ManyLittles
05-21-2008, 11:31 PM
I just experimented a little with RP's Brownie recipe (hers is 1 C walnuts, unsoaked, 1 C dates, pitted, unsoaked, and 1/4 C cacao powder, blended and pressed into a pan or rolled into truffles...I know someone will ask, lol). Anyway, here is what I came up with, and I really like it. There are notes after the recipe. Very yummy!:p
ManyLittles' Coco-Orange Brownies
Ingredients:
1 C cashews (unsoaked)
1 C dates (pitted, unsoaked)
1/4 C cacao nibs (ground in a vitamix as finely as possible--don't let it get warm, though--or use cacao powder)
orange zest from half a medium size orange (wash and rinse well first
dried coconut (shredded, raw, unsweetened) as much as desired
Directions:
1. Process cashews into a fine meal.
2. Add dates, orange zest and cacao, process until dates are blended in well.
The "dough" should clump together well, but not be too sticky. A bit of water or orange juice could be added a tiny bit at a time if it's not sticking together enough. (If using cacao nibs, it should be plenty moist.)
3. Press into a pan or container with a flat bottom and sprinkle with coconut OR roll into balls and roll in coconut for truffles or brownie bites. You can refrigerate them for firmer brownies.
Notes:
Cashews- I found them to be milder tasting, and almost sweet, which allowed the flavor of the orange zest to come through. I process them before adding the other ingredients to get a finer meal, and to prevent over-processing of the nibs. If the nibs become too warm, the cacao oil (butter) is drawn out of it, and you will have unbelievably greasy hands. One time I over-processed the mix, and had to squeeze out the oil (and there was tons of it) as I rolled them into balls, or the dough wouldn't stick together. Don't let the cacao nibs get too warm in the processor!
Why cacao nibs? It's what I have available at my local store. They don't carry raw cacao powder. :rolleyes: Cacao powder has all the cacao oil (butter) pressed out of it. The nibs are peeled, broken up cacao beans. I've never made RP's brownies with the cacao powder, so for those who have, my brownies may come out moister if nibs are used. You could substitute cacao powder if you wanted.
If you use the cacao nibs, you'll need to grind them first. The vitamix works best for this. Due to the oil in them, the nibs may clump against the sides of the vitamix at the bottom. You'll need to stop every five seconds or so to break up the clumping. Once it's all ground into granules, break up the final clumps and you're ready to use. The 1/4 cup in this recipe probably isn't enough to grind in the vitamix, so go ahead and so a cup of it, and have it ready to use for the next batch. And in case you're wondering, yes cacao powder is less hassle to use, lol!
If you don't have a zester, you could use a vegetable peeler to lightly peel the orange skin. However, it won't be as well blended into the dough as it would if it were zested. You may want to try processing it with the cashews first, in hopes that it might get blended better.
Oh, and you should double the recipe AT LEAST, because it's GOOD, and unless you live alone, it is not enough to last long!!
ManyLittles' Coco-Orange Brownies
Ingredients:
1 C cashews (unsoaked)
1 C dates (pitted, unsoaked)
1/4 C cacao nibs (ground in a vitamix as finely as possible--don't let it get warm, though--or use cacao powder)
orange zest from half a medium size orange (wash and rinse well first
dried coconut (shredded, raw, unsweetened) as much as desired
Directions:
1. Process cashews into a fine meal.
2. Add dates, orange zest and cacao, process until dates are blended in well.
The "dough" should clump together well, but not be too sticky. A bit of water or orange juice could be added a tiny bit at a time if it's not sticking together enough. (If using cacao nibs, it should be plenty moist.)
3. Press into a pan or container with a flat bottom and sprinkle with coconut OR roll into balls and roll in coconut for truffles or brownie bites. You can refrigerate them for firmer brownies.
Notes:
Cashews- I found them to be milder tasting, and almost sweet, which allowed the flavor of the orange zest to come through. I process them before adding the other ingredients to get a finer meal, and to prevent over-processing of the nibs. If the nibs become too warm, the cacao oil (butter) is drawn out of it, and you will have unbelievably greasy hands. One time I over-processed the mix, and had to squeeze out the oil (and there was tons of it) as I rolled them into balls, or the dough wouldn't stick together. Don't let the cacao nibs get too warm in the processor!
Why cacao nibs? It's what I have available at my local store. They don't carry raw cacao powder. :rolleyes: Cacao powder has all the cacao oil (butter) pressed out of it. The nibs are peeled, broken up cacao beans. I've never made RP's brownies with the cacao powder, so for those who have, my brownies may come out moister if nibs are used. You could substitute cacao powder if you wanted.
If you use the cacao nibs, you'll need to grind them first. The vitamix works best for this. Due to the oil in them, the nibs may clump against the sides of the vitamix at the bottom. You'll need to stop every five seconds or so to break up the clumping. Once it's all ground into granules, break up the final clumps and you're ready to use. The 1/4 cup in this recipe probably isn't enough to grind in the vitamix, so go ahead and so a cup of it, and have it ready to use for the next batch. And in case you're wondering, yes cacao powder is less hassle to use, lol!
If you don't have a zester, you could use a vegetable peeler to lightly peel the orange skin. However, it won't be as well blended into the dough as it would if it were zested. You may want to try processing it with the cashews first, in hopes that it might get blended better.
Oh, and you should double the recipe AT LEAST, because it's GOOD, and unless you live alone, it is not enough to last long!!