Raw cocoa-berry cookies!

Happy commercialised love day everyone!
I wanted to make something sorta valentines-themed, but I don't own any heart-shaped cookie-cutters or chocolate moulds. So I went for crazy red/purple-coloured cookies instead!

These are super soft and chewy, so I could've rolled them into balls and called them energy-balls. But hey, I decided to flatten them and call them cookies!

These are really simple to make, packed full of goodness (vitamins, antioxidants, protein, omega-3s...), and absolutely delicious. The tang of the berries goes perfectly with the bitterness of the cocoa.
I defrosted frozen berries, as that's all I had to-hand, but I'm sure fresh ones would be even better.

Recipe
1. Put 3/4 of a cup of oats into a blender, and blend to a coarse flour-like texture. Put aside in a large bowl.

2. Blend the following until it becomes a gooey paste. Then add it to the oats & stir well with a fork.

• 1 cup mixed red berries (e.g. blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, blueberries...)
• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) agave nectar
• 1/2 tablespoon melted coconut oil (this is all I had, but use a little more if you want these to be firmer)

3. Blend 1 cup of mixed nuts & seeds, of your choice.
I used walnuts, cashews, almonds, and an omega seed mix that included pumpkin seeds, sesame, golden linseed and sunflower seeds. At first, it will become a chunky mixture, then a coarse flour, then the oils will start to come out & it'll start sticking together a little. Keep blending, stirring intermittently, until you reach this point. Then add it to the bowl with the previous ingredients.

4. Blend these ingredients into a chunky jam-like texture. This is the last stuff you have to blend, I promise!

• 7 stoned dates
• 1/2 a cup of sultanas and/or currants.

5. Add this to the bowl and stir everything together thoroughly with a fork, along with the following:

• 2 Tbsp. dessicated coconut
• 2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch cinnamon

6. Finally, roll it into balls and flatten them into discs of around 1cm in thickness and 4cm in diameter. Then coat in dessicated coconut. Alternatively, just leave them as balls and roll them in the coconut.

7. Refrigerate for about half an hour. Then EAT.

Jen x

Raw chocolate brownies!

I have something to admit.
Over the last 9 months or so, I've fallen in love with exercise.
I'm working out 5 days a week now, so my diet has changed too.
I've cut down massively on refined sugar, white carbohydrates, fats and processed foods. Instead, I'm eating a diet high in protein and with vast quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables.
So what do I do when I want a treat, or my partner pesters me for junk food? The answer's pretty simple really. Go RAW!

These chocolate brownies are one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten, are quick and easy to make, and are actually pretty good for you! What more could you ask for?!

Recipe

1. Put 1 cup of walnuts and 4 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) of oats in a blender, and blend to a coarse flour-like consistency. Put aside in a large bowl.

2. Blend the following into a thick paste:

• 2/3 cup sultanas
• 1/2 cup stoned dates
• 3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 1.5 teaspoons (tsp.) vanilla extract

3. Add this to the bowl and stir the two mixtures together, along with...

• 2 Tbsp. dessicated coconut
• 2 Tbsp. fruit syrup (or agave nectar)
• pinch cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder

4. Press into a baking tray, lined with baking paper. It should be about 1-2cm thick throughout.

5. You can either leave it as it is, or make a raw chocolate/ raw nut butter topping. I actually cheated here and used non-raw ingredients, as it's all I had. I spread it with a mixed roast nut butter (cashew, almond, hazelnut & peanut), then sprinkled with more dessicated coconut & dark chocolate chips.

6. Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares with a sharp knife.

I then cheated again and served these with vanilla Swedish Glace.

Jen x