RAW CACAO BROWNIES

Peter and I recently completed a 12-day cleanse (how awesome is he to do it with me?!) during which, as Peter half-jestingly put it, "we couldn't eat anything that brought us joy."

Or so we thought.

Then I discovered this recipe from Deliciously Ella. Ella is healing herself of an autoimmune disorder eating a plant-based diet free from gluten, dairy, meat, and refined sugars (and she's a St Andrews alumna!). Her cookbook has just been published and is gorgeous. 

These brownies are 5 ingredients, take just 5 minutes to prepare, and satiate every sweet craving. Seriously, they're so satisfying.

Raw Cacao Brownies

2 cups medjool dates (must be medjool, these are stickier and softer than regular dates and will hold the brownies together)

1 cup pecans or walnuts

3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Blend nuts in food processor until they form a coarse flour. Add in dates and blend again. Add cacao and maple syrup and blend just until evenly mixed and a ball has formed.

Pack the mixture into a baking tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow them to set. Once firm, slice and serve.