Brazil nut fudge
Happy World Vegan Day! Did you even know there is such a day? Well, it’s true.
To celebrate, I thought I’d share my latest fudge recipe, which was actually one of the contenders for inclusion in the Tiny Treats ebook but it didn’t make the cut for two simple reasons: we already had quite a few chocolate recipes, and I felt at the time that it wasn’t quite perfect. Since then, I’ve played with ingredient selections and varying ingredient amounts–the Treat of the Month Club members have received test samples over the last two months–and I have finally come up with what I think is a pretty damn fine fudge. And it’s made with only five ingredients to boot.
In honour of World Vegan Day, this is my thanks to you for all you do to help the animals. There are so many fabulous organizations and people doing amazing work every day, and I feel so grateful to be a part of such an inspiring and compassionate community. A perfect example of this arrived in my inbox last week in the form of a media release: vegan bakery Allison’s Gourmet is holding it’s first Allison’s Gourmet Benefit for Animals fundraiser, starting today. During the entire month of November, the award-winning bakery will donate 10% from every sale to charity! Customers can select between three organizations to send their donation: The Gentle Barn, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Founder and owner Allison Rivers Samson says: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to support some of my favourite animal organizations in such a direct way. People get to have their chocolate and eat (or give!) it too, all while doing extra good for animals.”
This is why I love vegans.
Oh, and don’t forget, Lisa and I are still raising money for the elephants.
PrintBrazil nut fudge
Yield: 16 to 20 squares
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups Brazil nuts
- 1 1/2 cups cacao powder
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup melted cacao butter
Directions:
- In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the Brazil nuts. Stir constantly until lightly browned and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Rub the Brazil nuts between your palms or a clean kitchen towel to remove any loose skins.
- Using a food processor, process the Brazil nuts for about 10 minutes until a smooth nut butter forms. Stop to scrap down the sides of the container as necessary.
- Remove about 3 tablespoons of the nut butter and set aside (this will be used for the swirl).
- Add the cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt to the food processor and process until smooth. Add the melted cacao butter and process again until well combined and smooth. Take care not to over process or the oils will start to separate.
- Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper and pour the fudge mixture evenly into the pan, smoothing out with a spatula.
- If you would like to add the swirl (this is optional), simply pour the reserved Brazil nut butter in a swirl pattern over the fudge and use a chopstick to gently swirl it into the fudge. The fudge will be quite thick, so only a few strokes through should do the trick. Try to keep it as even as possible.
- Place the pan in the freezer to firm up before cutting into squares, about 1 hour. Store fudge in the fridge or freezer.
To melt cacao butter, place the chopped cacao in a double boiler or heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Then measure.