By now you are probably super familiar with ashwagandha, if you’re an avid follower of my blog that is, especially as my last recipe for Indigo Herbs was a delicious Mint Milk with Ashwagandha – a beautiful, frothable seed-based drink that may help to balance out your hormones and leave you feeling calm. This month I’m back with an Easter special – Caramel Fudge Raw Vegan Easter Eggs with Ashwagandha. Yup, I’m both an adaptogen and chocolate addict, and I won’t even deny it.
Disclaimer: Please note that this is a sponsored post. I was sent free products and compensated in return for an amazingly delicious recipe. Any payment I receive I use to purchase more ingredients and equipment to keep this blog up and running, and most importantly to keep creating quality content for you all. I am not an affiliate of Indigo Herbs and any purchases you make via them I will not be compensated for. I am not influenced by the company in any way and all opinions, ramblings, and thoughts are my own and 100% honest. If you’d like to know more, feel free to contact me.
For those of you that don’t know and aren’t regulars around here, ashwagandha, like many other adaptogens, is thought to help your body to adapt to the super stressful situations that life throws at you. And, with the current COVID-19 malarky, I think it’s safe to say we all need a little extra help right now. You might think that these daily stresses don’t mount up to much in the long run but they often result in your body’s hormone production being thrown out of balance, causing hormonal symptoms along the way. Ashwagandha is also thought to help stave off oxidative stress and improves your overall resistance to both emotional and physical stress.
Antioxidant-rich and hormone balancing, these Caramel Fudge Raw Vegan Easter Eggs with Ashwagandha are the most perfectly delicious Easter treat.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, sounds a little too good to be true, right? Well, I guess you could be right or wrong there. How every person reacts to adaptogens varies. Some people require only small doses to reap the effects, often taken over a long period of time, and others much more. Personally, I think the low and slow method is best. If you’re wondering what it tastes like then don’t worry too much, although it has a very bitter and grass-like taste to it, it’s not likely you’ll notice it unless you’re taking shots of it neat.
Okay, so we have got the science bit out of the way, let’s move on to the taste bit. These eggs may look small but they are super big on flavour and quite rich. Just one egg will be more than enough for one sitting. The caramel fudge filling is actually largely oil-based and has been emulsified with hot water to create a silky smooth filling that’s not too cloying on the palate. If you wanted a runny caramel you could simply add more hot water but take caution as if you use a little too much water it may seep through the chocolate shell and leave unsightly bloom.
I’d recommend eating them straight from the fridge rather than at room temperature. These aren’t tempered chocolate eggs which means that you’re likely to end up with melted chocolate all over your hands when eating them. If you think you’ll have to keep these at room temperature for any reason, I’d recommend stirring in an additional 50g of cacao butter buttons after your chocolate has been blended together. You could try and blend them in as they are or may instead want to partially melt these first on a very low heat if the chocolate isn’t very warm. This should help to give the chocolate a little extra structure.
You’ll be pleased to know that you don’t need any moulds to make these, although it does help with shaping the filling, however, you will need some cocktail sticks and floral foam or styrofoam. I came up with a method of being able to dip the frozen egg filling into chocolate then stand them upright in styrofoam to leave them to dry. It’s a great method for those not too familiar with egg making. I also gave them an ample spritz of gold lustre dust but this is totally optional. Anyway, enough of my babbling. I want you guys to have the best Easter possible under some super shitty circumstances, so I’m sending you all super big chocolatey hugs!
Looking for more Easter recipe inspiration? Why not try my Raw Vegan Creme Egg Slices or Paleo Hot Cross Buns? Oh, and if you want to keep up to date with my deliciousness then sign up for my newsletter and I’ll love you forever – who am I kidding? I already do!
- 185g organic coconut oil (melted)
- 40g cashews (soaked overnight, drained, rinsed)
- 10 organic Medjool dates (pitted)
- 3-4 tbsp organic coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp organic raw almond butter
- 1 tbsp organic lucuma powder
- 1 tsp organic maca powder
- 1 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 pipettes ashwagandha tincture
- ⅛-1/4 tsp fine Himalayan pink salt
- ½ cup freshly boiled water
- 100g organic cacao butter drops
- 40g agave nectar
- 50g organic cacao powder
- Start by combing all of the ingredients for the caramel filling, except for the freshly boiled water, into the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender. Pulse a few times before blending until the ingredients come together into a paste. Add the freshly boiled water then blend in order to emulsify.
- If you have silicone Easter egg moulds fill each mould cavity with the filling then freeze until set (about 1-2 hours). Alternatively, weigh the mixture and make a note of the weight before freezing in a bowl until set.
- Remove the filling from moulds then gently press each egg half together and using your fingers smooth the edges to seal any gaps. Alternatively, divide the weight of the mixture by 8, then take a ⅛ of the mixture and using your hands form an egg shape. Return the eggs to the freezer for a further 30 minutes.
- Once the eggs have chilled melt together the cacao butter and agave nectar over a bain-marie, on a low heat. Remove from the heat then blend together with the cacao powder. The mixture should be fairly thick. Transfer to a narrow cup and set to one side.
- Take a sturdy piece of styrofoam or floral foam and set to one side. Remove the eggs from the freezer then place a cocktail stick into the base of each egg, about a ⅓ of the way in.
- Dip each egg into the cup of chocolate then allow the excess to drip away before turning upright and placing the cocktail stick into the styrofoam. Repeat for each egg and leave to set for 30 minutes.
- Enjoy immediately, alternatively store in an airtight container within the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you find that the chocolate is too thick then melt a tablespoon or two of cacao butter and stir in to thin the mixture. If the mixture is too thin, leave to thicken over time.
Recipe makes 8 medium-sized eggs.
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