The time around Christmas is undoubtedly the most beautiful time of the year. The air is filled with joyous expectation, Christmas music and exotic scents...
It is also a very busy and sometimes even stressful time. Gifts must be bought and packed; greeting cards written and mailed out on time; Christmas menu must be planned; and the time seems to run like mad. Some of us forget that nothing has to be super perfect and that we can actually enjoy this time of the year even more if we relax and keep our cool. Simplicity is the key and if you asked me, things are already perfect the way they are. A small sweet treat on top of that and nothing can ever destroy that pre-Christmas cheer.
I am sharing today one of my favorite sweet raw recipes. if you like gingerbread, you will like this.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup filberts (hazelnuts), soaked in water overnight, drained and dehydrated
- 9 large Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water overnight, drained (save the soaking water)
- zest of 1 organic orange
- zest of 1/2 organic lemon
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 spoon ground allspice
- pinch ground star anise
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root or 1/4 tsp ground dried ginger
- 2 Tbsp reishi mushroom powder (optional)
- 1/4 cup raw cacao
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalaya salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp lightly crushed pink peppercorns and 1 tsp Celtic salt crystals, for garnish (optional)
- 1/4 cup hazelnut meal to keep hands dry
Method:
- Toss filberts into a bowl of a food processor and whiz until nuts begin to form a sticky mass. Do not over process. Add soaked dates and blend until well combined.
- Add all the other ingredients and blend until well combined. The dough should be soft, malleable, but not flowing. If it is too thick, add a little water from the dates. If it is too flowing, add a bit more cacao.
- Transfer the dough into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and begin forming pralines with clean hands. 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp of dough should be enough for each praline. Do not make them too big. Use hazelnut meal to keep your hands dry. The pralines will stick and the whole process may be a little messy, but don't worry, you can actually lick your fingers in the end. And believe me, you will!
- Once the pralines are formed, you can now decide whether you want to make gingerbread cookies out of some. Simply flatten them with a back of a large spoon or a rolling pin. This done, you can now gently dehydrate them for eight hours or so.
- Garnish the (remaining) pralines with crushed pink peppercorns and Celtic salt crystals. This is to imitate crushed candy cane. You could certainly use crushed candy cane, but I want you to make these as healthy as possible. You can also roll the pralines in raw cacao mixed with a little cinnamon and reishi powder.
- Once all the pralines are made, with or without the garnish, you can either refrigerate or dehydrate them. I prefer the fresh, soft, chilled version. To make them last a bit longer, I place them on a tray in the freezer for 15 minutes or so, then transfer them into a flat glass container with a lid, and keep them refrigerated. Dehydrated pralines should be stored in a tightly closed glass container and eaten within a week or so. No matter which method you choose, enjoy these delicious treats in good company!
I hope you will like this recipe. If time allows, you can dip the pralines in raw chocolate ganache and let them dry on a rack. This step will transform these pralines into delicious truffles. There is a little more work, but it is worth trying. To make an "adult" version you could add a little rum or Marc de Champagne.
~ Wishing everybody a spectacular Holiday Season ~
in radiant health, passionately raw
Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2018