Stephanie Tourles

“This is one of my favorite non-chocolate, raw fudge recipes.  If you adore the taste of carob, then you’ll fall in love with this freezer-made fudge.  It has a decadent, rich, chewy, smooth mouth feel, is easy to make, and is amazingly chock-full of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, protein, and natural sugars which offer many health benefits such as sustained energy, appetite satisfaction, and balancing of nervous energy so that you can relax deeply and get a good night’s sleep. Another health bonus, if you suffer from PMS, this nutrient-rich fudge will help relieve the associated moodiness, jitters, cramping, and bloating.  The high fiber content will also aid in the relief of chronic constipation.

Stephanie Tourles

Creamy Carob Freezer Fudge

Not too sweet but rich, dark, and velvety, this is the ultimate in decadent creamy, melt-in-your-mouth, smoothly textured fudge. Right out of the freezer, it’s a great warm-weather treat that provides plenty of energy to keep your metabolism running at peak performance.

1 Soak the dates for 4 hours in enough purified water to cover by 1 inch. Drain and reserve the soak water, if desired. It can be sipped chilled or used to sweeten a smoothie.

2 Put the dates, almond butter, carob, honey, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor and blend until a cohesive, moist, almost elastic dough forms, 20 to 30 seconds.

3 Oil an 8-inch square pan with coconut oil. Using your hands or a spatula, press the dough into the pan to a thickness of about 3/4 inch.

4 Place the covered pan in the freezer for 4 hours to harden the fudge prior to cutting.

Remove the pan and cut the fudge into 11/2-inch squares. Store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not store in the refrigerator; it will become too soft.

Yield: About 24 squares

12 Medjool dates, pitted

1 cup raw almond butter

1 cup raw carob powder

2 tablespoons raw honey

dash of grated nutmeg

pinch of sea salt

coconut oil, raw and unrefined (for greasing pan)

A good source of: vitamins B and E, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, protein, natural sugars, healthful fat, and fiber

“Reprinted with permission from “Raw Energy,” by Stephanie Tourles, published by Storey Publishing, LLC, December 2009.”