It's going DOWN with these bad boys. I know I just shared a brownie recipe but C'MON, MAN. You can never have too many raw vegan love bites... amiright? I also know that in my last post for lemon tarts I talked about how dessert totally doesn't need chocolate to be good. It's true. But chocolate never hurts. Besides the above, I don't have a whole lot to say about this recipe. I mean I think the title tells you everything you need to know: peanut butter. fudge. brownies. See?
At the end of the day I just need to look myself in the mirror and say: Emily, suck it up. Not in a negative or unhealthy way. I mean that my life is basically a dream come true plus organic bananas so I have nothing to even CONSIDER complaining about. I need to focus on gratitude and be inspired. I am so thankful for the secondary education I have access to and am taking advantage of. I am thankful for my beautiful, unique, healthy body. I am thankful for the amazing, caring, sensitive man in my life who still makes me giddy when I look at his pillowy, pink lips. I am thankful for the RIDICULOUSLY ideal job I have of making brownies for the internet, and writing cookbooks for you. I am thankful for the ceaseless love you all send me on a daily basis, I have become a little more dependent on it than I would like to admit. I need you as much as you need me at this point, and I think that's pretty damn sweet. I am thankful for all the opportunities that come my way, the inspirational people in my life, the open-minded city I live in, and the majestic landscape of the pacific north west. Most of all I am thankful for baby pigs.
I let myself get unhappy sometimes. More specifically, I let myself get stressed out or worked up about things I perceive to be important. But realistically, what is the WORST that could happen? I fail a semester? My next cookbook doesn't sell well? My website traffic goes down? Jack leaves me? I go broke? In all these scenarios, I will still be alive, loved and self-aware. I will always (fingers crossed) have a community of people who will be there to take care of me when I need it, and I will always have my own mind to entertain me, and this freaking incredible world to experience. MORAL OF THE STORY: I am grateful for what I have, and I know there's no need to feel stressed, so I won't.
Oh! I guess it would be appropriate to say I am thankful for these brownies too, even though as I type this, they have long since been inhaled by yours truly and that lovely man I just mentioned.
Base:
1 cup cashews
1 cup buckwheat groats
2 cups Medjool dates
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Middle:
1/3 cup peanut butter (try Earth Balance!)
1 tablespoon water
Top:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon cacao powder
To make the base: grind the cashew and buckwheat into flour in a high speed blender. Transfer to a food processor and add the rest of the ingredients. Process until it all starts to stick together. If it's still too crumbly, add more dates or 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or water. Press into the bottom of a 4X2 baking pan or whatever mold/shape you like.
Once it sets a bit, spread on the peanut butter.
To make the top: stir together the ingredient until smooth. Pour on top of the peanut butter layer and let the whole thing chill in the fridge (pun intended) for a couple hours or ideally overnight so the flavours can get to know each other. Slice and nom!
Did you like this post? Then *subscribe to my blog* and get all my posts by email!
Yup, peanut butter fudge is totally necessary :D
ReplyDeleteThis speaks to me! I thought my brain was going to explode and still feel like it might if I look at my inbox!
ReplyDelete... but there's chocolate at home so it's ok. And I have an INBOX, I mean- how lucky am I to have an inbox?!
Let's make these together. xox
Hi Em :)
ReplyDeleteI've been a long-time lurker on this site, and I just wanted to say - you're allowed to be a little down even when everything is objectively going great. Sometimes it's ok to be a little sad for a while, and eat brownies, and slog through! Don't trick yourself out of feeling melancholy and gloomy - give yourself time to absorb these feelings and process them - in the end they're just as important as happiness to our well being.
Love you, hope things go better lady!
P.S. I'm in love with lavender and grapefruit - it's a little weird, but with some good cocoa butter, coconut butter, and other nutty goodies it makes the freaking world go round!
DELICIOUS!
ReplyDeleteoh my god, no, stop. these look toooo gooood! gorgeous post too, it's true. we do have so much to be thankful for. i am trying to be more aware and grateful for this everyday!
ReplyDeleteThese look so yummy! Can't wait to make them
ReplyDeleteHI- so a 4 X 2 pan?? I've never seen such a small size but I have a 6 X 6 pan, so will likely increase the base amounts by 1/2-1 cup..etc You don't state how many this makes,but judging by the pan size, it's about 4 squares- enough for 2 people to snack on :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your great recipes :)
Margaret
thank you after reading this article, a lot of experience
ReplyDeleteSouvenir Kayu Jati
@Kitchen Kween - I definitely typed that out wrong and did not catch it! It should be a 9X4!
ReplyDeleteawesome-- I'll make them this weekend with my loaf pan!! YaY
ReplyDeleteWhat are some alternatives to cashews and buckwheat groats? I currently do not have those ingredients in my house right now and I really want to make this right now.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI just made the base for these for breakfast with seeds instead of buckwheat groats and including some raisins and dried cherries. Super happy. I am feeling super down too but I felt pumped after making these. Thank you for the inspiration!
Emily, while there's a lot to be said about gratitude and positivity I think there's also a time and place for just feeling like shiz every now and then, letting it run it's course, and then getting back to being ones insanely sunny and optimistic self! :D oh, and you can never have enough brownies - fact! ;)
ReplyDeleteDear Em,
ReplyDeleteeven someone who has making brownies for the Internet (the Internet says THANK YOU!) as a job, gets to feel down once in a while. Makes you appreciate being happy more, they say :)
As for these brownie babies: AWESOME! Since I don't have a good blender, I had to make some substitutions (used oats and store bought almond meal instead of cashews and buckwheat groats, chopped the dates with a knife - certainly made me appreciate them more!)and I put some cinnamon powder and whole cashews on top - it turned out wonderful. It's a peanuty pleasure that even my roommate ("Uh, does it have to be raw again?") likes.
Thank you for being an inspiration - even on days when things don't go the way you want them to.
I have been craving PB-Chocolate things lately (usually I just like unadulterated chocolate). The texture on these looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. I'm usually a happy girl, but I have my moments of sadness/anxiety. It used to be the other way around, so I'm grateful for my happiness! It is a luxury.
One of my favorite artists has a lyric, "my grandfather told me once that all pain hurts the same." It's ok to not feel ok. It's never ok for anyone to make you feel like those emotions aren't valid.
@Aimee Matthews - you can use any nut instead of cashews, and replace the groats with dried coconut, nuts, or oats :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone else for your loving, sweet, comments. I love you!! x
Made these pretty much as soon as I read your recipe. So good. So good. Nothing else to say! Keep doing what your doing lady- I check your blog more than I check my own facebook!
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteLove your recipes Emily. You were a huge inspiration toward me creating my own raw, vegan chocolate! Feel free to check it out - www.Hninagourmet.com - Hope you like what you see
ReplyDeleteFudge brownies are definitely the kinda comfort food I want now :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious! :D
ReplyDeletewww.vegannigerian.com
This gets two thumbs up on the YUM scale! My husband will love this.....as will I. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteHi, I want to make these so much! But don't have any dates, what could I substitute? I've just ordered your cookbook- can't wait if these are anything to go by!!
ReplyDeleteDo you have nutritional value for your recipes? I am new to your blog. I made this for my dad for his birthday last night and he loved them. But he did want to know about the nutritional value. Ever since his cholesterol scare he has been limited in his sweets department, so your blog has been such a wonderful find for me! You are amazing! Nothing but good vibes your way. :)
ReplyDeleteAn usefull post,thx to admin for the article
ReplyDeleteI make these religiously every week!They're the perfect work snack. Taste absolutely heavenly!
ReplyDeleteNice, Thanks :D
ReplyDeleteI just made these tonight because I'm pms-ing and chocolate peanut butter brownies are the appropriate thing for that situation. I'm not raw, or even vegetarian, but these things knocked my socks off! I mean, I seriously would have eaten the whole pan had my fiancée not restrained me. I'm going to try making the raw carrot cake with cashew cream cheese frosting next, because carrots are almost as awesome as chocolate. Thanks, Em! You made me very happy today :-)
ReplyDeleteHmm, nice recipe
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNice! i want some to eat , so delicious xD
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if the dates have to be fresh or can they be dried??? Thanks
ReplyDeletewhat are the measurements in grams??!!
ReplyDelete