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!

Chocolate peanut butter truffle bites

Might be one of the most heavenly chocolate truffles I’ve ever tasted. Very easy to make, with only a few ingredients and melting-in-your-mouth-kind-of-yummy. Any further description unnecessary - let’s get baking!

Chocolate peanut butter truffle bites

Makes 12

Ingredients

3 dl / 1.2 cups rolled oats

1 dl / 0.4 dl cacao (preferably raw)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch flakey salt

12 fresh dates, pitted

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups unsweetened crunchy peanut butter

Frosting

8 fresh dates, pitted

3 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil, room temperature

5 Tbsp water

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups cacao (preferably raw)

1 pinch flakey salt

How to

For the base: Mix oats, cacao, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Add dates and peanut butter and mix until a sticky batter (I like when there are still some crunch to it so I tend to not mix until completely smooth). Add some more water if it feels too dry. Firmly press the dough in to a a small baking mold (covered with parchment paper). Put in the fridge.

For the frosting: Mix all the ingredients until completely smooth in a food processor. Spread out the frosting over the base. Put back in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Cut in to 12 pieces. Powder with extra cacao and sprinkle with salt before serving. DIG IN!

PS. Store in the fridge, or freezer (if any left…)

Recipe for Coop Sverige. Photo by Magnus Carlsson.

Swedish Chokladbollar By Thess

To make sure we’re all in the game: “Chokladbollar” is the Swedish word for this brilliant and VERY traditional no bake little treat. Directly translated it means chocolate balls, and that it just what they are!

For years I’ve been making several types of raw food bliss balls (no grains, only nuts/seeds etc), then I remembered that I’ve eaten the most delicious chokladbollar every other day when growing up. Chokladbollar might be the one thing ALL Swedish kids learn to bake as soon as they kan stand on a stool (so they reach the countertop).

Anyway, I went back to the roots, made a batch of classic ones - but with a #plantbasedbythess twist. And to be honest they are great. No fuss.

Swedish Chokladbollar

By Thess

Ingredients

Makes about 20-24 balls

🌿3 dl / 1.2 US cups rolled oats

🌿12 fresh dates, pitted

🌿1/2 dl light tahini or almond butter

🌿1 dl / 0.4 US cups raw cacao powder

🌿1 Tbsp brewed coffee

🌿1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or vanilla powder, optional

🌿A good pinch of flakey salt

🌿Shredded coconut for rolling 

How to

Mix all of the ingredients until smooth (you want it to be sticky but rollable) in a food processor. Add a bit water or oat mylk (any plant mylk really) if it feels too dry, or a bit more rolled oats if it feels to wet.

Form in to balls. As big or small as you want. Basic knowledge - if you make smaller ones you can eat many and you get more (!) coconut coating.

Put shredded coconut in a bowl, add a few balls at a time and give the bowl a good shake so the balls get all covered. OR even smarter - use a bowl with a lid, then you can give it a proper shake!!

Let the chokladbollar sit in the fridge for about an hour before eating. Best when chilled! Eat within a couple of weeks (you will never be able to keep them for that long. Trust me on that one!).

Good to know!

The chokladbollar can be stored in the freezer if you want to keep them for longer, or make in advance in you have a fika coming up.

Soft raspberry ice cream with whipped coconut cream and hazelnuts

A quick dessert, or why not a weekend breakfast och brunch. That's one of many clever things about nourishing food, you can have them at anytime from breakfast to dessert! Avocado is the secret ingredient which makes this quick ice cream irresistibly soft and creamy. Try substitute raspberries for blueberries, blackberries or a mix of you favourite berries!

And oh, if you can't find hazelnuts without skin in your grocery you can scroll down to find my tips on how to remove skin from hazelnuts (as it has the tendency to give a bitter taste we want to remove it). Plus tips on how to best deseed a pomegranate - knowledge you cannot live without!

Now, who wants soft ice cream in 15 minutes?!

Soft raspberry ice cream with whipped coconut cream and hazelnuts

Serves 4

15 minutes

Ingredients

3 ripe avokados

500 g frozen raspberries

1 tsp pure vanilla powder

4 fresh dates, pitted (use more for a sweeter taste)

Topping

1 1/2 dl / 0.6 US cups coconut cream

1 dl / 0.4 US cups pomegranate seeds

1/2 dl / 0.4 US cups toasted hazelnuts, skin removed 

2 tbsp cacao nibs

Fresh lemon balm

How to

Whip the coconut cream until fluffy. If you find it hard to get it fluffy you can let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minute, as that will make it more firm and easier to whip.

Thaw the raspberries for 5 minutes. Mix with the rest of the ingredients for the ice cream using a immersion blender, food processor och preferably high speed blender until SUPER smooth. Add more dates for a sweeter touch.

Divide in to 4 small (or 2 big if you're on that mood) bowls and top with coconut cream, hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds, cacao nibs and last but not least fresh lemon balm. Eat straight away!!

Toast and peel hazelnuts

Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees celsius. Put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast for about 10 minutes, until the skin starts to crackle. Let cool. Put in a clean kitchen towel and rub to remove the skin.

Deseed a pomegranate

Cut of the top crown and the bottom of the fruit. Now carefully cut the fruit from the top to the bottom, along the inner gentle ridges/fruit membrane which you are suposed to see once the top and bottom are removed. Normally you'll get about 6 cuts. Open the pomegranate, so that you get separate sections. Now you can easily deseed the pomegranate, using your fingers, preferably over a bowl. Remove any membranes that might come with the seeds.

This is a recipe that I created for Swedish vegan food magasin VEGO some time ago! Photo and recipe by me.

Saffron scones with coconut yoghurt and fresh fig compote

Saffron scones with coconut yoghurt and fresh fig compote 

Makes 10 scones

Scones

4 dl oat flour 

3 dl buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1 tbsp potato starch 

1 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 gram pure saffron, ground 

1/2 dl organic raisins (or dried organic apricots, cut in to small pieces)

75 g cold pressed olive oil

3 dl oat yoghurt 

Fig compote

8 fresh green figs 

1/2 organic orange, freshly squeezed juice + zest 

1 tbsp honey 

1 tsp chia seeds (optional, for a thicker consistency)

1 pinch pure vanilla powder 

To serve

coconut yoghurt 

fresh figs 

How to

Scones: Pre heat to oven to 225 degrees Celsius. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix oil and oat yoghurt, add to the dry mixture and combine quickly with a wooden spoon, the mixture should be quite sticky. 

Form in to 10 small scones, dredge with a bit of oat flour and put on a baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 10-12 minutes, until scones are slightly golden and crisp on the top.

Fig compote: Wash and quarter the figs. Zest and squeeze the orange, put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until a compote, stirring all the time to avoid burning. 

Serve scones freshly baked with coconut yoghurt and fig compote. 

Happy holidays and lots of love! 

Recipe from a spread for Swedish food magazine Allt om Mat winter 2016. Photo by Jonny Lindh.