Chocolate Almond Butter Cups and Coconut Almond Truffles

Camille Labchuk an up and coming law student kindly shared 2 fantastic raw cacao linked recipes that I just had to get and share. After all chocolate is absolutely fantastic stuff! Raw cacao is particularly good for your health – acting as a mild stimulant and chock full of antioxidants. (Try not to eat more than 7 pieces of raw cacao straight up at once or you’ll really feel the effects)

You can buy raw cacao through direct trade from Mexican communities like those in Oaxaca through groups like Chocosol, a social enterprise ally of ours who works out of 6 St. Joseph House in Toronto. We support local and we also support direct, fair trade (which helps to re-build local economies elsewhere in the world). It’s about building stronger community everywhere and anywhere.

CAMILLE’S NOTES

These are from Cafe Gratitude’s dessert book – Sweet Gratitude. I highly recommend this book – tons of amazing raw dessert recipes! (Via Camille Labchuk on Facebook)

First off, you need raw chocolate. Regular chocolate works too, but if you want to make your own raw chocolate, melt 1 cup of cocoa butter at 110F. In a blender, blend the melted cocoa butter with 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/3 cup powdered maple sugar, 2 tsp agave nectar, a pinch of salt and 7 ounces of raw cacao powder. You can let it harden in a container in the fridge, and melt as needed.

Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

(raw vegan – and healthy! – take on Reese’s peanut butter cups)

1 cup almond butter
1/4 cup cacao butter – melted
1/4 cup agave syrup
2 tbsp maple sugar
3/4 tsp salt
Melted chocolate

Mix ingredients in a bowl.
For assembly, molds are needed – I use silicon cupcake holders.
Melt chocolate and pour about a tablespoon of melted chocolate into each mold.
Swirl chocolate up the sides of the molds with your finger then place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
Fill each mold with about a tablespoon of filling.
Set in freezer for 10 more minutes, then top off with another tablespoon of melted chocolate.
Place back in freezer to harden chocolate.
Store in fridge.

Coconut Almond Truffles

1 1/4 cups powdered shredded coconut (grind in coffee grinder or blender)
2 1/4 cups shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup agave
7 tbsp melted coconut butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup almonds
Melted chocolate

Mix all ingredients together except almonds.
Place in fridge for 20 minutes to set.
Once filling is firm enough, scoop some mixture, place an almond in the centre and roll into a ball.
Place freezer for 20 minutes to harden.
Dip hardened balls in melted chocolate and remove with a fork.
Allow truffles to harden in the freezer.
Store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

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