DECEPTIVELY DECADENT, TRULY WHOLESOME TRUFFLES: ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE, MAPLE CINNAMON CASHEW, and CHAI SPICE

This is not a negative post, I promise.  Just bear with me for a minute. 

I’ve always found Valentine’s Day to be a bit tiresome.  Supposedly commemorating the martyrdom of St. Valentine, this now secular holiday has become an excuse for the heteronormative, consumeristic valuing of love and relationships.  As to be expected in a capitalist and hardly health-conscious society, we are told and expected to display our love for our romantic partners through the purchase of gifts and terrible-for-you treats.  Alas, this blog is not a space for politics.  This is a space for food!  So on this Valentine’s Day, I would like to present you with a (foodie) alternative.  Sure, share love with and appreciation for your partner, if you have one.  But don’t stop there.  Share love with and appreciation for your family and your friends, the people whose presence in your life makes it all the more positive, enjoyable and fulfilling.  But don’t stop there.  This Valentine’s Day, share love with and appreciation for yourself.  Make sure you do one thing—however grand or small—for yourself, to say ‘good job’, to make yourself happy.  And after you do that thing, give yourself another treat: Go make these ridiculously tasty, totally whole foods-based truffles.  You can absolutely share them with the people you love, but consider this your warning: You may not want to.  (And I totally won’t blame you for hoarding them in your fridge.)

Amazing Dates

The common ingredient across these three very different truffles is dates.  Can I use this Valentine’s Day to express my overwhelming love for dates?  They’re amazing.  Originating in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, this incredibly saccharine fruit (soft and succulent raw, but most often found dried in markets) will satisfy any craving for sweets you may have; but unlike processed sugars and their byproducts, dates are nutrient and mineral-rich!  Aside from being an excellent source of fiber, dates contain high amounts of vitamin A, iron, calcium, manganese, and copper.  Due to their sweetness, dates make for an excellent addition to dishes like oatmeal or smoothies, plus they are ideal for health-ifying certain types of desserts without compromising flavor.  Raw desserts are prime among them.

In all my food blog reading over the past year, I have come across countless variations of ‘energy bars’, raw brownies, ‘healthy cookie bites’, and so forth that are made out of dates, nuts, and various other ingredients and natural sweeteners.  The first of these truffles—the Espresso Chocolate—comes directly from the stunning blog Green Kitchen Stories.  They are so silky, so chocolaty, so decadent tasting that it is truly difficult to believe that they do not contain a trace of butter, cream or processed sugar.  The other two are my creation, inspired by many the raw desserts I have encountered online over the past year.  Like most of my posts on this site aim to be, they are wholesome, they are healthy, and they are damn delicious.  Eating in this manner is one of the best and simplest ways to love yourself, I’ve found.  I hope you do too.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Espresso Chocolate, Maple Cinnamon Cashew, and Chai Spice Truffles

Each makes 15-20 truffles

Ingredients

Espresso Chocolate Truffles from Green KitchenStories

15 (medjool) or 20 (deglet noor) dates

4 Tbsp. rolled or porridge oats

2 Tbsp. dried, unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)

2 Tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil (or other cold-pressed neutral oil)

2 Tbsp. cacao powder

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. ground cardamom

1 shot (2 Tbsp.) cold espresso or strong coffee

extra cacao, cinnamon, chopped coconut, oats or ginger for rolling

Maple Cinnamon Cashew Truffles

½ cup (3 oz.) raw cashews, soaked in filtered water for 4 hours and then oven dried at the lowest possible temperature for 30+ minutes, OR roasted at 325°F / 162°C / Gas 3 for 15-20 minutes

2 Tbsp. rolled or porridge oats

10 (medjool) or 15 (deglet noor) dates

½ Tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil (or other cold-pressed neutral oil)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

¾ Tbsp. 100% pure maple syrup

extra oats and cinnamon (mixed together) for rolling

Chai Spice Truffles

10 (medjool) or 15 (deglet noor) dates

4 Tbsp. rolled or porridge oats

2 Tbsp. dried, unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)

2 Tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil (or other cold-pressed neutral oil)

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. maple syrup

½ Tbsp. chai spice mix (recipe below)

pinch of salt

extra oats for rolling

Chai Spice Mix from Fox in the Kitchen

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground all spice

1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1.  If dates are tough or dry, soak in filtered water for at least 30 minutes to soften.

2.  Roughly chop dates.

3.  Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend for a couple minutes, until completely combined and a tacky paste or ball forms.

4.  Put truffle dough in the fridge for 10 minutes.  This will allow it to firm up a bit and make rolling it into balls much easier.

5.  Take small handfuls of the dough and roll into balls, a bit smaller than a ping pong ball (or whatever size you prefer).

6.  Roll balls in the ‘extra’ dry ingredients listed at the end.

7.  Let truffles chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.  Keep stored in fridge.

OLIVE OIL GRANOLA (with ALMONDS, CRANBERRIES + DATES)

Oh, granola.  How seductive you are, with your oats, nuts and fruits congealed in a mess of crunchy sweetness.  Granola could very well be the ultimate deceiver, masquerading as a delectably healthy way to start your day.  Sure, the nutritious base elements are there, but when you start to consider the high sugar content (not to mention preservatives) of the dried fruit coupled with the heaps of processed sugars used in most commercially manufactured versions (and home recipes, actually), granola's wholesome-factor immediately plummets.  Which is really such a shame (but explains why it is oh-so-good).

While I have absolutely no qualms with dumping buckets of butter and sugar into an epic batch of cookies, I try to keep my breakfasts relatively nutrient-rich and (processed) sugar-free.  For this reason, I have steered clear of making my own granola.  Until recently, that is, when I discovered this amazing, healthy and epically flavorful recipe for granola made with olive oil, pure maple syrup or honey, cinnamon and cardamom.  Yes, please.

If you've never made granola before (or even if you have), I encourage you to check out this step-by-step tutorial over at The Kitchn.  The one tip I would add that is not mentioned there is the addition of an egg white (if your diet allows) to the mixture just before baking. This little trick will make the grains, nuts and fruit clump together quite well, so you end up with actual granola clusters rather than a sheet of toasted but individual bits.  If using this method, be sure not to stir the granola while it is baking and to let it cool completely on the sheet before breaking it up and storing it!

The great thing about granola (other than its general deliciousness) is that it is fully customizable.  So I present two recipes: General Format for Olive Oil Granola (which I encourage you to use as a guideline and then get creative with your choices) and my own version, Almond Cranberry Date Granola (with some other delicious bits thrown in for good measure).

General Format for Olive Oil Granola
slightly adapted from Megan Gordon of Marge Granola

Ingredients
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats and/or other grain (wheat, rye, barley...)
2 to 2 1/2 cups your choice of nuts and seeds*
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cups dried fruits, chopped
1 egg white (if using, to produce better clusters)

*In consideration of both flavor and nutritional value, I highly encourage you to always purchase raw nuts and seeds.  If you are using roasted nuts in your granola, add them after the granola has been baked (otherwise they'll burn).

Almond Cranberry Date Granola

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups rolled rye flakes
1/2 cup raw almonds (some whole and some chopped)
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes*
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup dates (chopped)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup currants
1 egg white

*If using coconut flakes, these should be added in the last ten minutes of baking.

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F / 176°C / Gas 4.
2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3.  Mix grains, raw nuts and seeds together in a large bowl (leave out dried fruit!).
4.  Add salt, cinnamon and cardamom and stir thoroughly.
5.  Add olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla.  Mix well.
6.  Beat egg white (if using) until frothy but not stiff.  Add to granola mixture and stir to coat.
7.  Turn the granola out on your baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake for 20-40 minutes (depending on your oven), until golden and toasty. 
8.  Remove from oven when golden in color, even if the granola still feels a bit wet. It will harden as it cools. 
9. Leave undisturbed on the baking sheet to cool (this helps the clusters form).  Once completely cooled, break the granola off into chunks, add the dried fruit and any roasted nuts, and store in an airtight container.  

GINGER-CARDAMOM STEEL CUT OATS with DATES + SLOW SATURDAYS

Back when I was a notoriously picky eater, I didn't draw the line at vegetables.  Despite always loving breakfast, oatmeal was one dish I could never get behind.  I don't know if it was the mushy consistency or the bland flavor, but I always refused to eat it.  Then one day, out of nowhere, along came along steel cut oatmeal--the oat that changed everything.

Surprisingly, I can't remember the first time I had steel cut oats.  I just know that they entered my life in the relatively recent past and I haven't looked back since.  I have such a profound love for their chewy texture, their retained form, their subtle nutty flavor.  True, they take exponentially longer to cook than rolled oats, but if you have the time, the result is worth every minute. 

I grew up in Los Angeles but moved to London just over a year ago to pursue an MA in Contemporary Art Theory and immerse myself in the city's unparalleled art organizations and offerings.  I find London to be aesthetically stunning, culturally activating, and incredibly diverse--and right now, there is nowhere else I'd rather be.  But it is damn near IMPOSSIBLE to find steel cut oats in this city.  (Also: the avocados here are consistently underripe and tasteless, I really miss Trader Joe's, and most of all, I REALLY miss good, cheap, authentic Mexican food.  But I'm sure you'll be hearing more about all that over time.)  Apparently Brits enjoy 'porridge', as they like to call it, that has the consistency of complete mush.  Their oats are typically milled to such a fine degree that a cooked bowl resembles a pile of beige slop.  While I have graduated in my own eating to consume a hot cereal composed of whole rolled oats, the British mush heap is not a trend that I can, in good conscience, support.

It took a number of months, but I eventually found proper steel cut oats at a tiny, local natural whole foods market in Brixton, a predominantly Afro-Carribbean (but increasingly gentrified) neighborhood in south London.  As you might imagine, my excitement could hardly be contained.

Without intending it, my slow-cooking steel cut oats have become a bit of a Saturday morning ritual.  Standing over the pot, deciding what fruits, spices and mix-ins to add to enhance its deliciousness-factor on that given day, and then consuming a hearty bowl of the ever-fulfilling grain before embarking on the 20 minute walk to my local farmers' market initiates the perfect beginning to my weekend.

As the first autumn of my life as an amateur foodie rolled around a short couple of months ago, I quickly invested in all the typical warming spices that I didn't formerly have--ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom.  I have since fallen madly for ground ginger.  This sweet and slightly spicy flavor, coupled with the warmth of cardamom and natural sweetness of dates, makes for the perfect autumnal (or winter) bowl of steel cut oats for your slow saturday--or whatever day you have the time.

Ginger-Cardamom Steel Cut Oats with Dates
Serves one

Ingredients
6 Tbsp. steel cut oats
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk (dairy, soy, nut, whatever you prefer)
3 dried dates
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

Directions
1.  Place whole dates in combined milk + water (in the pot is fine--fewer dishes!) and let soak for at least 10 minutes. (This will begin to soften the dates and infuse the liquid with the dates' flavor.)
2.  Remove dates, deseed and dice to desired size.
3.  Put 2/3 of the chopped dates back into the pot and reserve 1/3 to mix-in at the end.
4.  Add the steel cut oats and bring the liquid to a boil.
5.  Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer.
6.  Let oats simmer (leaving the pot uncovered) until most of the liquid is absorbed and the oats have softened, about 20-30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
7.  When the oats are nearing completion, stir in the spices.
8.  Top off with remaining dates.