Love Brownie for Two + Chocolate Sweet Hearts (V + GF)

February 08, 2015

reading time: ca. 1 min

Are you still looking for a nice meal to share with your partner on Valentine's Day?

Personally, i don't really like those "love merchandise" events because there shouldn't have to be a date to remind us of giving and showing love, but i do like making and sharing delicious food, so here's what i made my boyfriend yesterday for our monthly anniversary today. It's a huge Love Brownie for Two, two smaller brownies, some cacao covered truffle balls and a dozen frozen chocolate hearts ♥

The ingredients are a sexy combination of raw chocolate/cacao, nuts, figs, banana, avocado (Aztec: "testicle"!), honey, cinnamon, Maca and chili flakes - all of which happen to have sensual, aphrodisiac qualities. Total incident of course ;)

This is for you, J.

LOVE BROWNIE FOR TWO

Preparation time: 30 mins
Main ingredients: cacao, buckwheat, dates
difficulty level: easy
makes: 3-6 heart brownies, depending on size
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, nut-free, raw food, and delicious "even so"

Brownie:
1/2 cup buckwheat
1/2 cup dates, soaked in warm water for 1 hour (or fresh Medjool dates)
5 soaked dried figs
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or carob)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp Maca powder
1 1/2 tbsp honey (or maple/agave/rice syrup if vegan)
1 tsp pure peanut butter
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp chili flakes or to taste
handful of walnuts (optional)
2 tbsp flaxseed flour
5 tbsp water - i used the water from soaking the dates

Frosting:
5-Minute Chocolate Pudding (with avocado and dates)
OR
Chocolate Sweet Hearts paste (see below!)

For the brownies: First, soak your dried fruit. In a high-speed blender, blend up your flaxseed as well as your buckwheat groats until they are ground finely into a flour-like consistency. Instead of buckwheat, you could also use oats or nuts - if you want it to be more creamy and less crumbly.
Then place in a food processor (or simply leave in the blender), add the soft dates and figs. Process. Gradually, add the rest of the ingredients and process until it all begins to stick together. Add more water as you go along because it might be quite firm and a little dry at first.

Then press the brownie mix firmly into a cookie or tartlet mold - i used a heart-shaped cookie cutter - , then carefully take the brownie out of the mold or cookie cutter and set aside on a pretty plate. I got 2 smaller brownie hearts and 1 ginormous one out of this, and the rest of the brownie dough i rolled into 4 little truffle balls that i covered with a coat of cacao powder. Another great idea is to chop it up and add it to your banana ice cream, sort of like cookie dough ice cream!

For the frosting: mix together the frosting ingredients (either Chocolate Pudding or Sweet Heart paste from the recipe below) until smooth and creamy. Spread on top of each brownie and refrigerate for at least an hour (or place in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes) before enjoying.

You could also sprinkle them with raw cacao nibs and buckwheat groats.

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

CHOCOLATE SWEET HEARTS

Preparation time: 15 mins (+ min. 3 hours freezing time)
Main ingredients: cacao, dates, chili
difficulty level: easy
makes: 15 hearts and more
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, paleo, raw food, and delicious "even so"

25 dates, soaked in warm water for 1 hour (or fresh Medjool dates)
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or carob)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 1/2 tsp Maca powder
1 tsp pure peanut butter
1/4 tsp chili flakes or more, to taste

For the Sweet Hearts: place your soaked dates into your food processor or blending machine, then add the cacao/carob powder as well as the rest of the ingredients. The ball of dates will turn into a sticky but soft, creamy substance. Press the date paste into heart molds and freeze!