Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake with Cashew Icing

On Halloween, my family got together to celebrate the sweetest day of the year, but we also took the opportunity to mark my brother's and my birthdays, which fall in late October and early November. I made the cake for the occasion (and my brother made lunch). This is the cake that I came up with. A little something for everyone - chocolate for those who think every dessert needs chocolate (my husband), pumpkin spice cake for those who like to taste and smell the season (my brother and me), and sticky sweetness to please the Halloween palate.

Although this is no health food cake, it is much more redeeming than most store-bought (or even homemade) cakes, so a little less guilt is in order. The recipe is very loosely based on this one. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake with Cashew Icing
1 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, plus 1/3 cup more
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup vanilla unsweetened hemp milk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (for fresh pumpkin, steam the pumpkin and then puree in a blender with a small amount of water)
3/4 cup sucanat
2 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquified
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Cashew Icing (recipe below)

Grease two 9" round cake pans. Line the bottom of each with parchment paper and then dust the sides with flour. Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Combine the white flour, 3/4 cup of the whole wheat flour, turbinado, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl. Divide the dry mixture equally (by weight) into two bowls. Into one bowl, add the cocoa and whisk to combine. Into the second bowl, add the 1/3 cup of whole wheat pastry flour, and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup hempmilk, pumpkin puree, and sucanat. Beat in the eggs. Then add the oil, agave, and vanilla, beating just to combine. Divide the liquid mixture evenly (by weight) into two bowls. To one bowl, add the cocoa mixture, stirring until just combined. To the second bowl, add the second dry mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix!

Transfer batter to the prepared pans (the contents of one bowl into one pan and the contents of the other bowl into the other pan). Bake about 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Invert onto a work surface and remove the parchment papers carefully. Cool the cakes completely before proceeding.

Slice each cake horizontally to create four layers in total (to guide your knife in evenly cutting the cakes, place toothpicks just below the midpoint of the cake all around the cake, and cut using a serrated knife just above the toothpicks, as illustrated here).

Place a pumpkin layer at the bottom of your cake dish. Apply a thin layer of icing on top using a frosting spatula. If the icing is too thick, it will move to the edges and drip down the sides. The icing will seep into the cake somewhat, and that's fine. Add a chocolate layer, and top with a layer of icing. Repeat with the remaining layers of cake and icing. On the top layer, add a thicker layer of icing. Add a thin layer of icing to the sides of the cake.

If you are not serving the cake right away, store in the freezer. This will keep the icing from either dripping too much or getting too absorbed into the cake. Defrost at room temperature 2-3 hours before serving.


Cashew Icing
1 1/2 cups cashew butter
4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. chocolate extract
1/2 cup vanilla unsweetened hemp milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and beat well with an electric mixer.

Rosh Hashana Honeycake - for Everyone

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is a day away, and so it's time to break out the honeycake recipe. Honeycake is my favorite part of Rosh Hashana, intended to help usher in a sweet new year. Of course, given most people's new year's resolutions to get healthy or to lose weight, maybe honeycake isn't the best choice. Still, traditions are hard to break ... and honeycake is too good to pass up. So, I just do what I can to make my honeycake a little healthier.

Here is my take on my Grandma Sarna's honeycake, with variations noted for the allergy-prone or vegan baker:

Whole Wheat Honey Cake
1 cup hot water
3 tsps. instant espresso
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups honey
3/4 cup sucanat
3/4 cup safflower oil
1 egg (or 1/4 cup chia gel or 1 mushed banana)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or barley flour)
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (or barley flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Grease a bundt pan with coconut oil or butter, and dust with flour to keep the batter from sticking. Pre-heat the oven to 325F.

Dissolve the coffee into the hot water. Then add the orange juice to the coffee. In a large bowl, combine the coffee mixture, honey, sucanat, and oil, whisking together well. Allow to cool well before adding the egg, chia gel, or banana to the mixture.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour(s), baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing together until just combined (don't overmix!). A little lumpiness is fine.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Allow to cool in the pan for an hour before turning out onto a serving dish. If desired, dust with powdered sugar or serve with ice cream (or non-dairy ice cream ... like this one!).

Serves 20.

Date Almond Balls

On to dessert ..........

Once again, I've been inspired by my favorite local health food store, the Whole Earth Center in Princeton, NJ. If I'm honest, I've basically stolen this one, since I adapted this from the list of ingredients on their date almond balls, minus sesame seeds. The dates are so sweet that there is no need for any additional sweetener, although the chocolate chips are certainly sweetened. For those wishing to cut out even more sugar, you could swap the chocolate chips for unsweetened carob chips, cacao nibs, or chopped nuts. You do need something in there for texture/crunch, though.

My 7-year-old nephew called these balls "awesome". Ditch the cookies and candy and try these out on your own kids (or yourself).

Date Almond Balls
3 cups dates, pitted
1 16 oz. jar almond butter
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup reduced-fat shredded coconut

In a food processor, puree dates until they make a smooth paste. In a large bowl, combine date paste with almond butter, mixing together well with a wooden spoon. Kneed with your hands a few times to disperse the almond butter evenly. Add chocolate chips (or other mix-ins) and kneed until combined.

Form mixture into balls about 1 1/2-2" in diameter. Roll balls in shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 3 dozen balls.

Goji Berry Oatmeal Cookies

There is virtually no possibility of guilt in eating these cookies. They are made of entirely whole grains, they have no refined sugar, they are dairy, egg, and wheat-free, they contain goji berries (high in antioxidants) and walnuts (high in omega 3's), and they taste great! Your kids will beg for more, and you might just give in.

Goji Berry Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance buttery sticks
3/4 cup honey
1 very ripe banana
1 Tbsp. unsulphured blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups barley flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup goji berries (or other dried fruit of your choice)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 cookie sheets and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the Earth Balance, honey, banana, molasses and vanilla with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, combine the barley flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and combine with an electric mixer until just moistened.

Drop batter onto cookie sheets in rounded teaspoonfuls 2" apart. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Cool cookies on a rack, and enjoy!

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


This recipe was adapted from Ken Haedrich's recipe for Honey Wheat Oatmeal Cookies in his book Country Baking.

Happy Birthday to the Trees

Tomorrow, Jews will celebrate Tu B'Shevat, the 15th day of the month of Shevat -- the birthday of trees. What better holiday could there be for an environmentalist with the first name Ilana (Hebrew for Tree Sapling) and middle name Tamar (Hebrew for Date Palm Tree)? While a relatively minor holiday in Jewish tradition, Tu B'Shevat has been central to my life. I was married on Tu B'Shevat (technically, since it was after sundown, it was no longer Tu B'Shevat, but you get the idea), and my Bat Mitzvah was also the week of Tu B'Shevat. Clearly, my parents knew the kind of person I'd grow up to be when they named me.

Given its importance to me, the very least I could do to mark the occasion is to post a Tu B'Shevat recipe. Traditonally, Jews eat foods that grow on trees on Tu B'Shevat. Here is my very simple no-bake treat comprised entirely of tree products:

Tree Bars
1 cup dried, unsulphured apricots
1 cup dried, unsulphured figs, trimmed of stems
1 cup dried, unsulphured dates, pitted
1 cup raw almonds
2 cups coconut butter

Grease a 13x9 inch glass baking dish. In a food processor, combine the apricots, figs and dates. Process until chopped well (some small chunks can remain). Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In the processor, chop the almonds until well chopped (small chunks can remain). Combine the almonds with the dried fruit in the bowl.

Soften the coconut butter, either on the stovetop or in the microwave, until it is just spreadable. Add the coconut butter to the dried fruit mixture and combine thoroughly, using your hands (and your kids' hands!).

Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the baking dish. Cover and chill in the fridge for one hour. Cut into squares and serve. To store, wrap each bar in parchment or waxed paper and keep in the fridge.

Makes 24 bars.

Note: For a less rich, less fatty option, cut down the coconut butter to 1 1/2 cups.

While you're celebrating Jewish Earth Day, check out a few mitzvot (good deeds) that go well with the Tu B'Shevat spirit:
- 5 Actions You Can Take in 15 Minutes to Protect Forests
- Help Protect Forestry & Ecology in Israel
- Protect the World's Remaining Rain Forests, Including the Amazon
- Plant a tree in your backyard

Halloween Sweets Project for Kids

I'm going to disappoint a lot of folks in this confession: I'm not into Halloween. I think I went trick-or-treating twice in my life, and it was no big thrill. My mother is lucky her house was never egged or TP'd, as she gave out pennies on Halloween.

That said, I was inspired today to post about some fun food stuff to do with kids on Halloween. Another mother who is also a member of Holistic Moms Network posed the question of what to use to decorate cookies on Halloween that is not grossly unhealthy. So, I came up with a list of suggestions, and here they are.

Dark (brown, but almost black):
- Raisins
- Sprinkelz brand makes a few different types of sprinkles with no artificial colors.
- Carob chips
- Cacao nibs
- Use a microplane to shred some fair trade organic chocolate

White:
- Shredded coconut
- Coconut butter sweetened with agave, maple syrup, or your choice of sweetener, if you need something spreadable
- Cream cheese mixed with maple syrup and little vanilla (I stole that one from my friend, Rose)

Red (think blood):
- Pomegranate juice
- Beet juice

Orange:
- Egg yolk mixed with a little pomegranate or beet juice and sweetened (you'd need to then bake whatever you put this on)
- Turmeric mixed with pomegranate juice and sweetened - mix this into a white frosting or coconut butter to make it spreadable
- Steamed, pureed and strained pumpkin, winter squash or sweet potato mixed into white frosting or coconut butter
- Pureed mango (deepen the color with just a little molasses or brown sugar)

Purple:
- Blueberry juice

You could go the traditional route and have the kids decorate cupcakes or cookies. Maybe make a bunch of different color "frostings" for the kids to spread on them, and then give them a few other decorating options, like raisins, carob chips, shredded coconut and a bowl of pomegranate juice.

Another alternative to cookies and cupcakes is to make a jelly roll cake (with a healthier recipe - maybe this one), but don't roll it. You can get some Halloween cookie cutters and have the kids cut out Halloween shapes. That way, the decorating colors don't need to be spot on to still look Halloweeny.

For a very artistically inclined child, you could even give them a whole jelly roll cake to decorate so they have a full canvas to fill.

Despite my own disinterest in the holiday, I do hope you and yours have a healthy, happy, spooky Halloween!

The Birdie Birthday Menu

As I've mentioned in a few previous posts, my daughter, who turns 3-years-old today, is having a bird-themed birthday party this Sunday. I'm not sure which of us is more excited. Of course, I'm very excited for her, since she's bound to have a great time, and we get to see some people that we don't see too often (we're expecting about 40 people, adults and kids), including her much-adored cousin. But since I'm the caterer, I'm always a little too intently focused on the food.

The food is inspired by birds. To clarify, especially if my father-in-law is reading, this does not mean that we will be cooking birds! I can't think of a less honorable way to celebrate them. I also declined to serve actual worms and insects, which birds are known to eat. Once again, the idea is inspiration. So, a lot of dishes contain seeds, berries, and/or grains, and one contains fish (though not a fish that birds are likely to hunt). Many dishes don't contain bird foods, but look like something birds would eat (worms), or they look like something associated with birds (nests, eggs). There are no actual birds being served, and I managed to avoid using eggs, as well.

My other consideration whenever I throw a party is guests' dietary issues. There is the obvious peanut allergy, which belongs to my daughter, so none of that will be served. She's also allergic to avocado; otherwise we'd certainly have some guacamole around. We invited people who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-intolerant, diabetic, and kosher. So, most of the food works for all of these people. As it turns out, the gluten-intolerant people will not be able to make it. Those who do come will not suffer for having eaten gluten-free food. Finally, I always need to make a dish that will please the typical American palate, which is not always so adventurous or interested in my health food spread. Last year, I made turkey chili for that crowd. This year, given that serving turkey would be a big no-no, I went with a big pot of homemade mac n cheese. It's not Kraft, and it tastes homemade, so hopefully no one will find objection with that.

Here is the menu (recipes to follow in subsequent posts):

- Cheese Plate (featuring mostly local, pastured cheeses) served with squares of dark rye with sunflower seeds

- Nest of Sticks & Twigs and crudite served with three dips:
**Roasted Red Pepper
**White Bean Hummus
**Spinach Tofu

- Nests of Crispy Shoestring Veggies (in muffin cups) each with one of three "eggs":
**Falafel (served with Tahina Sauce)
**Fish fritter (served with Cucumber, Dill, Yogurt Sauce)
**Veggie burger (served with bbq sauce)

- Worms & Seeds (with black and white sesame seeds and stir-fried shredded napa cabbage)

- Birdie Slaw

- Mac n Cheese


Desserts:

- Pineapple Right-Side Up Cupcakes with Pineapple and Raspberry Topping

- Chocolate Cupcakes topped with Coconut Pecan Fudge Nests and Dark Chocolate Eggs

- Shredded Coconut Nests each with one of two desserts "eggs":
- CB&J (Cashew Butter & Jam)
- Trail Mix

- Fruit Salad (apples, grapefruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, lemon juice)


This menu should please the crowd I'm expecting, but not everyone has to accommodate so many dietary issues. Even so, for a crowd this big, when I'm trying to keep spending and environmental impact to a minimum, I'd still rely heavily on vegetarian and vegan fare. It just makes sense. But the best way to serve healthy, eco-friendly, cheap food at a party is to make it yourself (and try not to serve rack of lamb!).

Honey Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe comes from one of my favorite baking books, Country Baking by Ken Haedrich. The book does not market itself as particularly healthy, but it should. It's loaded with whole grain recipes and alternative sweeteners (this one uses honey and molasses instead of refined sugar). Many recipes use carob as a replacement for chocolate (a lower fat, no caffeine, naturally sweet alternative). Haedrich utilizes vegetables in many savory and sweet baked goods. It also helps that many of the recipes are kid-approved, having been taste-tested in his family's own kitchen. I find that I need to do very little, if any, alteration to these recipes to make them meet my standards. Needless to say, I highly recommend the book!

We brought these cookies to a 3-year-old's birthday party. I was nervous that they might taste a little too much like health food cookies, but I was complimented on them by many people (and my daughter ate four of them ... eek!). My daughter and I made these together ... yes, it's a very easy recipe.

Honey Wheat Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 c. (1/4 lb.) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. honey
1/4 c. unsulphured molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. rolled oats (not instant)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. (4-5 oz.) coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 c. dark raisins

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, honey, molasses, and vanilla with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda, and blend them into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and raisins. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes and, in the meantime, lightly butter 1 or 2 large baking sheets, preferably not dark ones.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the buttered sheets, leaving about 3 inches between them. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12 to 14 minutes. When done, tops will be a little soft and squishy to the touch and the edges will be a shade darker than the rest of the cookie. In general, however, the entire cookie will be on the dark side. Let them cool briefly on the sheet, then transfer them to a rack to cool. Store in a covered container.

Makes about 24 cookies.

A Little Something for Valentine's Day

Here is a healthy chocolate truffle recipe that you might want to make for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

Chocolate "Truffles"
3/4 c. raw cocoa butter (make sure to get food grade, available online)
1/4 c. coconut butter
1/4 c. cashew butter
1/4 c. raw agave nectar
1/4 c. dutch processed cocoa powder, divided
1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 tsp. chocolate extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chop the cocoa butter into small pieces or shavings. In the bottom pan of a double boiler, heat an inch or so of water to boiling. Turn the heat off. Place the cocoa butter in the top part of the double boiler, and place over the steaming water. Heat stirring constantly, until just melted. Remove from hot water to cool.

In a medium glass bowl, combine melted cocoa butter, coconut butter, cashew butter, agave, 2 Tbsps. of cocoa powder, ground flax, chocolate extract and vanilla extract. Blend well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until the mixture is solid, but still somewhat pliable (about 2 hours).

Using a metal spoon, scoop out the mixture 1-2 Tbsps. at a time, and form into 1 inch balls. Using a small mesh strainer, dust the balls with remaining cocoa powder, turning the balls to coat evenly. Indulge!

Tips:
- For fancy presentation, place the balls in small paper candy cups (available at specialty cooking stores or craft stores - used for candy or mini-muffins).
- The cocoa powder on the outside of the balls will not be sweet. I prefer this bitter taste, but if you want yours sweet, just mix in a Tbsp. or so of powdered sugar into the cocoa powder before dusting.
- Store these balls in the refrigerator!!! They will soften too much at room temperature, and the nut butter and flax will go rancid if kept out for several days.

Banana Carrot Bread

This is another recipe that my mother made when I was a child (and still makes), but I've made it my own with a couple substitutions and additions. It turns out that this bread is a great hiding place for vegetables (far beyond carrots and zucchini), which is useful information for parents of picky eaters. Inspired by my friend, Rose, who hides all kinds of greens in muffins, I thought I'd give this a shot with my own recipe, and I've really enjoyed the results!

Although my mother made this recipe, and made it her own, it was originally from a cookbook (who knows what!). The original recipe called for applesauce and walnuts, which would also be wonderful. My mother substituted bananas for applesauce (a great use for rotting bananas) and carrots for walnuts (much less expensive than walnuts, with a more nutritionally-packed punch). Almost anything could be substituted, really. Something moist could replace the bananas, and something dense and crunchy could replace the carrots. And as I've recently discovered, the recipe will tolerate the addition of even more stuff, without getting dry or falling apart.

I've also made this recipe partly whole grain, as I do with many baked goods. I think it gives this bread a heartier, homier taste and texture, and I actually prefer it to the all white flour version. Of course, the whole grains make this indulgence a little less guilty.

Incidentally, this one also appears in Growing Healthy Families.

Banana Carrot Bread
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. bananas (I never measure this - just use 2 bananas), very ripe (or applesauce, zucchini, pears, etc)
1 c. carrots, peeled and sliced (or walnuts, sweet potatoes, beets, etc)
3/4 c. packed greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard, collards, etc) (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift both flours, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

In a food processor, puree the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and banana. Once smooth, add the carrots and continue to puree until relatively smooth. Add the greens, if using, and puree until incorporated.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't overmix (a little lumpiness is OK). Grease a loaf pan and pour batter in, smoothing out the top for even baking.

Bake for 40 minutes. The bread is ready when a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Note: When those bananas on the counter are starting to get so brown that no one will touch them, you don't need to run to the food processor and make this bread right away. Throw the old bananas in the freezer, and use them when you're good and ready.

Lemon Granita

So, this is basically frozen lemonade, or a not-so-sweet version of Italian ice. It's super easy, very refreshing, and a low-cal dessert option. You could easily serve this to guests, and they might even be more impressed with it than if you baked a cake. Just garnish with a sprig of mint.

1 Tbsp lemon zest
5 lemons, juiced
1.5 quarts cold water
1/2 - 3/4 c. agave nectar, depending on how sweet you like it

In a tall pitcher, whisk all ingredients until well combined. Pour into a glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer. Every 1-2 hours, scrape the mixture with a fork to break up ice crystals. If you let it go longer, just let it sit out for a bit before attempting to break it up. Serve frozen.

Lemon Bars

Florida is not exactly local to me, but it's the closest to local I can get for citrus fruit, and it's still better than Mexico or California, so it passes for regional in my book. This time of year is great for getting all types of citrus: oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pomelos, etc. During a fairly barren season, citrus is a glimpse of nearly local freshness that could very well keep us all sane, till the spring time.

The mood struck for lemon bars, so I consulted my very old, very trustworthy Better Homes and Gardens Home Baking book. I routinely use conventional recipes and try to make them a bit healthier. Sometimes, desserts just don't lend themselves to healthy, and this was one of those times, as it turns out. I made this recipe, using half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour, and the crust came out a bit too dense, though still tasty. Next time I'll use only 1/3 whole wheat; that should do the trick. This is the recipe as I made it, adapted from the aforementioned book.

Lemon Bars
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsps all-purpose unbleached flour
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
3 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. baking powder
powdered sugar, for dusting

For crust, in a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until softened. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat until thoroughly combined. Then beat in flour (except the 2 Tbsps) on low speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press mixture into an ungreased 8x8x2 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, for lemon mixture, in the same mixing bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until just foamy. Add the remaining sugar, 2 Tbsps flour, lemon juice, baking powder, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Beat on medium speed about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon zest. Pour lemon mixture over baked crust. Bake in 350 oven for 20-25 minutes, or until center in set. Cool in pan on a rack. Sift powdered sugar over top. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes 16.

White "Chocolate" Macadamia Healthy Truffles

This is a very rich dessert, but one that is suitable for diabetics because it is sweetened with agave nectar, not sugar. It's also not a super-sweet dessert, so it's good for those who want something less obnoxious than Death by Chocolate cake. When I came up with it, I thought it was a good adult dessert, but my 2-year-old can't get enough of them either. She must be very sophisticated.

Some of the ingredients in this recipe are hard to come by, I admit. Particularly difficult is the cocoa butter. No, not the stuff you put on your skin, although made from the same plant. You need the edible version. I was able to find food-grade, USDA organic, raw cocoa butter online in a couple of places. This is where I got mine: http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/truly-raw-organic-cocoa-butter-1-lb.html. Cocoa butter is the solid part of chocolate. It is what both white chocolate and regular chocolate are made of. It has a consistency that can't be matched by any other substance, so I think it's absolutely essential to the recipe.

The other difficult to find ingredient is macadamia butter. You could simply buy macadamia nuts and ask your local healthfood store to grind them for you in their nut butter grinder (unless you actually have one of these at home!). You might find it already made in gourmet stores. Otherwise, you can buy it where I buy all of my nut products, at http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/. You'll find all things nuts there (except peanuts), just about all raw and organic.

Some other items you may not find at the supermarket are cashew butter, coconut butter, agave nectar, flax seed, and chocolate extract. These should all be readily available at your health food store.

One final note about this recipe: it's not cheap! If you need to go out and buy all of these ingredients, and you will only be making this recipe once, you will be spending a fortune. Since all of these ingredients are shelf-stable, and since I know I will make these many times, the expense is not wasted in my family. If it will be for yours, you might want to consider making that Death by Chocolate cake instead.

White "Chocolate" Macadamia Healthy Truffles
3/4 c. cocoa butter
1/4 c. coconut butter
1/4 c. cashew butter
1/2 c. macadamia butter
1/4 c. agave nectar
1 Tbsp flax seed, ground in a coffee grinder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp chocolate extract
1/2 c. macadamia nuts, finely chopped

In a double boiler, melt the cocoa butter over very low heat (keeping the heat low will keep the recipe technically raw, even though minimal heat is applied). Combine melted cocoa butter, coconut butter, cashew butter, macadamia butter, agave nectar, ground flax seed, vanilla and chocolate extracts in a glass bowl. Mix until uniform.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Remove from the fridge, and form 1 inch balls from the mixture. Roll each ball in the chopped macadamia nuts. Return to the refrigerator. This dessert should stay cold until served, or it will soften too much.