Raw Chocolate Macadamia Nut Mounds

Almond joy and Mounds were almost the definition of my perfect candy as a kid. Chocolate, coconut, and nuts all combined together into a harmonious symphony of sweet bliss upon my tongue. As many know, those three are some of my absolute favorite foods and with the fact that they combine together, things just get better from there.

Well when I lived in Hawaii, almost every store had chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and of course some of them were coated or filled with coconut. I don't need either one of those! Who would even want a commercial peice of crap when you can create something that tastes a hundred times better?!

Raw Chocolate - Macadamia Mounds

Macadamia Dough Ingredients:

1 c. Macadamia Nuts

1/4 c. Almond Butter

1 c. Shredded Coconut

1/4 c. Honey/Agave

1 tbsp. Sea Salt (Himilayan Pink preferably)

-Combine all of your ingredients into a bowl and use a fork or your hands to combine everything.

-Put in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate.

Chocolate Ingredients:

1 c. Cacao Powder

1 c. Cacao/Coconut Oil(softened)

1/2 c. Honey/Agave

3/4 c. Shredded Coconut

-Mix the cacao powder, oil, and honey or agave together in a small bowl.

-Take your macadamia dough and dip them each into the chocolate, coating them.

-Put them back into the freezer for a few minutes, or just until the chocolate hardens.

-Take them out and dip them into the chocolate. Then, dip them into the coconut. Continue this step until all of your coconut and chocolate are used up.

-Freeze for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.

-Enjoy

I am actually really proud of myself for these. I even took them to school, and the people I see usually eating vending machine crap claimed it as the best candy they've ever had! They tasted rich, chocolatey, and absolutley delicious! I like using macadamia nuts over most others due to the fact that they taste really really good!

They are also one of the most beautifying nuts on the planet. They contain a large quantity of oleic acid in their fats cells which is the absolute best fat for skin. Cacao and coconut also contain these acids in their fat, making this sweet and delicious food incredibly rich in beautifying oils. Just look at any cosmetic products, and you will most likely see cacao or coco (coconut) oil in them for that exact reason.

If you havnt heard through my Twitter account yet, i will be working on a HUGE project for Halloween as a big finally for Vegan Mofo. This is the biggest project i've ever done, and may just be the biggest raw dessert i've ever seen!

Whats your favorite old school candy? Do you have a vegan or raw version of it?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Almond Butter and the Monster under my bed

Peanut Butter is just what my dreams are made of. Its thick, creamy, and maybe the greatest thing to ever be created on this little planet we call earth. But sadly, i've been able to find it raw and being a raw foodist I guess that's defeat....wait...defeat..? DEFEAT?! I know not the meaning of the word! Forget you too stingie peanuts! I got me some raw organic almond butter and will devour it without the likes of you! That's right. Be Jealous........

I've been in a chocolate-peanut butter mood for the past few days and finally decided to get rid of my craving with a dessert that I figured would satisfy my craving. But this wasn't just a little craving. It was a monster craving! A craving bigger than the ravenous beast that sleeps beneath my bed and plots my demise for how he will finish me off if I ever leave my bed before the sun rises..... Yeah, that kind of craving. So for a monster craving, I get a monster dessert! Oh, and he likes bananas...

Almond Butter-Banana-Chocolate Ice Cream

(serves 4 hungry monsters)

Ingredients:

2 large bananas

1 c. Almond Butter

1/2 c. Cacao Powder

2 tbsp. Honey/Agave

2 tbsp. Coconut Oil

-Blend everything together in your blender until smooth.

-Use your Ice Cream maker and follow the instructions. Or just pour it into a bowl and freeze for 2-4 hours or until it resembles the texture of ice cream.

-Enjoy!

Its peanut buttery and its THICK! Kind of like a chocolate-almond butter mcflurry almost, only tastier. I love it! This is the kind of thing I could easily down 5 batches of. Better make extra though, cause the monster under my bed is growling in hunger again..

What guilty pleasure brings out your inner monster?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

Raw Berry Ice Cream w/ rasperry-lavender compote

Ice cream is one of my absolute favorite things to both make and eat. I got an ice cream maker for christmas and since then, my exploration into the world of frozen deliciousness has sent me into the abyss. A little creativity, and you could set up some of the most astounding flavors your tastebuds have ever been introduced to.

With heat among us, I figured a simple berry ice cream would make an excellent dessert. So simple, so common, yet so delicious!

Raw Berry Ice Cream

w/raspberry-lavender compote

Ingredients:

1 c Cashews

1/4 c Raw Almond Butter

(My favorite is made by Mara-Nantha)

1 c Water

1 c Mixed frozen berries

1 tbsp Himalayan Sea Salt

Method:

-Blend all of the ingredients into your blender or food processor. Make sure to blend until smooth and creamy.

-Pour into your ice cream maker and follow the instructions for your make and model. Now if you do not own an ice cream maker, then place the mixture into the freezer for about 2 hours. Then stir everything and place it into your refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Compote Ingredients:

1 c raspberries(frozen or fresh)

8 tbsp. fresh lavender

1 tsp. raw honey

Method:

-Blend ingredients in your blender or food processor until it forms a chunky puree.

-Chill for at least 10 minutes (if you can wait that long!)

This fancy-ish dessert is as simple as that! Blend it up, let it freeze, and you suddenly have something that is not only rich, creamy and sounds like it belongs on a 5 star menu, but one of the healthiest desserts you may ever encounter (especially if you are relatively new to living foods and raw eating).

My family had mixed opinions on it. My mom said the ice cream itself didn't have enough of a sweet aspect to it, but that the raspberry compote countered that and fit in nicely. Personally, I think that the ice cream was incredibly creamy, but I might have added more berries next time.

Also, quick tip. MaraNantha is the ONLY raw almond butter I use and I would strongly suggest this product for so many reasons. It is a bit expensive, but it is a great consistency which i havnt been able to find in other raw nut butters. It's also organic, and i have seen jars of it at almost every grocery store i shop at so finding it isn't any trouble. Check them out!

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

-Andrew Morrison-