Now bring me some figgy chocolates!

Same recipe as the Cherry Chocolate Truffles, but with figs instead of cherries.
The fig is a bit over-ripe but still DEliciOUS!

Chocolate Cherry Truffles

A new chocolate favorite I felt the need to share!

Makes one dozen truffles

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup raw cacao powder
• seeds of one vanilla bean
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 12 pitted cherries
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 
  

Instructions:
Place the cacao powder, vanilla bean and salt in a food processor. Pulse gently to combine. Add the dates, honey and coconut oil and process until sticky and smooth. To make each truffle, roll about one tablespoon of chocolate into a 1″ ball with your hands. Flatten into a circle and wrap around the cherry. Roll again to make a smooth, round ball. Place the 2 tablespoons of cacao powder on a plate. Roll the cherry filled truffle in the cacao powder and give it one last roll with your hands for an even coating. Set in the refrigerator for one hour to firm. Consume within 2 days since you’re using fresh cherries, or freeze for longer storage.

Recipe created by Glowing Temple

Xavier Rudd's new album

Koonyum Sun! I think it's his best yet.

vegan chewy double chocolate chip cookies

vegan Chewy double Chocolate cookies!
ingredients:
3/4 c sunflower oil
1.5 c sugar
2 t vanilla
2 c dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)
1T + 1t flax seeds
1/2 c rice milk
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

* Preheat oven to 350*F
* Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips using a double boiler method
* Grind the flax seeds (I used a coffee grinder)
* Blend the flax seeds and the rice milk with a mixer for 30 seconds
* In a separate (large) bowl, cream the oil and sugar on high speed with the electric mixer.
Add vanilla, mix well. Then add in flax/milk mixture, mix well. Lastly, add the melted chocolate and mix well.
* In medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and 1 cup of chocolate chips.
* Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in batches.
* Form dough into 1 inch balls and flatten with hands, a fork, or the bottom of a pint glass
* Bake at 350*F for 10 minutes. You may think they don't look done but they are! They will settle quite a bit after coming out of the oven.
* Let cool and eat as many to your heart's content.

Zuchinni Spaghetti with Cilantro Pesto!

We are having quite some fun with our new "Spiralizer". This wondrous contraption turns your ordinary, yet delightful, vegetable or fruit into noodles!!
So here you see raw zuchinni "noodles" with a homemade cilantro pesto. yum yum!


For the Pesto, I toasted about a 1/2 cup of almonds for about 5 mins on 400*F, put them, along with about 6 cloves of garlic in the food processor. Process until a crumbly mash of garlicky almond goodness. Pour some olive oil (gauge for pesto consistency) in with some salt and just a pinch of nutmeg. Then add about 3/4 of a bunch of cilantro - the more the better to help detox those heavy metals! And voila! Cilantro Pesto! You can pretty much substitute any sort of green leafiness - spinach, arugula, our tried and true basil, etc..

RAWcaroon #2

This time I used fine shredded coconut and a spring release ice cream scooper to form the macaroons. A lot better!

Simple pleasures

mmm MMm! What a difference from the coconut oil I've been using! I suppose the different grades each have their own charm. The one I've been using is neither virgin nor extra virgin and is very mild and bland, but it's great for using in cooking and baking. This new jar I just got in the mail from iHerb.com is extra creamy and very coconutty! I can't wait to make some yummy treats with this guy!



And I couldn't have got a better deal! Retailing at $23.95, I scored it for $14.27 through this magical land of natural products! You can use the iherb coupon code below for $5.00 off your first order!

RawcarOOns

They may look a bit odd, but my oh my are these little dollops of YUM!

After being in the freezer, the coldness + the peppermint create both a fresh and refreshing taste, then add the taste and texture of coconut and VOILA! yum!


Adapted from Glowing Temple
I made a couple alterations, using Agave instead of honey, and grain-sweetened carob chips instead of cacao nibs, and large flaked coconut for, I suppose, a more dramatic approach yet I think next time a medium coconut would be more suitable.