CHOCOLATE FUDGE BARS with PECANS & MACA

I made these with the sole goal of pleasing my non-vegan extended family members on pizza and movie night. Yes, we have pizza and movie night EVERY Saturday and we've done it since before I even knew the days of the week. My fam is the coolest. 

These are just delicious. 100% pleasing and 100% good for you. Make them for your loved ones (or not-loved ones) to show them that the raw vegan world of food and flavour is not all carrot sticks and grass! These are creamy, chocolatey, pecan-y (it's a word, okay) delight wrapped into cute little squares and anyone who doesn't like them is crazy.

Maybe that was a little critical. I'm sorry. I just love chocolate. But you already know this.

The base of this recipe is made up of raisins and pecans. Flavour-wise, pecans are probably my favourite nut... they might be tied with walnuts though. I also added a splash of homemade vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to bring out da flavas. The chocolate fudge is mainly dates, cacao powder, almond butter and coconut oil. I added some maca for secret hidden extra nutrition (did I just rhyme? Let's say yes).

I'd like to take a moment to THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the amazing and heartwarming messages I received after my last post. I cannot possibly show my gratitude enough. You guys are so special to me and now that I have you in my life - I don't wanna let go! Big cyber hug and kisses. P.S. you must listen to this song... I've had it on repeat for awhile.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BARS with PECANS & MACA

Base:
1 cup pecans
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
Pinch of salt

Chocolate fudge:
1 3/4 cups dates
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons maca powder
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter (or any other seed or nut butter you like)
1/4-3/4 cup water, use as needed

To make the base: pulse the pecans into powder in your food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it begins to stick together. Press into the bottom of a lined baking pan and put in the fridge. 

To make the fudge: process or blend all the ingredients together until smooth and thick, adding as little water as possible. It will thicken up a little more in the fridge. Spread onto your base, decorate with pecans if you want, and refrigerate for 3 hours or over night. Cut and chomp! 

chia caramel pecan pie with cinnamon chocolate sauce

I am so proud of myself. Today I - Emily von Euw - woke up, wide-eyed and ready to use my noggin' - at 7:30 AM. I have not risen so early in approximately a year or so. Oh, stop that applause now, that's enough. Why in the world did I break from my slumber so early? To write a final exam. I think I did well. Now we will move on to more important matters...

Pie.

This pie actually began as butter tarts. In my effort to rawify all the holiday food favourites, I remembered a Canadian Christmas classic: butter tarts. As you may be able to guess by the name, they aren't the healthiest thing you can put in your stomach. They are pretty much white flour, sugar, butter, raisins, more butter and more sugar. Time for me to step up to the plate and see what I can do (I like to pretend I'm a superhero.) 

The idea was to make a basic raw crust, then make a raisin caramel filling and add in whole raisins. I was going to make them all cute little individual tarts like the real thing, but then I got lazy. I didn't feel like shaping out as many tarts as I had made crust for so I decided to make a giant butter tart instead. Then I saw some pecans and I'm like "Hey! If I throw pecans on top of this baby, I can call it a pecan pie and no one will know! HAH!" Except I just told you.. So there goes that plan. This pie is a deceitful liar that can't be trusted - just eaten mercilessly. 

The filling ended up being a caramel sauce but it was too sweet and dense so I added gelled chia seeds for bulk and to dilute the sweetness; it turned out wonderfully! I made a simple chocolate sauce for contrast, and had leftovers so I made one baby tart and filled it with chocolate sauce. Secret treat for later. 

chia caramel pecan pie with cinnamon chocolate sauce: makes one pie

Crust:

2 cups nuts or raw buckwheat flour (I used pine nuts and cashews)

1 cup dates or prunes

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup dates

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

6 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 12 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

more water, if needed

1/2 cup more raisins

Cinnamon chocolate sauce:

1 tablespoon cacao 

1 tablespoon nut butter or melted coconut oil

1 tablespoon agave/maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the crust: pulse nuts in your food processor until they are crumb-sized. Add dates and salt and process until it stick together. Press into the bottom of a tart plate. Put in fridge.

To make the filling: process all ingredients - except the last 1/2 cup of raisins - until smooth. It will taste like a divine entity has landed in your mouth, plus chia seeds. Stir in the 1/2 cup of raisins by hand and pour into your crust. Let it set in the fridge then decorate with pecans, pumpkin seeds and chocolate sauce. Or not. 

To make the chocolate sauce: mix all ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle onto your pie. Eat it while

listening to this song.

raw egg nog for the holidays

This stuff "rawks" - ha-ha, laugh away at my hilarity - especially with the sneaky addition of a little rum. I can confidently assure you will not miss the uncooked hen periods or puss-filled protein secretions from sad bovine mothers (that one normally experiences with conventional egg nog). oh, those are eggs and milk if  you didn't catch that. 

Nothing nasty here, just a bit nutty. I began by making pecan milk (you wouldn't believe how easy it is to milk a pecan, they're agreeable little guys!) then added cinnamon and nutmeg until it tasted right. I did use a can of coconut milk which is not strictly raw but it makes it so much better. If you're looking for a creamy, thick egg nog look-alike - do the coconut milk. If you just want a nice holiday drink, don't worry about it. I blended in a few dates for sweetness and finally finished it off with some rum to make it a REAL drink. I know, I know - rum is not raw, but it sure is fun. 

Following my pumpkin pie and gingersnap recipes, you may have noticed a holiday theme. That's right! I am theming myself now... although I don't think theming is a word. In any case - I'm am rawifying the holidays!

Also, not a word. 

Nevertheless, you will continue to see your holiday favourites magically morphing into wonderfully vegan, raw versions of themselves. Everyone will rejoice in the animal-free revolution of Christmas dinner! The turkeys are planning a rebellion and I suggest you get on their side, where there's raw egg nog, pie, cookies, gravy and alcohol. 

raw nog: makes enough for you and your friendly friends (about 4 or 5 people)

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup pecans
2-3 cups water
4-5 shots of rum (1 shot is about 44 ml) 
1 can coconut milk (optional but recommended) 

Blend everything together in your high-speed blender. Add the rum one shot at time to make sure you don't make it too strong and render all your guests unconscious by the end of the evening. If you don't use the coconut milk, just make up for it by adding 1/4 cup more of pecans and 1 cup more of water. But the coconut milk makes it really creamy and delicious... just saying. Change it as you desire... then CHUG! 

Kidding. 

One last thing - I want to take a moment to wish dear Dave Brubeck (I desperately hope you know who he is) a peaceful sleep in the afterlife... or wherever we go... or don't go. He was an amazing musician and his genius will be missed!