This week, I learned that cocoa powder is not raw. It’s actually cooked. Just because brownies aren’t as fudgy and delicious as these beauties don’t make them raw; it’s good to know.
It’s true; I have been learning about whole foods. I stumbled upon Sprouted Kitchen, where whole foods taste good. Then I ordered the Sprouted Kitchen book. Since then, I have treated the book like my new foodie Bible.
After this profound discovery, My New Roots was published. I could talk about it for hours. Sarah Britton, a holistic chef, and whole foods genius, is someone I would like to shrink to the size of a pocket so that I could learn all she knows.
Sarah has taught me many things about food in the last few months. The best dates to buy are Medjool; buying organic is worth it, and cocoa is not the same as cacao powder.
Sarah explains that COCOA powder (koe-koe), when cooked, loses 90 percent of its nutritional value. Raw CACAO powder (kuh-cow), on the other hand, is rich in calcium, iron, and beta-carotene. It’s also one of nature’s best sources of magnesium.
You can see that cocoa and chocolate are two very different things. This is important to understand if you want to achieve optimum health, as I (try to) do these days.
They are technically not raw because I couldn’t find raw cacao powder to make them. Today, I ordered a bag of raw cacao powder from Amazon, so next time you see these brownies on the blog, you will know that they’ll be so healthy that they won’t have enough health benefits to list.
Oh, goody.
In the meantime, you can still make brownies if you don’t have cacao powder. You can also make these brownies if you have cacao powder. You’ll just make them healthier. Don’t rub it in our face, or we will come and eat your brownies. How would you like it? You get what you deserve for your gloating.
Although these brownies do not contain butter, sugar, or flour, they are still some of the best I have ever had. They are dense, moist, and full of chocolate flavor with a hint of espresso. I think the walnut pieces make them. If they are not your thing, leave them out.
I’ve eaten half of the batch since last week and will be posting another recipe using them later.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw nuts ( DIVIDED).
- 1 cup of raw, unsalted almonds (roughly sliced)
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups Medjool or deglet noor dates (pitted)
- You can use raw cacao OR 3/4 cup cocoa powder if you’ve got it
- Espresso powder (or finely ground coffee) – 1-2 teaspoons, depending on your preference
- Sea salt, one pinch
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of walnuts and almonds into food processing, and process until finely grounded (amounts should be as written in the original recipe // adjust for changes to batch size).
- Add the espresso powder and sea salt. Add the espresso powder and sea salt. Pulse until combined, then transfer into a bowl.
- Process the dates in the food processor until only small pieces remain. Remove dates from the bowl and set them aside.
- While processing, add small handfuls to the food processor’s spout. (Or turn off the food processor after a few pulses and add date pieces little by little.) Add more dates to the mixture if it does not stick together when you squeeze it in your hands.
- Add the brownie mix to a cake pan lined with parchment paper (8 x 8 inches or 9 x 13 inches), and then add the remaining walnuts roughly chopped (1/2 cup, as written in the original recipe). Mix well and distribute evenly, then flatten the brownie with your hands.
- Place in the freezer or refrigerator to chill before cutting. To keep them fresh, store them in an airtight container. The product will be kept in the fridge for two weeks and in the freezer for two months.
