Raw chocolate-orange mousse cake

This cake is honestly one of the most tasty, creamy and delicious cakes I have made :) Have I told you that I looooooooove avocados?  Yesssss, you guest it right... this cake is made of creamy avocados, although you will not be able to tell :) The taste is just like the traditional chocolate mousse made with tons of cream and dairy products. With this cake you will be able to enjoy the same taste, but in a much more healthy form:P
I added the orange juice and zest, because I really enjoy the combination of chocolate and orange. The two tastes harmonize well together and make this cake really a special treat :)

Sooo, let's see how to prepare it :) 
Crust:
- 100 grams of walnuts (soaked overnight) - you can use any nuts of your choice
- 150 grams of almonds (soaked overnight)
- 2 cups of Medjool dates
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pure vanilla
- 2 tbsp coconut oil



Filling:
- juice of 1 orange, freshly squeezed 
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup of Medjool dates (soaked for  30 minutes)
- 1 cup of coconut oil (melted)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 4 heaping tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably raw)
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk 
- 1 cup of cashew nuts (soaked for 2-3 hours)
- 1/2 cup of rice milk (or any plant based milk)


Method:
Crust:

1. Make sure that the dates are pitted. If they are a bit more dry, soak them for around 30 minutes. Usually soft Medjool dates don't need to be soaked :) 
2. Soak the nuts overnight, or at least for 10-12 hours. The next day discard the water and wash them through running water. 
3. Place all ingredients to a S-blade food processor and process until a smooth dough is formed, and everything sticks together (usually this means a big ball of dough running around your food processor ;).
4. Place the crust to a cake form, even it out with your fingers throughout the base of the form, and place it to the freezer while you are working on the filling.

Filling:

1. Please make sure the dates are as well pitted and soak them, if they are more on the dry side.
2. Melt the coconut oil and place it to a mixing bowl together with the maple syrup. Add the cocoa powder spoon by spoon, slowly stirring each spoon into the coconut oil - maple syrup mixture. Keep on stirring until a smooth paste is formed. This will make it easier to mix the cocoa well throughout the filling. 
3. Place all ingredients, but the milk, to a S-blade food processor (or a high speed blender, if you have one). Leave a little orange zest for decoration.
4. Start by pressing the "Pulse" function on your food processor, and gradually mix all ingredients well together.
5. Add as much milk as you need to create a very smooth dough -> keep on mixing until you create a very smooth, chunk free paste. 
6. Take the crust out from the freezer and pour the filling over it. Even the filling out using a spatula and place the cake to the fridge. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours before serving :)

 Enjoy :)

Dangerous raw chocolate-strawberry cake

I call this cake "dangerous", because once you start eating it, you will not be able to stop :P You can’t say that I haven’t  warned you  :))
This cake is very refreshing, nice on a hot summer day, or any time when you feel like indulging on some sweets :D ...I feel that quite often..do you? :)

This cake fulfills all my sweet cravings. The combination of strawberries and chocolate, together with the nutty bottom layer, gives the perfect harmony between a refreshing fruity and creamy chocolaty taste. Just amazingly delicious…another must try;)

This is a healthier version of the traditional cheese cake, but just like with other nut cakes, please enjoy it with moderation. The nuts are high in calories and a medium slice of this cake will fill you quite a bit :) 

Crust:

- 200g dried figs
- 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil

- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats

- Pinch of vanilla

Middle layer:

- 200g cashew nuts, soaked for 3-4 hours

- 3/4 cup of maple syrup

- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 2 frozen bananas

 - 1/2 tsp sea salt

- 100g 80% chocolate, melted

Top layer:

- 1/4 of the mid layer

- 250g of strawberries

- 1 cup of raisins

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 tbsp coconut oil

1. Start with the crust. Place the figs to the food processor and pulse. Add the melted coconut oil and process until the dough comes together. Add the oats and the vanilla. Pulse until the oats are chopped, but still have some texture to them. 
2. Place the dough to a cake or pie dish. Press from the middle to the outer sides to evenly distribute the dough. Put the crust to the freezer for 15-20 minutes to set.
3. Melt the chocolate on a hot water vapor. You can do this by boiling water in a pot and placing a plate with the chocolate on the top. The chocolate will melt in the hot water vapor.
4. Drain and rinse the cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine the soaked cashews, maple syrup, coconut oil, bananas, melted chocolate, vanilla, salt and blend on high until the filling is completely smooth. If the dough is not becoming smooth, you can add a spoon of almond milk or water. 
5. Pour 3/4 of the filling onto the prepared crust. Leave the rest of the filling in the blender. Place the pie or cake dish back to the freezer for 30 minutes to set.
6. Add all the ingredients for the top layer to the rest of the filling. Blend on high until all ingredients are blended and a very smooth paste is formed.
7. Pour the top layer onto the middle layer. Smooth out the top evenly.
8. Place the cake back to the freezer. Freeze for a couple of hours, and then cover the dish with foil and freeze overnight, or for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours, until the cake sets.
9. Remove the cake from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing. This cake is meant to be served frozen.
10. You can create multiple layers by halving the cake and then placing one half on the top of the other half. I find that the cake looks even more tempting  :D  Top with strawberries and chocolate chips. 

 
Enjoyyyy :)

Lili's raw-Bounty bites

When I was a kid I used to love the Bounty chocolate bars (I loved them as an adult too :). I would always go for the coconut desserts, up until the time I started to read the labels. I found out, that my favourite chocolate bar is emmm...quite far from being a healthy snack for me. Good thing is, there is always a healthier variation to the original one:) 

So here we go, I've created a raw Bounty chocolate bar, super healthy, only using pure, fresh, raw ingredients. As usual, with a good food processor this dessert is quick and satisfies all Bounty and non-Bounty lovers ;)

What will you need:
Coconut filling
- 130g coconut shred

- 2 tbsp maple syrup

- 3 big Medjool dates

- Pinch of salt

- 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

Chocolate coating
- 1 tbsp coconut oil

- 1 heaping tsp raw cocoa

- 1 tbsp date syrup (or maple syrup)

- 10 grams of cocoa butter (optional)

Place all ingredients for the coconut filling into the food processor and mix until a sticky paste is formed. Fill in baking forms or praline forms with the paste. I used praline forms to create different shapes, but you can simply make balls out of the coconut filling, or use any shapes you like :) Place the filling into the freezer to set for about an hour.  

Meanwhile, bring some water to boil in a smaller pot. Put the coconut oil and cocoa butter into a plate and place it on the top of the pot. Wait until they melt in the heat of the water vapor. Mix in the cocoa and the date syrup.  

Prepare a baking sheet (or paper towel) and place a rack on top. The paper is important, so the excess chocolate doesn't dribble on your cupboard :). Take the coconut pralines out from the forms and marinade each of them in the chocolate coating for a few seconds. Place them on the rack. When done, put the raw-Bounty bites to the fridge until the chocolate hardens. Repeat the marinading until achieving a thicker chocolate coating. FYI: I only made one layer of coating, because I couldn't wait longer to eat these yummi coconut bites :D


Serve and enjoy your healthy bites :)

PS: Don't forget to share with your loved ones ...if you manage to leave them some leftovers;P

Raw Espresso cake

We have hosted a party at our place and I have came across this attractive espresso cake. I thought to myself to surprise my colleagues and introduce them to the amazing world of raw desserts with this yummy cake.. I have to say..the cake was gone in no time and I have only received very positive feedback on this goodness ;) 

Hint: using espresso powder is optional, however I find the cake tasting really special with the hint of the coffee taste. Try it out, I think you will not regret :)
I have used the recipe unmodified from this page:http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2014/03/07/the-oh-she-glows-cookbook-review-and-giveaway/

This is the copy of the recipe:

What will you need:

For the crust:

- 3/4 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

Chocolate Filling
- 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, melted 
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional)

Topping
- banana and rasperries

How to make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a pie dish with coconut oil.
In a food processor, process the hazelnuts until smooth and have a consistency of a sand. Add the oil, maple syrup, salt, and oat flour and process again until the dough comes together. Finally, add the rolled oats and pulse until the oats are chopped but still have some texture to them. The dough should stick together slightly when pressed between your fingers, but it shouldn't be super-sticky either. If it's too dry, try adding 1 tsp water or processing a bit longer.
Put the dough evenly into the pie dish. Press from the middle to the outer sides to evenly distribute the dough. Bake the crust, uncovered, for 10 -13 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on a rack for 15 - 20 minutes. 
You can as well leave the crust raw and just freeze it, as I did ;)


To make the Filling
Drain and rinse the cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine the soaked cashews, maple syrup, oil, coconut powder, melted chocolate, vanilla, salt, and espresso powder (if using) and blend on high until the filling is completely smooth. If the dough is not becoming smooth, you can add a spoon of almond milk or water.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Smooth out the top evenly. Garnish with banana and raspberries.
Place the pie dish on an even surface in the freezer, uncovered. Freeze for a couple of hours, and then cover the dish with foil and freeze overnight, or for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours, until the pie sets.
Remove the pie from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing. This pie is meant to be served frozen. 

enjoyyy :)