention out to the Universe.

Afterward, we had a potluck dinner. I brought my Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples and this Double Fudge Brownie Cake that I had never made before. It was pretty delicious and there were about 6-8 SAD eaters there and mostly everyone asked for a second portion. Folks were amazed at how yummy and rich a raw dessert could be. No surprise to us raw folk!!! I had some leftover Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar that I crumbled on the top of the frosted cake. I tweaked the original recipe a bit and made a cake instead of brownie squares. Either way...the cake was a hit!

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Raw Mango Tart with Banana Crème Topping

    

This scrumptious pie was so different than any raw dessert I made and it looks so pretty. We brought it to a gathering where there were other raw foodies, and it went over very well!

It freezes well (without berries on top), but be sure it's totally defrosted before serving. It tastes MUCH better.

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Raw Cuckoo for Cocoa Pops?

I found this recipe for Quinoa Cocoa Pops months ago and put it aside, just waiting until I was able to get my dehydrator. I almost made them in the oven (and you probably can), but decided to wait.  I made a batch today and what fun. Loulou suggests serving this in a bowl with nut mylk, just like cereal, oooh, and maybe some bananas? That sounds fantastic, however, I am not sure mine will last through the evening. They are a wonderful munchy snack and would be excellent to pack if you are traveling. They are loaded with nutrients and such a creative way to prepare sprouted quinoa. I added a little more cacao powder than the original recipe and a dash of cinnamon. This treat is such a nice change as It's hard for raw foodies to find sweet  and crunchy snack.

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Raw - Soba and Kelp Noodles With Roasted Eggplant

W and I visited with my daughter "L" and her boyfriend today. They recently moved into their new condo, and we had not seen the little love nest yet. L wanted to make us dinner, but due to my dietary restrictions, I suggested that I bring the ingredients and she and I prepare the meal together. We agreed upon Soba Noodles with Roasted Eggplant.  (Note: I have not tried it, but this dish could be converted to raw if you eliminate the soba noodles, use only kelp and/or spiralized zucchini, and dehydrate the eggplant for an hour or more instead of roasting). 

We had such an enjoyable afternoon cooking together. They both loved the meal, but especially loved the Chocolate Lucanilla Ice Cream from the "Just Desserts" e-book for dessert. Without a high speed blender or ice cream maker, it was a tad challenging, but L grabbed her hand mixer, and after freezing the mixture in ice cube trays, we managed to whip it into a delicious, rich chocolate mousse. We topped the dessert with sliced bananas and some crumbled Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar from yesterday . L and P devoured the Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar, so I now know what I have to make more of when we visit the next time!

The Soba Noodles with Roasted Eggplant was refreshing! Here is my variation:

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Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar - Still in Love...

...with and drooling over more chocolate recipes.I came across one for a fruit and nut bar. I haven't really cared for the results of chocolate made with only coconut butter, so I made a few changes and used some cacao butter. I also used hazlenut extract, because I love hazelnut and chocolate. This is a WINNER! Here is my version:

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Almond Raisin Bark With Hazelnut Kreme

Another "RAW"nchy treat that I could easily get addicted to.

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I'm Having a "RAW"nchy Love Affair...With Chocolate!!!

God bless you Carmella from The Sunny Raw Kitchen! I recently purchased a bunch of supplies to make raw cacao treats and had no idea where to start. Her recipes and descriptions of each of the items helped so much, and gave me some great ideas to start with.

You really have to play with these products and get a feel for them. Here is my raw foodie experiment.

WARNING: It is messy as hell and I learned a valuable lesson in PATIENCE with allowing enough time for one item to chill thoroughly, before attempting to melt cacao paste or butter. What a trip! I felt like a kindergartner with paste all over my fingers...only this was totally lickable! It would have made a great Kodak moment if I could have picked up the camera.

Here is my attempt and changes to  those wonderful Hazlenut Truffles, aka, "Ferrero Rawcher"
Note: I am not totally sure of all of the measurements, since I was adjusting the recipe as I went along, so have fun, experiment, lick (I mean taste), and experiment some more.

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RAWSOME Product - Raw Candy in a Jar!!

Fresh, Raw, Organic Halvah

Ingredients: "Raw", Organic, Mechanically-Hulled Sesame Seeds*, fresh, raw, honey.

This stuff is sooooo good!!! Sesame seeds are freshly ground two or three times to keep the temperature low enough to retain enzymes and life energy. It is then immediately refrigerated and is guaranteed to taste and feel better than roasted and/or ground nut and seed butters. This sweet and delicious raw, organic, Halvah is available through AE Vincent.

This is great in smoothies, on sliced apples, recipes that call for tahini, or just licked right off the spoon! You can also chop raw nuts and roll them into nut balls with the Halvah for an energy packed breakfast. I am on a very strict diet that focuses on eliminating mold, which is present on most packaged foods that sit on store shelves. This is on my Doctor's list of things to eat. It may be a little pricey, but worth it for the quality product you get.  Arlie has some  other super fresh, high quality items as well, especially if you want fresh, raw nuts - they are shelled and immediately vacuum packed to keep them fresh. Don't forget to tell Arlie that Barbara sent you!

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Chocolate Heaven!

I am so excited. My ingredients came in the mail yesterday: Cacao powder, cacao paste, cacao butter, mesquite powder, lacuma powder, yacon syrup and bourbon vanilla bean powder and some candy molds. OOooh, I cannot wait to experiment!!!

Okay - here is the first batch. I need to perfect the chocolate a bit. I mixed carob and cacao powder, and used cacao butter with a little coconut oil. It was very good, but not as creamy as I had expected. I haven't tried the cacao paste yet, which is supposed to be superior to the other two products. Still tasty and certainly satisfying when there is a craving for a little sweet treat.

I wasn't very careful  when spooning chocolate into the molds, and the tops came out a bit sloppy. The chocolate also started to harden faster than I realized. Not bad for the first try.

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Rich Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake w/ Raspberry Filling

Please go HERE for this recipe. We have moved to a new location.


I made this cake for W's birthday last year. It came out super fabulous! I am not sure where this recipe came from, so I apologize. I think it was  a combination of 2-3 recipes and has been modified.

It was an awesome cake. Rich and chocolaty!! Ooooh! I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!!! My friends had never eaten raw desserts before and were literally moaning when they ate it. They even begged to take a piece home to have the next day.

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Brazil Nut Cookies/Bars - The Very Best Cookie Dough So Far!!!

I have not explored making raw cookies with Brazil nuts until today, and these were the best raw cookies I have ever tasted!!! I found this recipe on The Renegade Health Show.

  

Brazil Nut Cookie Dough Bars

2 cups hemp seeds, ground

2 cups Brazil nuts, ground

1/2  cup honey, raw

 1/4  cup coconut oil

2  tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract (or powder)

1/4  cup raisins or raw cacao bits (optional)

1 tsp  nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt

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Raw Pecan Pie Cookies And Last Minute Wrapping Ideas

Merry Christmas Eve! If you are anything like me, you are still scrambling for the holiday. If you are organized enough to have finished shopping for gifts, you may not have finished wrapping them. 

I made some raw cookies last night and needed a way to package them.  This is what I came up with. I would have selected a different tissue paper, but had to go with what was available.

The cookies I selected were Ani Phyo's Raw Pecan Pie Cookies  and rolled them in ground, shredded coconut. They don't taste exactly like pecan pie, but they have that yummy pecan flavor and are delicious.    

 Raw Pecan Pie Cookies   

1c pecans

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t orange juice

1 c Medjool dates, pitted 

Combine the pecans, cinnamon, and orange juice in food processor and pulse into small chunks. Add the dates and process until well mixed. 

Roll about 1 1/2 T of dough into little balls and flatten to cookies. 

Press cookie in ground, shredded coconut (optional).  Place on a non-stick cookie tray. These will keep for a week in the fridge or several weeks in the freezer.

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