I had the fortune to get my hands on a copy of "Raw for Dessert: Easy Delights for Everyone" and since Valentine's Day is steadily approaching I thought I would take the time to discuss this book."Raw for Dessert" is an eclectic collection of sweet and scrumptious recipes from internationally recognized Raw Food Chef and instructor Jennifer Cornbleet.
Cornbleet substitutes customary dessert ingredients such as flour, butter and processed white sugar, with ground nuts, coconut oil and dates and other healthy alternatives to create sweet treats that are bursting with flavor. She demonstrates that baking isn’t necessary to create the sophisticated Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee, comforting Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting or festive Pumpkin Pie.
Covering the full spectrum of desserts from cakes and cookies, to pies, candy and creamy desserts, "Raw for Dessert" starts off with the “Basics” chapter featuring recipes, which delicious in their own right, are predominately used as the building blocks of Cornbleet’s other creations. All of the desserts are a breeze to construct and require no more time than it takes the Coffee Ice Cream to freeze. Yes, that’s right, coffee. Not all the ingredients are raw. Cornbleet is forthcoming with the use of non-raw items and provides a detailed ingredient list at the beginning of the book.
Ideal for foodies, raw or not, with a mad sweet tooth, "Raw for Dessert" offers up a slew of tips, suggestions and recipes. Whether you are in the mood for cool and refreshing, like the Grapefruit Granita or leaning more to the exotic with the Indian dessert Kheer, this book will not disappoint.
It was hard to choose a recipe to try for this review, everything reads so delectable. I finally decided on this candy. My eldest daughter, Jordan, is deathly allergic to most nuts and I was pleasantly surprised that this chocolate indulgence was nut-free. She happily ate the lot of them.
Dark Chocolate Truffles
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
4 pitted Medjool dates
½ cup maple syrup or dark agave syrup
1 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
Combine the coconut oil and dates in a small bowl and soak for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the maple syrup, ¾ cup of the cocoa powder, and all of the salt and process until very smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender jar with a rubber spatula. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
The Daily Raw Note:
Now it‘s just about this point where you might be tempted to eat the dish as is. You know who you are. To be honest, who could blame you? It is rich and gooey and luxurious as all chocolate concoctions should be, but, please refrain from eating it. If you must get your chocolate fix, lick the blender cup. Believe me, the truffles are worth the wait.
Place the remaining ¼ cup cocoa powder in a small bowl and set aside.
Scoop out a heaping ½ teaspoon of the chocolate mixture. Pull it off the measuring spoon with your fingers and lightly roll it into a ball between your palms. Dip and roll the truffle in the cocoa powder, then place it on a plate or in a paper candy cup. Repeat with the remainder of the chocolate mixture. Chill the finished truffles in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
Stored in sealed container in the refrigerator, Chocolate Truffles will keep for a 1 week.
VARIATIONSCoconut Truffles: Dip and roll each truffle in unsweetened shredded dried coconut instead of cocoa powder.
Curry Truffles: Dip and roll each truffle in curry powder instead of cocoa powder.
Mexican Chocolate Truffles: Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a generous pinch of cayenne to the chocolate mixture in the blender. Roll each truffle in cocoa powder. (The Daily Raw Café Note: I added a bit of cayenne pepper to the cocoa powder.)
You know what? I can't have all the fun. Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I want to offer one (1) lucky winner a copy of Jennifer Cornbleet’s “Raw for Dessert.”
All you have to do is answer the following question in this post's comment section.
“What are your Valentine’s Day plans?”
The contest
*Please note: this contest is only open to people living in the United States and Canada.
31 comments:
My Valentine's Day plans are to make a romantic raw dinner - salad, entree, dessert - and eat it in front of the fireplace with my darling hubby! (after my 11-month-old goes to sleep!!)
Me and my boyfriend are both very busy on Valentine's Day, but we're going to make sure to find the time to make some raw chocolate covered strawberries. We make a sauce out of coconut oil, agave, and cacao powder, dip the strawberries, and let them chill in the fridge. They're delicious, and it's a perfect Valentine's Day dessert!
we'll be having visitors from far away so we will all just have a fun day together. i have a feeling i will LOOVVVEE this book :)
I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do for my very first v-day with my bf for weeks, and then it came to me. I'm fabulous in the kitchen and the best gift I could would be a fabulous raw dinner. I wanted to try something more complicated that I've never done before. RAW LASAGNA. But I have no dehydrator which most of the recipes call for, until I finally found one, and one that uses artichoke as well [one of my fav veggies] so I'm excited for this v-day.
These truffles look soo good!
I'm debating whether to eat out at my fave raw restaurant for V-Day, or make a raw fancy dinner at home :)
Well I did not have any plans until I read about this recipe! I'm definitely going to make these for my roommates (who have been my raw food guinea pigs!) and celebrate love of friends!!
I want truffles nooow!!!:-)
Valentines Day I go from Norway to a place south in Sweden(7000km each way!!) to be present when a rawfood café opens there...(kivikslillaraa.blogspot.com)I am sooo happy:-))
It`s not far from Copenhagen so a friend and I will go there on monday 15 to visit a rawcafé who has opend there..
Before I go home I will fill up the car with stuff I can not by here... Lucky meee:-))
Have a nice day from Randi
For V-Day I will be with two special boys...my hubby and my 9 mo old son. Not a romantic day but it will be filled with LOVE! :)
V-day plans include teaching Thai Yoga partner massage at my favorite yoga studio. Good stuff!
My husband and I celebrate my birthday on Valentine's Day every year. With the newly adopted raw food diet, this year is no exception. We're going out to a fancy raw food restaurant to enjoy someone else's "cooking", just because we make our own food almost everyday.
I don't have a partner to share the day with. I think I will be my own partner, and offer the love to myself. I will make a great meal, make sure to drink a good green smoothie (I love them), spiked with some cacao and peppermint. I will also prepare these fabulous looking sweets in your post. Thanks for offering the opportunity to receive a copy of Jennifer's book.
My family(twin 2yr olds & 14 and 17 yr olds)and I will have our new fav dinner,cheesy noodles and salad. Of course, something chocolatey for dessert.
I'm a flight attendant so I will be spending Valentine's Day in London hopefully spoiling myself with a fantastic raw dinner at Saf
On Valentine's Day, I'll be with my sweetie, uncooking some fabulous raw feast and just being grateful for all that the Universe has given to us.
Blessings,
Barbara
www.rawfullytempting.blogspot.com
I have found myself in love with raw food, especially the decadently healthful desserts, so I plan to share my love affair with my twin spirit and my little Princesses. No menu yet, but I know I have a batch of truffles with my name on them!
possibly a raw valentine's day dinner tasting with my girlfriend because we don't have any boys in our lives right now!
i love this cookbook <3
I was planning on doing a fancy gourmet raw valentine's day meal for the whole family and the most important part will be the dessert: a raw chocolate fondue with tons of fruits :)
Since I will be working this valentines and I'm a long way from my sweetie, I am going to make these wonderful little delights to share at work. Love, love, love the variations with coconut and curry, yum! Turn up the heat!
This is going to sound the lamest ever, but I'll be at the Apple store taking a class. Hubby will be deploying this week, so I'll be making raw chocolates for me & the kiddos, enjoying them together, & then off to my class. :) Unfortunately, hubby & I have spent more Valentine's Days, Mother's/Father's Day, birthdays & anniversaries apart than together. But, hey, that's the life of an Army wife right? ;)
I am single right now, so I'll be enjoying the day with friends instead. They will love the truffles.
My hubby and I are celebrating with a 3-day run...the 12th is our 1/2 anniversary (yes, we celebrate that!), the 13th is the new moon and then the 14th. We plan on setting our intentions as a couple for the next 6 months and eating raw sundaes! This year, I also plan to tell my tribe - closest friends and family - how much they mean to me. Finally, I am going to practice heart-opening exercises as a tribute to the love that I want to return to the universe :)
I would love to have something wonderful planned. But with an 8 month old and 26 month old at home, I doubt my husband and I will do anything at all. I hope to at least make some valentine's cookies or a red cake with my older son.
My Valentines Day plans are to make the Dark Chocolate Truffles and share them with my beautiful wife of 55 years.
My Valentine's Day plans are to hang out with my two favorite people: My lovely husband and my son. I'll probably make some raw heart-shaped "brownies"too — can't do Valentine's without some chocolate!
My Valentine's Day plans are to enjoy the day with our kids, and have a late night at-home romantic candle-lit dinner with the hubby. Raw chocolate covered strawberries are a must as well! :)
this book looks amazing!!!!i would love to check it out! v-day? relaxing with some friends-can't wait!
Dinner and maybe a movie. We announced our engagement on valentines day 28 years ago!
35 years ago, I met a young man, dated him for a year and then broke his heart to "go find my 16 year old self. That man came back into my life a few months ago ~
How fortunate I am.
He is full of surprises so there is no telling what we will do but there is no doubt that love will be in our midst! Thanks for your site, your recipes and time. I love it!
I will actually be in Mexico for Valentine's Day with my boyfriend. And his entire family. His sister is getting married on the 13th!
We are planning a family dinner and raw dessert :)
We're planning on spending some romantic time in the kitchen together - working on a vegetarian or vegan dish that needs the extra time in the kitchen a week night just doesn't provide. I'm hoping to make a raw banana cream pie if I can find the one remaining ingredient I still need for it. Of course there will be my husbands tradition of bringing home the number of carnations we've been married plus "one from mom" since it was my mom and my special flower when she was still alive. This year there will be 10.
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