This recipe was inspired by our dear friend Elaina Love of Pure Joy Planet.
It’s one of those things you make once and then just keep doing until they become so familiar that you don’t even require the recipe. After a while you replace the thread coconut with soaked, dehydrated and coarsely ground pecans, add some cocoa nibs and cinnamon to the mixture… you know how it goes 😉
At the Wise Cicada Café we produce them in big batches on over-sized baking trays, pressed firmly, chilled…
…and then cut into 128 individual pieces. Our guests just love them with their coffee or tea. What you see here is only half a tray (cutting board too small :-))
And here we go:
Chocolate Haystacks
Makes about 30 piece
- 3 c or 250g thread coconut (or soaked, dehydrated and then coarsely ground pecan nuts)
- ¾ c organic virgin coconut oil, liquefied
- ½ c organic cocoa powder (Equagold is offering great stuff too – non-organic though)
- ¾ c Rapadura® dehydrated cane juice or organic raw sugar
or ½ c agave nectar/maple syrup (the latter goes well with pecans!) - Zest from 1 organic orange or a few drops of high-quality organic essential citrus oil
- 1 t vanilla extract
- ¼ t lemon juice
- 2 T Cocoa nibs, optional
- 1/2 t organic cinnamon, ground, optional
| Method |
- If you are using organic raw sugar or Rapadura, blend it in a dry blender jar into a powder.
- In a bowl whisk all the ingredients except the thread coconut together until the batter emulsifies.
- Now, with a spatula or your hand, mix the batter in with the shredded coconut.
- With a teaspoon and the fingers of your other hand shape into small haystacks and place on a tray.
- Place the tray in the refrigerator or freezer to cool down and solidify the haystacks. They will become soft at temperatures over 26°C so serve them cold!
Voila! Enjoy and happy holidays!
Lydia and I will be in the Cocomandel – ah Coromandel 🙂 catering the raw dessert side of the Prana Festival. We might see you there!
René
🙂
René Archner Workshops, Food & More 