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Toasted Coconut Mocha Hazelnut Raw Brownies

raw brownies-4

These toasted coconut mocha hazelnut raw brownies are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and completely DELICIOUS.

Really, if you’ve never had a raw brownie you must give them a try.  In my chocolate milkshake post, I mentioned how cacao powder has transformed our dessert life.  These brownies are the perfect example.  Ever since discovering raw brownies over at My New Roots, I have never gone back to making brownies the white-flour-refined-sugar way.   I do not miss them at all!  I almost always have a batch of these stored away in the freezer and often serve them for dessert if we have some last minute guests for dinner.  Everyone I have served these to raves about them.  They are incredibly rich and just one small piece is very satisfying.

These brownies are naturally sweetened with Medjool dates and the cake-y consistency comes from walnuts, which are ground in the food processor or blender until they become light and fluffy.   Studded throughout these chocolatey confections are chopped hazelnuts and toasted coconut flakes.   If you want to keep them completely no-bake and raw, simply leave out the toasting coconut step and just use the dehydrated coconut as is.

There are so many possible variations for add-ins here.  Instead of coconut, hazelnuts, and espresso, you could add any combination of:

almonds

pumpkin seeds

sunflower seeds

pecans

chili powder

or cayenne (for a little kick!)

However you decide to make these though,  I promise that they will be soooo good.

raw brownies

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Toasted Coconut Mocha Hazelnut Raw Brownies
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 2 cups whole walnuts
  • 2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 cup raw cacao
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. Toast coconut flakes in a 350 oven for 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
  2. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a food processor or high speed blender, blend the walnuts until they are finely ground and fluffy. (Do not over process and make nut butter!)
  4. Add cacao, espresso powder, and salt. Pulse to combine.
  5. With the food processor or blender running, at the dates one at a time through the feed tube. Process until mixture resembles cake crumbs and sticks together when pressed.
  6. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add hazelnuts and ½ cup toasted coconut flakes and use a rubber spatula to combine.
  7. Transfer to prepared pan and press to distribute evenly around the pan. Top with the remaining ¼ cup coconut flakes and lightly press to adhere. Place in the freezer for at least one hour before cutting into squares. These are best served chilled from the freezer or refrigerator.
Notes
adapted from My New Roots
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Blackberry Vanilla Bean Tartlets

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My sister and brother-in-law flew in for a visit last week with their adorable 20-month old twins.  Now that we live so far apart, I always cherish the times we are able to spend together.  Their visit was the perfect excuse to make a celebratory dessert and with all of the small kids, I decided tartlets would be the perfect thing.

These Blackberry Vanilla Bean Tartlets are just the right size for little kids to each have their own and adults can have two (or three!) without feeling overly indulgent.  The tartlets have a tender cookie crust and are filled with a white chocolate and vanilla cream filling.   I used the same ingredients as I did in my Berries with White Chocolate Mascarpone for the cream filling, but this time I whipped the cream for a lighter mousse-like consistency.  I also used a vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract so that the beautiful flecks of vanilla would be visible.  Feel free to substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean if you prefer, however.  The crust is the same that I used in the Raspberry Frangipane Tart, although this time the crusts were pre-baked before adding the filling.

After making 24 tartlets, there was a little bit of dough and filling left over.  Rather than wait for the tartlets to bake, cool, and assemble all over again, I just let the kids use their cookie cutters to make little cookies topped with some cinnamon sugar.  And leftover filling makes a great fruit dip!  These tartlets are best served on the day they are made, but they can also be refrigerated and enjoyed the next day as well.

Blackberry Vanilla Bean Tartlets

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Blackberry Vanilla Bean Tartlets
Serves: 24 2½-inch tartlets
 
Ingredients

  • For the Crust:
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
  • 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 4 tablespoons ice water

  • For the Vanilla Bean Cream:
  • 6 ounces white chocolate
  • 8 ounce container mascarpone cheese
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

  • For Assembly:
  • 1-2 pints blackberries
  • 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Crust:
  1. Place the flour and sugar into a food processor and give a quick pulse to combine. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour and sugar. Pulse until mixture resembles a course meal, about 10 seconds. (Alternatively, use a pastry blender to cut the butter cubes into the flour and sugar.)
  2. With the food processor running, gradually add the egg yolks and then the ice water. Process until the dough just comes together.
  3. Using hands, form 2 disks with the dough and tightly wrap each with plastic wrap. Chill dough for at least one hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 375.
  5. Using one disk at a time, roll dough on a floured surface until dough becomes about ⅛" thick. Cut out circles slightly larger than the diameter of the tart tins. (I used a drinking glass to help cut the circles.) Gently press the dough circles into the tart tins and trim off any extra dough. Prick crust a few times with the tines of a fork. Repeat until all 24 tart tins are lined with crust. Place tart tins in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
  6. Place tartlet crusts on a large baking sheet and bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway for even baking.
  7. Allow crusts to cool in the tins for 10 minutes. Gently flip tins over to remove crusts and place on wire racks to cool completely.
For the Vanilla Bean Cream:
  1. Set a small glass mixing bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and place the chocolate in the mixing bowl. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the glass bowl from the heat and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  2. While the chocolate is cooling, split the vanilla bean in half using a paring knife. Then use a small spoon to scrape of seeds out of each half. Whisk the vanilla bean seeds with the mascarpone cheese. Gradually whisk in the melted white chocolate and set aside.
  3. Using a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream to form soft peaks. Use a spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
For Assembly:
  1. Spoon a small portion of the vanilla bean cream into each of the tartlet crusts. Top with blackberries. Depending on the size of the blackberries, it may be necessary to cut the blackberries in half. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving.
Notes
crust adapted from The Martha Stewart Cookbook
filling adapted from Bon Appetit

 

 

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Berries with White Chocolate Mascarpone

Berries with White Chocolate Mascarpone

My baby girl turned 5 over the weekend and to celebrate we had a little backyard tea party for her and a small group of friends. Birthday parties usually completely overwhelm me, but this small gathering was just right this time.  All of the food could be prepared ahead of time and it was so fun to watch the girls enjoy themselves.

I had a some leftover mascarpone cheese from when I made a double recipe of Turkey Spinach Taquitos so I used it to make a half batch of these Berries with White Chocolate Mascarpone parfaits.  The white chocolate mascarpone comes together in minutes and it makes for such a pretty and elegant dessert.  The girls loved getting their own individual portions and it was first thing they wanted to eat.  If you don’t feel like assembling parfaits or have extra white chocolate mascarpone leftover, it’s also a great fruit dip.  I’ve served this in a bowl alongside some strawberries and sliced peaches.  With the  abundance of fresh fruit now available, it a perfect simple summer dessert!

Berries with White Chocolate Mascarpone

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Berries and White Chocolate Mascarpone
Serves: 10-12 mini parfaits
 
Ingredients
  • 6 ounces white chocolate, broken in pieces
  • 1 8-ounce container of mascarpone cheese
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • fresh raspberries and blackberries
Instructions
  1. Set a small glass mixing bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and place the chocolate in the mixing bowl. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the glass bowl from the heat and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  2. While the chocolate is cooling, whisk the mascarpone, whipping cream, and vanilla together until smooth.
  3. Add the melted white chocolate and whisk again until smooth.
  4. Transfer the white chocolate mascarpone mixture to a piping bag or a plastic ziploc bag with a corner cut off.
  5. For individual parfaits, alternate a layer of berries with a layer of white chocolate mascarpone, ending with berries.
Notes
barely adapted from Bon Appetit
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