Raw Chocolate Cupcakes

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These “cupcakes” are delicious!!!!

Both recipes are from Jennifer Cornbleet’s book “Raw for Dessert” which full of recipes made from RAW (not cooked) ingredients. The batter for the ‘cupcakes’ is rich, chocolately, and perfect to satisfy ANY sweet tooth!

I hope you try this recipe some time. You will be amazed that you don’t have to eat the white sugar, white flour, or butter to have a yummy dessert!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 mini cupcakes (6 servings)

It’s easy to understand why cupcake shops are popping up all across the country. Who doesn’t want a personal cake? Now you can enjoy the cupcake craze—without the white sugar, white flour, and butter.

1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
Pinch salt
8 pitted medjool dates
1/3 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon filtered water
1/3 cup Chocolate Ganache
Unsweetened shredded dried coconut (optional)

Place the walnuts and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until finely ground. Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract and process until the powder is incorporated. Add the water and process briefly.

Line a mini-muffin pan with 1 3/4 x 1-inch paper baking cups. (If you don’t have a mini-muffin pan, place the baking cups on a plate.) Fill each baking cup with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture. Press down with your fingers to compact each cupcake. Frost with the Chocolate Ganache using a small offset spatula and/or sprinkle with dried coconut, if desired. Chill the frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Covered with plastic wrap, Chocolate Cupcakes will keep for 5 days stored in the refrigerator or for 2 weeks stored in the freezer.

Chocolate Ganache

Yield: 1 cup

“Ganache,” the French term for a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream, is the classic base for truffles and frosting. My version replaces the traditional butter, cream, and refined sugar with virgin coconut oil and agave syrup. Try this ganache as a hot fudge sauce with Brazil Nut–Vanilla Ice Cream.

3/4 cup dark agave syrup or maple syrup
3/4 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch salt

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender jar with a rubber spatula. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Chocolate Ganache will keep for 2 weeks. Once refrigerated, the ganache will need to be warmed before serving in order to obtain the proper consistency (see note).

Note: To warm the freshly made or refrigerated ganache, place about 2 inches of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Place a small bowl of the Chocolate Ganache in the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. The sides of the bowl should be high enough so that the water from the saucepan cannot flow into the bowl. Alternatively, place the bowl in a food dehydrator at 105 degrees F for 10 minutes.

To see more of her recipes go to her website http://learnrawfood.com/