Chocolate Chocolate Dessert! Valentines or Anytime! DEGF, low sugar, free from, raw

Chocolate Chocolate Dessert! Yes…it is so Chocolatey I named it twice!

© Life Diet Health 2015

Everywhere I look there are chocolate Valentines day recipes! I ‘was’ going to do something different… but then thought ‘actually, I think I’ll do a chocolate dessert’ as it does compliment the rest of my meal – Beetbean Pate and Chickpea Patties very nicely (and the after dinner chocolates too)! This recipe has taken me just about a week to get right and I have included a raw version as well as the cooked version (and both are really yummy and I couldn’t decide which one I preferred :P)! The chocolate chocolate taste comes from raw cacao powder so instantly you have antioxidants, calcium, iron and protein…woohoo! Chocolate ‘IS’ good for you! 😛 Of course there are a load of other fantastic healthy ingredients in these so you can eat them without feeling guilty AND without that sugar rush/crash afterwards! 🙂 These do take a bit of thinking ahead and pre-preparation so I’ll stop talking and show you how it’s done! 🙂 

Gather

• 100g (approx. 22) dry destoned dates
• 50ml boiling water (cold water if following raw recipe)
• 1 earl grey tea bag (herbal tea of complementary flavour if following raw recipe)
• 5ml (1 teaspoon) rose water
• —————————————
• 120g mixed nuts (walnuts, hazlenuts, almonds)
• —————————————
• 60g porridge oats (GF if required)          (not needed if making raw bases only)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger                      (not needed if making raw bases only)
• —————————————
• 100g cashew nuts soaked in
• 120ml boiling water (cold water if following raw recipe)
• 20g agave syrup (substitute with raw sweetener if required)
• 20g raw cacao powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lucuma powder
• ————————————–
• frozen raspberries & mint to garnish

Prepare

1. Cut the dates in half and place cut side up in a flat bowl. Put the boiling water in a cup and holding the tea bag, swirl it into the water for ten seconds. IF you put the water straight onto the tea bag, the flavour will be too strong! Remove the tea bag (don’t squeeze it too much) and add the rose water to the cup. Pour this over the dates and leave for at least one hour (the aim is for the dates to take up all the flavour). If you are following the raw recipe, prepare your herbal tea as usual, add the rose water and pour over the dates. This stage could also be prepared the day before and left (covered) overnight.
2. Smush the dates with a fork until you have a smooth paste. Process about half of the mixed nuts to a powder and chop the other half roughly (or pulse on a low setting in the food processor) then stir all of the nuts into the dates. If you are following the raw recipe, this is now your base! Using pastry cutters, shape into rounds, hearts, stars or letters!
   

   © Life Diet Health 2015

   The thickness is up to you but 1cm is good. Place onto greaseproof paper and leave to set in the fridge. If you are following the cooked recipe blitz the oats until you have oat flour, then stir into the mixture with the ginger. Shape as required (around 0.5cm thick) and place on a greased or lined baking tray. Bake at Gas Mark 4 (350f / 175c) for ten minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and leave to cool on the tray.

   

   © Life Diet Health 2015

   Try not to eat them all before you put the topping on!

3. The chocolate chocolate part! Soak the cashews in the water for at least 30 minutes (longer if using cold water). This is another stage which could be completed the day before and left overnight. Remove the cashews from the water (reserve the water) and place in a food processor with the agave, cacao, salt and lucuma. Blitz until combined but not completely smooth adding some of the reserved water if necessary. The resulting chocolate mixture should be able to hold its shape and not be runny.
4. Assemble your dessert. It is easiest to use the cutters which you used for the bases to put the topping on. A good ratio would be double the topping to the base.
5. I used frozen raspberries as they are much easier to manipulate and position when frozen! You can either use whole raspberries, or pull them apart carefully and position them to make a blanket covering on the chocolate topping. Decorate with fresh mint and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Serve & Store

• If you wish to make this in advance, make the bases and the topping but don’t assemble until a few hours before. The bases and the topping can both be stored in the fridge.
• Serve as it is or with extra fruit or with your favourite cream (coconut?) or ice cream.
• If you can’t decide whether you want raw or cooked bases, make both! Just split the date mix and only add 30g oats and 1/2 teaspoon ginger.

© Life Diet Health 2015

© Life Diet Health 2015

© Life Diet Health 2015

© Life Diet Health 2015

© Life Diet Health 2015