Chocolate Mousse Pudding

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I just love this chocolate mousse pudding. I couldn’t decide what to call it – mousse or pudding. It’s both! If you like to call your food raw, then you can call it raw chocolate mousse pudding. It is made from walnuts, cashews and sweetened with dates. I make it my Vitamix so it comes it perfectly smooth.

If you don’t have a Vitamix, please get one. I know they are expensive but it is totally worth it. You will use it at least once a day if not more. If you still don’t have a Vitamix, soak the nuts and dates separately. Soak the walnuts and cashews in one bowl and then discard the soaking water before adding them to the blender. Soak the dates in the cup of water you will be using to make the mousse and then add the soaking water and dates to the blender. That soaking water is liquid gold!

Dates vary in size and sweetness, so if the end result doesn’t come out sweet enough, you can always add a teaspoon or two of date or maple sugar. For variations, you can do a 1/4 cup cashews + 1/4 cup Brazil nuts and/or use plant milk!

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makes 2 to 4 servings, about 2 cups

1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
6 Medjool dates
1 cup water
Diced strawberries, for garnish
Cacao nibs, for garnish

Place everything into the Vitamix and let it rip until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Garnish with diced strawberries and a few cacao nibs. Enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Truffles (Raw)

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If I like something that we buy, I try to make it at home. Recently, my husband found these Almond Butter Cacao Truffles by Two Moms in the Raw. I looked at the ingredients and figured out the right proportions to make them myself. Easy and delicious and as I always say, homemade is best!

1 cup almond flour (or ground almonds, same thing)
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder + extra for rolling
1/4 cup raw agave
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients together. Form balls and roll in a pile of cacao powder. Let sit for a while before eating, better overnight. Enjoy!

Pretend Candy (Almond-Date-Chocolate Chip Squares)

Beverly Lynn Bennett, one of my favorite vegan chefs, published a version of this recipe in a recent edition of VegNews magazine. Beverly melts the chocolate and spreads it over the bars, but I didn’t want to deal with that so I just mixed it in. I also added lucuma powder for a hint of caramel. And as my sister said, “This is like pretend candy. Why would anyone eat anything fattening when you can have these!”

2 cups almonds
16 pitted dates
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon maca powder
1 teaspoon lucuma powder
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini vegan chocolate chips

Pulse almonds in a food processor until roughly chopped. Take out half and reserve in a mixing bowl. Chop the dates and add them into the processor along with the water, powders and salt. Process until completely together. Turn out into the mixing bowl with the chopped almonds and add the chocolate chips. Mix well (hands are best) and then press down into a brownie pan. Chill for an hour and then cut into squares. Enjoy!