Bites of Bliss...♡

My new obsession - healthy and sensually delicious.

Happy Sunday from beautiful LA! Truth be told it was hot as hell where I live today, but now it's cooled down to that perfect, fragrant dusk breeze. I've just finished one of the best food experiences I've ever had, and since I was the creator, I can eat them anytime I please. I was inspired by a vegan restaurant nearby, called Cafe Gratitude (http://cafegratitudela.com/).

Each dish is named with a mantra. I usually get I Am Vibrant, which is kale sauteed with garlic, lemon and tamari, served topped with avocado. Yum! Everything I've had there has been delicious (spiritual hedonist that I am, satisfying flavor is absolutely required of every bite). They use organic local ingredients and they welcome dogs on their patio, so Cinnamon and I go there often. It's located on the north end of Larchmont, just south of Melrose. I've been at least a dozen times and recently tried their desserts for the first time. Confession: I am a food purist. I like the real deal. I have stayed far away from mock anything - I once saw mock cheese on a menu the first time I went to Real Food Daily and refused ever to go there again. Until recently, I'd never even consider trying a chocolate dish that wasn't real, rich, creamy, sweet chocolate. And then I had the I Am Mystical balls at Cafe Gratitude. 

I Am Mystical - and I am in love. Raw vegan coconut macaroons, each big enough to share (but why would you?) and every single bite like the first night with the love of your life. I am not kidding, they're that good. So good that when I craved them this past Friday night, after CG hours, I made it my mission to recreate the sensation the following day. 

I stayed up til 2am searching the net for recipes. I tried every possible combination of words that I hoped would lead me to that exact concoction, I emailed CG's management (no response) and finally found a video of a woman making a similar enough recipe. I went to Erewhon (http://www.erewhonmarket.com), a natural market nearby just north of the Grove and got all the essentials - organic coconut oil, cacao, sun dried shredded coconut, and since browsing the natural baking aisle got me excited, a few other ingredients: almond butter, sea salt, raw slivered almonds, and brown rice syrup (which by the way is a great sugar/syrup/honey alternative).  

7 steps to Heaven

This was my first time experimenting with these. I wasn't nervous, I was ready. I wanted those Mystical balls so badly, I had to make them mine. Initially, as I measured out the cacao, I intended to follow the recipe I found online. I emptied the dry measuring cup of cacao in a big blue mixing bowl and added a couple cups of coconut. But as I mixed in the coconut oil (and I really had to work it in there to get it all combined), I decided to play. It is one of my purposes on Earth, after all. I mixed and added, tasted and proceeded thoughtfully to create the tastiest, most pleasingly textured, satisfying dessert I've ever had.

Here's how to recreate them for yourself:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of cacao, 2 cups of dried shredded coconut, and a cup of coconut oil. You can set the coconut oil out in a warm spot to soften it first, to make it easier to handle. Mix these ingredients well. Add a couple of generous pinches of sea salt, a half cup of almond butter, and a half cup of brown rice syrup (or maple syrup). Keep on mixing, baby. Add half a cup of almonds, and if you like, a tablespoon or two of honey. Taste as you go and play with it. You want the mixture to be thick and sticky. Spread wax paper on a metal baking sheet, and using a small ice cream scooper and a spoon, shape the mixture into balls and place on the sheet. I did two sizes, just to see how they'd turn out and what I'd like better. Experiment. Play. Enjoy! This is how I like to live... Refrigerate the finished masterpieces for at least a couple of hours. You could also freeze them. And then, the most important part - enjoy! 

Share if you dare, but these bites of bliss turn every eater into a lover, so be prepared. My guy proclaimed the experience, "the best thing he's ever eaten". Lucky for him I made enough for us to enjoy over and over again.

Love,

Tiff