Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Raw Easter cream eggs

Ever since discovering the wonders of raw dessert-making, I've been having fun playing with raw cacao in its different forms, including powder, beans and nibs. Yet I've been hesitant to play with butter and paste because of the cost and inconvenience—both usually have to be ordered online and cost anywhere from $20 to $40 for a small chunk.

My curiosity got the best of me recently, so I took the plunge and ordered a boxful of raw ingredients from Canadian whole foods distributor Real Raw Food. One area I had yet to experiment in was raw chocolate candy, and so when my parcel arrived last week, I took a deep breath and dove right in.


I have no doubt that raw chocolate candy-making can be just as intricate a process as any other, but I am in all respects still a toddler in the realm of a chocolatier. Most of the basic recipes I have come across seem to call for equal parts cacao butter, cacao powder and sweetener. From there, you can experiment with different sweeteners and flavour additions in order to achieve the taste and consistency you're after.

Cacao butter is the pure oil (or fat) of the cacao bean. It melts at approximately 90 degrees, which means it is even firmer than coconut oil at room temperature. The cost is definitely worth it because this stuff took my desserts to a whole new level. I came up with the cutest little mini Easter cream eggs with a vanilla cashew cream filling, which were inspired by Bitt's raw Cadbury cream eggs from last year. This was such a fun-filled creation, and I'm so happy with the outcome. Enjoy!


Raw Easter cream eggs
Chocolate coating:
(Adapted from Bitt's coating)
1/2 cup  melted cacao butter
1/2 cup raw cacao powder, sifted
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1/4 cup yacon powder (or other powdered sweetener)
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (or seeds of 1 vanilla bean)
pinch of sea salt
egg-shaped candy molds

1. Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. You may need to warm up the mixture if the cacao butter firms up too quickly. You can do this by using a double boiler on the lowest heat setting to keep it warm while whisking, or by putting the mixture in the dehydrator for a few minutes. Take care not to get any water in the chocolate mixture!
2. Fill your egg-shaped candy molds and place them in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove the mold from the freezer and scoop out the centres of each mold using a paring knife or small spoon. Fill the holes with the cream filling (recipe below) and then cover the top with more chocolate. Return to the fridge or freezer to harden.

Cream filling:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
3 tbsp Irish moss paste (see instructions here)
3 tbsp water
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (or seeds of 1 vanilla bean)
pinch of sea salt

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. This may take several minutes.

I'm submitting this recipe to Kelly's Spunky Easter Holiday roundup. Check out her blog soon for more Easter recipes!

10 comments:

VeganLisa said...

Aww...they're so lovely!

I'm glad the raw cacao got you experimenting so quickly. I need to get to work to create some special Easter sweets for the little ones in my life. Thank you for another great recipe.

Jennifer and Jaclyn @ sketch-free vegan said...

omg so cool! my sister and I were just saying how we will probably never get to try cadbury cream eggs because of our veganism and knowledge of processed sugars etc. but it looks like now we CAN try them!

Noelle said...

Wow these look great! I would totally like one of these now!

Nicole said...

Thanks for the compiments, ladies! They were a lot of fun to make. I am officially in love with raw cacao butter :)

bitt said...

So glad you found some inspiration in my eggs. I am feeling too lazy to make them this year so I'll just look at yours. Good job!

Mihl said...

Wow! I never liked cream eggs, but I am very sure I'd be addicted to these in seconds.

Amber Shea @Almost Vegan said...

Yum! I must admit that I miss Cadbury eggs. These look like a wonderful substitute!

Eco-Vegan Gal said...

YUM! Thanks for sharing a healthy alternative to those of us who have a lot of specific dietary preferences! I included this recipe in this article: http://www.greenwala.com/profiles/eco-vegan-gal/blog/15182-Wheat-free-Wednesday-6-Gluten-Free-Vegan-Easter-Dessert-Recipes

Nicole said...

Eco-Vegan Gal: Thanks for including my recipe!

John said...

I know a lot of folks who don’t eat eggs (they’re allergic, for health reasons, or concerns about animal cruelty). Here’s an awesome site that gives tips on cooking and baking without eggs: http://EggFreeLiving.com

 

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