Raw Caramel White Chocolate Hearts

Chef:Brandi Doming

Date:February 14, 2014

Desserts

ABOUT THE CHEF

Brandi is the creator of the blog The Vegan 8. She has been a passionate cook for years, but it was her husband’s painful disease with gout that led her to choose a vegan lifestyle. She chose a healthier way of eating for her family that ignited a passion to create unique and delicious recipes that also happen to be vegan, gluten-free and oil-free. Her blog has become very popular, as it focuses on 8 ingredients or less, so anybody can make them with ease. Brandi believes in using nature’s powerful whole foods to nourish and promote a healthier body and a healthier mind. She enjoys creating food that everybody loves, whether vegan or not. Brandi’s belief is that food can be easy, use minimal ingredients, yet still be shockingly delicious.

These decadent fudge-like treats combine coconut sugar, lucuma powder (or better yet, our Epic Protein Vanilla Lucuma) and white chocolate from raw cocoa butter to create an amazingly delicious caramel flavor… and they are raw!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (87 g) raw coconut flour (or regular)
2 tablespoons lucuma powder or Epic Protein : Vanilla Lucuma (helps with caramel flavor)
1/4 cup coconut sugar (helps with caramel flavor as well)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup creamy almond butter (or cashew butter, sunbutter for nut-free, etc. as long as it’s creamy)
1/2 cup melted cocoa butter (which is about 3/4 chopped, 96 g solid)
1/2 cup raw agave, room temperature! (or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Optional Chocolate Drizzle
You can melt your favorite raw chocolate bar or make your own:

2 tablespoons melted cocoa butter
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon raw agave (or maple syrup)

Important Notes:

It is very important that your nut butter and liquid sweetener are at room temperature and not cold from the fridge, as that can cause the cocoa butter to harden. You don’t want little bits of cocoa butter in the end!
Do not substitute anything for the coconut flour; it is more absorbent than any other flour, so choosing another flour will really affect the result.
If you don’t have lucuma, you can try subbing with maca or Epic Protein : Vanilla Lucuma, though texture and sweetness will change slightly. With Epic Protein added in, these treats can serve as delicious, bite-sized, on-the-go energy snacks!

DIRECTIONS

Do not melt the cocoa butter until you have followed the first 2 steps.
To a medium bowl, add the first 5 (dry) ingredients and whisk well.
In a food processor, add the almond butter, liquid sweetener and vanilla and pulse until just blended. You can do it by hand,but it just may not be quite as smooth in the end result.
Finely chop the cocoa butter and melt as your preferred method to a complete liquid, being careful not to burn. You need 1/2 cup, so make sure to measure after it’s completely melted. Add it to the food processor with the other liquids. Pulse until very smooth. Pour over the bowl of dry ingredients, making sure to scrape all of the liquid out of the processor. Stir until all absorbed and comes together in a large ball. It will have the texture of cookie dough.
Press into 12 silicone molds (I got mine from Michael’s) or foil liners. Press firm and flat and around the edges. These are plenty delicious on their own, but if you want a more dessert style presentation, add the chocolate drizzle. Just melt the cocoa butter, add the agave and cocoa powder and whisk with a fork. Drizzle with a spoon or pour in a plastic ziplock bag and cut off the corner to make a small opening to pipe it out. You can make more strategic drizzles this way.
Place in the fridge for at least an hour to set. Keep stored in the fridge.

NOTES

Yield: 1 dozen
Raw, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free option

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