Recipe: Cherry Brownie Hearts

the appetizer:

No cooking needed with Ani's Raw Food Desserts by Ani Phyo, including recipes for Coconut Ice Kream; Cherry Brownie Hearts; and Hemp-Goji Acai Bowl.

I Love Desserts

Cherry Brownie Hearts

Makes 4 to 6 brownies

These delicious whole food brownies feature tart dried cherries sweetened with mesquite powder for protein, calcium, and minerals. A brownie can double as a meal, or a vitamin and mineral supplement, fueling your body and keeping you trim, lean, and beautiful.

1/2 cup dry almonds
1/4 cup mesquite powder
3 tablespoons cacao beans
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons liquid coconut oil
1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract,
or the seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 cup nonsulphured dried cherries
1/3 cup pitted semi-soft dates

Combine the almonds, mesquite powder, cacao beans, and salt in the food processor and process into small pieces. Add the coconut oil and vanilla and process to mix well. Add the cherries and dates and mix well.

Place a heart-shaped cookie cutter on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Press about 2 tablespoons of the dough into the center to form a brownie. Repeat with the remaining dough. Or line a loaf pan with parchment paper, add the dough, and press evenly. Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

Will keep for several weeks in the fridge or freezer.

Variation:

Heart-shaped cherry brownies are pictured here dipped in Liquid Chocolate (page 74 of the book) and garnished with Candied Citrus Zest (page 157).