Dates Archives - Coconut and Berries

Matcha Chocolate Truffles- The Vegan Cookie Fairy’s Little Book of Chocolate

Very pleased to introduce blogger friend, Clémence Moulaert, today! You might know Clem already but as “The Vegan Cookie Fairy” as she writes the blog of the same name which focuses on vegan baking. Clem and I actually know each other in real life ( we met through following each other’s blogs) so it’s especially nice to see and share her latest work, “The Vegan Cookie Fairy’s Little Book of Chocolate”.

“The Little Book of Chocolate” features 19 of Clem’s own delectable 100% vegan chocolate recipes. From cakes, muffins and cookies to pies, puddings, truffles and fudge, there’s something for everyone.

Clem actually grew up in Belgium so it’s safe to say she knows her chocolate! She shares her expertise, offering advice on choosing the right chocolate, other ingredients and useful techniques.

It’s an e-book so anyone anywhere in the world can get their hands on it too!

I’m definitely a fellow chocoholic. In fact, I recently tried to go a whole week without chocolate, just to see if I could. The answer was I could not! I gave up after just 2 days. My chocolate fix is usually just a small piece of very dark chocolate (90% is my favourite) or raw chocolate, rather than anything fancy, but this e-book has inspired me to branch out!

I haven’t delved too far in yet, probably because I couldn’t make up my mind on what to try! I ended up starting with these delicious Matcha Chocolate Truffles. I’ve never made truffles before and always presumed they’d be hard to make but these were incredibly simple and worked out perfectly.

Clem has kindly allowed me to share this recipe with my readers today AND give away one copy of the e-book to a lucky winner (See below for details)!

Matcha Chocolate Truffles

Yield: 10 Truffles

Matcha Chocolate Truffles

“The bitterness of the matcha complements the sweetness of the chocolate truffles, making this an elegant, refined and rather ‘grown-up’ delicacy”

Ingredients

80 g (½ cup) Medjool dates
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp matcha powder

Instructions

Pit the dates and put them together with the melted coconut oil and cacao powder into a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse the ingredients until you have sticky and mostly smooth mixture.
Transfer the mixture into a small bowl and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes so it can solidify a little.
Place the matcha powder in a shallow bowl or deep plate.
Take the bowl out of the fridge. Scoop a teaspoonful of the truffle mixture and roll it into a small ball in your hands. Then roll the truffle in the matcha powder.
Repeat this to create 10 truffles, or until there is no more truffle mixture left.
Keep the truffles refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

You can buy matcha in health food stores and some large supermarkets.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/10/01/matcha-chocolate-truffles-vegan-cookie-fairys-little-book-chocolate/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED* Congratulations to the winner, Alessandra Seiter!

Next I think I’m going to try either the Raw Chocolate Fudge or Hazelnut Orange Chocolate Pots- yum!

You might also be interested in Clem’s other e-books: Decadent Vegan Ice Creams Anyone Can Make and The Vegan Cookie Fairy’s Christmas Recipes.

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Review: Superfoodies Granola

Very happy to introduce a brand-new product to you today- Superfoodies granola!

Long-term readers will know that I’m a big fan of raw foods. Not that I eat exclusively raw by any means, but salads, smoothies, raw desserts and snacks are some of my favourite foods. I’ve actually just added a “Raw” category to my recipe database so you can find all my raw recipes in one place.

I do have quite a lot of kitchen equipment…but one thing I don’t yet have is a dehydrator. If you’re familiar with raw food, you’ll know that a dehydrator is a magical device that enables you to make foods which are still 100% raw and which therefore retain all their natural goodness and flavour, yet have the texture of cooked foods: Raw cookies, breads and crackers, tart crusts, pizza bases, kale chips and other veggie chips, burgers, fruit leather…the list goes on.

“Red” granola with soy yogurt, blueberries and nectarine

I’d especially love to be able to make my own raw granola (rawnola!), but in the meantime I’m very happy with this one from Superfoodies. It’s 100% raw, organic, vegan, gluten-free and even paleo-friendly.

The ingredients are basically just nuts, seeds, dates and superfoods! All super nutritious and super delicious!

“Brown” granola with banana and coconut milk

Superfoodies granola comes in 3 flavours- Goji & Açai, Cacao nibs & Maca and Coconut & Spirulina.

It’s super crunchy and doesn’t go soggy even when drowned in almond milk. I loved that it has really big clusters too. It means it’s just as good for eating straight out of the bag as a snack as it is with your favourite non-dairy milk or yogurt for breakfast, or as a smoothie topper.

The “Brown” one is my personal favourite. It’s rich, chocolatey and not too sweet.

Young Coconut Smoothie topped with “Green” granola

You can buy Superfoodies granola online through Detox Your World (shipping is Europe-wide) and I think they’re soon to launch in health food stores (if they haven’t already.

Have you tried (or made!) raw granola?

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[Disclosure: Superfoodies provided me with these products for review purposes, but, as always, all opinions are my own]

Raw Triple Chocolate Cookies (with Homemade Chocolate Chips!)

I grew up a white chocolate girl. A Milkybar, or even better, a bag of Milkybar buttons, was my favourite sweet treat. My Easter eggs were always white chocolate and Father Christmas even knew to put white chocolate coins in my stocking on Christmas morning!

Somewhere along the road though, I got into dark chocolate. I’m guessing it was when I went vegan and white chocolate automatically became off limits. Whenever the shift happened, now when it comes to chocolate I tend to think that the darker the better.

The white stuff has hardly crossed my mind for years but for some reason I recently started thinking about it and wondering if I could make a homemade version to rival the white chocolate of my youth.

It turns out there are a lot of recipes online so I messed around with a few to come up with my own. I’m pretty happy with the result: It’s sweet-but not too sweet, creamy and melt-in-the-mouth, with none of that waxiness the commercial dairy-free kinds I’ve tried have had. I used the recipe to make white chocolate chips to use in a recipe, though quite a few went straight to my mouth!

I decided a bold, dark chocolate would complement the subtle white chocolate flavour rather nicely so ended up making some raw dark chocolate chips too. Oh so moreish!

The dark chocolate chips were even easier to make than the white, since, because of the higher fat content, white chocolate melts more easily than dark so getting it the right consistency for making chips was a tad trickier. Neither are difficult though, they just take a little time, so you should definitely try making them (full instructions below). And then you can make cookies too!

Seeing as we were in chocolate mode, I didn’t think it could harm to add a little more…and so these Raw Triple Chocolate Cookies were born! A fudgy chocolate base studded with homemade white and dark chocolate chips.

Raw Triple Chocolate Cookies (with Homemade Chocolate Chips!)

Yield: 8 Cookies (+ extra chocolate chips)

Raw Triple Chocolate Cookies (with Homemade Chocolate Chips!)

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Chips

3 Tbsp Melted cacao butter
1/3 C Raw cacao powder
1 Tbsp Coconut OR Agave nectar

White Chocolate Chips

2 Tbsp Melted cacao butter
1-1/2 Tbsp Raw cashew butter
3/4 Tbsp Coconut OR Agave nectar
1/4 tsp Lucuma powder (optional- just adds a hint of caramel flavour)
Pinch of vanilla powder

Raw chocolate cookies

1/2 C Almonds
3/4 C Cashews
Generous pinch of salt
1/2 C (packed) Pitted soft dates (e.g. Medjool)
1/2 Tbsp Coconut oil
1 Tbsp Coconut OR Agave nectar
3/4 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 C Raw cacao powder
1/4 C Homemade chocolate chips ( 2 Tbsp White, 2 Tbsp Dark)

Instructions

To make the chocolate chips

In two separate bowls set over boiling water, whisk together the listed ingredients until smooth.
Spoon each mixture into a small plastic sandwich bag (placed in a glass to hold it upright)
Place the white chocolate in the fridge to firm up a little while you work with the dark.
Cut a tiny end off the sandwich bag and, as if using a piping bag to frost a cake, squeeze little dots of chocolate onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until all the chocolate is used up. Place the tray in the freezer for at least an hour to firm up.
Repeat the same process with the white chocolate mixture. If the mixture is too thick to pipe, allow to warm at room temperature for a short while and knead the bag gently.
When firm, remove the chocolate chips from the trays and store in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer.

To make the cookies:

Grind the nuts into a coarse flour in a food processor. Add the dates, coconut oil, coconut or agave nectar, and vanilla and process again until the mixture comes together. Add the cacao powder and process again to incorporate.
Fold in the chocolate chips, roll into balls and flatten into cookie shapes.
Refrigerate until firm.

Notes

Keep a container of these chocolate chips in the fridge or freezer for whenever you need a little sweet fix!

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/08/15/raw-triple-chocolate-cookies-homemade-chocolate-chips/

What do you think of white chocolate?

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Ginger Choc Crunch Smoothie & Introducing Froothie!

I’m very excited to introduce you to a new company today- Froothie! Froothie is actually an Australian company, which, after its huge success over there, launched in Europe a few months ago with its Optimum range of blenders and juicers.

No doubt you will have heard of the Vitamix and Blendtec high-powered blenders, but Froothie’s Optimum 9400 is a new and very serious competitor. It rivals both with greater speed and power (I previously owned a Blendtec so I can say that in full honesty!), and best of all, a much more accessible price.

Check out these specs:

Pretty impressive, no?

Other things I like about it are that the jug is BPA-free, it’s easy to clean, comes with a tamper (perfect for blending ultra-thick purées), it even has little cable clips which means it’s neat and tidy on the countertop. Oh, and delivery is crazily quick too- If you’re in the UK, you can expect to receive your blender 24-48 hours after you place your order.

I use my blender every single day! You CAN probably get along just fine with a basic blender for most things but it may not blend vegetables like kale or fruit like dates as smoothly as you’d like.

A high-powered blender also opens up a lot of fun possibilities so you can’t help but eat healthily! These machines can pulverize whole grains into flours, blend up super creamy sauces from nuts and seeds, turn nuts into nut butter in minutes and blend even the hardest vegetables into soup.

(Comes in Black, Silver, White and Red)

Consider a high-powered blender as an investment in your health! And if you’re burning out one cheap blender after another then you’ll probably actually save money by buying one that will last (Note the 10 year warranty on the Optimum 9400).

I also love that Froothie’s no.1 mission is helping people to lead a healthier lifestyle. The Optimum 9400 actually comes with a recipe book of quick and easy raw vegan recipes- Smoothies/shakes, soups, dressings, sauces, savoury dishes and desserts! They’re also one of the Vegan Society’s sponsors- definitely a company I’m happy to support.

Check out this video to see the blender in action!

The first Froothie recipe I’m sharing is this delicious Ginger Choc Crunch Smoothie! It’s a real treat but, like most of my smoothie recipes, is definitely healthy enough to start your day with.

If you remember my Double Ginger Dark Choc Chunk Muffins, you’ll know that I love ginger and chocolate together. This smoothie has a sweet and creamy base made from pear, raw cashews, almond milk, gooey caramel-like dates and a good dose of fresh ginger.

The Optimum 9400 pulverizes those dates into oblivion in no time!

I then used the pulse setting to partially grind the bitter cacao nibs to leave some chocolatey crunch.

Cacao nibs are made from pure cacao beans that come straight out of the tropical cacao fruit.They have an amazing nutritional profile and a strong, dark flavour with just a touch of sweetness. I love them!

Ginger Choc Crunch Smoothie (Raw, Vegan)

Yield: Approx 24 oz/750 ml (1 large or 2 medium servings)

Ginger Choc Crunch Smoothie (Raw, Vegan)

Ingredients

1 Heaping C chopped, ripe pear (1-1/2 Medium)
3 Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 C Raw cashews
1-1/2 C Almond milk
1-1/2" Fresh ginger
1 C Ice
2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs

Instructions

Blend the pear, dates, cashews, almon milk and ginger in a high-powered blender until completely smooth.
Add the ice and blend again.
Finally, add the cacao nibs and pulse to partially break down.
Serve immediately.

Notes

* If you want it more chocolatey, add a couple of Tbsp raw cacao powder as well!

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/08/06/ginger-choc-crunch-smoothie-introducing-froothie/

You can buy the Froothie Optimum 9400 at the special introductory price (limited time only!) of £329.00. Compare that to the current market leaders which retail for between £500 and £600!

Froothie are also offering Coconut and Berries’ readers an additional 2 years warranty, free of charge, on any optimum appliance purchased with the coupon “Special Ambassador Offer”.

*Note: Froothie ship worldwide at UK delivery costs - no extra charge

Check out Froothie TV on YouTube for video reviews and recipe demos and follow along on Facebook and Twitter for updates and more recipe ideas.

[Disclosure: I was sent a free Optimum 9400 blender for review purposes. This post also contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through Coconut and Berries, I will get a small commission. Thank you for your support!]

Banana Doughnuts with Caramel & Chocolate (Vegan & Gluten-free!)

Before I get to the subject of the day, I just wanted to announce that Coconut and Berries won 2nd place in The Vegan Woman’s “Top 20 Vegan Blogs to Watch” (See the new little badge in my sidebar)! I’m thrilled to be featured, especially alongside so many bloggers I follow and admire.

All the wonderful support from my readers is what keeps me blogging so it wouldn’t have been possible without you! Maybe one year we’ll get on the “Top 10 Vegan Powerhouse Blogs” list!

I just went back and forth about ten times between the spelling “doughnut” and “donut” and the more I looked at them the more wrong they both looked! Anyway, it turns out we usually use “doughnut” here in the UK, and since my writing gets more and more American…probably from all the US blogs I read…I thought I better stick to my country’s own spelling!

Naked banana doughnuts

If you’re reading this, the chances are you’re into cooking, and therefore likely appreciate the joy a new piece of kitchen equipment can give! Certainly the case with me and my new doughnut pan. I somehow restrained myself from buying one until now. I don’t know what finally made me crack but I don’t feel too guilty about it as it’s been a lot of fun playing with it, and now I get to share this recipe with you!

Topped with date caramel and dark chocolate

These Banana Doughnuts with Caramel & Chocolate are vegan, gluten-free, yeast-free and baked not fried! It took a few tests to get what I was looking for- I kept ending up with muffins in doughnut shape or hockey pucks, neither of which were exactly what I was looking for. I also wanted to keep these gluten-free as a lot of you have requested gluten-free recipes, but that did complicate things a little.

In the end I hit on Ashley Mclaughlin’s book “Baked Doughnuts For Everyone” and adapted one of her recipes to produce these little yummies.

They have a light, springy texture and a tighter crumb than muffins. They’re also not too sweet so I could top them with a thick layer of my favourite date caramel and a generous drizzle of dark chocolate without taking the sweetness overboard.

They’re very easy to make but do require one ingredient which might not be a staple in your pantries- Sweet rice flour/ glutinous rice flour. It’s not the same as regular rice flour so please do not substitute! It’s not too hard to find online though as it’s used frequently in South East Asian cooking for desserts (you might have tried Mochi?). Give them a go and let me know what you think!

Banana Doughnuts with Caramel & Chocolate (Vegan & Gluten-free!)

Yield: 6 standard-size doughnuts and a few minis OR 8 standard-size doughnuts

Banana Doughnuts with Caramel & Chocolate (Vegan & Gluten-free!)

Ingredients

Banana Doughnuts
1/2 C Oat flour
1/2 C Sweet rice flour
1/4 C Coconut sugar
2 Tbsp Almond flour/Ground almonds
2 Tbsp Coconut flour
2 Tbsp Ground flaxseed
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 C + 2 Tbsp Almond milk
1/3 C Mashed banana (approx 1 small banana)
3 Tbsp oil
1 tsp Vanilla extract
*1 Recipe Date caramel (you will have leftovers)
50 g Dark chocolate/ 1/3 C Dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Lightly oil a doughnut pan.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and stir until just combined (do not overmix!).
Leave to sit for 5 minutes. The batter will be very thick and not pourable.
Spoon or pipe mixture into your prepared doughnut pan, filling to just below the top of the pan. Gently smooth out the tops with a spatula.
Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to completely cool.
When cool, spread with a thick layer of date caramel and place in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate.
Melt and drizzle the chocolate over the doughnuts any way you like. For drizzling, I like to break up the chocolate bar into chunks and place in a sealed freezer bag. I then immerse the bag in a bowl of boiling water until melted, snip off a tiny corner of the bag with scissors and then drizzle straight from the bag.
Refrigerate briefly to allow the chocolate to firm up again.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/06/23/banana-doughnuts-caramel-chocolate-vegan-gluten-free/

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