Tag Archives: strawberry

SWEET VALENTINE – Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

In daily life we really do want to minimize / eliminate sweets, but who can resist a little chocolate on Valentine’s Day?  Make this raw molten cake with peanut butter lava for your honey and I guarantee they will be feeling the love.  This is sooooooo yum!

INGREDIENTS – Makes 6 individual molten cakes

Cake

2 cups raw pecans (best result if frozen)

2/3 cup raw agave

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1/2 cup coconut flour

Filling

1 Tbs. organic peanut butter for each cake

Toppings

Fun Fresh Foods chocolate agave nectar 

powdered sugar for dusting

fresh sliced bananas

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Take the frozen pecans and place them in the food processor (I use a Cuisinart I purchased at Costco).  Turn on the processor and process until the nuts become meal.  Do not process too long or it will turn into nut butter.

Frozen Raw Pecans

Frozen Raw Pecans

Process Into a Meal

Process Into Meal

Pour the raw agave into the nuts while processing.  The nuts and agave will turn into batter.

Batter

Batter

Add the raw cacao and process to incorporate.  The processor will begin working very hard…you may have to stop and scrape down the bowl. 

Add the Cacao Powder

Add the Cacao Powder

Scrape Down the Sides

Scrape Down the Sides

When well mixed, take the batter out and transfer it to a bowl.  Wearing latex-type gloves (to avoid sticking), mix in the coconut flour with your hands.

Transfer to a Bowl

Transfer to a Bowl

Add the Coconut Flour

Add the Coconut Flour

Use Hands to Incorporate

Use Hands to Incorporate

Line your mini cake molds with saran wrap.

Mini Bundt Molds

Mini Bundt Molds

Line With Plastic Wrap

Line With Plastic Wrap

Once mixed well, use a 2 Tbs. ice cream scoop to fill each of the 6 molds.  Wrap the remaining cacao batter in Saran Wrap and place it as well as the filled molds in the fridge for 30 minutes to harden.

Scoop in Batter

Scoop in Batter

Wrap-up Remaining Batter and Chill

Wrap-up Remaining Batter and Chill

Once hardened take the molds out and wearing gloves press the batter into the molds making a well in the middle.  Make sure you spread the cacao mixture as evenly as possible so it dehydrates evenly.  Fill the wells with 1 Tbs. of organic peanut butter (or chocolate sauce). 

Press Into Molds Evenly Then Create Wells

Press Into Molds Evenly Then Create Wells

Add Filling (Peanut Butter or Chocolate)

Add Filling (Peanut Butter or Chocolate)

Take the remaining batter that was in plastic wrap out of the fridge and pinch off enough (approx. 1 Tbs.) to make a disc that will cover the bottom of each PB filled mold.  Gently press the disc onto the bottom of the filled cakes.

Shape Disc for Bottom

Shape Disc for Bottom

Ready to Chill Again

Ready to Chill Again

Put the cakes in the fridge for another hour to harden.  Keep the cakes in the fridge until 2 hours before you plan on serving them.

2 hours before serving time place the cakes on your dehydrator’s mesh tray and dehydrate for 2 hours (It takes longer than that for the Excalibur dehydrator get to 115°, so rest assured those enzymes will still be alive and kicking).

Place on Mesh Dehydrator Trays

Place on Mesh Dehydrator Trays

Dehydrated Cakes

Dehydrated Cakes

When the 2 hours is up you will notice that the cakes are no longer shiny, they will look matte as if they have been cooked.  Top each cake with some chocolate sauce, a very thin sprinkling of organic powdered sugar, and sliced bananas.  Serve IMMEDIATELY since these cakes are best warm…it will allow the peanut butter to ooze out when cut into.

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cake

I also made an all chocolate version using the Fun Fresh Foods chocolate agave nectar as the filling…topped with powdered sugar and strawberries!

Raw Chocolate Molten Cake

Raw Chocolate Molten Cake

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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Filed under Dessert, Gluten Free, Holiday, Nuts, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

HEALTHY FRUIT SNACK KID’S LOVE

I am always looking for healthy snack alternatives for my family.  My children really love whole fruit on it’s own, but there are times when I want to send them to school with a chip alternative and these snacks serve that purpose.  My kids and husband love these.  What I love about them is their simplicity.  The apple cinnamon snacks are made with just that…apple and cinnamon.  I do wish that they offered more organic fruit crisps, but they do offer one, organic strawberry.

I just picked-up a pack of mixed freeze dried fruit snacks at Costco today.  My daughter was with me and saw them as we were doing our shopping, so we stocked-up again.

For more information about Brother’s All Natural click here.

One word of caution…I do not endorse buying their potato crisps because the sodium content is WAY too high!

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Filed under Gluten Free, Product Reviews, Vegan, Vegetarian

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY ALMOND MILK

Strawberry Almond Milk

Strawberry Almond Milk

Homemade almond milk is sooooooo creamy and NOTHING like the almond milk you buy in the store.  Today I made some plain almond milk and when my son came home from school I used it to make him strawberry almond milk, which is one of his favorites.  As we were sitting around the kitchen island drinking the strawberry milk, I mentioned that I was going to post my recipe for plain almond milk and my husband told me that I NEEDED to post my recipe for the strawberry milk as well (he was literally telling me this while drinking the tiny amount of strawberry milk that was left straight out of the blender container).  I hope you enjoy the strawberry milk as much as we do!

INGREDIENTS FOR PLAIN ALMOND MILK

2 cups raw almonds

4 cups filtered water

INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY MILK

1 cup plain almond milk

1 ½ – 2 cups frozen strawberries

2 tsp. raw agave syrup (adjust depending upon the sweetness of your berries)

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Place the raw almonds in a container and fill the container with filtered water.  Place the container in the fridge overnight to soak.

Soak the Almonds in Water

Soak the Almonds in Water

Almonds Soaked Overnight in Fridge

Almonds Soaked Overnight in Fridge

NOTE: The almond milk can be made without soaking the almonds, but I strongly suggest that you do.  Soaking the nuts will make the milk more creamy, but the main reason you want to soak the nuts is to destroy the enzyme inhibitor.  Nuts were created with an enzyme inhibitor that prevents them from prematurely sprouting.  This inhibitor also makes it hard for many people to digest nuts well.  When you take the time to soak the nuts, the inhibitor is neutralized and the enzymes come to life…per my earlier post enzymes are very beneficial to us.

Rinse the soaked almonds under cold water.  At this point you may remove the almond skins if you’d like.  I personally don’t mind the skins and keep them on when I make my milk.

Rinse the Soaked Almonds

Rinse the Soaked Almonds

Remove the Skins if You'd Like

Remove the Skins if You'd Like

Place the clean soaked almonds in your Vitamix or blender with 4 cups of filtered water and blend until smooth (2-3 minutes).
Place Rinsed Almonds in Vitamix w/ Water

Place Rinsed Almonds in Vitamix w/ Water

Blend Thoroughly

Blend Thoroughly

Put the nut milk bag into a large bowl.  Pour the almond mixture into the nut milk bag and squeeze the liquid into the bowl.  Once all of the liquid is out of the bag your plain almond milk is complete. 

Place Nut Milk Bag in a Large Bowl

Place Nut Milk Bag in a Large Bowl

Pour Blended Mixture Into Bag

Pour Blended Mixture Into Bag

Squeeze Bag

Squeeze Bag

Only Pulp Remaining

Only Pulp Remaining

 Reserve the nut pulp for another recipe.  I put my pulp in a bag and lay it flat in the freezer until I am ready to use it in a recipe.

Almond Pulp

Almond Pulp

The plain almond milk is now complete.  I prefer to store the almond milk in the fridge in its plain state (great with cereal)…that way I can embellish however I’d like. 

Plain Almond Milk

Plain Almond Milk

Store Plain Almond Milk in the Fridge in a Mason Jar

Store Plain Almond Milk in the Fridge in a Mason Jar

Sometimes I will add some stevia for a sweeter taste or add some chocolate syrup and make chocolate milk (warmed-up it makes a very yummy hot cocoa), but our family’s FAVORITE almond milk is the strawberry…

Rinse out your blender.  Pour 1 cup of the plain almond milk into the blender.  Start the blender and add the frozen strawberries one at a time through the opening in the lid.  Blend until smooth.  Add the agave syrup and blend again.  Taste the strawberry milk and add more sweetener if needed.  Drink immediately as this is when the flavor is best.  It will not store well, so it is best to make it in small batches that you will drink right away.

Strawberry Almond Milk
Strawberry Almond Milk

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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Filed under Dessert, Drinks, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian