I have to admit I'm always trying to find ways to incorporate and accommodate Warren's addiction for chocolate. By "trying" I mean finding healthier ways to make chocolate desserts that aren't full of saturated fat and high sugar content. This is a great one I think. I am going to surprise him with it this evening. You can leave out the dried fruit or top with chopped nuts. Sure it still has fat, but it's the good fats that are inherent in pecans. Not crazy about the sugar content of the pitted dates, but you have to make compromises at some point. This one is quick and easy. How many you can make from this recipe depends, of course, on the size you decide to make your bites. I like to make them large enough to satisfy that chocolate urge, but not so large that it's too much of a sugar rush, which means an insulin spike, which means it all gets stored as fat. This dark chocolate cocoa powder is just that - cocoa without added fats or sugars and it contains natural antioxidants. Okay - I have to tell myself all that so I can get rid of the guilt trip if I eat one - or two...
No-Bake Raw Fudge Bites
1 cup raw organic pecans (soaked for an hour or two and drained helps bind it all together)
1/3 cup dates (pitted and chopped up a little)
½ cup Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder (no, not raw, but tastes better and easier to find)
1 tsp vanilla extract (use the pure extract)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup chopped dried fruit of choice (I really like Trader Joe's "Super Cranberry & Pomegranate Blend) - optional
- Chop up pecans in a food processor - you want them pretty finely ground. Add dates, cocoa, vanilla and salt.
- Continue to pulse until you have a thick dough-like consistency. Taste and see if it's sweet enough for you, if not add a little stevia.
- Using an 8 inch lightly oiled (use the spray type) square pan, press the dough down evenly.
- If you use the dried fruit, just chop it up some and sprinkle it on top, pressing the pieces in to adhere to the fudge
- They are really best if allowed to chill or even put in freezer for at least 2 hours in order to get them to firm up and easier to cut into squares.
- Enjoy! No guilt allowed.
Let me know if you try this and if you liked it. This recipe makes a thin layer which I think is good in order to try out first to see how you like it. The next time, I will double the recipe to make it thicker and look more like fudge. Do you have a recipe that you'd like to share?
Thanks for listening!