Photo by Kevin Kennefick (2009)
My favorite indulgent sweet treats are those that satisfy my ever-present craving for all things sticky, gooey, fruity, sinful, fudgy, and chocolaty — and without a smidgen of refined, empty-calorie ingredients such as sugar, white flour, corn syrup, artificial color, fake fruit bits, synthetic flavoring, and marshmallow fluff.
In the last chapter of my best-selling book, Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body (Storey Publishing, c2009), I include approximately 24 such recipes for delicious raw confections that will help boost your energy while healthfully satisfying a raging sweet tooth. I believe you’ll be amazed at the variety of recipes offered. There’s something for everyone – even the most finicky! Try your hand at making some, won’t you?
Today I’d like to share with you one of my all-time favorite raw fudge recipes. It’s so full of healthful nutrients that you can even indulge – sans guilt – for breakfast. Try a few pieces with a cup of organic coffee – what a way to start your day!
Creamy Carob Freezer Fudge
Not too sweet but rich, dark, and velvety, this is the ultimate in decadent creamy, melt-in-your-mouth, smoothly textured fudge. Right out of the freezer, it’s a great anytime treat that provides plenty of energy to keep your metabolism running at peak performance. It’s also perfect for those with a chocolate allergy who miss that classic ooey, gooey, fudgy goodness.
Yields about 24 squares
Ingredients:
• 12 Medjool dates, pitted • 1 cup raw almond butter • 1 cup raw carob powder • 2 tablespoons raw honey • Dash of grated nutmeg • Pinch of sea salt • Coconut oil, raw and unrefined (for greasing the pan)
Directions:
1. Soak the dates for 4 hours in enough purified water to cover by 1 inch. Drain and reserve the soak water, if desired. It can be sipped chilled or used to sweeten a smoothie.
2. Put the dates, almond butter, carob, honey, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor and blend until a cohesive, moist, almost elastic dough forms, 20 – 30 seconds.
3. Oil an 8-inch square pan with coconut oil. Using your hands or a spatula, press the dough into the pan to a thickness of about ¾ inch.
4. Place the covered pan in the freezer for 4 hours to harden the fudge prior to cutting. Remove the pan and cut the fudge into 1½-inch squares. Store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not store in the refrigerator; it will become too soft.
NOTE: If making these for party “finger food”, serve immediately after removing from the freezer.
A good source of: Vitamins B and E, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, protein, natural sugars, healthful fat, and fiber
Recipe excerpted from Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body by Stephanie Tourles (c2009). Used by permission from Storey Publishing.