Raw Brownies and Raw Tahini Cookies

I consider myself an aspiring chef.  I love to cook, but I'm not quite at the level where I feel confident messing around with recipes and/or creating my own.  Today, however, I took a bounding step to being a creative chef in my own right!  I am aware that eating raw food is way healthy for me (and you!), Im also aware that dessert is really great and not something many people want to give up.  So, let us be healthy and enjoy dessert, why the hell not right?  And there lies my new life-goal (I have a lot of them), taking desserts that we all enjoy and making really great, ridiculously yummy, raw versions of them.  


Today I wanted to re-try the brownies I made the other day and make them less, as I say, date-y tasting.  I added some vanilla and a little extra cocoa powder to the recipe and achieved success!!!   They are so good, and although not warm and gooey like the cooked version, these raw brownies have the flavor of the real thing.  I shall eat and share them with pride!  I can't give you an exact recipe because I'm a lazy measurer as of right now, but Ill give you a rough version.


One of my favorite vegan treats are Tahini cookies from my local Co-op, Im not sure if their version is raw, but I decided that I could try to mess around with some and create raw tahini cookies of my own.  I tried two different versions, cinnamon raisin and maple pecan.  I used raw tahini, raw honey, cinnamon, old fashioned oats, and then extra cinnamon, walnuts and raisins for version A and maple syrup and pecans for version B.  They are really sweet, and quite tasty.  I think you could make large ones and eat them for breakfast to satisfy a muffin craving, also I think these could definitely hold tons of different ingredient combinations.  I encourage and look forward to experimentation with these ones!!


This week Im going to try to create a raw version of pecan pie bars and experiment with different toppings, mix-ins for my brownies.  That reminds me, I made raw caramel today that is currently chilling so I can drizzle it on my brownies, yum!!!


Recipes:
Raw Brownies-
1 cup ground pecans
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp agave nectar
1 cup dates
1 tsp vanilla extract (thats a complete estimate)


Process all ingredients in a food processor. Press into a brownie pan (I don't have the right size that made the thickness I wanted, so I pressed them into half of a circular cake pan).  Cool for at least ten minutes to firm them up a bit.  ENJOY!


Raw Tahini Cookies-
6 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup oats
any other mix-ins you want, experiment with proportions, but be careful not to try to get too much stuff in there or else you won't be able to form cookies.


Blend the tahini, honey, and cinnamon then mix in the oats and whatever else you want by hand!  Shape cookies and put in the fridge to cool and harden.


for maple pecan version: add in about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and about 1/2 cup pecans
for cinnamon raisin version: add an extra couple sprinkles of cinnamon, 1/4 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins....ish.


Raw Caramel:
1 cup raw agave nectar
4-5 teaspoons sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon


Blend together.  Chill for at least 2 hours, but take out to let warm at least 20 minutes prior to serving.

Currently listening to: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic-We want the funk...gotta have some fun when you're in the kitchen. : )