Cranberry Scones

In the everlasting quest to incorporate very healthy - and tasty - foods into our everyday diet, it's important I chase after some of these healthy takes on yummy bakery classics. This is not your Mama's scone! Especially for Andy, my roommate (who is British), this is definitely not what he is used to. There will be no floury baked goodness, no clotted cream, and no sugary jam. Actually, when it comes to raw recipes, it's all in the head. The only thing familiar here to a traditional scone is that is has some dried cranberries and raisins in it, and was shaped to mimic a scone prior to going into the dehydrator.

This raw scone is so fresh, so healthy, so delicious, I actually feel proud of myself for eating it. If I had humans kids (as opposed to my furry ones), this is the exactly the kind of food I would be feeding them because it is made of the best stuff we can put into our bodies; all natural fruits and veggies. The stars in this scone are: apples, carrots, flaxseed and almond meal. It is low in sugar and high in fiber, rich in omega 3s and 6s, and beta-carotene! :-)

For the people on the fence about raw food, I will say that I am so glad I got a dehydrator in embarking on my quest to learn how to make raw foods. I know the initial cost might be off putting and the concept is different to what has become a traditional 'food' lifestyle, but honestly it it so cool and I am so excited that this adventure is changing my life for the better, that I highly recommend it. It's the kind of thing one should slowly incorporate. No need to culture shock your food world if this is way off the beaten path. But if you want to be kinder to your body, this is definitely one of many ways to do it.

The book I take this recipe from does offer recipes for raw and vegan creams, jam sauce, and miso coconut butter to go with these scones.  However, the scones are so good on their own, I didn't see a need to make them.

RECIPE

3 cups applesauce ( from 3 large apples or 4 small ones)

2 cups carrot pulp ( from 4- 5 large carrots)

2 cups almond meal

2 cups raisins

1 cup fresh or dried cranberries

1/2 liquid coconut oil

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 cup brown or tan flaxseed

1 cup filtered water

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the applesauce, carrot pulp, and almond meal in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the raisins, cranberries, coconut oil, and agave syrup and stir until well.

Combine the flaxseed and water in the blender and blend until mixed well. Add to the applesauce mixture in the bowl and stir until well mixed.

On dehydrator trays line with Teflex or ParaFlexx sheets or parchment paper, measure about 1/2 cup dough and form into a triangular scone shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Dehydrate for 8 - 12 hours, or until dry or to desired consistency.

Will keep for a week or more in the fridge. The drier they are, the longer they will keep.

Making Carrot Pulp and Applesauce

To make carrot pulp, all you need to do is juice carrots and use what is left over. If you don't have a juicer, visit a local juice bar to order carrot juice and ask to receive the leftover pulp. The pulp gives the scones a lighter texture. Using shredded carrots won't work in the same way since they have more moisture and a different texture from the dry pulp. 

Applesauce is super easy to make: Just place cored apples (with or without skin) into the food processor and puree. It's that simple.

CRYSTAL'S NOTES

• Okay- so not everyone will have a juicer and going to a local juice bar may be asking too much. Speaking for myself, that is way too much work. Luckily we have a juicer because it is just another item in our arsenal for better health (and I will be blogging recipes soon). I did juice my carrots and used the pulp as suggested. I removed the carrot pulp from the juicer, saved the carrot juice and pumped 2 apples into the juicer and later used the fresh carrot/apple juice with some vodka on ice for a cocktail (yum!). Of course, it is delicious on it own without the alcohol. Either way, don't let the juice go to waste.
• REMEMBER- this is RAW food! You cannot make traditional applesauce- NO cooking! The apples puree up nicely as described above.
• I added cinnamon to my apple puree.
• Ani did not offer a temperature setting for the dehydrator in her book, but I dehydrated at 105F for the 12 hours. It is to be LIVE food so you cannot dehydrate over 140F and you want low and slow for a nice even dehydrated scone. It also allows you to monitor over time to see what you like and don't like. I picked at one scone and we tasted every few hours to test how moist or dry we liked it. In the end, we liked the 12 hour drying time.
• If anyone is ho-hum about the drying time, first- the food assembly is fast and once you pop it in the dehydrator and move on to do chores or hobbies, you will forget about it and the time will fly. Second- the energy usage is minimal. Here is a site where this woman does an at home comparison of dehydrators in terms of effectiveness and also has done the math for electricity consumption. I am sure 12 hours sounds like a lot but you will find cost is minimal due to the wattage of the dehydrator. She even provides a link to explain how she arrived at her dollar figure.
• You can modify this recipe. I used 1 cup purple and 1 cup golden raisins. I was going to add nuts but decided not to. I am sure you can add currants, or most kinds of dried fruit/nuts and it's going to taste fab!
• Almond Meal (ground up almonds) is available at most stores. Click here to see what you are looking for. It can be tricky to make on your own at home (avoiding making a nut butter while getting it finely ground) but is doable in a pinch.

Enjoy!

Source:Ani's Raw Food Desserts

Pear-Ginger Cheesecake

When you need a break from heavier desserts, this little beauty is the way to go. I may say that a lot when it comes to raw desserts but it is just so true. This raw 'cheesecake' recipe is satiny smooth, delicate yet spicy and has a subtle addition of chocolate with a light crunch from the crust.

Pear and ginger make the perfect relationship in this recipe. Pears have such a unique and light flavor that on its own, some people aren't in love with it. Some. However, add the spice and aromatics that ginger offers and this is quite the relationship duo striking the right balance! Actually I think these flavors would make a good martini.

When needing to live in my raw food moments, it's so nice to be able to go to a dessert that mimics the looks of a traditional cheesecake. A little trickery for the mind to make me think I am getting something from the bad side of town. The fun part is that the taste is usually so good that it is weird to stop and think, "Wow! There is no butter, no flour, no refined sugar, and no bad fats in this. Crazy!"... & no, it does not taste anything like a real cheesecake but gets its name based on look and preparation for setting up in the traditional cheesecake springform pan. Sometimes after eating these desserts both Andy and I will reflect on the ingredients and list them out and it's cool to think of raw food in this way; fruits, nuts, spices, healthy fats = dessert (what!).

Even though this is a completely natural and raw dessert, it is (as a lot are), made with generous amounts of nuts which can carry a high calorie count and some healthy fats. Even these desserts must be eaten in small portions. This is not a license to pig out because it's essentially a healthy dessert...and that is your warning. It will be tempting with this recipe and others like it because the filling is so smooth and delicate it's almost like eating a beautiful mousse that you want to experience over and over.

RECIPE

Chocolate-Almond Crust
1 3/4 cups dry almonds
5 tablespoons cacao powder
3 1/2 ounces date paste (weight)
1 teaspoon liquid vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt


Pear-Ginger Filling
3 cups soaked cashews
3 cups chopped pears ( about 16 ounces weight)
3/4 cup agave syrup
3/4 cup ginger juice
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon liquid vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon lecithin
1 cup coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Chocolate-Almond Crust

1. Add to food processor the nuts, salt, vanilla, and half the amount of date paste, and any other ingredients the recipe may call for.
2. Process all ingredients until the crust starts to rise on the sides of the food processor bowl. Stop the machine and mix with a spatula or spoon.
3. Repeat a few times until the nuts are well broken down. Add remaining date paste and continue processing until mixture is consistent. The final result of the crust should be a mixture that can hold together with a gentle pressure and can be broken apart with a clean break.
4. Assemble a 10-inch cheesecake pan with the bottom up (opposite the way it would normally be used with lip facing down). This makes it much easier to serve. Lightly grease the entire inside of the pan with coconut oil.
5. Distribute crust evenly on the bottom of the cheesecake pan and lightly compact by hand. Set aside until ready to be filled.

If the nuts are too chunky, try sharpening your blade. You can also lightly process the nuts and salt by themselves before adding the other ingredients. Adding all of the date paste at once will not allow the nuts to break down properly. Some chunky nuts are okay if this is a preference but must be broken down enough to make the crust to come together.

When pressing the crust into pan, be careful not to use too much pressure, as this will result in the crust sticking to the pan and making the serving process challenging. On the other hand, if you are not pressing firmly enough the crust will be crumbly and messy. If crust is not sticking together and breaking apart cleanly, you need to add a small splash (1/2 - 1 teaspoon) of liquid vanilla and process a bit longer.

Making the cheesecake filling

1. Add to the blender all ingredients except the coconut oil and lecithin.
2. Blend well until smooth and creamy ( 3 - 5 minutes).
3. Stop blending and add the lecithin and melted coconut oil.
4. Resume blending until oil and lecithin are well incorporated
5. Pour filling into springform pan with prepared crust. Recipe may call for a swirling decoration (instructions below). If you want to, or are asked to, make a swirl reserve 1 cup of filling and add:
1. 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2. 3-4 vanilla beans (scraped insides only)
6. Place in freezer to set for 1 - 2 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.
7. Remove springform ring by inserting a non-serrated paring knife along the inside edge of the pan. Open springform, remove cheesecake and decorate to your liking.

Swirling (optional)

Swirling is a decorating technique that is a quick and easy way to make a dessert look elegant and delicious. Swirling always requires two or more contrasting colors. The stronger the contrast, the more beautiful the swirl will be.

The basic rule to creating a beautiful swirl is to have each of the fillings as close to same consistency as possible. This causes them to smoothly and easily flow and glide into each other. The process is simple, although requires practice over time to perfect, and these general rules apply to the 10 inch cheesecake recipes.

1. Pour all but 1 - 2 cups of the finished filling into the pan (onto prepared crust).
2. Blend the reserved cups with the ingredients the recipe calls for. This should be a brief blend phase as you just need to combine the added ingredients. Often the recipe will call for some additional liquid (like vanilla) to compensate for any added dry ingredients.
3. Now, confidently begin to pour into the pan (only pour 3/4 of the reserve mixture). Do not pour lightly. You want some of the colored mixture to pierce the surface of the filling, moving around to evenly distribute throughout the cheesecake, which will be visible on the individual slices.
4. After you have poured 3/4 of the reserve mixture, start to pour lightly the remaining mixture, letting a ribbon of the filling to fall onto the surface. Once you pour lightly, the filling should sit directly on top the surface of the rest of the filling. Make sure to get near the edges, but not touching.
5. Now, grab a chopstick or something similar, and insert it just below the surface and begin to move it around, swirling the fillings into each other. Try to make it as balanced as possible, meaning both colors will be equally visible. It is important to know when to stop as too much swirling will blend everything together and there will no longer be a contrast of colors. Actual swirling time is minimal and the effect is achieved quickly.

Storage

Cheesecakes will keep for at least four days. Store covered in the fridge.

 CRYSTAL'S NOTES

• Date Paste - you can make this by pitting and chopping dates, then boiling them in a heavy bottomed pan with 1 3/4 cups water. After bringing to a boil, let simmer for 1 minute.  Drain and cool. Then puree in a blender. I added a splash of whiskey to my dates while they were cooling just prior to blending.
• Ginger Juice - Using ginger root from the store ( required 2 very large pieces) shave off the skin with a knife and juice in an electric juicer. You can also use a garlic press to squeeze juice out of the ginger root, although I think that would take forever. You can online search other options but it can be a do-it-yourself process.
• Coconut-Oil - has a low melting point. You do not need a high flame to melt this and I recommend a low and slow melt. Coconut oil can be sensitive and if you heat it too high, too long it can go rancid. It's a delicate and beautiful oil.
• Lecithin- what the hell is that? I didn't know, have never used it, and had to look it up.  Our Vons, who rarely has what we need, didn't have this either. You can sub vegetable oil or canola oil.
• I botched my swirling because, well, I didn't read #5 :) . But it still looks nice and gave it some unique aesthetic appeal.
• My garnish for the cheesecake is pear slices that have been dusted with cinnamon and dehydrated.

Enjoy!

Source:Sweet Gratitude

Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Blackberry Glaze

These muffins are moist, delicious, full of nutrients, and the blackberry glaze is just gorgeous. It's a perfect bite for breakfast or even an afternoon snack.

Since making raw foods is still new to me, I sometimes anticipate doing a new recipe and this one is no exception. I wonder how each will turn out and I am always curious about the creation process as I head into it. Once again it was fast and easy. The only real work is waiting for the dehydrator to do its business which in this case was 7 hours of drying time. However, while you are waiting, the dehydrator is busily warming the muffins and blowing out the gentle warm scent of blueberries into your home, which was both welcoming and delightful to the senses.

If you like traditional muffins made with flours and sugar of some description, you may pause at the thought of a raw muffin. I challenge that this muffin is as good, if not better than, a traditional healthy muffin, and that you will not be disappointed! Especially if you have a healthy streak in you, then there is no denying that you can benefit from this as an addition or replacement to other muffins. Even the oat bran muffins at grocery stores or bakeries have flour or refined sugar added. This is an all natural way to get equally good taste without the heavier added ingredients that our bodies have to work through. And as usual, because it's not baked, all the nutrients are still viable and ready to do their good work for you.

RECIPE

Muffins

1 2/3 cups almond meal

1 cup golden flax meal ( about 3/4 cup whole seeds ground into powder)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract, or the seeds from one vanilla bean

1 tablespoon liquid coconut oil

1/3 cup cup filtered water, as needed

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze

1/2 cup cashews, ground into a fine powder

2 tablespoons blackberry juice ( from 1/3 cup blackberries pushed through a wire sieve)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon filtered water, as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the muffins, mix together the almond meal, flax meal, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the agave syrup, vanilla, and coconut oil and mix well. Add the water and mix to a batter like consistency. Gently fold in the blueberries ( I did this by hand).

Place your choice of small or large cupcake liners into a muffin pan and spoon dough into each. I suggest gently pressing the dough into the shape of the liner. This is not traditional baking where the dough cooks up and out. It will not take shape unless you make it. Fill cups to your personal liking. Place the pan into the dehydrator and dehydrate for 4 - 7 hours, until the batter is dry to your desired consistency.

To make the glaze, combine the cashew powder, blackberry juice, lemon juice, agave syrup, and water, in a personal blender and blend until smooth.

To serve, frost each muffin with the glaze.

These will keep for several days refrigerated. Can be frozen for several weeks and thawed. Warm muffins in the dehydrator at 104 (optional) for an hour or two before serving.

CRYSTAL'S NOTES

•  I added chopped walnuts to this recipe for a textural element. I like my breakfast muffins to have soft and crunchy elements in them, and I personally love nuts anyway. You can modify this recipe in all kinds of different ways and still keep it raw.
•  I did not puree my glaze enough, you really want a smooth silky glaze. The cashews take a little extra time to blend through. Don't hesitate to add more blackberry juice than what is recommended. I did so after the fact and it was more delicious and the color amazing.
• Author Ani Phyo recommended a yield of 6 muffins/cupcakes for this recipe which would have been too big in my opinion (large liners). For the amount of flax in these muffins, I don't think you would want more unless your digestive system is really used to it. I used the standard size cupcake liners and filled them to the top and they were perfect. One of these satisfied my sugar craving and I felt full for hours.
• This muffin is rich is Omega 3 and 6, antioxidants, and vitamins.

 Recipe: Ani's Raw Food Desserts, by Ani Phyo


Enjoy!

Black Sesame Sunflower Bread

Sometimes the ingredients speak for themselves! And sometimes the most basic of ingredients together bring a harmonious blend of flavor in one natural bite that I think to myself, "Geez, why do we make things so complicated?". Well, that is an easy answer...cause they taste good. Having said that, even I get so caught up in ingredient heavy recipes that I forget that something as simple as avocado and red onion on an all natural bread can taste so good and requires nothing else.

As we all round the bend into 2013 no doubt some of us are still enjoying cakes, cookies, yummy candies, and the cheese laden hors d'oeuvres that holiday festivities bring. It's my favorite time of year but I know I will be itching to get back to veggies and healthy living on a full time basis. In the meantime, I am okay with fattening up a bit (more).

However, when you are ready to decongest your body of refined sugar and flour and do a little cleansing, this is a good recipe to introduce into your diet. This recipe for Black Sesame Sunflower Bread comes from 'Ani's raw food kitchen' and was a simple straightforward recipe that yielded bread enough for 4-6 sandwiches (maybe more) depending on the size of bread you like.

This was the first time I used my Excalibur dehydrator that I have had sitting around for over a year. Previously the thought had daunted me on using this new equipment in conjunction with the raw food process and making recipes...but like most things I need to just dive in and figure it out! In the end- not very complicated. You can use an oven cooled to below 140F to dry foods but as this is a 5 hour drying period, you really would need to invest in a dehydrator. Keep in mind that dehydrators have many uses for dried fruits (including fruit rolls),veggies, nuts, chicken, herbs- you name it. It is a very useful tool when it comes to healthy living. And it is more affordable when making healthy snacks for kids and using natural foods in some manner before they have to be tossed out.

The recipe is as simple as mixing the ingredients and spreading the mixture onto a dehydrator sheet/tray. I was surprised that the wet bread mixture had a sort of meaty texture to it. I was intrigued to see how this would turn out. 

Let dry for 4 hours, flip and score the bread, let dry for another hour before serving warm.

Of course you don't have to serve it warm. As Ani states in her book, she will often make this bread and take on the road with her since it makes for a quick sandwich and she can throw some fresh cut veggies on it. Simple, fast, and healthy!

Originally I made this bread to go with another one of her recipes for 'Sun Burgers on Black Sesame Bread with Sun-Dried Tomato Catsup and Hot Mustard'

 I really enjoyed this bread for the taste, the texture, and that I felt like I was doing something good for my body at the same time. Admittedly, I liked it more with just a couple simple ingredients like avocado and red onion with a little bit of the hot mustard and sundried tomato catsup. I can imagine using it for other sandwiches that may have sprouts, cucumber, tomatoes, and a little mayo. A lot of possibilities exist for this bread and they don't need to be raw food related.

Ingredients

1 cup ground flax seeds

1/3 cup whole flax seeds

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons yellow onion, chopped

1 1/3 cups water

2/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup black sesame seeds

Instructions

Mix ground and whole flax seeds, salt, garlic, onion, and water. Add sunflower and sesame seeds and mix well.

Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter evenly on one dehydrator tray. Dry at 104F for 4 hours. Flip and score the bread into nine slices to make it easy to break into straight lines. Dehydrate another hour before serving. Serve Warm

Yields: 4 to 5 servings

Crystal's Notes

• Score your bread according to the size YOU prefer.
• This bread keeps stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
• You can double or triple your recipe, dry and store. When fully dried, the bread will keep at least a month or two.
• Drying period may require longer than 4 - 5 hours depending...just check on it touching the top and bottom of the bread and get a feel for what you like and if you want it more dry.
• Ani recommends using this bread for morning toast, a base for pizza's, or as a bun.
• If black sesame seeds are not available, tan seeds wills work well too.
• If 4- 5 hours of drying time seems long to you, it could be because working with a dehydrator is new. Dehydrators are energy efficient and a great way to dry foods while preserving the nutritional qualities that would otherwise be baked or fried out with other cooking methods.

Enjoy!

Pecan Chai Pie on Cashew Crust

The name of this dessert alone sucked me right in! Then I read the ingredients and saw some of my favorite spices; cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

This is an almost guilt free dessert when compared to something like a traditional pecan pie and I am sure it takes a lot less time to prepare. 

When it comes to raw desserts (raw food in general, really) a couple things occur to me. The first is how amazing all the fresh ingredients smell. In this dessert I just want to immerse myself in the vibrant aroma of the fruits, nuts, and spices, that once mixed together are like aromatherapy heaven. They literally smell alive and the best thing is that this dessert smells like fall to me. So it's seasonally appropriate too!

The second thing I notice is how filling raw foods are. I can pack away a lot of food for a small person, especially desserts (which I do not share). With raw foods, I can usually only eat half of a portion and I am full and feel totally satisfied...AND...that satiety lasts me for hours.

The food postings I am doing on raw food recipes are new to me in terms of preparation . During my vegan years I bought my food already made and packaged from Whole Foods. Since I wasn't really into cooking or baking at that time, it was much easier to stay on track and assure I wasn't consuming animals and was getting healthy, fresh meals..and got my desserts in, of course.

So if this is new to you and seems 'weird' because it's not traditional baking, stick with me...it's new to me too! It is different and some recipes will require some different tools, like a dehydrator, but it's another adventure in culinary experiences, as I see it anyway...and because it is raw food , you get the nutritional benefits of foods that are in their prime and haven't had their beautiful enzymes cooked out. This is also a nice option/addition to quickly put together if you entertain and some of your visitors have vegetarian or vegan needs, or maybe they are on a traditional weight-loss 'diet'...perhaps they will feel better about indulging if they know it is actually good for them.

RECIPE & REQUIREMENTS

Cashew Crust

1 cup cashews, dry

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups pitted dates (Medjool, khadrawhi, or other semi-soft date)

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Syrup

1 medium orange, zested, peeled, and seeded

1 cup pitted dates

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp grated nutmeg

Splash of water, as needed

Filling 

4 cups pecans, dry

Required: Blender and/or Food Processor

INSTRUCTIONS

To make crust, pulse cashews, vanilla, and salt in your food processor. Slowly add the dates and process into a dough-like consistency. Empty into a bowl.

cashew crust

Use some of the shredded coconut to "flour" the bottom of a pie pan. Mix Remaining coconut into the bowl with the cashew mixture. Press into the "floured" pie pan.

'flour' bottom with coconut

spread crust into bottom of dish

To make syrup, place orange pulp into the bottom of a blender. Add dates, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg and blend. Add a splash of water as needed to make a thick syrup. Set aside.

making the filling

To make filling, mix pecans, syrup, and 1 tbsp orange zest well. Spoon filling into pie crust.

Will keep for four to five days in the fridge.

SERVING INFORMATION

Makes one pie

For 16 servings, per serving: Calories 300, protein 5g, carbohydrates 25g, fat 21g, sugar 16g

Percent daily value: potassium 11%, vitamin C 9%, calcium 4%, iron 10%, vitamin E 6%, thiamin 15%, riboflavin 4%, niacin 4%, vitamin B6 7%, folate 5%, vitamin K 6%, phosphorous 14%, magnesium 18%, zinc 13%, copper 31%, maganese 80%, selenium 5%, dietary fiber 25%

Source: ani's raw food kitchen

Crystal's Notes

• Instead of one pie pan, I used 8 of my 5" ceramic dishes, which when compared to her serving reference would equal 2 servings per mini pie dish.
• When making the syrup, you may need to use more than a 'splash' of water. I ended up with a paste and kept adding water until it was indeed a thick syrup.
• After zesting and peeling the orange, I made sure to remove as much of the outer white skin of the orange segments as possible until it resembled a thick pulpy orange juice that I might get at the store.
• I rolled the cashew crust into 8 balls and then flattened into discs and placed one in each ceramic dish. When pressing them out into the dish, I found it helpful to wet my fingers which prevented the crust from sticking to my fingers and allowed for a more successful smoothing out of the crust.
• Use raw nuts and not salted ones. If all you have on hand is salted, then I would suggest to put them in a bowl and cover with double the amount of filtered water and let sit overnight. In the morning, rinse them off disposing of the salty water. DRY - this recipe calls for DRY nuts, so you can use a dehydrator at 104 to dry for about 3 - 4 hours. Or dry out on a cookie sheet for several hours, being sure to move the nuts and rotate the sheets around.

Until next time, have a great day!

Crystal

Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake

This post starts a new direction for me personally in the world of all things sweet. No matter how much I love and yearn for refined sugar and floury baked goods (and always will) that are laced with heavy cream, caramel, or topped with meringue, it is my inner health nut that yearns for a healthy and long term option to satisfy cravings. The answer to this issue for me is in the form of raw desserts.

I became aware of raw food desserts during the years I spent living a vegan lifestyle. Not much into cooking or baking at that time due to time constraints, I often bought all my food pre-made. Being a dessert junkie I obviously had a specific need to discover my sources of vegan desserts which were mostly raw desserts, pre-made from Whole Foods.

For those folks unaware of what a raw dessert is, I have taken this excerpt from Wikipedia in which 'raw food veganism' is described this way:

" A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed, raw plant foods that have not been heated above 40 °C (104 °F). Raw vegans such as Douglas Graham^[3] believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost much of their nutritional value and are less healthful or even harmful to the body. Advocates argue that raw or living foods have natural enzymes, which are critical in building proteins and rebuilding the body, and that heating these foods kills the natural enzymes and can leave toxins behind. However, critics point out that enzymes, as with other proteins consumed in the diet, are denatured and eventually lysed by the digestive process rendering them non-functional. Typical foods included in raw food diets are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains and legumes."

In addition, Vegans do not consume or use anything that is an animal or that came from an animal. You would be amazed the animal by-products that exist in everything from food to your deodorant and toothpaste, film, and even charcoal to filter wine. The only reason I ended my vegan diet was due to a health issue in which the doctor said my diet exacerbated my problem. In the following years with new doctors and after painfully changing my diet, I came to find out he was full of it. Much of what I learned and followed stays with me and I want to make some efforts to add more of those ways back into my world, starting with one dessert at a time. 

I present you with the Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake taken from Ani Phyo's book,  'Ani's Raw Food Desserts'. I wanted to start with a recipe that had simple ingredients, was easy to follow, and was chocolate.

What impressed me the most was how fast it was to put this together. I made this dessert while I was in the midst of dinner preparations and really did not take any time to make it look pretty, smooth my frosting, etc. And while you can use a food processor as the instructions call for, I actually used a Vitamix blender instead...much easier to clean. It was kind of a relief not to have to wait for the baking and cooling process before frosting once that was all over.

I also enjoyed the chocolatey taste and didn't have the awareness that what I was eating was made of fruits and nuts. The raspberries give it a brightness and balance that is much needed. I think next time I may do individual mini tarts with the cake bottom, frosting middle, and all raspberries on top. I personally felt the double layer cake was a tad too much cake.

RECIPE

Fudge Cake

3 cups dry walnuts

2/3 cup unsweetened cacoa powder or carob powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup pitted Medjool dates

Frosting

1/3 cup semi-soft pitted medjool dates

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/2 cup ripe avocado flesh (from about 1 medium avocado)

1/3 cup cacao powder

Filling

1/2 cup raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the cake, combine the walnuts, cacao powder, and salt in the food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed. Avoid over-processing. Add the dates and pulse until mixed well. Shape into 2 stackable cakes of desired shape and set aside.

To make the frosting, combine the dates and agave syrup in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the avocado and process until smooth. Add the cacoa powder and process until smooth.

To assemble and serve, frost the top of one of the cakes with half of the frosting and top with raspberries. Stack the second cake on top and frost the top and sides. Serve immediately -or- place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up.

The cake on its own will keep in the fridge for many weeks. 

The frosting will keep separately in the fridge for 1 week.

The assembled cake with raspberries will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.