I’ve grouped several of the Raw Recipes from the blog posts onto one page for convenience.
All measurements are approximate – we belong to the ‘chuck it in and see’ school of cookery!
Sweet Apricot Kernel Butter
If you’re a raw food newbie, then this will ease you in gently to raw food cuisine. It is so simple, you just need a little patience – or in this case, a little Florence – see later, bad joke!
Raw Sweet Apricot Kernel Butter features my favourite Raw Chocolate Company Raw Organic Sweet Apricot Kernels.*
They are found inside apricot stones and look like small flat almonds. They are sweet and nutty, packed with protein and fibre and contain essential Omega 3 fats, iron, zinc and calcium.
By the magic of my ancient Braun Multipractic food processor we transformed them into yummy butter in less than half an hour. Half an hour, you say! Standing stirring, switching on and off for 30 minutes, surely that’s like watching paint dry, is it going to be worth the effort? YES! It is so simple and so tasty, and you know what they say, patience is a virtue and all good things come to those who wait…
(If you’re using an old food processor like us, be careful it doesn’t start to overheat, process in short bursts. It is well worth it, but a more modern processor/high speed blender will get the job done a lot quicker).
So, to make things more interesting, let’s get jiggy with it: put on some loud music, preferably the kind you can sing along to, and get some moves on while you switch and stir.
Today’s music of choice was Florence’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, but don’t hold that against me!
Ingredients
2 Cups of The Raw Chocolate Company Sweet Apricot Kernels.
or 1 1/2 150g bags
Pinch of sea salt
Process in short bursts, frequently stirring down the sides. It will seem like nothing is happening for about 15 minutes and you may start questioning your existence but then miraculously it all starts coming together. After that, it’s up to you how long you keep going, depending on how smooth or crunchy you like it. Some people like to add a teaspoon of coconut oil to help it along, but I kept to the basics.
Makes enough to fill a honey jar. I like it with Nairn’s Gluten-Free Oatcakes but it can easily be used in other recipes. Look on the back of the bag for a sweet and spicy choco version and watch out for my Sweet Apricot Kernel Slices in a future post.
This makes a lovely gift tied up with a colourful ribbon or string.
This recipe first appeared on The Raw Chocolate Company Blog in an edited form
http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Organic Guinea Pig’s Signature Chocolate Orange Brownies*
These aren’t raw but don’t contain any refined sugar and are very moist and tasty!
Prep. Time: 15-20 mins Cooking time: 25 mins. Preheat oven to 180C
Line oven dish with baking parchment
Ingredients:
2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
1/4 Cup Raw Organic Cacao Powder (We used The Raw Chocolate Company* version)
1 1/4 Cups Ground Almonds
1/4 Cup Honey (we used Organic Maple Syrup)
1/2 Cup Pitted Dates
Zest & Juice of 1 Orange
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
Method:
Peel, chop and boil sweet potatoes for 5 mins, blend till smooth
(I recommend scrubbing and leaving the peel on if organic then steaming to retain more flavour and nutrients)
Add all other ingredients and blend
Bake for 25 mins or until knife comes clean
Sprinkle chopped nuts over brownies before cutting into squares
Allow to cool before demolishing!
(Reproduced by kind permission).
They keep well in a tight container in the fridge. We froze some of ours and they kept for ages, only because I wanted to save some for a family visit!
*http://www.organicguineapig.com *http://www.therawchocolatecompany.co.uk
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Sweet Apricot Kernel Slices
Grab Yourself a Slice of Raw Energy!
These Sweet Apricot Kernel Slices are protein-packed and bursting with so much energy, you could be bouncing off the walls! Simple and quick to make, they are excellent for a.m. and p.m pick-me-ups, lunch-boxes and activity snacks.
They keep well in a sealed container in the fridge and can even go in the freezer.
All measurements are according to what looks and feels right.
Substitutions are acceptable on a like for like basis eg nut butter. I use organic where possible. They are vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
1 Cup Raw Chocolate Company Organic Sweet Apricot Kernels, l ground coarsely
1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free Oats
12 Soft Organic Dried Apricots
2 and a bit Tbsps Water
1 Heaped Tbsp Raw Chocolate Company Chia Seeds
1/2 Cup Raw Chocolate Company Goji Berries
A Generous 1/3 Cup Raw Sweet Apricot Kernel Butter (see earlier recipe)
A Generous 1/4 Cup Organic Maple Syrup
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Method
Place ground kernels in a large mixing bowl
Process oats, apricots and water until the apricots are coarsely chopped
Add to mixing bowl along with Goji Berries and Chia Seeds
In a small saucepan, warm the Sweet Apricot Kernel Butter, Maple Syrup, Sea Salt and Vanilla Extract until smooth and pouring consistency
Add to mixing bowl and mix thoroughly until it starts to come together, hands are the best tool for this
Press into an 8″x8″ tin lined with greaseproof paper and refrigerate for several hours to set.
Slice and savour!
This recipe first appeared on The Raw Chocolate Company Blog in an edited form
http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Chilled Sweet Hemp Treats
Do you ever feel that slump of energy after a stressful morning or feel a craving for something sweet that doesn’t involve ingesting unmentionables or make you feel guilty for whatever reason? Do you have a sweet tooth that just won’t be assuaged by a banana or a smoothie? You have to try these Chilled Sweet Treats!
They are fizzing with energy, can be as sweet as you need without any refined sugar, and you won’t go on to eat half the batch and spoil lunch or dinner. They are satisfyingly sweet without leaving you craving more, unlike refined processed snacks.
These Treats have the nutty flavour and texture of Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds, Sweet Apricot Kernels and rolled oats as well as the sweetness of dates, raisins or other dried fruit such as apricots.
So, without further ado, on with the music – what else, but ‘Craving’ by James Bay! (http://youtu.be/tA3yqUZHsMI ) – and out with the measuring cups.
Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Raw Chocolate Company Sweet Apricot Kernels* – roughly ground
1/3 Cup Raw Chocolate Company Shelled Hemp Seeds + a little for the topping
1 Cup Dried Fruit, I used a combination of Medjool Dates (chopped) and Raisins
1 Tbsp Organic Maple Syrup (optional)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
Pulse the Sweet Apricot Kernels, Shelled Hemp Seeds and Dried Fruit a few times until they begin to combine.
Add the Maple Syrup (if using), Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon and process until all combined, forming a ball.
Mix in the oats until well blended in.
Line a baking tray with parchment
Break off small amounts of the mixture, roll into balls and then flatten out into thin circles and place on the try.
Sprinkle a few Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds on the middle of each circle and press in gently with the back of a teaspoon.
Place in the fridge until they firm up. They will also freeze. I open-froze them first on a tray before placing them in a container.
Makes about 15, but I think 2 will be enough!
This recipe first featured on The Raw Chocolate Company Blog in an edited form.
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Spicy Orange Fruit Balls
These raw treats are loved by everyone who tastes them, including the sceptical male Tweens in the family! They are moist, sweet and fruity and will keep for ages in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. They are quick and easy to make and would be a lovely gift if placed in pretty cases and a suitable box, decorated with colourful ribbon or string.
Depending on the size, makes about 15.
Ingredients
10 Dried Figs, stems removed
6 Soft, Sulphur-Free Dried Apricots
(You can substitute other dried fruit but the overall flavour will be different)
1 Tbsp Orange Zest and a tiny squeeze of juice
1 Cup Desiccated Coconut
1 Tbsp Raw Organic Maple Syrup
(less if you don’t like too much sweetness)
1 Tsp Dried Cardamom
A little Desiccated Coconut and/or ground Raw Sweet Apricot Kernels*, Raw Cacao Powder*, Tiger Nut Flour* for dusting.
Method
Process the dried fruit, then add the rest of the ingredients and process again until it all comes together.
Here comes the lovely messy bit!
Scoop up about a rounded tablespoon on the mixture and using your hands, shape gently into balls.
Next, roll some of them in dried coconut, ground Raw Sweet Apricot Kernels or a little dusting of Raw Cacao Powder
Refrigerate to firm up and keep chilled in an airtight container or if they aren’t going to be gobbled up at once, keep them in the freezer.
Lick your fingers!
Christmas Truffles
These were inspired by a recipe for an alternative Christmas Pudding on The Raw Chocolate Company Blog*
As always, measurements are approximate, substitutions are encouraged so long as they are like for like. If you don’t have enough dates, use some raisins or figs to make it up.
Different combinations of tart or sweet berries will give you a different balance of sweetness.
The fun bit is that if you really want, you can scoop out small amounts of the mixture and try them with a different combination of spices, or dust with a different powder eg cacao*, tiger nut flour,* finely ground sweet apricot kernels* or almonds, and you can test as you go along, add a bit of this or that, see what you prefer and then next time do it all for real with your preferred combination!
Good for getting the kids involved rolling them in different ingredients and trying them out.
They also make a great gift.
So put on some Seasonal music – here’s my antidote to all the shopping centre Christmas muzak: Miley Cyrus, Permanent December http://youtu.be/m6uXu2roXsc and off we go!
Ingredients
Half Cup Raw Chocolate Company Raw Sweet Apricot Kernels
Half Cup Organic Walnuts
Half Cup Dates
Half Cup Raw Chocolate Company Goji Berries (or combination of Gojis & Golden Berries)
Half Cup Raw Chocolate Company Mulberries
Zest and Juice of Half an Orange
Zest of Half a Lemon
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
Or whichever spices you prefer, adjust amount according to taste
Method
Pre-soak the Sweet Apricot Kernels
Soak Berries in the Orange Juice
Drain Kernels and process
Add remainder of ingredients. Process & Stir, Process & Stir, it will take a while, until you arrive at your preferred consistency.
Scoop spoons of the mixture and roll into balls in your hands.
Refrigerate to firm up.
Lightly dust with Raw Chocolate Company Raw Lucuma Fruit Powder or whatever else you fancy.
Place in truffle cases, decorate with holly and gracefully accept all the compliments!
Copyright: Chris McGowan
GoGo Berry Fudge
Grab a bag of Raw Chocolate Company Golden Berries* – or 2, you may find you want to snack a little as you work – and find some Belinda Carlisle and The GoGos (http://youtu.be/KjNZcGP-jAk) to give your vocal chords a workout while you try out this simple recipe.
It is so decadent it should be illegal but it has protein, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and minerals. It’s so moreish I was advised by one family member not to leave it out!
This fudge makes a lovely gift if placed in an airtight tin – I used a tartan shortbread tin: line the base, cut 2 paper doillies in half and stick the straight edge of each half inside the top edges of the sides so they fold over the fudge. Keep the fudge chilled before placing in the tin at the last minute and seal around the edges before gift-wrapping.
This recipe also uses Sweet Apricot Kernel Butter – see earlier recipe Gettin’ Jiggy in the Kitchen.
WARNING: I strongly advise you do this alone in the privacy of your own kitchen with no family members around or there could be an unseemly scrimmage to scrape out blender, bowl and utensils before you’ve even finished – and that should be your privilege!
Ingredients
1 Cup melted Raw Chocolate Company Cacao Butter – Tip: place the tub in a bowl of hot water while you get everything else together
1 Cup Maple Syrup
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
2 Tsp Raw Chocolate Company Lucuma Fruit Powder
1 Cup Raw Chocolate Company Cacao Powder
1 Cup Raw Sweet Apricot Kernel Butter (see earlier recipe)
1/2 Cup Raw Chocolate Company Golden Berries
1/2 Cup Raw Chocolate Company Goji Berries
Few Squares Raw Chocolate Company Pitch Dark
Method
(N.B. You need to work quickly before it starts setting).
Blend all ingredients except the Berries and Pitch Dark. I tried this in a small flask blender, but it didn’t work and I ended up transferring to a food processor, but a high speed blender is probably best.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Berries and some grated Pitch Dark.
Spread in a lined 8×8 tin
Grate some more Pitch Dark on top and refrigerate for half an hour – if you can wait that long!
Break into bite-size chunks – it is quite rich so a little goes a long way.
Tip: clean up as you go along, the cacao butter and fudge batter set quickly so wipe up any drips straightaway and put blender, bowl and utensils to soak as soon as you’re done with them, saves elbow grease later and gives you more time to indulge before you have to let in the hungry hordes.
This recipe first appeared on The Raw Chocolate Company Blog in an edited form.
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Lemony Tiger Nut Truffles
Tiger nuts aren’t just tiny little balls of protein, they are also versatile in flour and milled form.* I decided to add some milled to these lemony truffles.
(While devising this recipe I found myself humming Mud’s Tiger Feet and discovered this youtube video of Mud live on ToTP 1974. It’s hilarious and can’t fail to make you smile! http://youtu.be/QZvPtzFyrSM)
Ingredients:
I Cup Organic Cashews
Half Cup Milled Tiger Nuts*
1tsp Raw Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Half Small Carrot, grated
2 Heaped Tsps Desiccated Coconut
2 heaped tsps Lemon Zest
Squeeze of Lemon Juice – go easy, it doesn’t want to be too wet
Some Grated Nutmeg to taste
Method
Process until mixture comes together.
Roll into balls and dust with more Milled Tiger Nuts or Desiccated Coconut.
Makes about 7 or 8 depending on size and how much you’ve been ‘testing!’
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Raw Orange, Cacao & Tiger Nut Cookies
This is my version of The Tiger Nut Company’s Coffee and Walnut Cookies, but replacing the coffee with orange juice (see website for original recipe*). They are a great way to use up the pulp left over from making Tiger Nut Milk or Horchata.
I don’t drink coffee but these looked so good, we decided to adapt them by substituting orange zest and a tiny squeeze of orange juice.
To make Tiger Nut milk:
100g of pre-soaked Organic Raw Tiger Nuts from The Tiger Nut Company* (almost a Cup)
Soak water + 3x as much filtered water
Blend with 1 Pitted Medjool Date and Half a tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Pink Hamalayan Salt
Strain through nut bag and save pulp
Keep milk in airtight bottle in fridge.
Ingredients for Cookies
(All measurements are approximate amd may need adjusting, but that means you get to keep tasting and testing!)
Leftover Tiger Nut Pulp
Handful Organic Walnuts + some for decoration
2 Tsps Ground Organic Flaxseeds
2 Tsps Raw Chocolate Company Cacao Powder*
2-3 Tbsps Raw Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
1 Generous Tsp Orange Zest
Tiny squeeze of Orange Juice, be careful, it doesn’t want to be wet.
Splash of Raw Organic Maple Syrup
Method
Process all ingredients until it starts coming together.
Press together and roll into a ball
Dust a very little Tiger Nut Flour or Cacao Powder onto surface and rolling pin to stop the dough sticking
Roll out and cut into shapes
Freeze for about 15 minutes
(Eat any leftover scraps that won’t form another cookie and lick your fingers – cook’s prerogative!)
Icing
Either:
Gently melt some Coconut Oil with a splash of Maple Syrup, a couple of teaspoons of Raw Cacao Powder and a squeeze of Orange Juice
Or
Gently melt some Raw Chocolate Company Pitch Dark or Orange Raw Chocolate in a bowl over some hot water (but not boiling). You might like to add a drop of coconut oil to make it go a little further and help it drizzle.
Decorate cookies and top with walnuts.
Freeze and Keep or Gobble and Go !
Copyright: Chris McGowan
Simple, Easy-to-Make Raw Chocolate: 3 Recipes
Raw Dark Vanutte Hearts, Flowers and Stars
A busy day today! Belatedly inspired to make some raw chocolate for Valentine’s Day, I devised not 1, not 2, but 3 recipes for different palates. They are very simple to make: once you’ve got the cacao butter melted and measured, it takes seconds to mix together and then all you need to do is pour and freeze.
For the first batch, we used the basic recipe on the back of The Raw Chocolate Company Cacao Powder & Coconut Palm Sugar then added a twist.
(We use their products because they are Organic, Raw, Fair Trade and Excellent Quality. Apart from the bars and cacao butter, most of their products come in Resealable Bags and the new packaging is Recyclable too!)
This version is very dark; coconut palm sugar is not like refined sugar, it is much more subtle.
Remember, Raw Chocolate is very rich and you won’t eat as much at once as you would if it were commercial chocolate.
Note: As always, we tend to do things by eye and taste, so measurements are inevitably approximate.
First, cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper and have some small cookie shapes ready.
Heat up some water to melt the cacao butter upside down in a small bowl in order to measure it if it’s in a tub or if it’s broken up into small pieces you can put it straight into the bowl with the cacao powder and coconut palm sugar.
Ingredients
90g Raw Cacao Butter
60g Raw Cacao Powder
60g Coconut Palm Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Approx 3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Raw Almonds (We actually forgot to measure. Just sprinkled them on!)
Method
Melt Cacao Butter and add to Cacao Powder and Coconut Palm Sugar in a bowl over a pan of hot but not boiling water.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and everything is thoroughly mixed and smooth. Add Vanilla Extract and stir in well.
Pour into moulds or cookie cutters on parchment-lined tray or directly onto parchment. If the latter, roll the tray around to make the chocolate spread.
Sprinkle with chopped almonds and lightly press into mixture.
Freeze until hard.
Carefully press out of moulds or break up the flat chocolate into chunks.
Vanutte Chunks
It is best left in the freezer until required. We portion them up so we can just take out the amount we need then the chocolate doesn’t start melting while you break it up or sort out how much you want.
Recipe 2: Sweet Mulberry Raw Chocolate
This second recipe is sweeter as it has raw maple syrup in, children might prefer it, although it is still dark. My grandsons wolfed them down – gone in a flash!
As before, have some moulds or cookie cutters ready on a parchment covered tray.
Ingredients
25mls Melted Raw Cacao Butter
15g Raw Cacao Powder
25mls Raw Maple Syrup
10g Cashew Pieces
10g Dried Mulberries, de-stalked and broken up
Method
Mix together Cacao Butter, Maple Syrup and Cacao Powder in a bowl over a pan of hot but not boiling water until well blended.
Mix in Cashews and Mulberries and pour or spoon mixture into moulds, or pour mix into moulds and add nuts and mulberries on top – this will probably give you more shapes, we did it the first way and it made the mixture very thick.
It only made about 6 small shapes that were quite thick, so adjust amounts accordingly if you have a lot of chocolatey mouths to fill!
Freeze and store as before. (They are on the right of the photo above – we tried one first!)
Recipe 3: Sweet ‘n’ Sour Raw Chocolate Chunks
Recipe Number 3 is also sweet and as there are so many different tastes in our family we thought we would cover all bases and add some sweet and sour dried fruit as well as the nuts to this one!
My husband loves raisins but the younger family members won’t eat them so he can have that row all to himself! I love dried Golden Berries, they have a sweetly tart flavour that I can’t resist, so there’s a row of those for me. You could also use Goji Berries. In the middle are cashew pieces and dried mulberries.
Ingredients
30mls Melted Raw Cacao Butter
30mls Raw Maple Syrup
20g Raw Cacao Powder
Handful of Raisins
Handful of Golden Berries or Goji Berries
Handful of Cashew Pieces
Method as before, but pour onto parchment in a tray and roll around to spread it out, then sprinkle the other ingredients in rows to cover the whole area and press in lightly.
Freeze and store as before. (We were able to keep the rows separate once solid by gently using a knife in a sawing motion and then breaking them up).
With all these recipes you can add different flavours. Some like mint, orange – even chilli!
Ps Here’s a whimsical music video by Death By Chocolate. Enjoy!
Copyright: Chris McGowan
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