Gooey Flourless Fudge Brownies {with Video}

Okay, I'll keep this short and sweet.

You guys want brownies. Grain free, dairy free, nut free brownies. At least I'm pretty sure you do, because when I posted the above photo on my Facebook page it got 181 shares, 1014 likes, and 229 comments!

So here it is. Your weekend treat. Enjoy :D

[Note: This is a Thermomix recipe - see end of page for tips for making this without a Thermomix.]





Gooey Flourless Fudge Brownies

- 200g dark, dairy free chocolate (I use either Green & Black's 70% cocoa chocolate which 'may contain traces of dairy', or Loving Earth dark chocolate which is completely dairy free)
- 130g raw Medjool dates, pitted
- 180g organic cold-pressed coconut oil
- 30g coconut flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 22cm square baking dish with baking paper. I use 'If You Care' baking paper, which is non-toxic.

Place the chocolate (broken into pieces) into the mixing bowl and mill for 10 sec/speed 9.

Add the dates to the bowl and chop 15 sec/speed 10.

Add the coconut oil and cook 5 mins/60C/speed 2.

Add remaining ingredients and mix 20 sec/speed 8. Scrape down lid and sides of bowl and mix another 10 sec/speed 6.

Scrape mixture into a lined, square baking dish. Bake in preheated 190C oven for 18-20 mins. Be careful not to overcook or they won't be gooey! Just until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool, cut into small squares, and refrigerate until cold.

Of course, you probably won't be able to wait, but they really do taste so much more AMAZING when they're cold and gooey and fudgey! Trust me.

Can be dusted with some raw cacao powder, or if you want to be really decadent, top with this dairy free ganache, or some dairy free dulce de leche!

PS It might be best to 'share the love' and invite a friend over for a cuppa and brownies... these are RICH, so don't eat them all yourself! Lol!!

Have a great weekend xx

This one was quite popular with the taste testers!!

* Note: If you don't have a Thermomix, you'll need to finely chop the chocolate and dates (in a food processor if you have one) and melt together over a double boiler with the coconut oil, whisking until smooth. Then stir in the remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon. 

Raw Chocolate Truffles

 

Raw Chocolate Truffles with Dried Cranberries

Lately I've been craving these. I'm working hard this month to keep off sugars as much as possible, for my January Body Springclean Challenge! I'm only having a very small amount of natural sweeteners like fruit, dates, raw honey, pure maple syrup, yacon syrup, green stevia, and coconut sugar. That's not so hard, but it's the chocolate I miss most. So now and then I like to have a couple of these raw chocolate truffles to satisfy that sweet, chocolate craving... usually in the late afternoon when my energy levels are getting low.



 I love the silky, smooth, chocolate texture of these truffles, which is achieved by using cacao wafers (or raw cacao licor as it's also known) instead of just raw cacao powder. The cacao wafers are made from raw cacao nibs ground up into a very smooth paste, then set into wafers. The cacao butter hasn't been removed, so it gives just the right creamy texture for raw chocolates and bliss balls. They don't contain any sweeteners or additives, so they are perfect for making all sorts of delicious, healthy chocolate treats!

 You can buy Changing Habits cacao wafers here.

I made up this recipe a couple of months ago and have been meaning to get it on the blog ever since, but time has gotten away. At Christmas time, I divided the mixture in two, and mixed one half with naturally sweetened dried cranberries (deeeeeelicious!), and the other half with some naked ginger and dried apricots. So so good.

I use these organic, naturally sweetened dried cranberries - ingredients are: organic dried cranberries sweetened with organic concentrated apple juice, organic Sunflower Oil (less than 0.5%). I prefer these to the sickly sweet sugary supermarket ones. And I love that they have no preservatives.

You could mix in some roughly chopped nuts instead of dried fruit, or some raw cacao nibs for extra crunch. Or just leave it smooth and plain, and press it into a square dish and cut into small squares like fudge.

Raw Chocolate Fudge

Don't be scared of the 'secret ingredient' - banana! It doesn't taste like banana - that just helps with the texture. The chocolate is so powerful it overtakes the banana. ;) Yes, this is definitely a recipe for hard-core chocolate lovers... so beware if you're one of those strange 'milk chocolate' kinda people. (Ha ha!) For me, the darker the chocolate, the better. And the good thing about dark chocolate is you only need a tiny bit to feel satisfied. So try this recipe for a deliciously healthy, naturally sweetened chocolate hit - mmmmm...


Raw Chocolate Truffles

1. Grind almonds on speed 8 for 8 seconds to make flour, and set aside.
- 150g blanched almonds

2. Grind cacao wafers and vanilla bean for 5 seconds on speed 9.
- 250g cacao wafers
- 1 vanilla bean, cut in thirds

3. Add dates and chop for 10 seconds on speed 9.
- 170g raw dates (or regular dates - chop 20 seconds)

4. Add syrup and cook for 7 minutes at 37C, speed 3.
- 50g pure maple syrup or yacon syrup

5. Add salt, reserved almond flour, and banana and mix on speed 8 until very smooth.
- pinch Himalayan salt
- reserved almond flour
- 1 ripe banana, peeled (not over-ripe, as the flavour will be too strong)

6. Either roll mixture into small balls for truffles, or press into a square dish for fudge. Place in the fridge to harden.

These truffles will last in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Unless you eat them first. ;)

Raw Superfood Fudge

 

Warning: this fudge disappears quickly!

(naturally sweetened with dates & stevia; gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free)

Here's a chocolate treat that you can eat guilt-free, which will help to control those chocolate cravings without overloading your body with sugar. It is not only raw and naturally sweetened, but full of antioxidants, vitamin C, protein, fibre, magnesium, immune system boosters and other nutrients to nourish your body. The raw cacao is a great pick-me-up, and I often find myself reaching for it after lunch when I need an energy boost. I tell my kids this is one sweet treat they can eat as much as they like of, which makes them pretty happy! (Although it's quite rich, so they never eat more than two or three pieces at a time.)

To maximise the goodness of this fudge, I've used two of Loving Earth's superfood powders. Rainbow Superfood Blend is quickly becoming my favourite superfood powder, because instead of opening lots of packets and jars and combining powders, I can just grab this one jar and scoop out a spoonful of maqui berry, acai, AFA, gubinge (Kakadu plum) and camu camu powders. It just simplifies things. I also add some extra maqui berry powder as this is a 'fruity' fudge! It gives it an extra depth of flavour, plus even more goodness. (If you're not sure what any of those are and why they're so good for you, click on the links to see an explanation, as well as ideas of how to use them.)

I also like to add dried, organic cherries to my fudge, or a couple of handfuls of goji berries. If you don't have any, you can either leave them out, or add some sultanas instead.

 

WIN a jar of Loving Earth's Maqui or Rainbow Superfood Powders!

Okay, so here's the exciting news... You have the chance to WIN one of the above superfood powders from Loving Earth!! They have kindly sent me some goodies to give away, so for your chance to win one of these amazing jars of goodness, just leave a comment on this post saying what you would make with it if you had some to try. There will be two winners drawn randomly in one weeks' time, on Saturday 20th October, 2012, at 5pm. The first winner will receive a 150g jar of Rainbow Superfood Blend (worth $44.90), and the second winner will receive a jar of Maqui Powder (worth $39.90). (This competition is only open to Australian residents - sorry to my overseas followers, but postage is horrendous these days! If you are desperate to try it, you can order online from Loving Earth.)

Okay, so here's my recipe for Raw Superfood Fudge ~ try it out, and don't forget to leave a comment! Enjoy :)

1. Grind up in your Thermomix on speed 9 for 30 seconds:
- 1 whole vanilla bean, snipped in a couple of pieces (no need to scrape out seeds)
- 100g raw cacao nibs

2. Add and grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 100g raw walnuts
- 100g raw cashews

[Note: nuts that are high in enzyme inhibitors (like walnuts) are easier to digest if they have been 'activated' - soaked, rinsed, then dehydrated. You can do this yourself, or you can buy them activated here. You can use regular raw nuts if that's all you have. Any combination of nuts will work - I like cashews & walnuts as they are oily, so they make a 'creamier' fudge.]

3. Add and process on speed 9 for a minute, or until fudge is smooth and begins to form a ball (as in picture below):
- 100g raw dates
- 80g coconut butter (make your own from dried coconut)
- 60g coconut oil (sometimes called coconut butter)
- 1 heaped tsp Rainbow Superfood Blend
- 1 heaped tsp Maqui Berry Powder
- 10 drops vanilla stevia or a pinch of green stevia powder (optional)
- pinch of Himalayan salt

4. Mix in on speed 3 for a few seconds:
- a handful of dried sour cherries or goji berries

5. Press mixture into a square or small rectangular dish (I use a Pyrex glass dish), and pop into the fridge to set. If you like, you can make the mixture into balls instead of squares. Keep refrigerated or it will soften and crumble.

(This is not a paid post, although Loving Earth did send me some samples and giveaways. But even if they hadn't, I would still link to them because I LOVE their products!! I think I should maybe just move into their warehouse...)

Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Today I had a very happy accident! I started to make my green chocolate smoothie for the kids for morning tea, but decided to change it around a bit (as I do), but before I could add the water, THIS happened...

 

Creamy, chocolate deliciousness! How? What?? I couldn't believe it! I grabbed a spoon out of the drawer and popped some into my mouth, and started to squeal and do happy dances all over the kitchen... it's amazing!!!

 

It's like chocolate cream only creamier. It's a mixture between a mousse and a semifreddo. The flavour actually reminds me of the Milo ice-cream I loved as a kid, only better! (Did you love that too?) So don't be put off by the quirky ingredients and lack of sugar - even the fussiest will love this one... unless they find out it has avocado in it - shhhh. ;-) And no, it's not just the usual vegan chocolate mousse made from avocado and cacao powder. You'll see.

 

I made it twice today, because the first time I was just chucking things in willy-nilly, intent only on getting some raw spinach and avocado into my 9 year old, and I didn't really take much notice of how much of everything I used. So when it became the most awesome chocolate concoction ever, I decided I'd better make it again and write down the amounts. So here it is, after much teasing on Facebook and Instragram - my deliciously decadent, sugar free, dairy free, egg free chocolate mousse! (And don't worry, I didn't add the spinach, so it's not as scary as you may have at first supposed.)

 

 

 

 

{P.S. Some would argue that it's not really 'airy' enough to be a 'mousse', and maybe I should have called it a Vegan Semifreddo... but I was in too much of a hurry to eat it to worry about the perfect name. I'm sure you understand.}

 

 

Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse

 

{Serves 6}

 

1. Grind up the raw cashews in the Thermomix on speed 9 for 10 seconds:

- 150g raw cashews

 

2. Add ice and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds:

- 350g ice cubes

 

3. Scrape down bowl with spatula; add vanilla, cacao and dates, and grind on speed 9 for 30 seconds:

- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

- 30g raw cacao powder (I used Loving Earth cacao powder & it's very strong - if not using Loving Earth brand, you may need 35g)

- 100g dates (or to taste)

 

(I used regular dates which were semi-frozen, and I think the texture of these contributed to the thickness of the mousse. If you use fresh dates, it may turn out a bit softer, but you can add more ice to thicken it if you need to.)

 

4. The mixture will be a bit lumpy at this stage, especially if you are using dried dates instead of fresh dates. Scrape down the bowl and lid with the spatula, and keep blending on speed 9 until you get a smooth, creamy mixture. It will take at least another minute.

Chocolate mixture after blending, and before adding the avocado

5. Scrape down bowl again, and add avocado. This is actually optional - without the avocado, you'll still have a lovely, thick, chocolate cashew cream as in the photo above. The avocado does make it thicker and creamier though, so don't be afraid to try it!
- flesh of 1 ripe avocado (make sure the avocado is a nice one - no bad spots, or it'll have a slightly bitter taste)

Note: If you find your mousse is not thick enough (it won't stay swirled up into a peak), add another handful of ice and reblend on speed 9 for 1 minute, until smooth.

6. Spoon into small dessert bowls and enjoy! You can freeze this for later - half frozen it tastes like the most divine soft serve ice-cream ever... If you freeze it until it's solid, you'll need to thaw it a bit before using again.

 

Gooey Chocolate Icing (dairy free, sugar free, vegan)

Here we are, a couple of days into our (mostly) grain free, sugar free, dairy free challenge, and I realize I'm going to have to make a birthday cake for my youngest that will not make her want to live permanently at Grandma's house! What to do? She had asked for a plain chocolate cake, which I quickly agreed to a few days ago, thinking I'd just whiz up our favourite, quick chocolate cake in the Thermomix (Cyndi O'Meara's Chocolate Cake from her "Changing Habits, Changing Lives Cookbook", made with spelt flour and rice-almond milk). Sigh. Couldn't do that, has grains in it. I thought about making the Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies in a cake tin, but I didn't have any hazelnuts. I couldn't make the Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake because it has lots of chocolate in it - too much sugar. Torte Caprese? No, way too much sugar! Hmmm... So I decided to make a chocolate cake based on my Flourless Pecan Cake recipe instead. 

I had some leftover ground almonds, so I chucked them in, added some pecans and started grinding them up... then realized I didn't have any coconut cream! And so a new recipe was born. It has some pretty cool changes - a couple of surprise ingredients which help to cut down the Rapadura to 40g, and keep it moist and rich. I'll share the recipe soon, as I'm still tweaking it, because I want to be sure it's 'just right' before I post it for you all to try! (You never can have too many chocolate cake recipes, right?)

Anyway, I digress. What I wanted to say was after making this grain free chocolate cake, I decided it really would be better with some icing. And surely my eight year old wouldn't argue if I put some icing on her 'plain chocolate cake'? I'd been meaning to work out another dairy free, sugar free icing that didn't involve margerine (ick, one of my pet hates!) or chocolate pieces (because you don't always have chocolate on hand, especially if you have a husband like mine who steals it and leaves the empty packet in the fridge so you don't realize!)... and anyway, I couldn't use chocolate unless it was my healthy homemade one, because we're avoiding sugar. So, with some internet research and a bit of imaginative tweaking, I came up with this simple, delicious recipe! Hope you like it as much as we did. (Yep, it's all gone. At least it will be when I get back into the kitchen. :D )

Makes enough icing for one 20cm round cake (spread thickly!)

1. Grind cashews for 10 seconds, speed 9, until fine:

- 100g raw cashews*

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix at speed 6 for 30 seconds, scrape down, add a little more water if needed, and mix another 30 seconds until smooth:

- 3 fresh pitted dates

- 20g raw cacao powder

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 20g pure maple syrup

- 20g filtered water

Spread the icing thickly on your cake and enjoy, guilt free!! 

* Next time I'll try soaking the cashews for half an hour first, then grind up all the ingredients at once. This might make a smoother icing. I was too impatient to try it this time!

Walnut & Raw Cacao Nib Bliss Balls

I love raw cacao nibs. 

Yesterday I was trying to think of what I could make with my stash of cacao nibs (which I got for my birthday), and I decided they'd be great in bliss balls. When you need a 'pick-me-up' type of snack, these are just perfect. The mixture of dates, nuts and raw cacao make these balls like mini 'high protein power bars' - but they're much better for you than commercial power bars! 

So do you know why these are called 'bliss balls'? Because raw cacao just makes you feel so good!! Know why? It's not just the delicious taste... Raw cacao contains "naturally occurring phytochemicals like theobromine (considered an aphrodisiac), phenylethylamine (PEA – released when we fall in love), and anandamide (the ‘bliss' chemical)." (Quoted from the Power Super Foods website - you can order your raw cacao nibs here!) There's some more info about raw cacao with my recipe for Treat Balls, which are another version you might like to try.

I ground up the raw cacao nibs in my Thermomix, then added the other ingredients, including a little Rapadura to balance the slightly bitter taste of raw cacao. After making half of them into balls, I decided they'd be nice with a little bit of 'crunch', so I added some more walnuts and cacao nibs to the rest of the mixture. Yum! My favourites were definitely the crunchy ones, but the smooth ones were pretty good too. So take your pick - crunchy or smooth. :) Enjoy.

1. Grind up in Thermomix on speed 9 for 15-20 seconds, or until fine:

- 85g raw cacao nibs

2. Add and grind on speed 8 for 5 seconds, until dates are chopped up:

- 250g fresh dates, deseeded (eg. Honey or Medjool dates)

- 20g Rapadura

- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

- 1 Tbspn vanilla extract (preferably a good, organic one!)

3. Add walnuts and grind on speed 9 for about 1 minute, or until mixture comes together and is smooth:

- 230g fresh walnuts (make sure they're not old and bitter!)

You could also use pecans if you'd rather.

4. If you like these smooth, go ahead and roll them into balls. If you like them with a bit of 'crunch', add the extra walnuts and raw cacao nibs and mix in on speed 5 for a few seconds, until roughly chopped:

- handful or two of walnuts

- handful of raw cacao nibs

5. Roll into balls and keep in the fridge. 

I was really glad to find some of these still left in the fridge when I got home today from a demo - I desperately needed energy! Hope you like them :)

Flourless Choc Hazelnut Brownies

Here's a brownie recipe I made up the other day in honour of my little brother who was visiting from the big city - this one's for you, bro!  These brownies are especially nice eaten with fresh strawberries, and they're even better if they're shared with those you love :)  Enjoy.

Gluten free, dairy free, naturally sweetened, easy and delicious!

1. Preheat oven to 190° celcius.

2. Weigh all the ingredients into the Thermomix bowl and process on speed 9 for 30 seconds.  Scrape down sides of bowl, and process again on speed 9 for another 20 seconds.

- 170g raw hazelnuts (no need to remove skins)
- 60g dates
- 40g raw cacao powder or organic cocoa powder
- 60g Rapadura
- 4 large eggs
- 50g coconut oil
- 30g macadamia oil or light olive oil
- 60g coconut cream
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3. Pour into a greased or lined 7" x 11" (18cm x 28cm) rectangular oven dish.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

4. To serve, you can dust with cocoa or powdered Rapadura if you like.

Raw Cacao Treat Balls

These yummy little treat balls are a firm favourite at our house - the kids love snacking on them for morning tea, and they are quite filling.  I love to use cacao powder in raw recipes, as it has so much more goodness than cocoa.  It's a bit like the difference between Rapadura and refined sugar, or extra virgin olive oil and refined oils.  Regular cocoa is usually heat extracted (up to 150 degrees celcius!) with solvents.  Organic cocoas are better, such as 'Planet Organic', which is sun-dried, chemical free and fair trade - but cacao powder is the best (and is generally fair-trade also)!  (I use Planet Organic cocoa powder when cooking, but cacao powder in raw foods such as treat balls, raw slices, smoothies, and raw chocolate pudding.)

Cacao is cold pressed without solvents, and the nutrients are preserved much better than in cocoa - in fact, organic cacao has over 360% more anti-oxidants than regular cocoa!  It has 21 times more anti-oxidants than green tea, and 7 times more than dark chocolate!  Cacao does not raise blood cholesterol, it contains a fair amount of protein, and all three types of energy: fat, carbohydrates and sugar. It also contains high levels of catechin, fiber, carbohydrates, B vitamins and anti-oxidant-like substances. Calcium, Phosphates, Vitamins A, C and D occur in smaller quantities.  (Read some really interesting facts about cacao here, as well as some myths about chocolate!)

Since Cacao contains fat, sugars, carbohydrates and protein, it has historically been used as energy food -- it's energy content is high, 18500 kj/kg (2000 kcal/lb). There is no caffeine in cacao (or chocolate, contrary to popular opinion), but it does contain small amounts of theobromine, which is similar to caffeine in that it stimulates the mind, muscles, kidneys and heart - but it has less effect on the central nervous system than caffeine does. Theobromine is not addictive, and is a much gentler stimulant than caffeine (see findings here), but it's still best not to overdo it. I find cacao powder makes me feel wide awake, so don't munch out on these just before bed!  (And if you're breastfeeding, don't eat too many or your baby will happily stay awake for hours!)

If you're dairy free, you'll be pleased to know these balls are a good way to get some calcium into your diet because both the cacao powder and the tahini contain calcium in usable forms.

These are great for school lunch snacks - if your child's school is 'nut-free' you can just substitute the almonds for a mixture of pepitas and sunflower seeds.

[Amounts are very flexible - I don't generally measure, I just chuck in a couple of handfuls of dates (and sometimes sultanas or other dried fruit), and a couple of handfuls of almonds (and/or cashews and seeds), a couple of heaped tablespoons of cacao powder, a few blobs of tahini and a splash of agave syrup... and grind it all up adding more dates if it needs more moisture!]

Put all the ingredients in the Thermomix bowl and grind up on speed 9 for about 40 seconds, or until well ground and mixed and able to be squished together into balls.  If mixture is too dry, add some more dates or other dried fruit.
- 200g raw almonds
- 220g dates
- 30 - 40g cacao powder (to taste)
- a dash of pure maple syrup (to taste)
- 3 large tablespoons of tahini

Roll into balls and keep in the fridge.  Can also be rolled in dessicated coconut if preferred.

Raw Dairy Free Cheesecake

I've always found it very difficult to resist cheesecake, especially a good, homemade one, covered in cherries or berries (and chocolate)! And in our family, cheesecake is always popular at Christmas... thank goodness for a dairy free cheesecake - I can still avoid dairy, and not feel deprived :) Whip this one up in about fifteen minutes, pop it in the freezer, and you've got a fancy dessert ready for Christmas day! This recipe makes two cheesecakes in regular sized pie pans. (I made one for my dh's birthday the other day, and the other's in the freezer ready for Christmas.)

Note: If you want a quicker version of the crust because you don't have any Sprouted Buckwheat Granola already made up, just grind up 400g raw almonds and 400g raw dates until they are all mushed together, and press into pie plate - instant crust!

This recipe is based on one in Serene Allison's "Rejuvenate Your Life" cookbook (changed to suit my taste) - hope you like it! 

(I use my Thermomix for this recipe - if you don't have a Thermomix you can use a good quality food processor, but it may take a little longer to grind and mix.)

Granola Crumb Crust:

1. Place dates in Thermomix bowl and grind on speed 9 until mushy, about 20 seconds:
- 400g pitted dates

2. Add, and crush using bursts of turbo speed until desired consistency (about 6 bursts):
- 280g Raw Sprouted Buckwheat Granola
- 170g raw almonds
- 30g extra virgin coconut oil (or other mild-tasting, extra virgin oil)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt

3. Line two pie pans with baking paper, divide crumb mixture into pans and press firmly onto bottom and sides with greased hands. (See photo)




Berry Cheesecake Filling:

1. Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 9 for about 2 minutes, using spatula to help move mixture around, until it's smooth and creamy:
- 130g freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 250g raw pine nuts
- 250g raw almonds
- 130g raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 300g frozen or fresh mixed berries (or strawberries/pitted cherries, etc)
- 170g agave syrup or pure maple syrup (or to taste)
- 2 tsp psylliam powder (opt.)

2. Divide filling between two crusts, and place in freezer while you make the topping.

Berry Crumble Topping

1. Make a batch of Berry Nougat and sprinkle it over the cheesecakes. Drizzle with chocolate if you like - you can make your own raw chocolate with this recipe if you use agave syrup for the sweetener - I use! Rapadura, so it's 'almost raw'! :)

2. Cover cheesecakes and freeze. Thaw for about 20 minutes before slicing.

DELICIOUS!!

Banana Raspberry Smoothie

Smoothies are perfect for an energy boost at morning tea time - my blood sugar levels always seem to be dropping at this time of day, and a good smoothie really helps. Here's one that we love to make... it's delicious!

I start off most of my smoothies by grinding up raw almonds, pepitas, linseeds and dates - that makes the sweet milk they are based on. You can really add any frozen fruit, plus water, and some additional sweetener if needed. I usually add frozen banana to make it thick and creamy - (just peel them and freeze them whole in a plastic bag, and break them off as you need them). I also like to add tahini to make it creamier, and to add a calcium boost. (Of course, if you have a powerful machine like the Thermomix, you can grind up your own sesame seeds at the start if you'd rather, instead of adding tahini.)

(Note: If you have time, soak the almonds and seeds for a few hours or overnight, then drain off the water, add all other ingredients and mix on speed 9 for 1 minute.)
1. Grind up for about 20 seconds on speed 9, or until finely ground:
- 2 handfuls of raw almonds
- 1 handful of raw pepitas
- 2 tsp linseeds (flaxseeds)

2. Add and grind for another 10-20 seconds on speed 9, until fine:
- 1 big handful of pitted dates

3. Add and mix on speed 9 for 1 minute:
- 3-4 frozen bananas, chopped in 1 inch chunks
- 2 big handfuls frozen raspberries
- 2 Tblspns tahini
- 1 Tblspn agave syrup (or pure maple syrup) (optional)
- 1 litre water (more or less depending how thick you want it)

Enjoy!

Flourless Pecan Cake (GF, DF)

I'm so excited - I've come up with a really yummy version of my favourite flourless nut cake, and it's completely dairy free and gluten free and naturally sweetened... and very moist and delicious too!!! I've given it the ultimate taste test - I took it to a church supper and gave some to the teenage boys - they are VERY suspicious of anything 'healthy' - especially if it is dairy-free, gluten free and contains no refined sugar. They actually came back for seconds and thirds, and it dissapeared in no time! Afterwards I thought that was a pretty silly thing to do, because now they won't be so wary of my 'health food' and next time there won't be much left for the adults! :)

This is such an easy recipe if you have a Thermomix, or a very powerful blender - you just chuck it all in and blend it up! No mucking around with separating eggs, grinding up sugar, scraping out vanilla beans... a simple, idiot-proof recipe.

BTW, see my original recipe here, as well as some variations such as hazelnut chocolate/coffee cake.

Isn't that a lovely texture?

Okay, enough rambling... here it is!

Place all the ingredients in the Thermomix bowl (or in a powerful blender), and blend on speed 9 for 20 seconds (or until well-blended), scraping down sides if needed:

- 170g raw pecans

- 60g dates

- 60g Rapadura

- 100g coconut cream (just scoop off the thickest cream from the top of the tin of coconut cream, or make your own - it should be thick like thickened dairy cream)

- 1 whole vanilla bean, snipped into 3cm pieces (or use 1 tsp of vanilla extract)

- 4 large eggs

- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

- 1 Tblspn arrowroot flour (or gf cornflour/cornstarch)

- 1 tspn gf baking powder

Tip into lined, 20cm round cake tin, and bake for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees, or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.

Drizzle with pure maple syrup while still warm. Enjoy!

Chocolate (or Carob) Almond Smoothie

We often have smoothies for either breakfast or morning tea - they're great for energy, and a quick way to fill up hungry tummies. We don't use milk, just nuts and seeds with water to make nut milk, plus either fruit and ice, or chocolate or carob powder. The kids asked for a chocolate milkshake this morning, so here's my healthy version.

First, grind up in your Thermomix on speed 9 for about 10 seconds:

- 80g raw almonds

- 20-30g of seeds - pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, chia seeds (opt)

Add dates and grind again on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 80-100g dates (depending how sweet you like it)

Add ice and grind another 10 seconds on speed 9:
- 2 trays of ice cubes (or more if you want it thicker)
 

Add other ingredients to the bowl, and blend on speed 9 for a minute:

- 600-800g water

- 30g raw cacao or carob powder

You'll probably end up with some chewy bits of dates at the bottom, so just scoop them out with a spoon and eat them - delicious!

For a chocolate (or carob) 'green' smoothie, add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or butter lettuce, and some pieces of frozen avocado... I make this for the kids and they have no idea it has spinach in it! ;)

To make a chocolate (or carob) banana smoothie, you just use frozen chunks of banana instead of the ice - no other sweetener needed.