For those of you who follow Vicki's blog over at the Free From Fairy, you may (like me) have drooled over the Sugar-Free Raw Chocolate Fudge that she recently made. Vicki is amazingly talented and seems to have the ability to conjure up the most amazing recipes with ingredients which are multi allergen-friendly and yet still taste fantastic and are good for you too.
I was particularly taken with this raw fudge recipe as it offered a sweet treat without any guilt and could be something I could keep in the fridge for a quick bite when I needed a cocoa hit..... without reaching for the calorie and sugar-laden chocolate bars. It was also really simple to whip up without too much faff....
When I saw it, I immediately imagined the amazing potential in adding freeze-dried raspberries to the mix, both to add a complementary fruity sharpness and a contrasting colour. I love using freeze dried fruit in my bakes and cooking and always make sure I keep various freeze-dried fruits to hand in my larder. Because I use so much, I don't generally buy from the supermarket, but seek out the larger packs and wider variety from on-line retailers like Healthy Supplies.
Having sown the seed for adapting Vicki's recipe slightly to make a Raw Chocolate-Raspberry Fudge, I had to give it a try and (as is regularly the case in our house) I found the required over-ripe banana hanging around looking sorry for itself in the fruit bowl, hoping to be given a better future. Lucky day banana! You're heading for the mixing bowl!
I have only slightly altered Vicki's recipe, but in addition to the raspberries, did include a tablespoon of maple syrup as the mix tasted a little too bitter for us. I felt that it was a justifiable change..... and as maple syrup is actually a pretty healthy and very natural sugar source, was comfortable that it did not obliterate Vicki's intentions towards being a 'good' treat.
The test would of course be whether it would be acceptable to Miss GF's sweet tooth...... If she liked it, then I reckon you could sneak it past most hardened sugar-addicts. In the event, she seemed quite taken with it...... I think it helped that her favourite other blogger Vicki had invented it, but she came back for more than one piece, which is an indicator of high praise.
I really enjoyed it too! It has a smooth texture, flavoured with deep cacao notes, set against a strong hint of banana and interspersed with tangy berry. When you pop a piece into your mouth, there is a happy sense of decadence mixed with virtuosity...... and that feels like a good place to be!
Providing you store it in the fridge, it will last for a few days without deterioration, but as the recipe doesn't make a massive amount and it is quite moreish, you can be sure that it won't stay around long enough to go 'off'.
So thank you Vicki! I hope you don't mind that I have played around with your mastery or that I have blogged my variation!
I am sending this FFF-GFA Raw Chocolate-Raspberry Fudge off to the following linkies to share some healthy cacao love :

Recipe of the Week with A Mummy Too

Gluten Free Fridays with Vegetarian Mamma

We Should Cocoa with Tin & Thyme
Cook Blog Share with Hijacked by Twins
Raw Chocolate-Raspberry 'Fudge' (adapted from a recipe by Vicki Montague - Free From Fairy)
Ingredients (makes approx 15 pieces)
110g raw cashew nuts
85g extra-ripe banana - cut into pieces
25g cacao powder
50g coconut oil - melted
pinch salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
10g freeze dried raspberries - lightly crushed
(+ extra whole freeze-dried raspberries for decoration - optional)
Method
- Blend the cashew nuts and banana together until you have a smooth paste.
- Add the cacao powder, coconut oil, salt and maple syrup and blend again until evenly blended.
- Transfer the chocolate paste to a bowl and add and stir through the raspberry pieces.
- Line a small bread tin with cling film and transfer the mixture, smoothing the top as carefully as you can.
- Chill the 'fudge' for 1 to 2 hours until completely set.
- Remove from the tin and cut into pieces.
- Top each piece with a freeze-dried raspberry (optional) and store in the fridge.
Gluten Free Alchemist © 2013-16 unless otherwise indicated