Raw chocolate ganache bars

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Rachel shares an easy and healthy, no cook raw recipe. The chocolate ganache layer is enriched by coconut oil.

There are two overriding principles to most of the food I cook: it can’t involve any processed ingredients (I say "most" because there are exceptions, I think margarine makes a much better Victoria Sponge, for example), and the ingredients I do use must be easy to come by. I love visiting independent stores, farm shops and farmers markets, but I must also be able to pick up whatever I need last minute from the supermarket, too.

Coconut oil first came on my radar when I was living in Los Angeles a few years ago, but it was not until recently when I started to see a good choice of both independent and own brand raw cold pressed versions popping up on supermarket shelves, did I start to see it as an ingredient that I’d buy and incorporate into my everyday cooking.

I attended a cooking demo for Vita Coco’s new coconut oil, hosted by the Hemsley sisters a few months ago, which was a really great crash course in what I could use the oil for, as in my mind it was simply just a component in my American roommates' vegan baking. Aside from being a great natural fat, (and as I’ve discovered great as a lip balm, moisturiser for dry skin and great for adding shine and moisture to your hair) it is a wonderful all purpose cooking oil. They showcased it as a soup base, and also good for greasing the pan when you’re making those little muffin tin frittata things.

Personally, from tips I picked up from the demo I’ve loved adding a tablespoon to my smoothies to make them a little more filling and creamier, and I’ve been making the most delicious scrambled eggs by using coconut oil instead of butter; I’ve been making them dairy free ever since. From my own experimentation, I’ve been using coconut oil when I’m tossing up my Asian veg in the wok for a bit of extra flavour.

For dessert, Jasmine and Melissa whipped up a Mint Chocolate Pavé, which consisted of great little squares of chocolate and mint ganache made with coconut oil instead of the usual cream, and with no refined sugar. They used raw honey and vanilla extract (which tricks you into thinking something tastes sweeter than it actually is) instead. I was particularly blown away by the chocolate ganache layer, so I started thinking about how I could make this into some sort of bar I could stash in the freezer (coconut oil is only solid below 23 degrees) at home for whenever I fancy something sweet.

My first port of call was to email my friend Amy, who as well as having coeliac disease, keeps to a vegan diet (but still loves to cook and bake), to see how she’d go about making a crunchy bar like base for my coconut oil chocolate ganache topping, which I’ve adapted a little from the Hemsley + Hemsley recipe.

Vegan margarine was part of her reply, and I countered asking her how she’d do it using ‘normal’ ingredients. While I do agree with her that ‘vegan margarine is a normal store cupboard ingredient for vegans!’, I still wanted to come up with a relatively easy and healthy, no cook recipe that just happened to be raw and vegan (in everyday baking I’m still very much married to my sugar, eggs and butter) made with everyday ingredients anyone would usually buy and enjoy.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

For the base

For the ganache

Method

1
Line a small lipped tray (it does not matter on the size of shape, it will just change the thickness of your bars) with a sheet of baking parchment
2
In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds, oats, finely chopped dates and a good pinch of salt
3
Depending on where I keep my coconut oil affects solidity, but if it is solid you’ll need to melt it in a small saucepan over a very low heat. Stir the coconut oil and the honey into the mixture until it is all combined and has formed large crumbs
4
Press the mixture into an even layer in the tray, and refrigerate while you make up the ganache mixture
5
Melt the coconut oil and whisk in the cocoa powder until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and the honey until the honey has dissolved, and add a good pinch of sea salt. Taste the mixture; you might want to add a bit more honey to taste depending on how much sweetness you enjoy. However, remember as you’ve used honey as a binding agent in the base, and the base contains dates for a bit of fruitiness, it in itself will be quite sweet
6
Pour the ganache mixture over the oat base, moving the tray around to make sure it is all covered with chocolate. Transfer to the freezer to set for about 10-15 minutes
7
Remove from the freezer and leave to stand for about 5 minutes. Use a sharp knife to release the sides, and lift the slab out of the baking tray using the baking parchment. On a cutting board and using a very sharp knife, cut the ganache bars into squares; I find this mixture usually makes 12 pieces. Store in the freezer, and enjoy when you fancy something sweet, and you want to be a bit more virtuous than if you were to just reach for a chocolate bar

Rachel is a food writer, splitting time between the Kentish and French countrysides.

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