icing recipes without cashews

[exurb]

One thing I really miss after generally avoiding cashews due to their lack of rawness, is icing and gooey fillings for decadent desserts

Anyone got any good recipes that don't use cashews?

[RawFoodieMom]

Wouldn't it work to replace the cashews in a recipe with macadamia nuts? It would probably be even creamier. ;)

[wyjoz]

If you don't mind other nuts here is one I used; it's posted here under I need a Bananna Cake: post 15

3 c coconut meat
1 c macademia nuts
3 T coconut oil/butter
1 t vanilla
2-4 T Agave
coconut water only to make it spread
Blend well. It hardens after you
refridgerate it.

[Halo Aglow]

You can use soaked dates or avocadoes. Chocolate pudding and lemon pudding make nice icings and fillings.

[RowanC]

My food coop says our cashews are raw.
I love them and eat a lot of them.

Who said they weren't raw? :eek:

[RawFoodieMom]

You can use soaked dates or avocadoes. Chocolate pudding and lemon pudding make nice icings and fillings.

Hey Luna, how do you make your lemon pudding? Mmmmm... I've had a craving for some for quite a while...

[Halo Aglow]

Hey Luna, how do you make your lemon pudding? Mmmmm... I've had a craving for some for quite a while...

Hey RawFoodieMom! :) There's a recipe in Alissa's book on page 518. I usually use avocadoes, lemons and agave nectar which this version makes it thinner though. In the book Raw Food Real World, they use limes and stevia as to not thin it out for thier Key Lime Mousse (and put it in yummy macadamia coconut crusts SO GOOD!!!!).

Here are some recipes posted online which is basically the same idea:

http://www.rawfoods.com/recipes/lemonpudding.html

http://www.rawguru.com/issue11.html (scroll down for the Key-Lime Mousse pie from Raw Food Real World).

[juliebove]

The cashews from my health food store are raw.

[Spectatrix]

Most cashews, even if they say they are raw, really aren't. This is because cashews are steamed when shelling to neutralize the toxins in the shell. You can buy "truly raw cashews", but you typically have to order those online.

[rawpriestess]

you can use any nut or seed or coconut meat, it's up to you, I like cashews because they are creamy and they thicken up, but so do any other nuts, walnuts are especially nice and I like the bitterness they bring to recipes, it just tastes good.

[cassidy]

I bought a couple bags of ORGANIC RAW CASHEWS at Trader Joe's the other day... so those are really and truely raw right? Becuase I eat about 2,000,356 a day. Just wondering.

[WindyCityRawGirl]

Hi Cassidy. I just posted a thread the other day about nuts from Trader Joe's being truely raw. Like Spectatrix said, I believe that most cashews are not raw. I've done some reading up on them, and I think you have to truely buy them with the shells on, but have also heard that the shells become toxic (or can be toxic). Don't qoute me on that. But as far as the Trader Joe's nuts go, I think I'm going to ask next time I'm there. I think we have to buy our nuts online to be sure that they are truely raw. Does anybody out there have any good, reliable online addresses for buying raw nuts? Thanks in advance. ;)

[WindyCityRawGirl]

Or like RowanC said, buy your nuts from a co-op or reliable source, not necessarily online. But I don't even think that the nuts from Whole Foods are raw. Does anybody know if the nuts from Whole Foods are truely raw? :confused:

[Sharon in Colorado]

Try soaking and sprouting them, if they sprout then you know they are raw.

If they don't sprout and you are already using Nama Shoyu, Olives, dried and frozen fruit then there shouldn't be a big deal with using them.

[Spectatrix]

The cashews that you just get in bulk from Wild Oats or a co-op probably aren't truly raw, though their other raw nuts may be. As Sharon said, the sure-fire way to tell is to try to sprout them. :D

[exurb]

Thanks everyone for your replies and good ideas!!! :D

[kiku]

Here is an easy and delicious chocolate icing recipe:

1/4 cup amber agave syrup
3 very soft medool dates
LOTS of cocoa or carob powder (I haven't measured it)
stevia plus if you want it sweeter

Blend until smooth.

I use this on my chocolate brownies, and it's just like real chocolate frosting. I think some of the moisture in the agave soaks into the brownies, making the frosting thicker and the brownies chewier.

(I use a brownie recipe similar to Raw Priestess': 1 cup walnuts, ground in coffee grinder, leaving a bit coarse; 2/3 cup medjool dates, cocoa powder to taste; some stevia plus if not sweet enough. Yummy!)

[RawFoodieMom]

Hey RawFoodieMom! :) There's a recipe in Alissa's book on page 518. I usually use avocadoes, lemons and agave nectar which this version makes it thinner though. In the book Raw Food Real World, they use limes and stevia as to not thin it out for thier Key Lime Mousse (and put it in yummy macadamia coconut crusts SO GOOD!!!!).

Ohhhh, duh. :rolleyes: You think I would have checked Alissa's book first, LOL! I will try her lemon pudding. :)

I love the book Raw Food, Real World. I'm reading it again, actually, it's so inspiring! :)

[exurb]

kiku - yumm! that one sounds great too!

[janicejourney]

Here is an easy and delicious chocolate icing recipe:

1/4 cup amber agave syrup
3 very soft medool dates
LOTS of cocoa or carob powder (I haven't measured it)
stevia plus if you want it sweeter

Blend until smooth.

I use this on my chocolate brownies, and it's just like real chocolate frosting. I think some of the moisture in the agave soaks into the brownies, making the frosting thicker and the brownies chewier.

(I use a brownie recipe similar to Raw Priestess': 1 cup walnuts, ground in coffee grinder, leaving a bit coarse; 2/3 cup medjool dates, cocoa powder to taste; some stevia plus if not sweet enough. Yummy!)
I made this and put it on my chocolate almond butter cookies... mmmmm :) THanks! I added A LOT of carob lol, (so had to add a little water) and some salt for my taste. Delish!

[kiku]

You are very welcome, Janice; I'm so glad you liked it. I bet it is good on your chocolate almond cream cookies (is the recipe posted? I'll have to do a search).

I've noticed that if you add enough cocoa/carob powder to just the agave, it gets so thick you don't even need the dates, or you need fewer. I prefer it with the dates, though, for body. I'll have to try it with a bit of salt next time I make it.

[janicejourney]

I got this from this site... but I am ashamed to say I don't have the author in the word doc I saved it in so please spaeak up if you wrote this :)

ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
4 cups almond flour (dehydrate your almond pulp until dry)
1 cup almond butter
3 tablspoons agave nectar
1/2 cup raw honey or date paste
2 tsp vanilla
2 teaspoons sea salt
dash of stevia (optional)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients well, or use a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Roll out dough with a rolling pin. You may want to use parchment or wax paper so the dough doesn't stick to the rolloing pin. Roll to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to make cookies, then dehydrate at 115 for 12-24 hours or until dry and crispy. Lasts about a week in the fridge.

I love these... I added some blackstrap mollasses, I am anemic so need iron(not raw but high quality naturally made) and cacao. And I use agave in place of the honey. These are by far my favorate cookies I have had that are raw. Now with the frosting.... to die for!!!

[GlimR]

GlimR's Chocolate Frosting Fantasy (feeling dramatic today!! :D )

ev coconut oil
raw honey (or agave)
cocoa/ carob
vanilla

mix together till smooth.....you'll need to spread it on whatever you are frosting while it is room temp..then refridgerate as it thickens up/hardens.

When cold it almost has the consistancy of a ganache.

Awesome on Raw Brownies~

[exurb]

Thanks GlimR!! That sounds totally decadent!!! And I have everything in stock, so I'm tempted to go make a batch even though I've got nothing to "ice" it onto, just to eat it!!!

[veganman]

Try soaking and sprouting them, if they sprout then you know they are raw.

If they don't sprout and you are already using Nama Shoyu, Olives, dried and frozen fruit then there shouldn't be a big deal with using them.

Hi Sharon -

I know that a lot of dried fruit is dried under 115, so it may not be necessary to include them in this category.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Hi Sharon -

I know that a lot of dried fruit is dried under 115, so it may not be necessary to include them in this category.

Most dried fruit from the store that I'm aware of is dried w/high heat, unless it says sun dried, like tomatoes and raisins.

Please correct me if I'm wrong - also the manufacturer can be contacted for further info.

[veganman]

I am currently researching that. I will let the group know when I get more info. It sounds like dates from Jewel Date and Oasis are just off the tree (no high heat drying), but frozen to kill the bugs. I will confirm that shortly. :)

[Tirza]

The term 'sundried' is such a by-word. But how can we be sure that the temperatures are not too high in the sun? I know that you can actually do regular baking in the sun. Now I know that I live in the 'frozen north' but I do think that the sun gets very hot in some areas. When I have bought sundried tomatoes at the health food store, they seem very dark and toasty tasting.

[kiku]

Thank you Janice for the recipe for almond butter cookies. I am definately going to have to try them with cocoa powder and icing. YUM!