Recipe of the Month: Raw Chocolate Brownies
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Our yogi chef is at it again! This month, she wrestles for the mantle of The Best Brownie Recipe and, its fair to say, we think these nutritious little morsels of deliciousness may just be the ticket…
Adapted from mynewroots.org
Nearly every chef I’ve worked with, whether they work in pastry or not, believes that they are in possession of the best brownie recipe ever. One of my head chefs, a man with 20 years in the military behind him, guards his treasured marshmallow brownie recipe with the type of military efficiency that would make both Queen and Country proud.
Then there was the Pastry chef who’s prized Baileys brownie recipe was secretly tweaked by one of her disloyal comrades (more Baileys, less brownie) which was then passed around the kitchen to an elite few who were sworn to secrecy as to its existence.
I myself do not claim to be in ownership of the best recipe ever but, I have been known to barter, bribe and coerce others for theirs.
How the recipe below ever made it into the freezer shows the magnitude of both my strength and determination to share this discovery, as I could not stop eating the mixture out of the bowl. I cannot deny it: this is good. Really good! And although it may not contain caramelised marshmallows applied with military precision or copious amounts of Baileys that would flatline your downdog, it is soul satisfyingly good, virtuous and potentially the best brownie recipe ever!
Ingredients
500g Whole Walnuts
625g Medjool Dates, pitted
250g Raw Cacao
250g Raw Hazelnut, coarsely chopped (or any nuts and seeds of your choice)
¼ tsp Sea Salt
Method
- Line a small baking tray/pan/mould with parchment paper.
- Place the walnuts in a food processor and blitz on high until the nuts are finely ground.
- Add the cacao and salt and pulse for a few seconds to combine the ingredients.
- Add the dates to the mixture in slow additions. Do not add them all at once. You want to make sure the dates are broken down and fully incorporated before adding the rest. When done, the mixture should look like moist cake crumbs that hold together when pinched between your fingers. If this is not the case, add more dates as necessary.
- Empty the mixture into a bowl and with a spoon stir in the nuts or seeds of your choice.
- Pour into your lined baking tray/pan/mould and smooth flat using a pallet knife or the back of a spoon.
- Place in freezer or fridge until ready to serve. Then cut into slices and enjoy!