{ the 1st attempt at a raw vegan Hungarian Dobos Torte was a crumbly flop }

There’s no other way to put it.  I’ve been creamed by the Hungarian dobos torte.  At least after the first attempt.

I chose Earthmother’s entry as the winner of my sinful pleasures dessert contest last week, knowing full well I might be wandering too far into unknown (in this case, Hungarian) territory.  But the beauty and unique drool-worthiness of the original recipe made it a challenge I couldn’t pass up.  Although the finished product fell flat, or more like squashed, it wasn’t a total loss.

I’ll first explain how I went about the process of recreation.  I decidedly went for a miniaturized torte due to cost and overall uncertainty to the finished product.  Thank goodness.

I used a traditional recipe submitted by Earthmother with the entry, and broke it down section by section.  The easiest and most successful part was the chocolate.  I’ve got plenty left to make more goodies even after I’ve been in and out of sugar comas (yes this can happen with raw food) from testing, testing, testing and eating spoonfuls of it.

{ raw vegan chocolate }

There are two ingredients that made this chocolate different than any other chocolate I’ve made.  In the original torte recipe, it calls for “3 tablespoons strong coffee”, and so I followed suit by grinding fresh espresso beans and adding 2 tablespoons.  The result was a subtle enhancement to the dark richness raw chocolate already tends to have, and the coffee flavor is only slightly detectable.

The other component was a product I purchased weeks ago to try it out, and this happened to be the perfect occasion.  If you aren’t familiar with agave inulin, it’s practically a dead ringer for confectioners’ sugar.  Fine and powdery, it isn’t nearly as sweet as confectionary but it does lend the same physical characteristics.  The taste is very light and delicate, which is kind of nice rather than a powerful sugar surge.  Now, I don’t believe this agave inulin is raw, but the Viv Agave product (available at Whole Foods Market)  is stated as “organic, prebiotic, and probiotic”.  And when making sweets that call for confectioners’ sugar I think it’s a very good compromise.

So the original torte recipe is emphatic on using vanilla confectioners’ sugar  both in the chocolate and the cake.  As you can see from the photo, I used vanilla inulin but I also added 1 1/2 scraped vanilla beans to the mix.  For the raw translation, I’m not sure that it made a big difference in flavor, perhaps very subtly it did.  But the product was fun to work with and I can see where it would be a great feature for other raw desserts.

{ agave inulin package, inulin mixed with vanilla }

{ bowl of agave inulin mixed with scraped vanilla beans }

On to the next main component of the dobos torte monster: the golden cake layers.  I was pretty enthusiastic while making this “batter” since the test specimens I whipped up seemed successful.  Again I used agave inulin, in addition to coconut flour.  True raw coconut flour is made simply by dehydrating young coconut meat and grinding it to flour consistency.  Bob’s Red Mill also makes packaged coconut flour, but since there’s no stipulation to whether it’s raw on the label, I have to assume it isn’t.  My thoughts behind using coconut flour and the agave inulin was that it would help to create a truer light “cake” texture that wasn’t too dense.  Maybe the macadamia nuts screwed it up? I’m not sure.  But when it came out of the dehydrator (maybe a little too done) it was far from the light cake texture I’d hoped for.  It tasted good, but it was dry and cracking up.

{ cutting out the cake layers }

Still trying to make it work, I went ahead using a ring form to punch the layers but it continued to break apart. “No way!” I thought.  I was gonna keep this thing together somehow, and surely the thick chocolate would help glue it all together.  Wrong!

{ dabbing on the chocolate }

By the time I assembled and stacked all five layers, they began to collapse under their own weight.  The chocolate oozed from every side, the cake continued to crack and slide around upon each chocolate layer.  But I had just one more idea in the hopes of salvage.  I let this torteless thing rest until it appeared to be well settled.  Then I took a very sharp knife and attempted to clean up the edges to its intended round, uniform shape.  NOPE, no deal.

{ torteless mess }

The final step would have been to add the caramel glaze.  I think I still have a good idea of how to do that, but as you can see it didn’t quite get that far.  Despite this total construction fail, the chocolate was really good and the cake may have been better had I not let it go all night in the dehydrator.  So here’s how I did it:

The vanilla sugar:

1 cup Viv Agave organic blue agave inulin
1 1/2 vanilla beans, scraped

Blend together in a food processor until the sticky vanilla beans are evenly distributed.

The Chocolate:

1 cup cacao nibs
1/2 cup vanilla inulin
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup agave
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp finely ground espresso
1/4 tsp sea salt

Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender or Vita-mix. I strongly recommend a blender versus a food processor to assure the chocolate becomes very smooth and silky.

The “cake”:

1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked at least 8 hours
1 cup sifted coconut flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup vanilla inulin
1/4 cup agave
1 tbs coconut oil
1/4 tsp sea salt

First, put the macadamias, agave, and coconut oil in a food processor and blend well. Then gradually add dry ingredients and blend again. A dough ball will form, and at this point begin drizzling in the cup of water until it becomes a sticky batter consistency. With an offset spatula, spread mixture about 1/4″ thick onto lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate until desired tenderness.

And finally…

Earthmother:   I know you were looking forward to this, so I hope the raw goodies make up for the wonder torte that socked it to me.  I still wouldn’t have chosen different, and this isn’t the last attempt!

<3, JMK

{ raw vegan, gluten-free, serves 6-8 }

Since clementines have been in season, my household goes through about 15 pounds per week.  These sweet, succulent, easy-to-peel, seedless little spheres are like nature’s candy.  I average about 4 per day myself, and that doesn’t include those I juice or put into smoothies.  Now that I have an awesome ice cream maker, thanks to Cuisinart, clementine ice cream was naturally first to come to mind.

Of course you don’t have to have the pistachio brownie with the ice cream, but they sure love each other.  And since I’ve got you all telling me your sinful pleasures, chocolate has definitely been on the brain this week!

The orange caramel though is a must!  One of my new loves is raw yacon syrup, from the roots of the yacon plant.  Besides being a fantastic sweetener, it’s probiotic, full of antioxidants, and diabetic friendly.  It’s perfect for a caramel sauce since it’s uncannily similar to the real buttery, sugary thing in both texture and flavor.

For the ice cream:

First make cashew cream:

1 cup cashews, soaked for 6-8 hours
2 cups water
1 tbs agave
1 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients well in blender or Vita-mix until very smooth. Refrigerate before use.

Remaining ice cream ingredients:

2 cups frozen clementine segments
1 cup cold water
3 tbs agave
1 tbs coconut oil
pinch of sea salt

In a blender or Vita-mix, first blend the clementine segments and remaining ingredients. Then incorporate 2 cups cashew cream and blend well. Transfer to ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions.  Mix in about 1/2 cup chopped fresh clementine segments, if desired.

For the pistachio brownie:

2 cups oat flour
1 1/2 cups raw cocoa powder
1 cup dark agave
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
2 tbs coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt

In a food processor, blend all ingredients, except for pistachios, until well-mixed. Transfer to a bowl and fold in pistachios. In a shallow baking pan, spread brownie mixture to 1/2″ to 3/4″ thickness. Place in the bottom of a dehydrator and dehydrate 12 to 14 hours at 115 degrees, until firm. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

For the orange caramel:

1/2 cup clementine segments
1/2 cup raw yacon syrup
1/4 cup agave
2 tbs coconut oil
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until very smooth.  Spoon over ice cream and serve.

<3, JMK

{ raw vegan, gluten-free, serves 2 or more }

This is a very simple, elegant way to impress your Valentine, and once you have this chocolate fondue you’ll find any occasion to make it.  Although strawberries are an obvious match for melted chocolate, you can use any of your favorite fruit, or even pieces of raw macaroons, cookies, or brownies.

I add a pinch of cayenne pepper to many of my chocolate recipes.  Have no fear, this doesn’t make it spicy.  Rather, chili powders such as cayenne somehow compliment chocolate, lending a rich warmth.

{ what could be better? }

For the fondue:

1 cup raw cacao nibs
1 cup raw agave
1 cup coconut butter (Artisana brand recommended)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-mix or food processor until very smooth and warm.  Transfer to a small fondue pot or heated dish to keep warm and melted and serve.

For dipping:

Strawberries, apple slices, pineapple chunks, banana pieces, or any of your favorite fruits.

{ Gorilla, my assistant }

<3, JMK

{ raw vegan, gluten-free }

It’s only mid-May, but I’m already tasting summer.  Surely it’s evident in Central Florida’s recent days of sweltering heat.  However, I’m talking about the seasonal treats making their debuts in the marketplaces around here.  Like crisp, cool watermelon; juicy heirloom tomatoes in all their glorious shapes and vibrant color spectrum (whomever coined them “ugly” was a fool); and last but certainly not least – sweet, succulent CHERRIES.

They have a pretty short growing season, so they need to be celebrated while they’re with us.  And cherries have MUCH to be celebrated! Gobble ‘em down while you can, from now until about late August (in North America).

Cherries are chocked full of a very important pigment called anthocyanin.  Anthocyanin gives them their rich, red color, indicating that they’re oozing with antioxidants.  Interestingly enough, it’s this antioxidant benefit produced by the anthocyanin that not only counters those icky free-radicals, it’s like eating your sunscreen and protects against ultraviolet radiation.  Just like it gaurds the flesh of these little gems, eating them will help protect yours, too.

If the whole antioxidant thing weren’t neat enough, anthocyanins also contain melatonin, a horomone typically produced from our brain’s pineal gland that helps regulate our sleep cycle.  They are also natural pain relievers, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and load a big gun for aiding with weight loss.  Because of anthocyanins’  anti-inflammatory properties, loading up on some cherries can help shrink fat cells and lower cholesterol levels (provided you aren’t washing them down with a quarter-pounder with cheese).

As an added bonus, cherries are high in vitamin C, fiber, beta-carotene (nearly 20 times more than blueberries or strawberries, in fact), potassium, magnesium, iron, and folate.  Bottom line…cherries ROCK.

And by the way, in no remote stretch does anything I just said pertain to those syrupy, overly-processed maraschino cherries in the jar that you use to make your Shirley Temple.  Those should be totally avoided like the plague, unless you want to replace all the aforementioned nutritional fabulosities with sulphur dioxide brine (a bleaching agent), calcium or lime by-products, artificial dyes, flavorings, and high-fructose corn syrup.  Eeu.

Simple Cherry Chocolate Shake

1 1/2 cups fresh-frozen pitted cherries
1 1/4 cups almond milk
1 vanilla bean
1 tbs agave
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients into Vita-Mix or blender until smooth.  Add less almond milk for a thicker shake.  Spoon over desired amount of chocolate sauce.

Chocolate sauce:

1/2 cup cacao nibs
1/2 cup agave
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until very smooth.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan, gluten free)

Some tweeting about Nutella last week helped to put the chocolate bug in my (un)cooking bonnet.  It was that time again for something sweet, something rich and chocolatey.  What could be better than that something tasting like a healthy version of Nutella?  Well, that was the idea anyway.  These dense, decadent truffles turned out to be more like Nutella’s intensely sophisticated cousin.

A little raw cacao goes a very long way, even in a household of chocoholics and sweets addicts.  As a matter of fact, if a confectioner’s biggest fan can happily sweep through a dozen Godiva truffles in one sitting without flinching, I guarantee one of these extra strength, unrefined counterparts can stop them at just one.  Maybe two, but not without taking a breather to seriously ponder what they just ate.  This chocolate, the REAL chocolate, tickles those little pleasure receptors in the brain in ways their boutique buddies just can’t reach.  Oooooooh. Sounds kinky.

This recipe makes approximately 2 dozen truffles.

The Black:

1 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 scraped vanilla bean
pinch of sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tbs hazelnut flour

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, except for the hazelnut flour, until very smooth.  Sprinkle in hazelnut flour and process again until mixture is well blended and thickened.  Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

If all this talk of raw chocolate intensity is a little intimidating, enter the yin to the yang: the hazelnut butter.  It’s nutty, sweet, creamy balance is chocolate’s perfect compliment, and tapers off its vigor on the tongue.

The White:

1 cup of hazelnuts soaked overnight for 10-12 hours
(preserve 1/2 cup hazelnuts for butter, 1/2 cup for rolling)

2 tbs coconut butter
2 tbs agave nectar
1 tbs vanilla maple syrup (or 1 tbs maple + 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp sea salt
cold water, as needed for thinning

In a food processor, blend 1/2 cup hazelnuts with all ingredients except for the water.  You may have to stop intermittently to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Continue to blend well to achieve as fine of a crumble as possible.  Begin to trickle in water, very conservatively, to help smooth the hazelnut butter.  Be careful to not water this down.  You want to achieve a mixture that is as smooth as possible, but still thick.  The butter will not yield perfectly smooth results, as can be easily done with cashews.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumbs.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup of hazelnuts, a light drizzle of agave, and a pinch of sea salt to a processor and blitz.  Spread on teflex lined dehydrator trays and deydrate for 1-2 hours at 100 degrees until dry and crunchy.

Only once these little balls of lusciousness are rounded out and coated in cocoa powder and bits of hazelnuts do they become a complete package.  When you bite into one, there’s an initial subtle crunch, followed by the slightly bitter tinge of cocoa powder.  Creamy, lightly sweet dark chocolate breaks through and begins to dance with creamy nuttiness in the background.  The finish and aftertaste melt away as a soft, buttery lingering on the tongue.

Truffle Construction:

Have each ingredient in a separate bowl. Your hands WILL get messy, but that’s part of the fun.

1/2 cup processed and dehydrated hazelnuts
1/4 cup cocoa powder
“black” – truffle chocolate
“white” – hazelnut butter

For scooping chocolate and hazelnut butter: 2 melon ballers or teaspoons

Begin by scooping a dime-sized amount of hazelnut butter and gently form into a ball.  Then scoop a quarter to half dollar coin-sized ball of chocolate into your hand, and press out gently to slightly flatten and form a cup-like indentation in the middle. Put the hazelnut ball in the middle, and simultaneously fold the chocolate in to seal while working into a ball with your palms.  Don’t worry that the hazelnut ball isn’t perfectly sealed within and will actually resemble something like the yin and yang symbol.  Drop the ball gently into the cocoa powder and roll to coat.  Finally, drop it into the hazelnut crumbs and gently press them onto the truffle to stick without compromising the shape.  Work at a moderate pace so that the chocolate doesn’t get too soft and sticky. Place into a sealable container in a single layer, as they’ll need to go into the refrigerator to firm and for storage.

These should last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  I plan to make a batch of these and mix them with some other truffle creations for holiday gifts and treats.  They’re fun and easy to make, but look like you bought them from your neighborhood chocolatier.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan, gluten-free*)

These little chocolate cakes have given me another perfect opportunity to rave with total geekoid enthusiasm on the deliciousness of raw food’s sheer simplicity.  Not just in the ingredients, but in method and execution.  Sure, you can get very elaborate with equipment, multiple steps and layers, and time consuming processes to achieve the end result, but it certainly isn’t always necessary.

As I’ve said before, I’ve never been into the whole sweets and baking thing, and really don’t have all that much of a sweet tooth, period.  Yes, I know I’m weird.  I’m a 37 year-old woman that hasn’t a hint of a chocolate addiction.  At best, whenever I do have a sweets craving, chocolate or not, it’s usually dictated by the time of month.  The last couple of days happen to have been one of those occasions, and instead of hitting the Godiva store for a fix, I decided to take a chance and come up with some kind of chocolate mint cookie.  Maybe even an Oreo-like sandwich cookie – at least that was my original thought.

You see, even an anti-baking sweet tooth idiot like me can create something pretty fool-proof, fancy, and so good that whoever your lucky guinea pigs are would never even know these are a “raw” treat.  Raw ingredients allow so much room for adjustment and non-precision.  Real baking is quite the opposite, which is why I probably never got along with it.  You have to have the exact amount of this and exact amount of that.  One ingredient off, and your cake will fall flat.  Leave your cookies in a minute too long, and they’re like hockey pucks instead of moist and chewy.

Furthermore, even if you love to bake (and I commend those who do, it’s truly an art). . .even if you know hardly a thing about raw food. . .or maybe you’re just looking for a decadent way to enjoy your chocolately sweets without the guilt, raw desserts are your savior!  Not only are they guilt-free, they’re naturally good for you!

After doing some recipe research both online and through all of my wonderful raw food books, it’s apparent that formulas and methods for chocolate desserts vary greatly, with the exception of a few fundamental ingredients like cacao nibs, cacao powder, and agave, just to name a few.  So with the basics I gathered, I headed to the kitchen last night and pulled out everything I thought would work for the cookie portion. Because this was a totally winged first attempt, there is no real recipe.  Every step was an experimentation.

I began by making a rich chocolate syrup from cacao nibs, agave, and coconut butter and processed until completely silky smooth.  From there, hazelnut flour, pecans, vanilla extract, peppermint oil, cocoa powder, rolled oats, chopped dates, and a pinch of salt were added.  I took a small ice cream scooper and dolloped portions onto Teflex deyhdrator sheets.  And then, with the back of the scooper dipped in water (for non-sticking) I gently pressed into each dough ball to create concave cups.  They were dehydrated for 12 hours at 110 degrees.  The end result was much more of a rich cake texture, rather than a cookie – hence, “mini cakes”.

The filling was simply made with cashews that were pre-soaked for 8 hours and refrigerated.  I blended them with agave, vanilla extract, coconut butter, and a pinch of salt.  The key in getting a silky smooth, crème texture is drizzling in very cold water simultaneously while processing, as well as blending very well and adjusting ingredients throughout the process.

I filled a plastic storage bag, corner snipped and fitted with a cake decorating tip, with the cashew crème and filled each mini cake.  Finally, I let them chill and set in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.

I loved how chocolately rich and delicious these turned out, but I will definitely make a few small adjustments next time around.  They were so easy!  And the 12 hour dehydration time should never be a set-back since this is something you can conveniently do before going to bed.

* Make sure rolled oats are not from facility which processes wheat products, which could result in cross-contamination and therefore would not be considered gluten-free.

<3, JMK