Uncooking Experiments: Raw Cinnamon Almond Truffles

Pinjing — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:54:06 +0000

These are probably the healthiest and tastiest truffles I’ve made (eaten); I’ve been trying to cut out refined sugars for a long time and while I occasionally enjoy a calorie-laden sugar bomb, my everyday desserts nowadays tend towards the more wholesome and natural.

These truffles (given that you have the proper tools and ingredients) are easy to make, satisfying, healthy and delicious and contain no refined sugars and are vegan and gluten-free. They come together in a matter of minutes and can be enjoyed right away (as opposed to traditional ganache-based truffles). If you enjoy Lara bars, this recipe is for you.

Raw Cinnamon Almond Truffles
FromThe Friendly Kitchen

Makes 18 truffles

What you’ll need:

1 cup raw almonds, unsoaked
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
2 Tablespoons organic Goji berries
4 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water

The procedure:

In a food processor, combine almonds, dates, cocoa powder, Goji berries, and vanilla. Hold down the machine to steady it and plug up your ears because it will be LOUD. With the processor running, slowly add water a little bit at a time until the “dough” becomes a bit sticky and will hold its shape when rolled into a ball.

Place the cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Roll small amounts of the truffle dough in your hands into small balls 1″ wide. Roll the dough in the cinnamon, making sure to coat the entire surface. Enjoy immediately or place in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

As you can see, my truffles aren’t exactly smooth (my mini food-processor is on its last legs), but I quite enjoy the chunky bits of almonds (give it a nice texture). Yummy nonetheless.

Raw Fooding: Fuyu Persimmon Flax Crackers and Dried Persimmon Chips

Pinjing — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:01:20 +0000

I’m in a snacky mood today. Our Fuyu persimmon (the crunchy, non-astringent variety) tree has been particularly bountiful this year; every morning, my dad comes back from the backyard with an armful of freshly picked persimmons. Besides eating them raw, I’ve been trying to think of ways to put them to use before they spoil. Since the sweetness of these fuyus are quite delicate and I didn’t want to overpower it, I thought that baking them into a flax-type chip might be just the thing.

I improvised a quick recipe by throwing together some flax meal and hot water; a food processor made quick work of chopping the persimmons. Threw in a pinch of kosher salt and a splash of agave nectar and spread the mixture on some parchment and stuck it in the dehydrator to “bake” into flax chips.

The result: A nutty, slightly sweet cracker that has a hint of persimmon and tons of fiber to boot. Delicious! My parents really enjoyed these and I think they’d be great crumbled over oatmeal in the morning or as a breakfast cereal.

Fuyu Persimmon Flax Chips

What you’ll need:

3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) flax meal
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) hot water
2 ripe Fuyu persimmons
pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon agave nectar, or to taste

The procedure:
Combine the flax meal and hot water in a large bowl and stir to combine. The texture should be slimy and goopy. That’s ok.

Finely chop Fuyu persimmons (a food processor is good for this) and add to the flax meal/water mixture, add kosher salt and agave nectar, stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread the mixture on sheets of parchment paper. Try to get this about 1/8″ thick, any thicker will make them difficult to dehydrate thoroughly.

Dehydrate for 5-6 hours or until dry to the touch. Break into pieces and enjoy. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Did I stop there? Nah. Thought I wanted to test out the dehydrator function on our convection oven even further; I sliced some persimmons thinly and dehydrated these as well. These “chips” were crispy and even sweeter than the raw version (even without any added sweetener!). Like apple chips but better. Give them a try.

Dried Fuyu Persimmon Chips

What you’ll need:

As many persimmons as you’d like to dehydrate

The procedure:
Peel persimmons and slice into thin rounds (ideally about 1/16″ to 1/8″ thick, a mandoline would make this easy). Place into dehydrator and dehydrate about 3-4 hours or until dry to the touch. Store in an airtight container.

Hope you enjoy these healthy snacks.

And as usual, me monkeying around with the camera:

Persimmon chip throw!

Too Much Food » Raw

Uncooking Experiments: Raw Cinnamon Almond Truffles

Raw Fooding: Fuyu Persimmon Flax Crackers and Dried Persimmon Chips