January 28, 2008
Chocolate Fudge to Die For!
Can you prepare an absolutely divine chocolate fudge in under ten minutes? No, I didn’t think so! Well, I never thought I could. So today I have decided to share with you this wonderful recipe which comes with exciting news.
Let’s start by saying that raw food does not have to be boring. Sweet treats are part of it, and for some, the best part!! You can indulge in wonderful sweet sensations without all the guilt that comes with eating heavy, dairy and sugar-laden treats that have become the standard today. Raw desserts are a great way to get people interested in raw, because they are simple to make, they taste divine and are healthy! Many of my friends have tried and loved them! Of course, treats are treats, there is no point in over indulging but a couple of times a week I prepare a raw dessert that will usually last a few days, and I rarely have sweet cravings any more. One tiny piece of whatever I have prepared will do it for me.
Raw desserts are usually composed of 1) dates, other dried fruit, agave syrup, maple syrup or honey as the sweetener; 2) nuts such as cashews, pecans, walnuts or macadamias, or/and possibly coconut butter or cacao butter as the source of fat; 3) fresh fruit or raw chocolate powder to give it the main flavor. Of course there are a great variety of recipes, but raw chocolate desserts are decadent and highly satisfying – so start with these! You can adopt a raw lifestyle and not feel deprived in the least. You don’t even have to give up being a chocolate fan! And if you are not engaging in high raw, do try these recipes as you will find they are a wonderful, healthy alternative to traditional desserts.
Finding the ingredients – Raw organic coconut oil and agave syrup can be found in local health stores. Raw cacao powder and cacao butter are more difficult to find here in Switzerland (I have yet to find a local supplier so let me know if you do!) and I buy mine in the UK from Shazzie’s website. In the meantime, you can use plain cacao powder until we find a local supplier; this is how I got started! No point in waiting to have all the perfect ingredients before you can enjoy this!
The recipe – This one is from Alissa Cohen, one of the world’s leading authorities on raw foods and healthy living. It does not come from her famous book “Living on Live Foods” (which I highly recommend), but was recently published in the US press as Alissa is just about to open a new raw restaurant in Boston, called Grezzo. This is exciting news for anyone living or traveling in that part of the world as Alissa’s restaurant is sure to be a fantastic one, judging from her experience in raw food and her many delicious recipes. So I am happy to share this incredible chocolate fudge recipe, which is made in just ten minutes provided you have all the ingredients on hand. I made one for my eldest daughter’s birthday and my youngest had a great time helping me prepare it too! So here we go:
Grezzo Chocolate Fudge
- Prepare the base by grinding 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup pecans in a food processor until fine. Add 1 cup pitted dates and ¼ cup raw cacao powder and blend until smooth. Remove from the food processor and, with your hands, form into squares (or cubes or whatever other shape suits your fancy).
- Prepare the topping by mixing ½ cup raw cacao powder with ¼ cup coconut oil and ¼ cup agave syrup by hand in a small bowl. The coconut butter will be more or less soft depending on the room temperature but it will get softer as you mix it. Don’t eat too much off the spoon or you will have nothing left for the cake.
- Assemble by covering the square bases with the sauce topping. Yes, it’s that simple!
- These cakes can be eaten immediately, they are so soft and fudgy! You can also refrigerate the cakes until firm. They will keep for a few days in the fridge. Enjoy!!
Web hosting – You will notice that this blog is now being hosted on my future website URL, to make it easier for everyone to remember. The blog on the previous server will remain available for some time with a link to this permanent one and all subscribers will be automatically transferred so if you have signed up for regular updates, you don’t need to do anything! These changes will also enable me to offer more services. More about this later…
I can vouch for the delicousness of this recipe, having made it and presented it to my chocoholic husband who thought it delicious. My sister and another friend have also asked for the recipe, so thanks for this one Amy. My only comment would be that the topping is pretty thick and needs to be spread rather than poured, but maybe I did something wrong. A very tasty treat.
Hi Sophie! So glad you enjoyed it. You are absolutely right: the topping is thick, and actually delicious just as is, and is to be spread as best you can. The taste is really divine and I can’t wait to make another…. A perfect pick-me up at this time of year!
Love
Amy
[...] Date Nut Torte that I enjoyed at the tea OR, if you’re in the mood for chocolate, try this chocolate dried fruit raw fudge [...]
Can you possibly substitute Spectrum palm shortening in place of the cocoa butter? Do you think that would work in the frosting?? I love agave nectar and I can’t wait to try this recipe! I had a “PURE” brand chocolate brownie raw bar and it was delicious and I think this would taste like it! !
Hello Carrie! Thanks for your interest! The recipe calls for virgin organic coconut butter or oil, which is extracted from the coconut, not to be mistaken with cacao or cocoa butter which comes from the cocoa bean (chocolate) and is very different in both texture and taste. But yes palm shortening does come closer to coconut butter, although I dont think it’s as nice in terms of quality. When preparing raw food, I always favor quality ingredients. Nevertheless, try it with what you have available and have fun. It really is decadent! You will love it. Let me know and enjoy!
Amy
You are right, its absolutely delicious but a word of warning. I made it in the evening and it tasted so good I ate most of it before bedtime. I didn’t sleep till 4 am because of the high it gave me so I would say always eat it in the morning or afternoon as its powerful stuff.
Hello Gabriel! Thanks for mentioning that — it is important to draw people’s attention to the fact that chocolate, besides being addictive, can bring an amazing high to some people, especially when eaten late and in great quantity! I have had this happen to me when eating a rich cake based on raw cacao butter AND cacao powder, but not with this fudge cake. Also, it is best not to overdo it, as I am sure you already know! Lastly, every person reacts differently, so it’s good to know how you react so you can plan accordingly the next time. But I am pleased you liked it 
We can all thank Alissa Cohen’s Grezzo restaurant for this divine recipe.
All the best, Amy
Dear Amy,
First of all – how wonderful to have you here in Switzerland!
Second, following up on your question in this post: I found some organic, raw cacao nuts here:
http://www.keimling.ch/
Last but not least, may I ask where you found raw organic coconut butter? I seem to be missing something.
Looking forward to coming to one of your classes as soon as time permits (or more honestly said: as soon as I make time for it.)
Kindly,
Hello Erika! Glad you found me Thanks for the hint, I do know about Keimling and they are a good resource for us raw fooders with very few suppliers around! I have ordered their raw cacao nuts once, and they were fine, but I prefer the raw cacao powder which I order from Detox Your World in the UK, until we can find some good and affordable suppliers over here!
Regarding the raw organic coconut butter, I buy it from my local organic store, the brand is Prana Sana “Huile de coco extra vierge”, it is an excellent brand, quality even if expensive it is well worth it. You must be able to find it at your local organic store. Hope this helps!
As for the class, I am running an intro class on November 14 in English and I still have some seats left, it would be very nice to have you!
All the best,
Amy
Hello Amy,
We do have an online shop that sells the exact same quality products than Detox Your World in the UK. We have raw cacao nibs and powder, cacao butter and many other superfoods.
Why not have a look at our website? We have recently reduced the prices in some of the items, including the cacao… we don’t want people to have any excuse not to make their own raw chocolates at home
If you feel inclined have a look at http://www.biosamara.ch. The website is being revamped and will have english and french versions very soon. You can also give us a call or email as we speak both english and french.
We can also talk about wholesale discounts for you
Blessings,
Ilanta
Dear Amy,
Ten minutes to prepare? wow.. I have to do this and try this than buying on the nearest superstore chocolates.. hmmmp in this, you are very sure in the raw materials you used that is good..
mmmh… that looks divine! can’t wait to try it!