a brownie

I decided to be hardcore this week and do a total no sugar thing (including fruit sugar). I have waxed on about this way of eating for a long time but in theory never totally managed it in person. I always just *had* to have somehting sweet. By Thursday I ate an apple. But for me this is miraculous. Utterly. I do not remember a single day in the last ten years when I have not had some form of cocoa in my diet, whether some shop bought thing or a handmade, raw or cooked...

Then finally yesterday, Friday, I was feeling irritable and spent about an hour going over what I had in my cupboards, what I know about sweeteners, looking at recipes online, in books and knew that I didn't have anything soaked that would fit my ordinary sky high standards. But I needed a sweet hit :)

So this was hastily (about 30 seconds) assembled. I am thinking form now on this will be something I zip together for my kids when they are in need. It contains no expensive superfoods (because been there, done that and have the debt :) and also last night my kids told me they loved it. I thought I may be biased and all, since even a carrot was starting to taste like heaven, but no, it's actually sweet enough for regular tatse buds.

quick raw brownie

~1 cup of dates and apricots (mixed, or either individually, cupboard depending)
~1 cup of walnuts (unsoaked)
~1/4 to 1/2 cup of cocoa powder

Whizz until a mushy type of crumb in the Magimix or food processor and press down into a paper lined tray/dish. You can either freeze or refridgerate and keep there indefinatly (ha, like yeah, it's gonaa last what a day?>).

It would be nice too with a thick raw icing of cocoa butter melted with some coconut oil, cocoa and maybe a date, but I didin't have time to waste last ngiht, I just needed some sweet.

This is just standard raw 'crust' recipe really, usually with soaked almonds instead of the nuts, but this is prefectly acceptable in a pinch I reckon, where the other available craving options may be entirely less wholesome.

Just thought I'd share, because it's 6.30am and I'm up alone. A rare treat, weirdly, despite the early hour. Maybe mroe so than the brownie :)