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!
I’m submitting this recipe to Kelly’s Spunky Easter Holiday roundup. Check out her blog soon for more Easter recipes!
PrintRaw Easter cream eggs
Ingredients:
Chocolate 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 bean powder (or seeds of 1 vanilla bean)
- pinch of sea salt
- egg-shaped candy molds
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 bean powder (or seeds of 1 vanilla bean)
- pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Chocolate coating:
- 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!
- Fill your egg-shaped candy molds and place them in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- 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:
- Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. This may take several minutes.