I recently have had a chance to experience some delicious goodies invented by Tanya Alekseeva, a raw foodie and wellness coach living and working in the U.K. I ran across her blog, Better Raw, back in April and I was VERY excited about her raw chocolate e-book she was advertising.
When I got a chance to peruse her blog and read her articles, I was very interested in the benefits of eating raw. Even though I am not a raw foodist, I do eat lots of foods raw and I LOVE making raw desserts. This is why I was VERY interested in Tanya's e-book, called "Seduced."
Just take a look a some of her pictures from her newest e-book:
Mouth-watering picture, right?
Crunchy and delicious! Check out what her e-book offers.
Recipes for which you need little more than a grater and a bowl
Easy-to-follow instructions
Tips with every recipe
A superfoods glossary
A tea pairing suggestion for each chocolate!
When I started making some of her recipes, I realized I only needed 2 ingredients I had ever had in my pantry: Cocao butter and Lucuma powder.
These two ingredients are worth investing in. I went to Nuts Online and ordered a nice pound of cacao butter, dates (I had run out), and then I got a great deal on Amazon for 2 bags of lucuma powder. Lucuma powder will make sauces taste like caramel! So delicious!
Here is a list of Tanya's recipes that she includes in here e-book. It is definitely a GREAT e-book and it is fun to make her desserts.
I was given permission to share one of her recipes with you. I made her Coated Strawberries with the Dark and Daring Chocolate for an evening I was craving something not so sweet but with fruit.
The chocolate recipe is perfect because it is dark chocolate at its purest with a caramel drizzle that will have you scratching your head. The baby was surely kicking after we enjoyed these tasty treats. I hope you get a chance to check out Tanya's website and her e-book.
Coated Strawberries
Strawberries 25-30, washed and cooled
Dark and Daring chocolate recipe, double portion
1 Cup Cashews, soaked 1-8 hours
1/3 Cup Cacao Butter, melted
1/3 Cup Lukuma powder
1/3 Cup Agave nectar
Prepare the dark and daring recipe
Dip strawberries one at a time, holding onto tails and rotating your hand slightly to create even coverage.
Place each strawberry on a non stick or lined tray, close but not touching.
Put all white chocolate ingredients into a high speed blender and use a tamper or pulse until creamy.
Scoop into a piping bag with smallest available nozzle (you can create your own piping bag by snipping a corner of a strong plastic bag)
Fold or twist the top of the bag to force icing down and squeeze over coated strawberries. Keep in the
fridge.
TIP: It is essential to have kept the strawberries in the fridge, as this creates a cold surface for the chocolate to solidify instantly when dipped. The colder the strawberry, the thicker the layer of chocolate can be created.
Dark and Daring Chocolate recipe
½ Cup Cacao Butter, melted
½ Cup Cacao powder
2 Tbsp Agave, or to taste
Pinch Salt
Only when butter is melted entirely to a liquid, add cacao powder to the double boiler. Use a spatula or a whisk to combine the ingredients and get all the lumps out.
Add agave, stirring really well. Spend time really stirring through completely, otherwise it will settle to the bottom of moulds and you’ll have very sticky inconsistent chocolate.
Add the salt at the very end and stir Pour into moulds or a lined tray and place in fridge for 10-30 minutes to set
Keep in the fridge
TIP: when making larger quantities, use a blender on low speed to combine all ingredients
Here is a video how to prepare this recipe:
Here is how mine came out:
Make sure to visit Tanya's website, Better Raw and also her e-book! It is so worth it!
