Double Layered Raw Chocolate Fudge

If you like coconut oil, you'll love this...
The recipe comes from Hot Pink Chilli (who adapted it from a rather more sugary version in PaleOMG). I only fiddled around with the tahini/nut butter part - the original recipe uses almond butter. I had peanut butter and tahini so I used half of each. Would probably be yummy with cashew butter too. I had a little coconut nectar in the fridge but decided to use maple and rice syrup as they are a little sweeter. I also only made half the quantity, but lived to regret this, as the batch lasted one day....and my kids only saw one piece each.....
One more thing - keep it in the freezer or fridge! It quickly turns to mush if left out, so not really a suitable lunchbox treat, unfortunately.

200g/ 1 cup coconut oil
125g/ 1/2 cup tahini
120g/ 1/2 cup peanut or almond butter
150g/ 1/2 cup coconut nectar/ rice syrup/maple syrup
30g/ 1/3 cup desiccated coconut
15g/ 5tsp raw cacao powder
2 pinches salt

-Throw everything EXCEPT the cacao and one pinch of salt into the thermomix and blitz on speed 7 for 3 secs.
-Pour half the mix into a suitable tupperware container (my half batch fit neatly into a square 1L box) and place in the freezer to set (will be ready by the time you have mixed up the topping).
-Add the second pinch of salt and the cacao to the remaining mix in the thermomix and whiz for 3 secs on speed 7. Scrape down and repeat.
-Pour chocolate fudge mixture into the tupperware and pop it back into the freezer. When it is solid (this does not take long, thankfully) remove from container and use a hot knife to slice up into good sized chunks. Delicious.

Icing Ideas

With all the birthday cakes that have been made here recently, I thought I would devote a post to purely icing ideas. Here are some of the ones I have tried recently and a couple of others which sound yummy!

Icing used was the Creamy Vanilla Frosting

Cashew Nut Cream

1 cup of raw cashew nuts 

1/2 cup of water
little vanilla

Add all ingredients to TMX bowl
2 mins  Sp 9 (or until smoothish)

Berry Cashew Cream

1/4 cup raspberries (thawed, but any berry would work)

1/2 cup cashews (If you have time soak for an hour first and then rinse before using)
2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut milk

2 tbsp maple syrup

 Add all ingredients to TMX bowl
2 mins / Sp 9  (or until smoothish)

Creamy Vanilla Frosting 

From Steph Berg’s Blog http://www.stephberg.com/?p=2888

35g Plain Flour

200g whole milk

150g sugar

200g unsalted butter

35g natural vanilla extract

Place flour and milk into TMX bowl and blend

5 secs / Sp 6

Cook for 15min / 80deg / Speed 4

Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pushing plastic down onto surface of mixture.

Cool completely

In clean TMX bowl add sugar and pulverise

15 secs / Sp 9

Add butter and chop
5-10 secs / Sp 7

Insert Butterfly and aerate butter and sugar

1-2 mins / Sp 3 with MC off to allow air in bowl

Scrape down sides of bowl when necessary.

Add Vanilla and beat

6 secs / Sp 4

Add cooked milk mixture and continue to beat
2-3 minutes /Sp 3 until very smooth and white.

Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (No longer and no less). Use immediately

Tip: As Mim discovered...make sure the milk mixture is completely cool before adding to the butter mixture.

Coco Cheese Icing
Recipe stolen from Karen....this one is so yummy and particularly good if you need white icing.

250g cream cheese
120g chilled coconut cream (not light)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp vanilla essence or paste

Add all ingredients to TMX bowl and mix to combine

Approx 30sec / Sp 6

Chocolate Ganache

As per the Everyday Cookbook (not so healthy but very yummy!)

100g Dark chocolate, broken into pieces

80g Cream

Place chocolate in TMX bowl and grate

30sec / Sp 8

Add Cream and cook

2 mins / 50degreesC / Sp 5

Chocolate Icing

This came from "The Healthy Chef" website

1/4 cup honey

2 ripe avocadoes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup good quality dark cocoa powder

Add honey first then add all other ingredients and blend

30 sec / Sp 6 until smooth and creamy
Spoon into a bowl and allow to set in the fridge.

Tip: The addition of banana or a little water makes for a lighter mousse.

Quirky Cooking's Gooey Chocolate Icing 

Grind cashews for 10 secs / Sp 9, until fine

100g raw cashews

Add remaining ingredients and mix at speed 6 for 30 seconds, scrape down, add a little more water if needed, and mix another 30 seconds until smooth:

- 3 fresh pitted dates

- 20g raw cacao powder

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 20g pure maple syrup

- 20g filtered water

Natural Food Colouring
If you are looking for Natural Food Colouring, I ordered them from Allergy Train - http://www.allergytrain.com.au/Store/tabid/62/CategoryID/9/List/1/Level/1/catpageindex/3/Default.aspx

Pink Butterfly Raw Biscuits

This is a healthy raw biscuit recipe. The biscuit and filling are very easy to make but the assembly process is a little messy but fun to do with the kids. I made Butterflies with Pink filling and for the boys out there I made Stars, which was suppose to have a blue filling but looks more purple! Trick when making these biscuits is to keep everything very cold.

60g brazil nuts

60g cup pepitas

2-3 tbsp cacao powder

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1. Add nuts and seeds to TMX bowl.

Speed 9/ approx 30 sec until cumbly

2. Add remaining ingredients except maple syrup

Add maple syrup slowly once blades are running. Batter should come together easily without being too wet

Speed 6 / approx 10 sec 

3. Put mixture on cutting board and roll out 

Using cookie cutters cut shapes out and place onto a plate (even numbers - approx 12 depending on your cutter size) Set cookies aside in fridge

Pink Filling Ingredients

1 banana

1/2 cup frozen raspberries (at room temp) (for the blue/purple ones I tried blueberries)

4 tbsp coconut oil

1. Place all ingredients into TMX bowl and blend till creamy

Speed 4 / 10 sec and then scrape bowl and repeat a couple of times

2. Pour onto a cutting board and put into freezer

3. Once set, cut shapes and assemble biscuits. Once done they are best kept in the freezer until they are ready to eat