Sunday 28 August 2011

Zingy Chocolate Zillionaires (Raw!)

Chocolate Zillionaire's Shortbread
Made with raw chocolate, lemons, almonds and chia seeds!


I have been considering this voyage for a long time and now the time has come. With a few forays under my belt, I am accumulating supplies and techniques and am ready for an adventure... into raw food.


You might have heard of raw food elsewhere. Well, forget whatever you do and don't know about it for the moment and just enjoy the following recipe which I've been working on for a new project. Step into my kitchen for a sneaky peak at my secret recipes.... and get ready to salivate :)


Chocolate Shortbread Base
This base is ultra-genius because it doesn't require the use of a dehydrator, yet you still end up with a gorgeous crumbly, buttery shortbread base - not as crisp as its baked counterpart but darned fine nevertheless!
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1 cup dried, pitted dates
1 tbsp cold-pressed oil, such as grapeseed (or any sweet, light-tasting oil)
1 1/4 cups ground almonds
1 tbsp cacao powder
Few drops vanilla extract (or vanilla seeds)
Pinch Himalayan pink crystal salt


Make a paste with the dates and oil by blending well in a liquidiser or hand-blender until smooth and creamy. Add all other ingredients and blend/mix together until a dough is formed, then press into a prepared tin or individual silicone moulds with your fingers. Chill until firm.


Zingy Zillionaire's Lemon Curd
The first version I made of this, I used the juice of 2 lemons and it was ultra-zingy. While I liked this, I know that many tastes prefer a slightly sweeter tang, so I've pared it down - but feel free to adjust to your own taste!


Chia seeds are little powerhouses of goodness, full of omega 3s, fibre, protein and minerals. They have a neutral flavour when raw and when soaked, produce a gelatinous mass which is excellent for making raw jams and jellies.
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Zest and juice of 1 organic, unwaxed lemon
1 tbsp chia seeds, soaked in 1/4 cup water until gelatinous
1 heaped tbsp coconut oil/butter
2 tbsp cacao butter
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp xylitol crystals (optional - gives it a more "sugary" sweetness)
Pinch Himalayan pink crystal salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional, for colour)


Gently melt cacao and coconut butters in a bain marie and blend together with rest of ingredients. Use turmeric as desired to achieve a nice yellow - or not if you don't mind the slightly pallid look ;) Spoon mixture over the set base(s) and chill until curd has set.


Raw Dark Chocolate Topping
4 tbsp cacao butter
4 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp agave syrup
Few drops vanilla extract


Gently melt the cacao butter in a bain marie and then whisk in the other ingredients till smooth. Spoon over the prepared base(s) and chill until set. Carefully turn out of the moulds/tins when set and serve with your favourite tea!


Et voilà, Raw chocolate zillionaire's shortbread :)

1 comment:

  1. I had yet to be converted to raw food before trying these, but they were absolutely delicious!

    ReplyDelete

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