chocolate ganache

[RawYogini]

I just made this for a potluck and it was YUMMY! It has maple syrup so it's not 100% raw. I experimented with the ingredients of a pie I had at Pure Food & Wines in NYC so they get the credit.

2 1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup groud raw cacao
1 1/4 cup carob powder
1 cup coconut oil

Blend until smooth. NOTE: It was so thick it caused my blender to over heat so split the recipe in half and do it in 2 batches. Pour into your favorite nut/date crust. I used a springform pan. Chill in fridge for 2 hours. Amaze you SAD family and friends!

[SamuelWilson]

Substitute the maple syrup with raw organic agave nectar, then this recipe will be raw.

Thanks for the recipe, it sounds very good.

[RawYogini]

i thought about substituting, but Pure Food & Wine said if you're going to substitute then you are better off not making the pie because it just won't come out the same. Hmmm...don't know. Might be worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion though! ;)

[vegankristen]

OK, this recipe is heaven. I made it and dipped strawberries and bananas in it; put it in molds in the fridge to let it harden and ate it like chocolate candy--amazing! Now i've run out of my agave and coconut butter!

Thank you so much for posting this! After 7 months raw, i finally have something quick and easy to satisfy my chocolate cravings!

Kristen

[Halo Aglow]

OK, this recipe is heaven. I made it and dipped strawberries and bananas in it; put it in molds in the fridge to let it harden and ate it like chocolate candy--amazing! Now i've run out of my agave and coconut butter!

Thank you so much for posting this! After 7 months raw, i finally have something quick and easy to satisfy my chocolate cravings!

Kristen

So it DOES taste good with agave nectar replacing the maple syrup?! Maybe it's one of those things where you have to try the agave first to never know how different it tastes from the maple syrup. I have the Raw Food/Real World book and was wondering about their Ganache filling. Thanks for trying it this way first!

[Rawkinlocs]

Can someone please tell me what ganache is or what it means?

The recipe sounds awesome, though and I must make it once I get all the ingredients I need! Thanks for posting RawYogini!

[SamuelWilson]

Rawkinlocs, ganache is a french term referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream.

[twinyoga]

Ganache is a combination of chocolate, sugar, a little oil, and cream. Believe it or not I use to be a pastry chef!

Anyway, you can make ganache and when at room temperature or warm you can pour it on cakes or other treats and it slowly thickens as it cools. The ganache is very shiny and smooth.

[Rawkinlocs]

Thanks Samuel and Debbie!

[vegankristen]

What's funny about this recipe is how similar it actually IS to it's cooked counter part! Like ganache, it is very smooth and shiny, it thickens the more you blend it, and it firms up in the fridge (due to the coconut butter). I love it!

I think using agave may actually be better. I don't consume maple syrup, but the agave gave it that "melt-in-your-mouth" feature. I don't know if it'd be the same with another type of sweetener.


Anyway---everyone needs to try this one!!!

Kristen

[mypinkbow]

What is the difference between cacao and carob powder?

[rawpriestess]

cacao is what they make chocolate out of, carob, is a different plant entirely

[Airmid]

I made chocolate covered raisins with this and they turned out wonderful. Tastes just like the candy I used to eat in the movies as a kid. I used agave instead of maple syrup and all cacao, no carob. I also added a bit of cinnamon and vanilla and a dash of salt. I just went by taste instead of the original measurements since I was changing so much. I'll definitely be making these again.

[Finding Me]

i thought about substituting, but Pure Food & Wine said if you're going to substitute then you are better off not making the pie because it just won't come out the same. Hmmm...don't know. Might be worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion though! ;)

I made their chocolate pudding yesterday which calls for maple surup and agave. I cut out the maple surup and replaced it with more agave. I was excellent! My hubby said it tasted like real chocolate pudding. Maybe the maple surup "would" make it better, but so would a lot of 'non'raw things. It was still super duper! :)

[Sheryl]

I made the same pie using the recipe from Raw Food Real World. They warned not to use agave but I tried anyhow. It didn't work at all. The flavour of the agave totally overwhelmed the cacao powder. And 2 cups of raw cacao powder wasn't cheap! I ended up using it as a chocolate concentrate to make ice cream with.

So.. trust them for that specific recipe when they say a direct substitution doesn't work... maybe less agave though? I just don't know!

Cheers,
Sheryl