Cashew ice cream bites with crispy chocolate coating

Most times when I make “raw desserts” like these ones I use buckwheat in the base as I think it can get quite “heavy” and almost too filling if there is nuts and seeds in the whole thing. PLUS the toasted buckwheat gives a great crispy texture!

This goodies takes a bit of preparation or - more accurately - that you have time to do the cake the day before you’d want to serve/enjoy it. Mostly because the cake needs a good 8 hours or too so set in the freezer. The steps before though doesn’t take much time at all and aren’t tricky. So - let’s get baking right this second so that you could enjoy a bite or two (or 5) tomorrow!

Cashew ice cream bites with crispy chocolate coating

Makes 12

Chocolate layer

4 dl / 1.6 cups whole buckwheat groats

24 fresh dates, pitted

1 dl / 0.4 cups cacao, preferably raw

2 pinches sea salt

3 Tbsp light tahini *

Ice cream filling

3 dl / 1.2 cups cashew nuts, soaked for 2-4 hours

2 dl / 0.8 cups coconut milk or oat cream

10 fresh dates, pitted

1 tsp pure vanilla powder

1 pinch sea salt

100 grams frozen (or fresh if in season and locally grown) blueberries, thawed

25 grams freeze-dried berries, for example raspberries and strawberries

How to

Soak the cashews for 2-4 hours.

Pre heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.

Put the buckwheat in a fine mesh strainer. Bring about 5 dl of water to a boil. Pour over the buckwheat, then rinse with cold water. Put the buckwheat on a baking tray, toast in the oven until dry and crisp - takes about 10-15 minutes. Stirr every now and then.

Mix the toasted buckwheat for a minute in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to a dough. You might want to add a bit more water if the dough feels too dry. Divide the dough in half. Roll the doughs, one at a time, in to thin “sheets” between two baking papers using a rolling pin. You want the sheets to be the same size as the bottom of a small baking tin which you’ll use to freeze the ice cream bites in. Put one sheet in the bottom of the baking tin (with a baking paper underneath). Put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Rinse and drain the cashews. Mix with the rest of the ingredients - except the blueberries - until completely smooth using a blender. Pour 2/3 of the mix on top of the chocolate base. Add the blueberries to the blender and mix until completely smooth once more. Pour over the cashew base. Sprinkle over the freeze-dried berries. Put in the fridge for 2 hour. Take out, and finish by adding the second crispy chocolate layer on top, lightly press in down. Put back in the fridge and let sit over night.

Remove from the fridge and cut in to small pieces, to get the prettiest pieces it’s easiest to cut them straight out of the freezer - however I prefer to wait 5-10 minutes before serving. It’s THE BEST, trust me! Even though it’s reallyyyyy heard not to start eating them straight away…

HOPE YOU LIKE THEM!

*If you cannot find light one I’d suggest you’d use cashew butter instead, as a dark tahini will give to much flavour here - we want to get the “humble” flavour/quality wihich both light tahini and cashew butter have - unlike other nut/seed butters (which I LOVE too, but just not here).

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar

Cinnamon cookies with salty chocolate peanut butter

These little semi raw cookies are easy to make, pretty to look at and AWESOME to eat!!

I got the idea for these ones after yet another of my bliss balls-moments where I topped a cinnamon ball with a spoon of chocolate peanut butter. It was SO GOOD!

Here I’m using both almond butter (in the cookie) and the peanut butter (for the topping), but you could use either almond butter or peanut butter for both!

So, here’s my latest contribution to the world on yummy plant based treats, hope you like it!

Cinnamon cookies with salty chocolate peanut butter

Makes 16

Cinnamon cookies

10 fresh dates, pitted

1 Tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter)

3 dl / 1.2 cups rolled oats

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2-3 Tbsp water

1 pinch of flakey salt

Salty chocolate peanut butter *

1 1/2 dl / 0.6 cup unsweetened peanut butter crunchy (or almond butter)

1-2 Tbsp cacao powder, preferably raw

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups natural peanuts

1 Tbsp water (depending on how runny your PB is)

1 pinch of flakey salt

For garnishing

flakey salt

dried edible flowers (optional)

How to

Mix all the ingredients for the cinnamon cookies until you get a smooth dough, using a food processor. Add a bit more water in necessary. Form in to about 16 cookies, press down a small spoon in the middle of every cookie. Put the cookies on a plate.

Mix peanut butter, water, cacao and water until well combined. You might want to add a splash of water if the PB feels too thick. Add the whole peanuts and pulse until desired crunchiness.

Fill/top the cookies with the chocolate peanut butter using a small spoon. Sprinkle with flakey salt and dried flowers.

Put in the fridge, preferably for about an hour before serving.

Dig in and ENJOY!

* Make your own OR, you could also use the “Peanut butter chunky choco from” Urtekram. Super yummy and ready to go!

Raw chocolate ganache

Raw chocolate ganache

Frosting for 1 cake

Ingredients

8 fresh dates, pitted

1/2 dl / 0.2 US cups cold pressed coconut oil

3/4 dl / 0.3 US cups water

1/2 dl / 0.4 US cups raw cacao

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

a good pinch of flakey salt

How to

Mix all the ingredients for the ganache until completely smooth in a high speed blender. Add more salt to taste.

Spread on top of any cake, for example my buckwheat base used in the recipe for my Tahini and caramel mousse truffles, and chill well before serving.

Tahini and caramel mousse truffles with raspberries

Carob is a seed that comes from a brown pod of a tree of the same name, originally from the Mediterranean. The flavour is a bit similar to cacao - but with a more caramel touch to it. Except from the great flavour it's said to have quite a few health benefits such as; containing good fibers and minerals, contains a good amount of antioxidants and the seed is also naturally low in fat. Carob can normally be found in well stocked food stores, health food stores and online. However, if you cannot get hold of any carob, raw cacao would work just as fine. 

I like the truffles best properly chilled - close to frozen. Therefore I tend to always store them (if there are any left that is...) in the freezer. Which is good to make sure they stay fresh for as long as possible anyway!

The combination of a sweet yet light base, decadent caramel mousse and a dark chocolate top layer with hints of goji berries is just a prefect combination - time to get baking!

 

Tahini and caramel mousse truffles with raspberries

About 16 truffles

Buckwheat and coconut base

2 dl / 0.8 US cups whole buckwheat, soaked for 8 hours or over night

2 dl / 0.8 US cups grated coconut

8 fresh dates, pitted

1 pinch sea salt

Caramel mousse layer

1/2 dl / 0.2 US cups light tahini

1 dl / 0.4 US cups coconut cream

1 ripe avocado

1 1/2 dl / 0.6 US cups carob powder (to be found in well stocked food stores, health food stores and online)

1/2 tsp sea salt

8 fresh dates, pitted

Chocolate layer

1/2 dl / 0.4 US cups cold pressed coconut oil

1 dl / 0.8 US cups cacao (preferably raw)

1 pinch sea salt

1/2 dl / 0.4 US cups goji berries

How to

Drain and rinse the buckwheat carefully. 

Mix all the ingredients for the base in a food processor until everything comes together and gets a smooth texture. Cover a small baking tin with plastic film. Press the dough into the tin. Put in the freezer. 

Peel and deseed the avocado. Mix all the ingredients for the mousse in a high speed blender until completely smooth (could also be done in a good food processor, but might take some more time). Spread out the mousse over the base, put back in the freezer. 

Heat the coconut oil on low heat, you want it to be liquid but not hot. Add the cacao and salt and whisk together. Let cool. Drizzle over the mousse layer, making sure every bit gets covered. Add the goji berries on top. Put back in the freezer for at least 1 hour. 

Take out the cake from the freezer 15 minutes prior serving. Cut in to smaller pieces. Serve topped with fresh raspberries and fresh mint.

Enjoy! 

Photo by Fanny Hansson. Recipe originally published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar in August 2018.

Apple cake bliss balls with cacao nibs

Delicious small bites of - my take on - a soft and sweet Swedish apple cake! Inspired by my dear friends at Food Pharmacy I made these ones the other day when I wanted something sweet for fika (Swedish word for a time of day when you sit down/chill out/have a snack + cup of tea or coffee or some other drink maybe). And I am very happy with the result - natural sweet, nutty and nutritious ingredients flavoured with two of my favourite spices; cinnamon and cardamom cannot go wrong. So it wasn't much of a gamble to be honest.

Unlike most bliss balls these ones are soft - and almost kind of chewy. As the cashews are soaked before mixing the bliss ball batter, they are easier to digest (+ nutrients even more accessible)+ adds an extra creaminess to the balls. Now let's bake!

Apple cake bliss balls with cacao nibs

Makes about 20 bliss balls

Ingredients

2 dl cashew nuts, soaked for 1-2 hours in 5 dl water I 1 tsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar

2 dl steel cut oats

1 red apple, roughly grated

6 fresh dates, pitted

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

2 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)

grated coconut for rolling

How to 

Drain and rinse the cashews. Mix with the rest of the ingredients, except for the cacao nibs, until a soft and smooth batter. Add the cacao nibs and pulse a few times. Form in to 20 balls, and roll in grated coconut.

Store in the fridge or freezer. 

Almond and apricot bliss balls with wintery spices

Sweet, tangy and chunky at the same time. This is my favourite seasonal bliss balls which I make with toasted almonds, dried organic apricots and all my favourite wintery spices. Make a big batch and store in the freezer - ready to be taken out and served whenever during the upcoming season! 

I make my own "wintery spices blend" that I use both for bliss balls like these but also in hot and cold porridge and hot drinks throughout the season. Try making your own (or use my "recipe" below), using your favourite spices, or by blends like "ginger bread spices" found in the grocery store. 

Almond and apricot bliss balls with wintery spices

Makes about 14 bliss balls

Ingredients

2 dl almonds (preferably toasted for extra flavour) 

1 dl oats (use gluten free if gluten intolerant)

1 dl shredded coconut

12 dried organic apricots

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

2 tbsp freshly pressed orange juice (optional) 

1-2 tbsp almond milk or water (optional)

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cardamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch sea salt 

How to

Pulse almonds, oats, shredded coconut and spices until coarsely chopped * in a food processor. Add the apricots and mix until crumbly, then add the coconut oil and orange juice and mix just until the mixture sticks together. You might have to add a bit of almond milk or water (especially if not using orange juice. This usually depends on how big/soft the apricot are)  to get it to stick together. You want to mixture to be slightly sticky. 

Form mixture in to balls and roll in shredded coconut. Place in the fridge and served slightly chilled - thats how I like them best! 

* I like having quite big bites of almonds in my bliss balls! You could also mix until a flour like mixture before adding your wet ingredients, this will give your bliss balls another consistency.