Happy Friday and happy almost VDay!

Did you know that another important yet lesser known celebration will happen next week? Random Acts of Kindness takes place February 12-18. Quite timely, no?

Some ideas for random acts of kindness

• Give a homeless person a fiver (not just the loose change in your pocket).
• Let someone out into your lane even if there is mad traffic. P.S. there will be if you live in Miami due to the Miami Boat Show taking place February 16-20.
• Write a letter to, email or call your senators to let them know what is most important to you be it diversity, equal pay, the environment, education, animal welfare or all or none of the above. Make your voice heard. Senators are influenced by our words. Be kind in your approach. Your kindness will create a ripple effect of kindness that will be far-reaching. Click here to find your senators and their contact information.
• Hold your head up, smile and say hello to strangers. I have done this and been given the cold shoulder but that doesn’t deter me. I think they are just in shock and hopefully turn around and smile at the next unsuspecting passersby. All good. Ripple effect.
• Love yourself. Random acts of kindness can and should also be directed at yourself. The more you love yourself, the more you will have the capacity love to others. You have a lot of love in you yet!

Just remember, love is all we need in this world. Love trumps hate every time. No pun intended. Chuckle chuckle.

Now here is a recipe that will rock your world this Valentine’s Day. My super fabulous Swiss-German friend and neighbor made this cake for a party recently and I was blown away. She comes from a family of chefs and restauranteurs. If you read German, follow the original recipe here. My superfab friend helped me with this batch and I will say, while it is a little more involved than my usual recipes, it is worth the extra effort. The raspberry coulis heart adds a nice gourmet touch for Vday. This dessert is not gluten-free but my friends with Celiac could try using gluten free flour. If you do, please let me know how it comes out. This cake is vegan and filled with healthful ingredients like carrots, nuts, coconut, cocoa and dark chocolate. No one will taste the carrots or know they that they are the secret to a moist, dense cake.

Here’s how it’s done…

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED HAZELNUTS & RASPBERRY COULIS

February 10, 2017

by Susie Belanger

Category Recipes Uncategorized

Ingredients

• CAKE
• 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup flour (use the regular white stuff for this recipe - indulge)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pinches of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup of agave (or sugar)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 a cup coffee (I dissolved two packets of Mount Hagen Organic instant in half a cup of hot water)
• 1/4 cup chopped up 70% dark chocolate
• 1-2 carrots, grated
• ICING
• 1 cup melted 70% dark chocolate (about one and one half 5.3 ounce of 150g bars)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts toasted in a pan on the stove in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to caramelize
• RASPBERRY COULIS
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1 tablespoon powdered confectionary sugar
• Nota bene: Organic ingredients are always best. Also, don't have hazelnuts? Use almonds, walnuts or whatever nuts you have - or omit. As with all recipes, feel free to change it up. Use strawberries instead of raspberries. Use organic soy milk, oat or hemp milk instead of almond. There are no rules.

Instructions

1. First, mix all dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cocoa powder, coconut flakes and ground hazelnuts - well. Then slowly add wet ingredients- coffee, agave, vanilla extract, coconut oil and almond milk - and mix thoroughly.
2. Add grated carrot, which will make your cake moist and add chopped chocolate.
3. Put the mixture into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 60 minutes. The baking time can vary depending on the oven, with me it took 60 minutes.
5. The coffee or the almond milk can be replaced by other fluids, juice or tea, depending on your preference.
6. Once the cake is done and cooling, make the icing. First toast the hazelnuts lightly in a dry pan and then remove the outer coating once cool enough to handle. Don't worry if you don't remove all of the outer coatings. Do your best. Loosely chop nuts and set aside.
7. Add granulated sugar to the pan and melt over medium heat. Add back the hazelnuts to caramelize. Once coated and sticky like peanut brittle, spread on parchment paper in a single layer and cool.
8. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Stir.
9. Add 1 tablespoon almond milk, stir and pour chocolate icing over your cake.
10. Top with caramelized hazelnuts.
11. Blend raspberries with powdered sugar in a food processor (mini Cuisinart is great for this step) then strain to remove seeds. Spread raspberry coulis on plate in any design you like and add a few raspberries. Voilà

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