cooking asparagus: Raw Coconut Brownie Bites

I'm so excited about this recipe I found for these raw brownies. They are inspired by these two recipes from What's Cooking Good Looking and Food Doodles. They are simple and fabulous! This is the real deal...heaven here on earth for those seeking a great raw vegan brownie...this is it. I was amazed when I first tasted this, it is so much like a brownie to me. It's perfectly chocolaty, chewy and completely satisfying...one or two is all you need. I will never bother with any baked brownie again as they are so easy to make and full of wholesome goodness. These contain no refined sugars, no butters, no flours, and only six ingredients to boot. If your not a fan of coconut, try replacing the coconut with one of the nuts suggested. Let me warn you, these will go very fast!

Raw Coconut Brownie Bites

Ingredients

3/4 cup raw almonds, walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups packed medjool dates, pitted, softened* and chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon himalayan salt

Combine almonds, coconut and cocoa powder in food processor/blender and process until almonds are a fairly fine consistency. Remove mixture and set aside.

Add dates to the food processor/blender and process until dates become a paste. Add in the almond, coconut and cocoa powder mixture along with the remaining vanilla and salt. Pulse until just combined.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, wax paper or parchment paper. Place mixture into loaf pan, press down firmly while smoothing out the surface. Here you can either put the brownies in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to harden a bit before cutting, or you can pull the brownies out right away and cut into 12 squares to make a 3-4 bite size brownie or cut into 24 squares for a 1-2 bite size brownie. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, or on the counter, for up to two weeks.

You can also roll these into 1 inch balls and eat as is, or roll them in shredded coconut or cocoa/cacao powder. If rolling into balls you should get apprx. 18-24 balls.

Additional toppings you may like:
Shredded coconut
Dusting of cocoa powder
Chopped or whole raw almonds

*Depending on the type and freshness of your dates, you may need to soak them. To soften your dates, place dates in a medium size bowl and soak in hot water for a few minutes. I really prefer the medjool dates for their softness, they rarely need softening, but feel to use your favorite dates. Just be sure to soak before using them.