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Dark Chocolate “Raw”spberry Torte by Erin Yeschin

by LIVING HEALTH on August 3, 2016

When it comes to holiday desserts, Chocolate seems to be on everyone’s list. Something about its rich savory-sweet goodness makes it a perfect treat no matter what the occasion. But when dairy isn’t an option, those milk chocolatey goodies can be more of a pain (literally) than a pleasure. Until now…

Meet Cacao!

Cacao beans are where cocoa comes from; which are then heated and filled with added sugars and milk fats to create chocolate. It is truly the purest form of chocolate you can consume and raw Cacao is thought to be the most nutritionally complex food on the planet thanks to its high source of antioxidants and minerals. It can boost your mood, fight fatigue and even help you lose weight by naturally regulating blood sugar — all proving it’s nutritious as well as delicious!

Speaking of delicious, who doesn’t love a good Chocolate and Raspberry combo? Today we’re pairing the tangy taste of raspberries with super-powered cacao in what I call my Dark Chocolate “Raw”spberry Torte and let me tell you, this baby aims to please. Not too sweet, teasingly tart and rawfully delicious, it is THE perfect holiday dessert table staple.

To begin you’ll need the following:

Crust

• 1 cup of Almond Meal

• ¼ tsp of Sea Salt

• 4 Medjool Dates (pitted)

• ½ cup of Raw Cacao Powder

• 1 tbsp of Vanilla Extract

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until fully blended and slightly sticky. If your dates are small or its too dry, add 1–2 tbsp of water. Using an 8 inch springform pan and either clean fingers or a spatula, spread and press the mixture down into the bottom of the pan evenly to form smooth layer. Set inside the refrigerator.

Filling

• 4 cups of Raw Cashews (soaked for at least 3 hours; preferably overnight)

• 1 cup of Coconut Oil (liquid state)

• 1 cup of Fresh Raspberries

• 1 cup of Raw Maple Syrup

• 1 cup of Coconut Milk

• 1 tbsp of Vanilla Extract

• 1 cup of Raw Cacao Powder

Drain your soaked cashews and rinse well. Place them into your blender with the maple syrup, coconut milk and vanilla and blend until creamy. Next add in the raw cacao powder, coconut oil and raspberries and blend again, scraping down the sides when needed. Once fully blended and creamy, remove the springform pan from the refrigerator and pour over the crust. Place into the freezer to set for 2–3 hours.

When serving you can either slice and serve as is or garnish with fresh raspberries. You can do this however you prefer but I like to place the raspberries around the edge so that each slice has a delicious fresh treat.

You could tell everyone that it’s raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and kosher or just sit back and watch them devour each living, health-boosting, delicious bite in clueless wonder. Even the pickiest of palettes won’t be able to tell that they’re not ingesting a single processed, artificial or chemically infused ingredient; making this one holiday treat that gives the gift of good health as well as good taste.