Mint Chocolate Superfood Fudge~

Note: There are 2 parts to this recipe so be sure to pay attention to the amounts for each step (vs. adding the entire amount in the first step)

Base:

1 c  green hemp seed butter

1/4 c melted cacao butter*

1/4 c melted coconut oil*

6 T raw honey

1 tsp vanilla powder

3/4 tsp pink salt

For Chocolate Layer, add:

1 T green hemp butter

1 T coconut oil

1-2 T raw honey

1/2 c + 2 T cacao powder, sifted to remove lumps

pinch or two additional pink salt

For Mint Layer, add:

1/4  c lucuma powder

6 drops food grade peppermint oil

cacao nibs for garnishing

*If you don’t have a dehydrator, melt coconut oil and cacao butter in a double boiler or  a bowl fitted over a smaller pan of simmering water.

Feel free to use molds or a loaf pan for this recipe. To prepare the loaf pan, line with wax or parchment paper (to help the paper stick, grease the pan with coconut oil and stick the paper to the oil). It’s best to start with room temperature green hemp butter if possible (otherwise you will just need to watch the mixture to make sure it doesn’t firm up too quickly). To make the base, stir 1 c green hemp butter, 1/4 c cacao butter, 1/4 c coconut oil, 1 tsp vanilla powder, 3/4 tsp salt and 6 T raw honey together in a large bowl until smooth. Once all lumps are removed and mixture is well incorporated, remove 1 c of the base to another bowl to make the chocolate layer. To the 1 c of base, add all chocolate layer ingredients and stir well to remove all lumps. Once the chocolate layer is well mixed, scoop into prepared pan (or molds) and smooth layer with spatula or back of spoon. For the mint layer, add the lucuma powder and peppermint oil to the remaining base and stir well. Pour over chocolate layer and smooth as well. Sprinkle top with cacao nibs and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. Once chilled, cut into small squares and serve with a smile
Variations:
-Mix cacao nibs into the base for some added crunch and dust top with cacao powder or lucuma powder
-Omit the chocolate layer and stir cacao nibs into the mint base for mint chocolate chip fudge (just add twice the amount of lucuma and mint oil into the base)

I use lucuma powder as an ingredient in most of my desserts (it’s literally one of my favorite ingredients) but this time I decided to make it the star of the show. I was excited to highlight it’s smooth subtle sweetness and cookie dough/maple cream flavor and this dessert does that flawlessly. It has an exotic, luxurious flavor all it’s own and reminds me why I fell in love with raw desserts in the first place. The tart nutty crunch of the pomegranate seeds and the candy like crunch of the Jarrah (aka Superfood gold) are the perfect complements to the seductive sweetness of the rich, creamy lucuma custard.

…So go ahead and get aquainted with lucuma if you haven’t already. You’ll be glad you did!

Lucuma Custard Parfait
(serves 2-4)

2 T white chia

1 c spring water for soaking + 1/4 c additional

1/2 c raw cashews, soaked 3 hours and rinsed

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla powder

8 drops vanilla flavored liquid stevia

2 T raw honey

3 T coconut creme

3 T coconut oil

1/2 c lucuma powder

Layers and Topping:

Pomegranate seeds (desired amount)

Jarrah bee pollen (desired amount)

First, add the chia seeds to the water and stir continuously for a minute as the chia begins to expand (want to be sure the chia doesn’t clump up as it absorbs the water). Continue soaking for at least 10 minutes. I soaked mine for an hour but you can use them as soon as the mixture has thickened and the chia is done expanding. Just give it another quick stir if you notice it clumping while soaking (this would happen in the first few minutes, no need to watch it for the entire hour). Next, add the soaked chia to a high speed blender with the soaked cashews, additional 1/4 c water, salt, vanilla powder, and stevia and blend well until smooth. Add the honey, coconut creme, and coconut oil and blend again. Lastly, add the lucuma powder and blend well one last time to incorporate. The mixture will be thick so you may need to use the plunger to help it along. To serve, sprinkle some pomegranate seeds and Jarrah into the bottom of the serving glass or dish of your choice (I like using a wine or champagne glass for this one). Pour the lucuma custard over the Jarrah mixture, sprinkle with additional Jarrah mixture and top with more of the lucuma custard. Add one last sprinkling of pomegranate and Jarrah to the top and place in the fridge to chill for several hours. Serve chilled to someone you love and enjoy!
Note: this would be great with any of your favorite superfood toppings- goji berries, cacao nibs, pistachios, coconut flakes, etc.

Garlic-Tahini Kale Salad
(serves 2, depending on appetite) 

For the salad:

2 bunches lacinto kale

several pinches sea salt

juice of 1/2 lemon

handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1/2 c sundried botija olives (or however many you like)

2-4 T Spirulina Crunchies

optional additions: sprouts, saurkraut, other fresh herbs (basil or dill especially), sundried tomatoes, cucumbers, etc

Garlic-tahini dressing:

1/2 c stone-ground tahini

4 T freshly squeezed lemon

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 T chickpea miso

4 T extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp tamari

1 tsp tumeric

1/2-3/4 c water  (depending on desired consistency, I used 3/4 c)

First, tear the leaves of kale off of the stems. Place them in a large bowl, sprinkle with sea salt and lemon, and massage well to break down the kale (be sure you don’t have any cuts on your hands or this will hurt!). This will take a few minutes to really get it soft but it’s worth it.

massaged kale

Once soft, set aside to make the dressing. For the dressing, simply blend all ingredients in a high speed blender and pour over the salad. You will most likely have some dressing leftover, it’s great as a dip or a sauce for raw or steamed cauliflower.

garlic tahini dressing

Massage dressing into salad to coat the leaves. Top with Spirulina Crunchies, chopped parsley, olives…

garlic-tahini kale salad

…and any other additions you would like.

topped with spirulina crunchies and ruby kraut

Enjoy!

Maple Cream Maca Bars

Maca Bars

1 c soaked almonds (you will need 1 c dry almonds total for the bars and the cream)

1 c coconut flakes

5 T lucuma powder

3 T super maca powder

6 T maple syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

3 T coconut sugar (adjust to taste, omit for less sweetness)

2 T raw almond butter

6 T melted coconut creme

12 drops vanilla stevia (english toffee flavor is great too)

First, you will need to soak your almonds for 24 hrs. Rinse them first and be sure to change the soaking water and rinse again at least once during the 24 hours. You will have approximately 1 1/2 cups after they’ve been soaking. Use 1 c for the bars and the other 1/2 c to make the almond milk. Add 1 c of the soaked almonds to a food processor and grind until well broken down but not liquified. Add the coconut flakes and lucuma powder and process again to combine. Next, add the remaining ingredients and process again until the mixture clumps together. You may need to stop during the processing to scrape down the bottom and sides to make sure everything is incorporated. Next, remove the batter to pan lined with wax paper (no need for the wax paper if you’re using a glass or non-stick dish) and press down. To smooth the surface, place another piece of wax paper over the top and smooth out with your hands or the back of a spoon. I used a large loaf pan but you can use any medium sized pan or dish and vary the thickness accordingly. Place in the fridge to chill while you make the maple cream.

Maple Cream

1/2 c almond milk*

1/4 c raw cashews

5 T maple syrup

1 T + 1 tsp lucuma powder

1/8 tsp salt (add more if needed)

1/2 c melted coconut creme

maple extract, optional

*Almond milk:

Blend 1/2 c soaked raw almonds with 2 c water and strain through a nut milk bag.

Add almond milk, cashews, maple syrup, lucuma powder and salt to the blender and blend until smooth (if you don’t have a high speed blender you will need to soak your cashews for a minimum of 4 hours before blending). Add the coconut creme and maple extract if using and blend well again. Pour over the chilled maca bars and return to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours (overnight is best). No need to chill the cream if using as a topping for pancakes or squash, etc…Serve the finished bars as is or top with an extra drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!

Peanutty Chocolate Macaroons

2 c coconut flakes

3/4 c raw cacao powder

1/2 c wild jungle peanuts, ground into flour

1/2 c wild jungle peanuts, chopped

1/2 c  + 2 T wild jungle peanut butter

1/2 c + 2 T raw honey

2 T lucuma powder

1/4 c melted coconut creme

1 tsp pink salt

1 tsp vanilla powder

First, grind 1/2 c wild jungle peanuts to a flour in a food processor or coffee grinder. Chop the other 1/2 c wild jungle peanuts and set aside. Add the peanut flour to a bowl with the coconut flakes, cacao powder, lucuma powder, salt and vanilla powder. Mix to evenly incorporate. Next, add the wild jungle peanut butter and melted creme and mix together with a spoon or your hands. Add the honey and chopped peanuts and continue incorporating. The mixture will be thick so it’s best to just get your hands dirty at this point to really get everything combined. Once everything is combined, scoop batter onto a large plate or cookie sheet covered with wax paper. You can use a small ice cream scoop, a melon baller or just roll them into a ball with your hands and press them onto the plate to flatten the bottom. Chill in the fridge for an hour to set and enjoy! You can also dehydrate these if you prefer a slightly chewier texture. Just set the dehydrator at 115 degrees and dehydrate for 10-12 hours.
Note: You can also make these into bars by pressing them into a wax paper lined dish and cutting them into bars once chilled.

~Wishing you a beautiful holiday season filled with sweetness of every kind!~

“Holiday Survival” Superfood Porridge

2 T chia seeds

1 c water (+ water for soaking gojis)

1/4 c goji berries

3-4 T lucuma powder

1-2 T spirulina crunchies

pinch vanilla powder

jarrah bee pollen, optional

Soak the goji berries for 1 hour or more (I soaked them for 3 hours). Stir the chia seeds into 1 c of water until they start to expand (stir for a few minutes so they don’t clump together). Let soak at least 10 minutes, I find it convenient to start soaking them when I start the goji berries (soaked both for 3 hours). After both are soaked and the gojis have plumped up, stir most of the gojis and all of the lucuma and the vanilla powder into the chia, adding some of the goji soak water to reach your desired consistency. Top with the remaining gojis and the Spirulina Crunchies (or you can mix the Crunchies in to disguise their taste) and enjoy! This is also delicious topped with Jarrah bee pollen

Cherry Coconut Thumbprint Cookies

Sour Cherry Jam

1 c dried golden cherries

1 c water

1 1/2 T chia seeds

1 T raw honey (add more if you like it sweeter)

Soak cherries in 1 c water for 1 hour or more or for 1/2 hour in the dehydrator (do this while making the cookie base). Add the soaked cherries to a high speed blender with 1/2 c of the soak water, chia seeds, and honey. Blend at medium-high speed until well blended but not completely smooth (good to leave it a little chunky to achieve a jam-like consistency. Use to fill indentations in cookies once done and use leftovers as you would any other jam…Or you can add to smoothies or use as ice cream topping. Yum!

Coconut Cookie

1 1/2 c coconut chips

1 1/2 c raw cashews

4 T coconut flour

4 T lucuma powder

4 T raw honey

2 T extra virgin coconut oil

1-2 T water (I used 2)

8 drops vanilla stevia

1 tsp vanilla powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ginger powder

Add coconut chips to food processor and grind to a powder (this will take a minute or so). Remove ground coconut to a bowl, add cashews back to the food processor and grind to a flour (wait until there is no more rattling sounds with the processor on). Add the ground coconut back to the food processor, along with the rest of the ingredients and process to form a dough. Shape dough into cookies and use your thumb or the back of a spoon (or anything else you can think of) to make indentations in the cookies. Fill liberally with jam and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 8-10 hours (you can do more or less depending on your desired cookie texture). Serve with a glass of your favorite milk and enjoy!

Here’s one served plain as a muffin…

And now dressed up for the full effect…

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes:

Note: You’ll notice that I used carrot instead of pumpkin for these  (I would rather eat raw carrot than raw pumpkin) but you can easily substitute raw pumpkin or squash for the carrot.

1 c pecans

2 c coconut chips

2 c shredded carrots

1/2 c coconut flour

4 T lucuma powder

4 T coconut sugar

3-4 T pumpkin pie spice (will depend on the brand you use)

2 c pitted medjool dates, soaked 1-2 hrs (or soak for less time in the dehydrator)

12 drops vanilla stevia

1 tsp vanilla powder

2 pinches sea salt

In a food processor, grind the pecans and coconut chips to a crumbly powder. Next add the shredded carrot, coconut flour, lucuma powder, coconut sugar, salt, vanilla powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Process until well combined and remove mixture to a bowl. Add soaked dates to the food processor with the stevia and process well to a paste (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times). Add the dry mixture back to the processor with the date paste and process well until a dough forms. To make muffins or cupcakes, form into muffin shapes and place in paper muffin cups. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4-6 hours, cool and frost. Alternatively, you can pat into cookie shapes for cookies and dehydrate or simply chill in the fridge.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 1/4 c raw cashews, soaked 8 hours or overnight

1/2 c + 2 T water

3 T fresh lemon juice

1/4 c raw honey*

pinch sea salt

8 drops vanilla stevia

1/4 tsp vanilla powder

1 T lecithin powder

1/2 c melted coconut oil

1 T melted coconut creme

*This frosting is not overly sweet. Feel free to add more honey if you like it on the sweeter side.

Blend cashews, water, lemon, honey, salt, and stevia in a high speed blender until smooth. Add the lecithin, coconut oil, creme, and vanilla powder and blend again to combine. Pour into a bowl and chill for 2 hours or more in the fridge. You can speed this process by chilling it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so but watch that it doesn’t get too solid. If frosting cupcakes when they’re warm from the dehydrator, serve them immediately as the frosting softens rather quickly on a warm cupcake. Alternatively, let the cupcakes cool slightly before frosting and store in the fridge if not serving right away. Top with pomegranate seeds, cinnamon, or superfood of choice.
Note: You will have more than enough frosting for the cupcake recipe. Use leftovers as a sweet spread for raw crackers or bread, a luxurious addition to your smoothies, or try blending with nut milk to make a rich cream for your favorite coffee or tea drink (amazing with chai).

Enjoy!

Chocolate Superfood Brownies

1 c pecans

1/2 c white mulberries

3/4 c hunza raisins

4 T cacao powder

2 T lucuma powder

2 T honey

4 T green hemp seed meal

4 T (2.5 oz) cacao paste, melted

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla powder

Grind pecans, mulberries, green hemp seed meal, salt and vanilla in food processor until you get a fine crumb. Add the hunzas, cacao powder, lucuma powder and honey and process again until well incorporated. Add the melted cacao paste last and grind again. The batter will still look crumbly but should stick together when you pinch it. Remove batter to a pan or a piece of wax paper and shape into a square by pressing down the top and packing in the sides. Place another piece of wax paper over the top and smooth out with a rolling pin or the back of a knife. Score your brownie square into desired pieces with a knife and place in the fridge to chill. Remove from the fridge for a few minutes to soften slightly before serving (this will give the center a fudgier consistency). Dust with cacao powder or lucuma powder and serve

Wild Jungle Choco Bites

These Wild Jungle Choco Bites are insanely rich and delicious and can easily be made into cookies, bars or balls. Dark, fudgey chocolate embraces subtle peanut undertones to produce a true crowd pleaser that any chocolate peanut fan will love. Try them out and see for yourself!

1 c cacao nibs

3/4 c white mulberries

1/2 c golden cherries (or substitute with hunza raisins)

1/4 c lucuma powder

1/2 c cacao powder

several pinches salt

1/4 tsp vanilla powder

1 1/2 c wild jungle peanuts (reserve 1/2 c for the end)

2 T lucuma vanilla creme

1/4 c extra virgin coconut oil

1 T raw honey or sweetener of choice

1 dropper full English Toffee liquid stevia (or additional honey)

First, grind cacao nibs well in a food processor (this will take a minute- grind to a very fine crumb). Next, add the mulberries, cherries, lucuma, cacao powder, salt and vanilla and process well again. Remove this mixture to a bowl and add 1 c peanuts, lucuma vanilla creme, and coconut oil back to the food processor. Process well until smooth. Add the cacao mixture back to the food processor with the honey and stevia and process again to combine. Taste for sweetness and salt and adjust flavor if necessary. Finally, add 1/2 c wild jungle peanuts and process briefly again to get chuncky bits of peanut (feel free to omit this step if you prefer a smoother texture or a more subtle peanut taste). Remove batter to a large bowl and shape into cookies, bars or balls. Roll balls in lucuma powder or additional chopped peanuts. Chill in the fridge and enjoy!