About Friday, and high energy treats.

Image from My New Roots

So about my absence on Friday, I do have a good reason, although it's slightly embarrassing really as it makes me a bit of a fraud. You see I'm not writing this from my tin can kitchen, I'm actually writing this from my brand spanking new loft. The tin can is not dead however, we're just having a dose of normalcy while we sort out a few things and plan our next step. So if you all agree, I'll keep posting from my not so small kitchen and we'll just pretend everything is the same until we hit the road again. All agreed? Excellent.

Well moving house is hard work, even when you own very little. How we fit five truck loads of belongings in the trailer I'll never know but the weekend was spent schlepping them up from the parkade to the forth floor. All that exertion required reward and energy replacement. Today's recipe is from My New Roots, quite possibly my favourite foody blog. The Raw Brownie is nothing to fear, it is every bit as decadent and gooey and delicious as the real thing but a million miles better for you. Don't be fooled into thinking it's low calorie however as it most definitely is not, but the energy comes to you from whole foods of nutrient rich goodness rather than empty calories that just sit on your hips and remind you why you shouldn't have eaten the whole tin. Whereas the brownie you know is all butter and sugar and flour, the raw brownie is just three things, dates, cacao and walnuts. I'm posting the recipe here, but head over to My New Roots and Sarah will tell you how amazing her Raw Brownies are for you herself.

Recipe

The Raw Brownie from My New Roots

2 cups whole walnuts
2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw cacao
1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt
Directions:
1. Place walnuts in food processor and blend on high until the nuts are finely ground.
2. Add the cacao and salt. Pulse to combine.
3. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. What you should end up with is a mix that appears rather like cake crumbs, but that when pressed, will easily stick together (if the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates).
4. In a large bowl (or the pan you plan on putting the brownies in), combine the walnut-cacao mix with the chopped almonds. Press into a lined cake pan or mold. Place in freezer or fridge until ready to serve (it is also easier to cut these when they are very cold). Store in an airtight container.


I know right, super good for you and ready in minutes, you could even scoop it right out from the bowl of your food process, which I've never done, honest! Actually, talking of scoops, this is a great recipe for a Christmas gift exchange. Instead of making a flat brownie, you could roll this mixture into little balls and have on your hands the most delicious truffles. Roll then in crushed nuts or coconut, ooh or melted dark chocolate, yum, and you my friends will be the stars of your social circles! I keep mine in the freezer all the time as they don't ever really freeze solid, we just eat them straight from there, sometimes even on a plate while sitting down at the table:)