After Dinner Mint Pie or Torte! Vegan, No bake & Gluten Free

28 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by Aissa in Chocolate, Gluten Free, No bake/ Raw, Superfoods, Tart, Vegan

Tags

Cacao, Cacao Butter, Chocolate, Gluten free, No bake, Pie, Superfoods, Tart, Vegan

Chocolate, Coconut, almonds and mint, they are such a lovely combination! Pre my launch into an imformed healthy veggism* and then veganism I used to be fond of a after dinner mint chocolate. Who says I can’t have one??? and I’ll make it better too, added uber antioxidants from the cacao and minus the nasty processed sugar and artifical stuff! Ta-da! Vegan After Dinner Mint Pie!

Chocolatey goodness

Though there are three layers to make, really all you are doing is mushing stuff together, blending bits to something and melting a whole lot of things and pouring them ontop of eachother. What I am saying is- it is easy!! 🙂

After Dinner Mint Pie / Torte

Almond Base

Two and a half dessertspoons of raw organic coconut oil
Four dessertspoons of raw dark agave
A quarter teaspoon of natural almond extract or five ground apricot kernals
A quarter teaspoon of sea salt or himalayan pink salt
One and two third cups of ground almonds
Half a teaspoon of vanilla powder or one pod
One or two dessertspoons of fresh lemon juice

Coconut Peppermint Filling

One cup of dessicated/ shredded coconut
One and a half dessertspoons of raw organic coconut oil
Nine drops of food grade peppermint oil or a teaspoon of natural extract
This is an odd measure- 15 dessertspoons of non dairy milk

Raw Chocolate Layer

Three dessertspoons of chopped cacao paste
Two dessertspoons of chopped cacao butter
One dessertspoon of cacao powder
One and a half dessertspoons of raw organic coconut oil
A quarter teaspoon of himlayan pink salt or fine sea salt
A quarter teaspoon of vanilla powder or half a pod
Four dessertspoons of raw dark agave
Five dessertspoons of non dairy milk

Base Method:

Grab your 7.5 inc or 20cm tart tin/ pie dish!! Rub it with a little coconut oil or if using a spring form one line with grease proof paper.

Mash your coconut oil together with the dark agave first. Mix your ground almonds, salt and vanilla and add these into the wet. Mix and then get in there with your fingers and start pressing the mix together. It will remain a little crumbly. Sprinkle one spoon of your lemon juice in and press the mix again. You may or may not need another spoon. You just want to wet the ingredients enough that it will hold together when pressed between your fingers.

from another base recipe- but this gives you an ides

from another base recipe- but this gives you an idea- the base for this will be darker

Now press into your tart/pie dish. Attempt to do so evenly- it will look prettier when cutting it later! 🙂 Cover it up and put in the fridge.

Coconut Peppermint Filling Method

You will need your blender or food processor for this bit. I imagine an immersion blender would do fine if you can figure out away to stop the coconut from flying all over the room!

Start with your coconut, coconut oil, peppermint and half the non dairy milk ( I used a light coconut one designed for use in cereals or coffee). Give this a blitz with your preferred pre-mentioned electric contraption. Gradually add more non dairy milk until you get the desired snow like consitancy.

Peppermint coconut snow! With very planned soft focus- really…

Take your base out of the fridge and gently press the peppermint coconut snow ontop. Again try and keep it even. Cover up again and put back into the fridge.

Coconut moon!

Raw Chocolate Topping-hmmm

Chop your raw cacao paste and cacao butter. I use an Irish brand called Nua Naturals- it is where I get my vanilla powder and agave too!

The raw fabulousness

Put some water on to simmer and find the right sized a heat proof bowl (e.g perspex ) to place ontop. The water should not touch the bowl or it will be too hot. Pop in your cacao paste, cacao butter and coconut oil. Once melted add the agave, gently stir in the cacao powder, salt, vanilla and non dairy milk of choice. The milk helps the chocolate layer be a little bit softer so that it possible to cut the torte / pie.

Take your nearly finished pie out of the fridge. Use a towel or oven mitt to pick your perspex bowl and pour the yummy gooey chocolate goodness over the snowy coconut layer. It looks so lovely as it coats it. I find it easiest to pick the pie dish up and gently tilt it this way and that until the chocolate has coated it all in a pretty swirling manner. I like to make a tent or tee-pee for my pie out of paper. This keeps it hidden and also reduces the risk of the top of the pie being marked by a collapsing cover.

Leave to chill for a couple of hours at least. You can keep it in the fridge but it really does need to be out at room temprature for a half an hour before serving. I find the the coconut layer goes so solid when refridgerated it will actually separate from the base upon slicing. At room temprature it softens and it all holds together like pies should!

The after dinner mint pie !

Though rich and chocolatey the peppermint adds a freshness that keeps it from being too heavy! Hope you try it out . Xs Aissa

* I was ten when I turned veggie first, so my eduaction re ingredients was a gradual process!

Raw/No bake “Intensely Dark Decadent Cacao Fudge”- Vegan & Gluten Free

03 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by Aissa in Chocolate, Gluten Free, No bake/ Raw, Superfoods, Sweets, Vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Cacao, Chocolate, chocolate fudge, Gluten free, No bake, Superfoods, Sweets, Vegan

Fair warning- this is a decadently intense chocolate experience. That said a little spoon of this dark fudgey goo hits the the chocolate/cacao craving nail right on the head! You will need a food processor or blender to make it as is. You could use ready prepared ground almonds chop some walnuts to a dust like consistency but you will get a lighter more of cake like version.

Anyone thinking that person spelled cocoa wrong? Cacao is raw cocoa, it has a slightly more complex flavour and a lighter colour. In it’s raw form more of the nutrients survive (esp antioxidants & magnesium) so you get all the fabulousness of cocoa with an extra health kick!

This Fudge is Filled with Filling nuts so is almost like protein chocolate fudge, if the richness doesn’t get you the amino acids will 😉

Intensely Dark Decadent Cacao Fudge

One cup of whole almonds
Half a cup of walnuts
Half a cup of cacao powder
Four dessertspoons of dark raisins*
Two and a half dessertspoons of raw coconut oil
A quarter teaspoon of good quality sea salt
Half a teaspoon of vanilla powder/ a pod
One dessertspoon of pure maple syrup
One dessertspoon of water kefir/ water**
Zest of an unwaxed organic orange- hold half a teaspoon back
Five walnuts chopped
A dessertspoon of desiccated/ shredded coconut

Method:

Ready your machinery and pop in the nuts with half the raisins and the coconut oil. Blend / pulse until they are chopped a bit. Add in the rest of your ingredients bar the last three.

Nearly raw fudge!

It may seem like it it is not going to come together, gradually add in the water kefir/water. The texture will begin to change, you will prob just be pulsing it a bit at this stage. Transfer the fudgey-ness to a bowl add in the orange zest and mix it through. Keep half a teaspoon of the orange zest back, as you will be putting it on top later.

OOooOoo look how dark it is!

I used a 15cmx15cm (5.9inc x5.9inch!) perspex container. I gave it a little wipe with coconut oil to make it easier to remove the fudge. No-one wants delayed access! Plop half the goo in the middle and spread evenly. Add on your chopped walnuts and gently layer more of the fudge on top. Decorate with your orange zest next. Finally sprinkle on your desiccated coconut, press this into the fudge so it can’t go anywhere. Cover and put in the fridge for ten minutes. Take it out and use a knife to cut your little squares of dark delight! Pop back in the fridge and leave to set for another forty five minutes or so.

Intensely dark fudge 🙂

It is fast and easy to make and will keep fantastically in the fridge or freezer. So can be made well in advance or be an emergency chocolate store! Xs Aissa

*Footnotes*

* I used these fab organic Black Beauty raisins from Uzbekistan! I was gifted them 🙂 they had no oil and were really juicy. I think a good substitute would be Jumbo Chilean Black raisins or Muscatels

**Water kefir, why not get some live bacteria, good yeasts and enzymes in your fudge? Kombucha might work too…

No Bake Salted Chocolate Banana Loaf. Vegan & Gluten Free

30 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by Aissa in Chocolate, Gluten Free, No bake/ Raw, Sweets, Tart, Vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Cacao, Cacao Butter, Chocolate, Gluten free, No bake, Sweets, Tart, Vegan

Raw Chocolate, banana, walnut and coconut make such a sweet melody of flavours. Do not be afraid of the amount of salt, it really is key to the recipe. As with a lot of raw recipes it takes a little planning but then it is quite simple to bring it all together. You need to soak the cashews and apricots over night so that they will blend easily. I was lazy almost every evening so I actually did this over three days!

I really want to start mastering the art of stevia use. When I first got into vegan baking stevia was not available in Ireland, due to a very weird ban! I actually bought it Berlin on a college trip! It was a disaster, I used far too much. I learnt my lesson so feel safe to trust the amounts I have used here.

You will need a blender- hand-held will do. A loaf tin, I used silicon, if using an actual tin one make sure to line it with paper so it is easy to take out.

No Bake Salted Chocolate Banana Loaf

Fudgey Apricot Almond Layer

Seven Un-sulphered Apricots soaked over night (use to less for a dryer texture)
Zest of a unwaxed orange
Two dessert spoons of tahini raw if preferred
Half a dessertspoonful of organic coconut oil
Four or five drops of a liquid stevia
One and a third cups of organic ground almonds, grind yourself for a raw version
One and a half dessert spoons of raw cacao powder
An eight of a teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

Method: You will need to get the blender out at this point. I have an immersion hand-held blender and it does okay but if you have a jug better it will come together even better.

soaked apricots

Smush your tahini, coconut oil, stevia and orange zest together. Chop your soaked apricots and add to the tahini mix. Now blend them a bit. In another bowl put your dry ingredients together i.e. ground almonds, salt and cacao. Add half to your wet mix and blend again. Add the other half. It is a bit dry for my blender at this point so I mix the second half through. Now press into your lined or silicon loaf tin and pop into the fridge.

Banana Cashew Coconut Layer

Half a cup of chopped cashews soaked over night. (make sure they are covered by the water as they will swell )
Two ripe bananas very well mashed
Two drops of stevia
One dessertspoonful of pure maple syrup
A teaspoon of vanilla powder/ two pods/ tsp of vanilla bean paste*
A third of a cup of desiccated coconut, roughly ground raw flakes for a raw version
Keep a rounded dessertspoonful of the coconut back for sprinkling

Method: Mash mash mash your bananas, add the vanilla, stevia, maple syrup and mash again! Now add the cashews. Using your blender and blend! Spread this on top of the fudgey layer. Cover and pop back into the fridge.

Pre the walnut layer

Toasted Walnuts and Raw Chocolate Salted Layer

Eighteen walnuts chopped (allowing two for tasting to see if toasted)
A quarter teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or good sea salt
————————————————————–
A third of a cup of cacao paste chopped
Just under a third of a cup of cacao butter chopped
One and a half spoons of organic coconut oil
Five dessert spoons of rice syrup
Two dessert spoons of maple syrup
Half a teaspoon of vanilla powder/ one pod/ paste
An eight of a teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt of good sea salt

Method: You will need two saucepans. Pick one to put hot water so you can melt your chocolate over it in a perspex bowl. Put it on a medium heat so the water simmer. Insure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl or it will be too hot. Put your cacao paste, butter and coconut oil into melt.

Avec toasted walnuts

When your cacao-y mix is melted add the syrups and mix through. Add in the vanilla and salt next. Take off the heat. Leaving it off the heat for a bit before warming it up again helps the cacao butter crystals align and makes for a better chocolate. They say ten minutes but it was more like six or seven when I did it this time.

Meanwhile put another saucepan on a medium high heat and start toasting your walnuts with the salt. They are done when they change colour a little, they inside become a little more yellow. Be careful not to overdo them, hence the tasting!

I picked my salty walnuts out and sprinkled them over the banana layer. I wanted some of the salt but not all, which is why I didn’t just pour them over it.

Put your chocolate back on the hit and give it a stir. It will become lovely and shiny after a minute or two. Using an oven glove or towel grab your bowl and pour the chocolate over the walnut layer.

hmmm yum

Leave for a few seconds. Bang it flat on the table/ counter once or twice to leave air bubbles out. Now put in the fridge to set. I left mine for an hour and a half, but I imagine it would be ready after an hour. I think that after twenty minutes it would be worth taking it out and scoring the top where you plan to cut slices. I will do this next time to make it easier to cut.

close up

It is fudgey, gooey, crunchy ,sweet and salty taste experience. I had mine with Irish salt caramel vegan ice- cream. Sooo good. It is super filling with all the almonds and walnuts so a little goes a long way!

Salted Chocolate banana Loaf

I recommend storing it in the fridge so the banana gooey layer does not melt, though it is cold enough here enough that it would be fine! e.g. see below…

Yesterday’s snow

O and this…

It’s an Organic Lime Fish!

Anyhooooow let me know if you try it out! Xs Aissa

Seasonal Chestnut Chocolate Tart / Pie- Vegan, Gluten Free & No Bake!!

01 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by Aissa in Chocolate, Gluten Free, No bake/ Raw, Tart, Vegan

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Tags

Cacao, Cacao Butter, chestnut puree, Chocolate, Gluten free, recipe, Tart, Vegan

Autumn and Winter are the times for chestnuts. You may even have a can of chestnut puree left over from the Christmas stock pile, or the cooked vacuum packed kind you can puree yourself. Organic Bergamot lemons have just appeared back on our shelves and I could not resist adding some zest to the chocolate mousse-y goodness of the filling. I have decided chocolate to be permanently in season, no arguments!

The recipe can be made lickety split! The longest part is waiting the three or four hours for it to set in the fridge or freezer, whilst you lick bowls,spoons and spatulas 🙂

Chestnut Chocolate Filling!

Seasonal Chestnut Chocolate Pie / Tart

Prepare a 20cm/ 7.8inc tart dish by greasing lightly with a little coconut oil. If using a spring form tin line it with some baking paper to prevent sticking. You will need a saucepan and perspex bowl to melt your chocolate in. I use a handheld immersion blender and a coffee grinder for the nuts, if you have a jug blender that will do even better.

The Press In Base

One and a half cups of ground almonds
A third of a cup of walnuts
One tablespoon of cashews
Eight apricot kernels*
An eight teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or fine sea salt
An eight of a teaspoon of cardamon powder
Half a teaspoon of vanilla powder/ one pod/ one tsp of vanilla bean paste
Three drops of lemon oil/ a quarter tsp of extract
One and a half tablespoons of organic cold pressed coconut oil
One tablespoon of cashew nut butter
One and a half tablespoons of raw dark agave**
Two and a half tablespoons of maple syrup**

* You can use a quarter teaspoon of almond extract instead

** You could also soak six or seven medjool dates or un-sulphered apricots over night. Puree them and use them instead of the syrups.

Chestnut Chocolate Mousse-y Filling

One small avocado- mashed
Optional: Zest of one unwaxed organic bergamot lemon*
Zest of one unwaxed organic orange*
Five drops of orange oil/ one tsp of natural extract/ zest of another orange
One cup/ 225g of unsweetened chestnut puree
Juice of half an orange
Make up a quarter cup of raw dark agave and maple syrup
One scant teaspoon of vanilla powder/ two pods/ two scant tsp vanilla bean paste
70g/ 2.5oz bar of at least 70% good quality dark chocolate
Three tablespoons of roughly chopped cacao butter
Optional: One tablespoon of cacao paste
One tablespoon of cocoa or cacao
A generous eight of a teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
Half a cup of non-dairy milk

*Organic as I do not want to zest chemicals

Base Method

Ready your ingredients and grab a bowl. I like to prepare the dry things first. Grind your walnuts, cashews and apricot kernels to a soft meal. Put in your bowl. Add in the ground almonds, salt, cardamon and vanilla powder. If using vanilla bean paste add it to the wet.

dry ingredients

In another bowl mash your coconut oil, cashew nut butter, lemon oil/ extract, agave and maple syrup.

Add your dry ingredients to the wet ones. Give it a stir, you will need to get in there with your hands in order to get it to turn into a crumbly meal. It should stick together when pinched between your fingers.

You can now press it into the tart dish. Try and get it nice and even. Cover it with baking paper or foil. You can now pop it in the fridge or freezer while you make the delectable chocolate top!

The press in base

Chestnut Chocolate Mousse-y Filling- Method

Put some hot water in a saucepan and keep it on a medium heat on your hob. Make sure you use a saucepan that your perspex bowl will fit over later when melting the chocolate.

In another bowl start combining your ingredients. If you have a jug blender you can add them all to this. Firstly mash together your small avocado, zests, orange oil /extract.

Avocado and zest looking like alien goo

Next grab your can of chestnut puree. So pretty and smooth and shinny! Doing a good impersonation of chocolate. Mash this into the other ingredients, add the juice of half an orange and the agave and maple syrup. Using your blender, blend them all together to a soft fluffy puree. Leave to one side while you get ready to melt your chocolate.

Giant can of puree! I will have to think of another recipe for the left overs!

Roughly chop your bar of chocolate and add it to the perspex bowl on the saucepan. Add in the cacao butter and cacao paste if using, keep stirring until it melts. Turn off the heat. Add your vanilla powder/pod/ paste, the salt and the cocoa or cacao. Mix throughly. Gradually start trickling in the half cup of non-dairy milk. Stir it all together.

Must not stick my finger in, must not stick my finger in

Take your base out of the fridge/ freezer and uncover it. Now using an oven mitt or towel pick up the bowl with the chocolate and carefully add to the chestnut-y puree, gently folding it through at the same time. Use a spatula to get the very last bit of the chocolate goodness.

Oooo!

Quickly, before it begins to thicken, pour the mousse on top of the base. Using a spatula spread it evenly. Do not be heavy handed, you want to keep the air in it. Grate a little extract orange zest on top. Cover it up again, try not to have it touch the pie filling or it will mark it, you could make a foil tent if you like. Leave it to set in the fridge or freezer. A minimum of three or four hours. It is even better if you can leave it overnight.

I store mine in the fridge. When you are serving it leave the slices warm up a little. You can taste it better when it is not too cold. I served mine with some shaved chocolate and a little coconut yoghurt. You could also use your favourite vegan ice-cream.

Perfect start to the new year! Yum yum.

Happy new year to you all. I think it would be lovely to add tablespoon of Grand Marnier, let me know if you try that! Xs Aissa

No Bake! Fruity Mousse-y Chocolate Tart with a Bergamot Biscuit Base! Vegan &Gluten Free

27 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by Aissa in Chocolate, Gluten Free, Natural Health, No bake/ Raw, Superfoods, Tart, Traditional, Vegan

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Tags

Cacao, Cacao Butter, Chocolate, Gluten free, Natural Health, No bake, Superfoods, Tart, Vegan

I spent a bit of time trying to think of a catchy title for this torte! Antioxidant blast Cacao Tart? With a bergamot cookie crust? Clearly I did not come up with one. Suggestions welcomed! I love Bergamot as an aromatherapy oil and in season bergamot lemons are great in juices. Though not a big black tea drinker if there is a pot of earl grey brewing I’d partake in a cup! Chocolate… do I have to explain? Endorphins helloooo! I don’t object to the touch of caffeine either. When you go for the raw stuff you add higher levels of magnesium, all those fantastic antioxidants and the ability to make your chocolate, the way you like it! Want it intensely dark? Have more cacao paste. Lighter and creamier? Up the cacao butter! You can be in control of this magnificent food!! Exciting!

Hmmm Choc-o-late 🙂

Ace blogger Susan Jane White was in the shop recently and she brought up using apricot kernels as a natural almond flavour. I realised I have not mentioned them here yet! Apricot Kernels are super fantastic little nutty wonders! Intensely flavoured and therefor not to be overdone. They are nutrient packed and contain laertrile (found in apple pips & almonds too) in fact strictly speaking the advise is approx. 10 a day is more than enough. I use them in raw energy balls too, as alcohol based almond extracts can come off a little bitter in uncooked goodies.

I give a few options for complete raw-ness or alternatively more easily available ingredients at the end of the recipe in the footnotes.

Fruity Mousse-y Chocolate Tart with Bergamot Biscuit Base

The Base:

One dessertspoon of org raw coconut oil
Two dessertspoons of a runny tahini
Five drops of food grade bergamot oil/ lemon zest & a tsp lemon extract
Six or seven apricot kernels ground or half a cap of almond extract
One and a third cups of ground almonds
A quarter tsp of himalayan pink salt or sea salt
Two or Three dessertspoons of fresh lemon juice

Base method:

All you have to do is mash together the oil, tahini and bergamot and or extracts first. In another bowl mix your ground apricot kernels, ground almonds and salt. Now add the dry to the wet. You need to reaaallly mash them together. Press press press so the oils are taken up by the dry. It should have a little bit of a crumbly texture. To bring it all together and add flavour you start by adding one spoon of lemon juice. Use your hands to form the dough. When you squeeze a little of the mix between your fingers it should hold together. Add some more lemon juice if needed.

Now press it into your prepared tart tin/ pie pan. Try to do it evenly. This makes for a lovely thin crust. Cover it and pop it in the freezer while you prepare the topping.

Almondy bergomoty base

Mousse-y Chocolate Topping

Mushy stuff that needs blending…..

A third of a cup of cashews-soaked in a cup of water overnight
A quarter cup of non dairy milk
One mashed avocado (ripe when dark sap green and there a little give when squeezed gently. Love nature! Hug an avocado!)
Two dessertspoons blueberries fresh or frozen
A quarter tsp of himalayan pink salt or sea salt

Your cacao chocolate mix that needs melting…

Three dessertspoons of chopped cacao paste liquor
Three dessertspoons of chopped cacao butter
One teaspoon of org raw coconut oil
Two teaspoons cacao powder
One teaspoon vanilla powder/ extract /two pods
A third of a cup of a mixture of raw dark agave & maple syrup
Two dessertspoons of date syrup

Mousse-y Topping Method:

Sooo first part. Drain your cashews. If you have a good blender all you have to do is pop all the “mushy” ingredients into it and blend! I have a hand held blender so I need to be a bit more gentle. Add your milk to your cashews and partial blend. Use a deep bowl- I did not and spattered myself and the kitchen with flying cashew bits! Mash the avocado and blueberries with a fork first. Add these to the cashews and blend to a creamy consistency. I attempted to cut the soaking time of the cashews to a few hours and they definately did not blend as well.

Mushy Galaxy of yummy goodness

Second bit. Put a small saucepan of water on to a gentle simmer and pop a perspex bowl on top. The bowl should not touch the water, or it will get too hot. Start by melting your cacao paste, cacao butter and coconut oil. Once melted you can stir in the agave/maple/date syrup, cacao powder and vanilla. Take off the heat.

Cacao Cliff ready for chopping

The yummy “no you can not stick your finger in it!” part. Take your base out of the freezer and uncover it. Stick a spatula in your blended ingredients. Using a towel/oven glove take your bowl of melted chocolate off the saucepan. Very slowly dribble your chocolate into the blended mixture. Fold it through with your spatula as you are pouring. It sets fast, you will notice this even as you spread it evenly over the crust. The cacao butter wants to be solid at room temperature. Cover it up again. Make sure it is not sitting on tart top or it will mark, a little tent or tepee or paper/ foil should do the trick. Leave to set and chill for at least a couple of hours.

Now take the bowl and stick your finger in it. Licking the bowl the joy of vegan baking!

Pre the freeze!

I keep it the freezer, cyrogenicly perserving the tart so it can be made in advance and has lasting power. It just needs fifteen to twenty minutes at room temperature to soften before serving.

I hope you guys like it. I think the bergamot’s bright sharpness really complements the rich chocolatey topping. Xs Aissa

Footnotes!!!

Depending on your cupboard stores you can swankify it by using all raw ingredients e.g. grinding your own almonds for the crust and using raw tahini or raw cashew butter in it. Stick to the raw agave/date syrup or you could soak about 8 medjool dates and blend them into the crust for sweetness.

If it is a bus, a bike and a swim to the nearest health food store there are options too. It really becomes a different tart but why should you miss out on tart just because its a triathlon to a gourmet shop??

You can dig the ground almonds from the back of the press. Use half a cap of almond essence instead of the apricot kernels. The zest of a unwaxed lemon and half a tsp of lemon extract can be used instead of bergamot. Maple syrup is in most supermarkets and this is an obvious alternative to the raw agave/ date syrup. The date does add to the fruity flavour of the mousse so maybe up the blueberries by the dessertspoon. Lastly you can use dark cocoa instead of cacao and a 100g/ 40z bar of good quality dark (72% or 85%) chocolate instead of the raw cacao. O and reduce the syrup by half in the liquid ingredients as the chocolate bar will already be sweet.!!! Phew…. maybe it is easier to don the wetsuit than to read through those instructions. 🙂

Nut Butter Chocolate Pie! – gluten free

12 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by Aissa in Chocolate, Gluten Free, Tart, Vegan

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Cacao, Chocolate, Gluten free, Pie, Tart, Vegan

This is a Pie of three parts. Do not be put of, it really isn’t hard. Also it is scrummy. The crust is light and crumbly. The nut butter layer is a mainly peanuty gooey extravaganza. The chocolate layer is the velvety soft melt in your mouth type. The different textures really make it all work.

Chocolate lake hiding the layers underneath!

This recipe originated from little sweet ball versions I made a few years ago. My partner and I had been living in Canada and I became aware of the existence of very processed and not at all vegan chocolate peanut cup type things. I read the ingredients with a horrified stare. When we returned to Ireland I decided I could make a version very easily, maybe better too by adding a crunchy layer. I made cookies, added a blob of peanut butter with maple syrup and dipped them in chocolate. My Logic- what was lovely bite size could be lovely pie size!!

Nut Butter Chocolate Pie! or is it Tart?

First Part: The Crust

One cup of ground almonds
Three quarters of a cup of buckwheat flour
A quarter cup of tapioca and rice flour mixed (I used a gf brand that is a mix of these)
Two dessertspoons of rapadura sugar i.e. turbindo sucucant
A quarter teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or good sea salt
Half a teaspoon of vanilla powder/ extract / half a pod
Four dessertspoons of mashed coconut oil
Three or four dessertspoons of non diary milk
A cup of dried beans of some sort to weigh down the crust

Pre heat your oven to 180C/350F. Grab your 7.5inc 20cm tart/ pie pan. Grease it with a little coconut oil. If using a spring form one put a little paper square in the middle.

Put all your dry ingredients in a bowl.

Like this. Paint palette not part of the recipe.

Now get your mashed coconut oil. Mix in one spoon of non diary milk. If using vanilla extract add it to this.

Add the oil mix to the dry stuff. Work it in with your fingers. You will need another two spoons of the milk at least. Add the milk a spoon at a time, mix in-between. It should be crumbly looking. You know it is the right consistency when it holds together when pressed between your fingertips. See pic!

Crumbly crust mix

Now! Tip it into your pie/ tart pan. Spread it evenly and start pressing it down. Be firm, make sure it is right to the edges and even. As I have said before “Woe betide the uneven crust!” Now stab about the surface with a fork. This leaves any steam out and helps stop the surface buckling. If you add too much milk there will be too high a water content and therefor more steam! Put your dried beans/ pastry weights on top. Some people like to put baking paper underneath, I do not bother. Save the trees man! 😉

Put it into the middle of your oven and bake for 12 minutes. Fast I know. I have a fan oven, it may take 15min in a non fan. It should be starting to go golden brown at the edges, like a big biscuit/ cookie.

Just out of the oven.

In the winter it can be cold enough to cool on the windowsill. I did leave it out there for a 10 minutes as I was worried my pie dish would crack if I put it straight in the freezer. Take the beans off. Cover it up and stick it in the freezer to cool.

Second Part: The Nut Butter Layer or the taste lots layer!

You will need to melt the ingredients in a bowl over hot water. So have a saucepan with water lightly simmering in it ready. Use a bowl that can take heat to put your ingredients in e.g perspex.

I am giving an optional extra bit to this layer. Reason being I previously used to make it this way and it was lovely. Unfortunately I can no longer get yacon root powder so I have condensed the recipe. It is really good without, a little more gooey and intense, but since I like it both ways I thought I would share.

Four dessertspoons of coconut oil
A quarter cup of natural crunchy salted peanut butter
A quarter cup of natural un-salted skinned peanut butter
One dessertspoon of a runny tahini
One dessertspoon of natural almond butter
One teaspoon of vanilla powder/ one pod/ one generous tsp extract
A dessertspoon of lucuma powder
Scant half a cup of organic icing sugar
OR generous third of a cup of maple syrup & three dessertspoons of arrowroot mixed

Optional extras:

Third of a cup of yacon root powder
Two dessertspoons of agave
Four dessertspoons of non diary milk.

Combine your oil and your nut and seed butters in a bowl. If using vanilla extract add it in now. Taste to make sure they are as lovely together as they are apart. Put the bowl over the simmering water in the saucepan. Now either add your icing sugar (or your maple syrup mix) and the lucuma and vanilla powder . Stir it all together while it gets melty. Taste it again because it will be amazing. If partaking in the optional extras add the yacon first and then the agave and milk. It should be a gooey thick mix. Taste again to make sure it is still as good. Take it off the heat and leave it for just a few minutes to cool.

Soo good so hard not to stick my finger in it

Take your crust out of the freezer. Now pour the nutty mix over this. Spread it out evenly. I put it on my windowsill for a few minutes again. Cover it again with a parchment paper/ cling film or foil and stick it back in the freezer. It needs to be in there for three quarters of an hour. I left mine over night this time as I did not have everything for my chocolate layer!

Third Part: The Chocolate Cacao Ganachy Layer

You will need a saucepan of simmering water and a heat proof bowl. There will be melting again.

Third of a cup of almond/coconut milk
Approx. 40g of good quality chocolate.*
Cacao liquor paste bits. 3in x 2in x 1in thick, 50g?
Two scant dessertspoons of coconut oil
A third of a cup of dark agave
Three dessertspoons of cornstarch

*This time I used a direct trade Beni amazon mix of wild harvest and organic, previously I used a lovely madagascar dark chocolate.

Chop your chocolate and cacao paste. Keep a small bit of the cacao to one side.

chocolate and cacao

In the bowl over the water start by warming your milk. Bring it a very slight simmer and add the cornstarch. Turn the heat down so milk is no longer simmering. Add your cacao,chocolate and coconut oil. Let it all melt and then add your agave, stir it through. Take it off the heat for ten seconds. When back on the heat add the last bit of cacao and let it melt in, stirring with a spatula. Once melted take it back off the heat. This helps make the chocolate shinny.

Melted chocolate cacao glory!

Take your two thirds made pie out of the freezer and pour your melted chocolate goodness over the top. I give the pie a few raps on the counter- the whole base- incase there is any air trapped. Carefully cover it up. I recommend making a tent by sitting it in the centre of paper/foil squeezing it together like a roof over the pie. This is so it doesn’t fall into the melted chocolate. put it into the freezer. Leave it for a minimum of two hours.

I took mine out after and hour this time. I was bringing to a work mate Alanna’s going away pot luck party. Luckily there was lovely savoury salads and Vietnamese style rice paper wraps to be had first. An hour and a half in the fridge at her place meant it was perfectly set. Phew to not serving goo!

Not set pie! 🙂

Nutty, chocolatey crumbly fantastic-ness. It is rich and moreish. A small slice goes a long way. As you keep it in the freezer or fridge it will last… not that eating it quickly should be a problem!

Xs Aissa

P.S I found out from somewhere about different uses of cornstarch and arrowroot, maybe from theppk.com. Here is a helpful little article about thickeners http://www.foodsubs.com/ThickenStarch.html

No bake Avocado Chocolate Torte

29 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Aissa in Chocolate, Gluten Free, No bake/ Raw, Tart, Vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Cacao, Chocolate, Gluten free, No bake, Tart, Vegan

This is my special occasion dessert. Rich fabulous and extremely more-ish.

NO BAKE AVOCADO CHOCOLATE TORTE*

* note: this takes time but the results are worth it!

Crust

1½ cups of roasted hazelnuts – ground (I use a coffee grinder)

½ cup of organic ground almonds

2 dessertspoons of organic coconut oil

¼ cup of organic maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla powder/ bean paste/ insides of two pods

1/2 a cup of cocoa powder

2 heaped dessertspoons of cacao powder

Good pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

dry stuff!

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

3 extremely mashed organic ripe avocados/ two and a half really big ones

Scant third of a cup of non diary milk

¼ cup of organic date syrup

¼ cup organic dark agave === blend both together

1 dessertspoon natural peanut butter

( I use the fresh ground one from The Hopsack health shop)

1 dessertspoon blanched almond butter or cashew nut butter

1 dsp natural vanilla powder or bean paste or insides of two pods

1 round teaspoon arrowroot powder

¼ cup of Cocoa powder plus a dessertspoon of cacao powder

Pinch of himalayian pink salt or sea salt

70g bar of dark vegan chocolate- chopped up pick a good one. I used a wild harvest one! Fancy.

Optional: 1dsp of chopped Cacao paste liquor, piece I used was size of ping pong ball

hmm yummy

Crust How To

Oil your cake pan or tart pan. If a spring form one- line with paper.

Grind your hazelnuts to a crumbly meal and mix with ground almonds and salt

In a small bowl mix your maple syrup, coconut oil (and vanilla if not using powder)

Mix mash and mix until it becomes one thing.

This is your warm up exercise the real work out is later that involves avocados!

Add syrup oil mix to the dry. With COLD hands rub the ingredients together.

Switch back to a spoon and keep mixing. It should form a ball of dough.

Press this into your pan EVENLY- wow betide the uneven crust!

Cover and put in the freezer to chill.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse How to

If you happen to have a food processor or blender living in your kitchen take it out now!You can do the fancy blendy bit for this part. If you are me, which I am, you get a Perspex bowl and a fork and go to work.

Mash your avocado (and vanilla if not using powder) together for approx 10mins/ until smooth.

Add and mash in the peanut butter, almond butter, date syrup and agave syrup. Possibly with your other arm, flatmate, child, partner or neighbour.

Get your big bowl of green yummy omega rich avocados and mix in the SCANT third of a cup of non diary milk.

Into this SIEVE the ¼ cup of cocoa,cacao,vanilla salt and round tsp of arrowroot

Mix very well- until there is no green!Fold and talk in upbeat tones to it- as you do not want to knock the air out of it.

greeeen!

Next or if a multi tasker while you are finishing the mousse

Put a Perspex bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Put your bar of chopped up chocolate in and with a spatula mix it while it melts. Add the cacao paste and let it melt too. Take off the heat.

Get your bowl of sweet cocoa avocado goodness and gently fold in the melted chocolate until is all one colour!

melty goodness

Finally

Remove the crust from the freezer and scoop the mousse on top. Gently smooth out- it should reach the top of an inch deep pan. Cover and put back in the freezer. It needs two hours to set I find licking the bowl in the mean time helps.

It needs to be stored chilled so the mousse stays moussey but as a result it also has lasting power!

I decided to to go over the top with a fork. If you don’t it stays shiny. Let me know if you try it. Xs Aissa