Vegan Mini Chocolate Cream Cakes, #SundaySupper

Have you ever tripped and found yourself sprawled out on the sidewalk? I’m not speaking metaphorically. I woke up anxious about my massive to-do list. I  pushed the feelings aside. Women are masters of multi-tasking, right? Starbucks in hand, I was determined to check off the items. Life had other plans. Preoccupied with “priorities” while scanning Santa Monica storefronts, the jagged sidewalk escaped my attention. Splat!



Life is full of surprises...including delightful ones such as
Vegan Mini Chocolate Cream Cakes!


Sweet Lessons Learned from the Spill:

1. Stay present.
2. People are kind. Strangers helped this Ninja Baker up and brought out paper towels to staunch the blood.
3. Life is benevolent too. My expensive pink glasses and iPhone were spared the scratches.
4. Dancing pays off. At my tender age (cough, cough) bones can easily be broken. I believe body tone prevented severe damage.
5. Last and not least, once again I learned that I’ve got the most wonderful husband in the world. Despite his stressful, super-busy work on a hit TV show, he was willing to come home and drive me to emergency. (I initially refused until circumstances pushed me to pick up the phone.)



Little things can mean a lot...and taste sooo good. You got it!
Like Vegan Chocolate Mini Cakes garnished with a sliver of Japanese persimmon.


More Blessings:

Scrumptious (and healthy!) Vegan Mini Chocolate Cream Cakes! The elegant, easy vegan chocolate dessert was on my to-do list for this week’s unprocessed food themed #SundaySupper. After the trauma of stitches, to have a tasty, quickly made chocolate vegan recipe at hand was a gift.  (Recipes, tips and lighthearted chat will commence on Twitter at 7 p.m. ET. Scroll down for your invite.)  Pecans and dates create a crunchy, yummy foundation for these mini cakes. Rich cocoa, coconut oil and cashews create a dark chocolately cream filling.



Japanese persimmon is very compatible with crunchy nuts and creamy chocolate!


Pecan bits are a superb garnish. But… Japanese winter persimmons peek out to say hello in autumn. Sooo, this Ninja Baker had to celebrate the season with the sweet, firm fruit. I sliced up a persimmon, sprinkled a bit of coconut oil, cinnamon and brown sugar (use organic to stick with the unprocessed foods theme) and roasted the Japanese kaki persimmon. The result? A guilt-free, good-for-you chocolate dessert!

Vegan Mini Chocolate Cream Cakes

Vegan and gluten-free, these luscious chocolate cream cakes rival "regular" chocolate mousse. The crunchy nutty chocolate crust tops it off to make these minis a pièce de résistance. A sliver of Japanese persimmon bathed in a bit of coconut oil, cinnamon and organic brown sugar is a highly recommended garnish.

This recipe is inspired by One Green Planet.

Ingredients: 

Nutty Chocolate Crust:

  • 1 cup pecan meal (nuts crumbled courtesy of a food processor)
  • 4 large Medjool dates
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt


Chocolate Mousse Filling:

  • 2½ cups cashew pieces
  • ½ cup coconut oil (the liquid kind)
  • ¾ cup raw honey or maple syrup
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 large Medjool dates

Garnish:

  • 1 Japanese persimmon
  • 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
  • ½ -1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons pecan meal and/or whole pecans
Directions: 

The Prep:

A mini cheesecake pan by rubbing coconut oil into the wells.

Pour the cashews into a bowl and fill with water so the nuts are just covered.
Soak for 15 minutes.

The Process:

Place all chocolate crust ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Scoop out generous chocolaty tablespoonfuls and press into the mini cheesecake pan wells.

Ninja Note: Pans with easy release bottoms are extremely helpful when making elegant mini cakes.

Blend all the filling ingredients with a blender. Scrape often to ensure everything is coated in chocolate and well blended.

Divide the filling amongst the wells.

The Garnish:

Sprinkle pecan meal onto the mini cakes. If you wish to add a Japanese persimmon garnish; slice the persimmon into triangle slivers. Sprinkle with coconut oil, brown sugar and cinnamon. Roast for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Be prepared for a comforting aroma of homey cinnamon to waft through your kitchen.

“I’m not a professional chef, I only play one on the internet.” So says DB, Foodie Stuntman of Crazy Food Stunts, the host of today’s #SundaySupper.  However, if you visit his site, you’ll see a self-trained gourmet chef. Visit the food bloggers below for more treats. 

Alluring Appetizers and Stunning Sides

Enticing Entreés

Decadent Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

 

Wishing you the gift to stay present to life's blessings. 

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

 

 

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Tags: 
#vegan
#glutenfree
#SundaySupper