Raw Vegan Chocolate Berry Slice

My little girl and I go to the market every weekend, rain or shine. The rain actually makes it more fun.  We both wear our gumboots and raincoats and splash through the puddles while everyone else hurries around looking harassed.

She is reaching that age when she is becoming my best buddy, we joke and tell each other secrets and stories and laugh often.  She tells me about her dreams and fears and I tell her all about what I have learnt along my way. It’s amazing and humbling when I hear my little one telling people they should eat fish because it is good for their brains.  Oh, kids are wonderful. Every day is a gift (although at times it hasn’t always felt that way!)

Anyway, as we were walking back from the market with my dodgy trolley laden with fruit and vegetable bootie, Millie spied a beautiful red manuka tree, blossoming madly.  We picked some flowers and loaded them into the trolley with it in mind to adorn our kitchen bench with some colour.

When we got home I whipped up a quick and easy raw berry and chocolate slice as my darling will no doubt be adorning my couch this week and he has sweet teeth.  And upon drawing it out of the freezer I realised just how stunning it would look with my little red manuka flowers atop. And it does.

Enjoy this slice. It’s easy and simple and delicious and looks so pretty.

My little Millie exclaimed loudly when I plated it up- “You are so clever Mummy, that looks amazing” She is my biggest fan and I am hers.  Happy days.

Whats in it?

Base

1 cup of almonds

1/3 cup of cacao powder

¾ cup of dates

 Middle

1.5 cups of mixed frozen berries

¾ cup of cashew nuts

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

¼ cup of rice syrup or maple syrup or apple syrup

Top

¾ cup of cacao butter grated

¼ cup of cacao powder

¼ cup of rice syrup, maple syrup or apple syrup

 1 teaspoon of vanilla ( I like Heilala powder, it’s amazing)

 How do you do it?

Base- Add all ingredients into your processor and process until it is all thoroughly blended through. Press into a slice tin

Middle- Leave the berries to melt and then add to your blender along with the cashew nuts, the sweetener you wish to use and the melted coconut. Whizz it all up until it’s totally integrated together and then pour over top of the base you have already prepared.  Pop it into the fridge or freezer for an hour or so

Topping- Take a cup of finely grated cacao butter and either put it in your dehydrator for an hour or alternatively put it in a bowl and put in a sink of boiling water until it begins to melt. Add the cacao powder and the sweetener and the vanilla and beat it all together until it is all uniform. Spread it all on top of the base and middle you have prepared earlier.

Put it back in the freezer or fridge (freezer is probably better as these raw dishes are really very temperature sensitive) and leave for an hour or so or overnight.

Take out and cut up into squares. Voila!

Go on the hunt for some manuka flowers to decorate, they realy are so pretty.

Enjoy