It’s Valentine’s Day weekend! Or wait, is it wrong to refer to an entire weekend by the holiday that only takes up one of its days? Probably. But, bear with me. Commercial though it may now be, Valentine’s Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the people that you love. At my office, we did a “Secret Cupid” card exchange, so that everyone got a special surprise card. I also made heart-shaped sugar cookies.

Today, you could do something special for a loved one: a massage, a friendly note, a bar of chocolate, a favour or some act of service. If you have pets, perhaps an extra special walk, or, a little bit of additional quality time. Or, a heart shaped toy stuffed with catnip (I swear to you, my cat just managed to type that with his paws. He is clever like that).

Or you could scrap all of that and just make raw brownies. I mean, yes, you could also make regular brownies. But aren’t raw brownies so much more interesting? So much healthier? So much more du jour? Yes, of course they are. They are another example of the fun and actually kind of endless number of things you can make by grinding up nuts and dates and then squishing them into a pan. So fiendishly clever!

These brownies are a combination of pecans, almonds, dates, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, coconut oil (are you sensing a theme?), a little plant-based protein powder, and sea salt. Simple! And, they contain magnesium, and protein, and fibre, and medium chain triglycerides, and the whole healthy schmozzle (at least when compared to traditional brownies, which contain refined sugar, and bleached flour, and a bunch of other ack-worthy ingredients). The brownie base is then covered with a luxurious chocolate ganache, made with melted dark chocolate and rich coconut milk. It’s kind of my new favourite thing.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! I hope you feel loving and well-loved. Today is a wonderful day to celebrate love in all of its forms.

Raw Macaroon Brownies with Dark Chocolate Ganache

• Author: Emily Joldersma, R.H.N.
• Recipe Notes: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup ground almonds (or raw almond flour)
• 1 cup medjool dates (about 10-12 large dates)
• 1/3 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 tablespoons of your favourite plant-based protein powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, soft or melted
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Optional: 2 teaspoons maca powder

• 1/2 cup full-fat organic coconut milk (from the can)
• 2/3 cup (or so) dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped (it isn’t necessary that this be exact)

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, grind pecans into a fine meal (and almonds, if grinding whole almonds – otherwise, stir in ground almonds in step 3).
2. Add dates, and process until the dates are small pieces and the whole mix looks moist.
3. Scrape into a large mixing bowl and add in ground almonds (if not already done in step 1).
4. Stir in cocoa powder, sea salt, maca powder (if using), protein powder, and shredded coconut.
5. Pour in coconut oil and mix well. This is really best done with your hands – squishing the dough until it comes together in a moist ball.
6. Press the dough into your preferred brownie pan or tray.
7. FOR THE ICING: over a double boiler (heat-proof bowl sitting atop a saucepan with boiling water), melt chocolate. When fully melted, whisk in coconut milk and keep whisking until the resulting mix is smooth, glossy, and totally chocolatey
8. Pour/smooth on your brownie base and store in the fridge until firm and ready to slice.

Enjoy!

© Eat Well, Live Vibrantly