Ok so, anyone that knows me, knows that I love chocolate. Well ok so I can’t live without it. Won’t live without it…. and over the years I have transformed from binge eating Cadbury’s “chocolate” blocks (yes more than one block at a time) to more healthier and satisfying options and gradually I came to realise that it is the cocoa that I crave and love most of all and not the sugar! This is very good news for all Choccy addicts out there….  giving up the sugar will transform your health but you can still indulge in the chocolate. YAY. Anyway, I have been following Hugh from River cottage on his ‘Veg Everyday’ series. OMG YUM. Recipes such as grilled aubergines with chilli and honey, cauliflower and sweetcorn pakora, mushroom ragout with soft polenta are all delicious and have been given the approval by my meat loving husband. He even bought me the cookbook today!

Anyway,  as soon as I saw this dessert I knew I had to make it. I made it that very afternoon and posted it on instagram (follow me! user name @allismalli or http://instagrid.me/allismalli if you don’t have an iphone) and it was amazing and also approved by some serious sweet tooths. I did change a few things in the original recipe to suit my taste. (See original recipe link below)

I’m not a raw foodist because as much as I’d like to benefit from the superior nutritional benefits, it’s just too hard in this world (and I love the taste of cooked food… think of deliciously sticky caramelised salty roasted sweet potatoes!! I could never eat a sweet potato raw… Could you?). But I do advocate eating as much fruit and veggies as possible and having them at the base of your food pyramid.

Recipe Raw Chocolate Mousse Tart

For the base:

• 300g soaked natural almonds
• 1 tsp, Pink Himalayan Salt
• 200g,fresh medjool dates

For the filling:

•  flesh of 4 medium, ripe avocados
• 150g Virgin coconut oil
• Beans of 2 whole vanilla pods or 1-2tsp vanilla bean paste
• 200g raw cacao powder or dutch process cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• Lots of honey/agave syrup or 200g xylitol
• zest of 1 organic orange

Method:

In a food processor, blend the almonds (Preferably, soak them for around 6 hours. The soaking releases the enzyme inhibitors and makes them easier to digest)

Then add the Pink Himalayan salt then add the fresh medjool dates. Blend until you have a ‘dough’, or until the mix forms a ball.

Press this mixture into the bottom of a cake or dish. Cover and leave to harden in the freezer till you are ready to pour on the filling.

Blend all the filling ingredients until smooth, and adjust to taste, adding extra cocoa if you like it richer, or honey for sweetness and then pour onto the base and smooth out.

Set in the freezer or fridge for 1 hour. Top with fresh berries, cocoa powder and serve! Such a lovely healthy treat. I ate about 3/4 of the whole thing in 3 days. Ooooooops. I probably shouldn’t have shared that…….

here is the link http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/laura-coxeters-raw-chocolate-ganache-tart/

Enjoy!

A x