Raw Carrot-Hazel Dreams

The last couple of weeks I spent a lot of time in my kitchen experimenting and creating wonderful new recipes. As I want my recipes to be perfect I take my time and the time they need to be completed to perfection.

My recipes not only need to be delicious, I strive them to be healthy and good for your body at the same time. Most of the time I try to include magical superfoods with lots of different properties. Today I present you my Raw Carrot Hazel-Dreams which you need to try out because they are simple to make and so delicious. On top of that they give you energy which lasts long and prevents sugar cravings.

Raw means they haven't been heated at all and its ingredients still contain their natural properties. The recipe consists of the main ingredients such as carrots, almonds, hazelnuts and cashews. A special ingredient is the yacon syrup. You might have heard of or come across it in other recipes of mine. Yacon is a large plant that is mainly grown and cultivated for its roots. Yacon syrup is commonly used as healthy replacements for sugar as sweeteners in various recipes. At the same time this sweetener is a real wonder elixir because of many reasons:

Yacon syrup regulates sugar levels, helps with weight loss, improves liver health, lowers "bad" cholesterol and blood pressure and is known to prevent certain types of cancer. On top of that it boosts digestive health and strengthens the immune system. The majority of the carbohydrate sugars contained in yacon syrup cannot be digested by the body, which results in a very low calorie intake and low sugar level coming into the bloodstream. It also helps the body to absorb vitamins and minerals of other foods while it's rich in potassium, calcium and phosphorous.

You're crazy about your health? Go nuts – seriously!

Cashews: are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Vitamins such as E, K and B6 come along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, selenium and zinc. These components are all very important for maintaining good health and are required for the body to function properly. According to research, eating more nuts such as cashews can lower your risk for cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure and "bad" cholesterol levels while potassium, vitamins E and B6 help to fight heart disease. The copper and iron work together to help the body form red blood cells which in turn keeps blood vessels, nerves, bones and the immune system healthy and functioning properly. Replacing the animal fats and proteins with the mono-and polyunsaturated fats found in cashews is an excellent way to manage your weight and reduce stored fat in the heart.

Hazelnuts: contain as cashews as well heart-healthy fats that can protect the health of your heart. Hazelnuts have a high amount of vitamin E in addition to B vitamins and folate. Vitamin E is especially important in maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails, while B vitamins are important in energy metabolism. Hazelnuts as a rich source of minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, provides many health benefits such as regulating a healthy blood pressure.

Ingredients

Filling:
2 organic carrots, peeled and grated roughly
30g flax seeds, grounded
140g almond meal
450g fresh dates, pitted
2 tbsp psyllium husk
50g desiccated coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of cardamom

Icing:
200g raw cashews, soaked before about 3 hours
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp yacon syrup (other option: maple syrup; non-vegan option: raw honey)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
ca. 80-90ml water
a handful of hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
a handful of shredded coconut, toasted

Combine all ingredients into your blender. Blend until mixture is combined together well.
Then pour the mixture into your muffin tins with a spoon. Pay attention that the mixture sticks together in the muffin tins by pressing down the mixture with a spoon. Depending on the size of your muffin tins you will get about 12-18 muffins out of the mixture. After this step you should put the tins into the freezer while you prepare the icing.

For the icing you only need to blend all ingredients listed above until mixture becomes smooth. While blending, pour the water at the same time into the mixture to be distributed evenly. Take the muffin tins out of your freezer and spread the icing over the muffins. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts and desiccated coconut over these little beauties. Then freeze them again for about half an hour until the icing sets on top of the muffins.
Serve and enjoy these Raw Carrot-Hazel Dreams!

(Makes: 12-18 depending on size of muffin tins; Preparation time: 60min)

I wish you all a great weekend and stay happy & healthy!

Lots of love,
Fabienne.