Chocolate Connoisseur, Photographer, Designer, Practicing Yogi, and City-Dwelling Nature Lover
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Instagram: @vanillacrunnch | vanillacrunnch.com
Clean eating
Green smoothies are great for detoxing. I love to pimp mine with fresh mint leaves and an extra spoon of fresh ginger. I also drizzle some chili flakes. As a daily “cleaning” routine, I drink a lot of water and I infuse the water with fruits or herbs. My favorite is cucumber and mint.
What does wellness mean to you?
Letting go of all daily tasks and just focusing on me and my body. I associate wellness with silence and therefore automatically with Swiss mountains. In a wider sense, wellness also means treating my body with real, good food that energizes me. Also, yoga never fails to connect my body with my soul and that is pure wellness for me! If you ever have the chance to do a yoga course in the Swiss Alps, I would do it.
INGREDIENTS
Base
½ cup hazelnuts
1 cup almonds
7 Medjool dates
1 tbsp finely grounded coffee (coffee powder)
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of fine sea salt
Mousse Layer
1½ cup cashews, soaked overnight
¾ cup Medjool dates
¹⁄³ cup melted raw dark chocolate
¼ cup maple syrup
²⁄³ cup almond milk, room temperature
4 tbsp cacao butter, melted
¹⁄³ cup cacao powder
2 tsp freshly grounded coffee
Cream Layer
½ cup cashews, soaked overnight
²⁄³ cup full-fat coconut milk or cream, the upper hardened part of the coconut milk in a can when you leave it in the fridge overnight
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp of vanilla extract
More cacao powder
METHOD
Process all base layer ingredients in your food processor until sticky. With your fingers, press into rectangular pan (silicon otherwise grease your pan) and press down into an even crust. Put in the freezer. For the middle layer, process all the ingredients until smooth and well combined. Pour into the pan over the crust and put it back into the freezer. Blend your ingredients for the cream layer but only pour them over the chocolate layer once it has hardened. Let sit in the freezer for at least 2 hours before slicing. Before serving, dust the top with cacao powder and decorate with fresh fruits of your choice.
Coconut Flour!
I recently fell in love with coconut flour. Seriously, it has so many health benefits and is gluten-free as well. I started using it for the crust of my raw cakes but I also love to add it to coconut bliss balls. You can also use it for very crumbly pastries and you’ll never want to use regular flour again.
Try Aquafaba
I recommend using the liquid of chickpeas from the can, instead of throwing it away. You can make so many plantbased desserts such as chocolate mousse or meringues.
Food Secret You Swear By
I use coconut oil for everything. It’s my body lotion, my makeup remover and my main ingredient in raw desserts.