Raw Chocolate Brownie Fingers

I simply can not explain to you how amazing these brownies are. They're rich, sweet, gloriously gooey and without a doubt my favourite go-to treat to satisfy that chocolate craving. I strongly believe these brownies are better than the traditional brownie, maintaining that squishy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. What's better is that they only take 5 minutes to make! They're sugar, dairy and gluten free, only use 5 ingredients and also bursting with fibre and protein - what couldn't there be to like?! 

The secret to these brownies are the medjool dates. They're packed full of fibre which can help lower cholesterol and fight obesity. Did you know that just one date contains 6% or your recommended daily fibre intake?! They're also bursting with all the essential vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy body. Vitamin B-6 tops the vitamin list and are essential to our body for the metabolism of food and formation of new blood cells. Meanwhile potassium tops the mineral list, allowing the body to carry out electrical impulses that stimulate muscles and nerves.

So go on, make these heavenly gooey delights for your family and friends. Trust me, it'll be love at first bite. 

Makes 8 Gooey Fingers:

8 medjool dates

1 cup pecans 

1/2 cup walnuts

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons spoons maple syrup 

Method:

-  Whiz up pecans and walnuts together in a food processor until crumbly. Then add the (pitted) dates, cocoa powder and maple syrup and blend again. 

- Put into a loaf tin and either refrigerate for 3 hours or freeze for one to allow them to set. Keep in the fridge to maintain freshness.

Enjoy!

Prune Brownies

I can't believe that these are brownies. They're gooey, sweet and extremely easy to make with only 6 ingredients. They're the perfect snack for when you're craving something sweet and great for anyone on a gluten free diet.

Prunes are packed with fibre. Therefore, they slow down the absorption of glucose and stabise blood glucose levels. They're also packed with vitamin K which is essential for strong bones and blood clotting.

Many blogs seem to use medjool dates, but they're expensive and not always easy to get hold of. Therefore, I wanted to experiment using prunes and this is what I came up with! 

260g/40 prunes (pitted)

100g pecans 

2 dessert spoons of cocoa powder 

2 ripe bananas 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

2 dessert spoons maple syrup 

Method

Easy as A, B, C (thanks Michael J). Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor, whiz them up and place into a small, lined baking tray. 

Freeze for 1-2 hours until set. Keep in the freezer for a cool, sweet gooey treat.

Chocolate Roulade

The perfect pudding for a hassle free dinner party. Mary Berry's chocolate roulade is simply gorgeous. The absence of flour in this recipe makes it extremely light in texture, but the high cocoa content makes is super rich and delicious.

This recipe is great for dinner parties as you can do the bulk of it (the cakey bit) the day before and simply cover with a damp cloth, place into a plastic bag and leave overnight until the big day.

Serves 8-10

175g/6oz good-quality dark chocolate finely chopped

6 free-range eggs, separated

175g/6oz caster sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

300ml/10fl oz double cream

icing sugar to dust 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160 Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease a 33cm x 23cm/13in x 9in Swiss roll tin then line the base and sides of the tin with a large sheet of greaseproof paper, pushing it into the corners. Make a small diagonal snip in each corner of the paper; this helps to fit the paper snugly into the corners of the tin.

2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)

3. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until stiff but not dry. If you turn the bowl upside down, the whites should be stiff enough not to fall out.

4. Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl with the sugar and whisk using the same whisk (no need to wash it) on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until thick and creamy and the mixture leaves a thick ribbon-like trail when the beaters are lifted. Pour in the cooled chocolate and gently fold together until well combined.

5. Gently stir two large spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen the mix, then fold in the remaining egg whites using a large metal spoon (you don’t want to squash out the air you have just beaten in). Sift the cocoa over the top and lightly fold it in. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and gently move the tin around until the mixture is level.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until risen and the top feels firm and slightly crisp. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin (expect the roulade to fall and crack a little) and set aside until cold.

7. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape. Lay a large piece of greaseproof paper on the work surface and dust it lightly with icing sugar. Turn the roulade out on to the paper so its lining paper is on top, then carefully peel off the paper. Spread the roulade with the whipped cream, leaving a border of about 2cm/¾in all the way around the edges. With one of the shortest edges facing you, make a cut along it with a sharp knife, going about half way through the sponge. This will help to start the rolling up. Now roll this cut edge over tightly to start with and use the paper to help continue the tight rolling, by pulling it away from you as you roll. Don’t worry if the roulade cracks - that is quite normal and all part of its charm.

8. Finish with the join underneath then lift the roulade onto a serving plate or board using a large wide spatula or two fish slices. Dust with icing sugar.

Enjoy!