Sunday, October 26, 2014

Raw Chocolate Walnut Brownie with Cinnamon "Cream Cheese" Frosting



It seems Fall brings out the desire in me to make raw treats. It makes absolutely no sense since the colder it gets, the more people are likely to want to turn on the oven. Well for me, I get mega lazy this time of year. We're talking let-me-drink-this-chai-tea-for-several-hours-while-watching-youtube-wrapped-in-my-ikea-blanket lazy. So if I can just whip up a dessert without turning on the oven and cutting baking paper to fit the bottom of my cake pan, I will.

Now I'm going to try and refrain from saying this is one of the best things I've made lately on a whim BUT GUYS, this is really freaking good. I want to take this gooey mess and put my face all up in it the way Bruce Bogtrotter did with that chocolate cake in Matilda. Except it's not a punishment. Oh, and it's dare I say it, good for you.

Raw Chocolate Walnut Brownie
with Cinnamon "Cream Cheese" Frosting

Makes 4 Brownies

For the Brownie
3/4 cup of dates, pitted (mejool or deglet noor dates preferrably)
1/4 cup of almonds, ground
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt
walnuts for studding

For the Frosting
1/2 cup of walnuts, soaked + 1 tbsp of soaking water
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup or 2 dates

Start by soaking your frosting walnuts in water for 30 minutes, making sure the water covers them completely.

Chop up dates into pieces and place in a blender or food processor. Pulse until it comes together to form a sticky paste (if your dates are not soft enough, have them soak in water for 15 minutes before pulsing). Add your ground almonds and pulse again. Pour out into a bowl and add the cocoa and sea salt. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is the same dark brown throughout (it might seem crumbly at first but it will eventually come together). Using plastic wrap, shape the "dough" into a 6" x 6" square. Push in walnut pieces throughout the square, then wrap and store in the fridge.

In the meanwhile, drain your walnuts, leaving a tablespoon of the soaking water. In the same machine you used to pulse the dates, do the same for the walnuts until it has a chunky cream cheese like consistency. Add cinnamon and maple syrup (or dates if you want to keep it purely raw).

Cut the brownie into 4 squares. Top with the frosting and top with walnuts and extra cinnamon if you'd like. Enjoy!


1 comment:

  1. A+ for the Bruce Bogtrotter reference! I would so snarf this in a heartbeat!

    ReplyDelete