Chocolate, Mint and Coconut Bliss Balls

Whether you want to hit that afternoon sweet craving  or need a quick energy boost pre-workout, these little balls have got you covered!

Like previous Bliss Ball recipes I have posted (see here, here and here... yes I'm apparently a fan!) these bad boys are packed with healthy fats and protein but are also quite calorie dense, so try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting! Everyone can use a willpower workout every now and then right?!

Any who, I whipped these up in a bit of a hurry today (hence why the photos were taken on my new phone...my bad) and they were balled up and chilling in the fridge in 5 minutes flat. It doesn't get much quicker than that folks. Plus they are gluten and dairy free so even those with delicate stomachs can have at it.       

 Enjoy!

 

Chocolate, Mint and Coconut Bliss Balls 

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted dated
1 cup raw nuts (I used a mix of cashews and walnuts)
1/4 cup dried coconut
1/4 cup cacao
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (loosely packed)
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Makes about 15 balls depending on the size



Throw everything in a food processor and blitz until well chopped. Roll into individual sized balls and eat as they are or refrigerate to firm up. 

That's it! So freakin simple! 

Raw Vegan Chocolate Ice Creams

The warm summer days are quickly coming to an end here in WA, but that's no reason not to indulge in a little frozen deliciousness especially when it tastes just so damn good! Oh, and they are also dairy free, gluten free and egg free. So there's that...

I am a confessed lover of banana 'nice cream' (see earlier posts here and here... and also a little bit of here) and recently I made the inevitable leap from giant bowls of the stuff to its more appropriately portioned pop stick form. 

Super quick. Super Easy. Super Dooper Delicious! 

All you need is a basic blender and a cheap popsicle mold you can pick up for a couple of dollars... and some similarly cheap pop sticks! 

Also, if you find you're having trouble getting the ice creams out of the moulds dip the bottom of the mold in a bowl of warm water just to start softening it (not so much that it melts though!) and they should be able to slide right on out. They are also fully customisable! Change up the flavour of the ice cream by adding berries, other fruits etc. and sprinkle them with whatever you little pixie hearts desire. I went with some chopped nuts this time but I'm already dreaming of rolling them in coconut... *drool*.

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WARNING: THESE BAD BOYS MAY RESULT IN YOU LEARNING SOME DISTURBING FACTS ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES. DISCOVERING THAT PERSONS (I.E. YOUR OWN MOTHER) ARE ICE CREAM 'BITERS' MAY RESULT IN INTENSE SHOCK, DISBELIEF AND THE FEELING THAT YOU MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEM THE SAME WAY AGAIN. DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

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Raw Vegan Cherry Ripe Tarts

 

I have to say this recipe has my Grandad written all over it!

For as long as I can remember he has been a cherry ripe fiend. It's almost a guarantee that you will find one slipped into every birthday, Christmas and fathers day present! Yet, somehow, we all still think we are being original sentimental...

This choc-coconut lust has been tempered in the last few years however with his development of type-2 diabetes, though god knows these fatty sugar bars probably won't be providing a whole heap of nutritional value to even the healthiest of individuals! A single 52g bar will give you almost 20% of your recommended daily fat intake and 30% of your recommended sugar intake! Not really surprising when their first ingredient listed is sugar (but clearly this doesn't make them sweet enough as it is soon followed by sweetened condensed milk and wheat glucose syrup... you get the picture).

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not on some fat-shaming, self-righteous mission to denounce those who indulge in such snacks. I'm more of a "you can eat whatever the hell you want with no judgement, just don't expect me to want to eat it too!" kind of person. I think if people are educated about what they are eating who am I to tell them what they can and cannot put in their bodies?!

Now in terms of what goes into MY body, well then I'm a little more pedantic. I don't enjoy most traditional 'treats'. Just going to put it out there. I hate the gross sugary feeling they leave in my mouth. I hate the sickly feeling they give my stomach. I just plain don't enjoy them. Give me a crunchy kale chip seasoned with fresh spices or a filling, protein packed raw bliss ball over a mars bar any day! God, I really am one of 'those' people aren't I?...

But if you have read my earlier posts (and I know you have HAVEN'T YOU?!) you will know that I enjoy taking inspiration from the folks at Cadbury and Mars and creating desserts which won't leave me rolling on the floor in a sugar coma. I've made individual raw 'Bounty Bar' bites and recently I remade my raw Snickers Slice for my coworkers who are notorious chocolate addicts but raved about my healthier interpretation. So, coming full circle, this time I decided to try my hand at Granddad's favourite Cherry Ripe, the result being individual tarts which are crammed with chocolaty, coconutty, cherry...y(?) deliciousness!

Oh, did I mention they are raw, vegan, gluten and dairy free? They are. You're welcome. 

Raw Vegan Cherry Ripe Tarts

For the Crust:

 4 Tbsp Coconut Butter
1/3 cup Cacao
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
20 Pitted Dates
1 cup Walnuts 

3 tbsp Coconut Oil

 For the Cherry Filling:

 1 cup Cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup Coconut Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla

2 cups pitted Cherries

1/4 cup shredded Coconut (optional)

Extra water or non-dairy milk (optional)

  For the Chocolate Ganache:

3/4 cup Cashews, soaked overnight
1/3 cup Cacao
1/3 cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted  

 

To make the base simply throw everything in a food processor and blitz until you have a fine, wet crumb mixture. Press into the base of about 12 individual non-stick tart tins  (or you could make one large tart or slice) and freeze while you make the filling. 

For the cherry coconut filling, again, just stick everything in your food processor and blitz until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If you feel the mix is to thick and dry try adding some extra water or milk of your choice a little at a time until you have to consistency you want. If you want a more 'coconutty' taste you can add a little shredded coconut and stir it through the smooth mixture (this will also add a little extra texture if your that way inclined!).

Spoon the filling into your chilled tart bases, leaving a little room at the top for when you add your ganache, and stick back into the freezer for about 1/2 an hour or well chilled.

To make the ganache blitz the cashews in your food processor until fully chopped and fairly smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the whole mix is totally smooth. 

Spoon the ganache onto the tarts and refrigerate until chilled and fully set.

Top with some extra chopped cherries, coconut or whatever else you want and enjoy! 
          

 

To all those reading this recipe and thinking "oh, that sounds like a nice, healthy snack/meal" BE WARNED! 

Oh yes, this granola may be a mix of nutritious oats, nuts, oils, seeds and full of healthy fats, carbs and proteins but don't be fooled! It will create in you the most unhealthy of obsessions! 

Think you can have one spoon and walk away? Think again!

Surely one bowl will be enough? Wrong!

Well surely after eating the whole batch I will be so satisfied I won't want to touch the stuff again for at least a few hours? Oh you poor, simple fool!

Seriously, I am not exaggerating when I say only chopping my hands of Jamie Lannister style will stop me devouring buckets of this stuff... and even then I may just dive in head first.

As of late I have been taking the vegan/clean/natural lifestyle for a test drive, to admittedly amazing results! I feel full of energy, I eat when I want without any feelings of guilt and just feel generally happier and healthier! This weekend alone I played two full games of football (AFL, not that other rubbish) without any breaks, hit the gym for a pretty intense cardio session and still felt amazing and ready to keep running! Any who, as part of my new eating plans I have been scouring the web for inspiration when I stumbled across this recipe from My New Roots. I actually had a bag of buckwheat seeds that I was wanting to make into a breakfast granola, so you can imagine my delight at adding chocolate into the equation!

I did stick the recipe in a general, using-what-I-have-on-hand sort of way and what eventuated was a deliciously sweet (but also kind of savoury...) mixture of rainbows and puppy dog smiles!Really you can just throw in whatever ingredients you have on hand and add more and less of those things you love or just like.

If you do manage to resist eating the whole thing hot from the oven (I applaud you and your restraint!) there are 101 ways you can enjoy this granola! Serve it as a breakfast cereal with the dairy/nut/soy/whatever milk of your choice. Layer it with frozen banana 'nice cream' (see my earlier recipe here). Sprinkle it on freshly sliced fruit... 

Excuse me. I have to go... not make another batch... right now!

Chocolate Buckwheat Granola

You will Need

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cups raw buckwheat, soaked in water for an hour and then drained
1 ½ cups / 65g coconut flakes
2 cups raw nuts, roughly chopped (I used a mix of walnuts, cashews and brazil nuts)
3/4 cup chia seeds
½ tsp fine grain sea salt
¼ cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup cacao powder

 

Preheat your oven to  175°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

In a large bowl combine the oats, drained buckwheat, coconut, chia seeds, sugar and chopped nuts.

Mmmmmm... soaked buckwheat!

In a small saucepan combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and salt and heat over a low flame until the coconut oil is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cacao powder.

Trying not to eat this chocolate pool of magic as it is, pour it into your bowl with the oat mixture and stir well to make sure every nut, oat and coconut flake gets some chocolate loving. 

 

 

Dump the whole mixture onto your lined baking tray and stick in the over for about 15-20 minutes. When the time is up, grab a spatula and flip the mixture over to expose the bottom and stick it back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so, stirring and mixing around frequently to make sure the entire mix gets nice and toasted. You should be able to smell when it's ready, the nuts will be giving off a delicious toasty smell so if you see some drool pouring down your chin... its probably done! 

 

And that's about it! If you have the strength, let your granola cool in the tray before hoeing in... or just go for it. I promise not to judge.