I am all for creating wonderful experiences, and the 14th February is a special day for me, not only is it a day dedicated to LOVE, it is also my wedding anniversary. So this month, I have decided to share some great Chocolate inspired Valentine treats, that you can create to enjoy on the day, for the family or as a special gift for a loved one.

Please note these are not my recipes, they are a collection of many great recipe blogs that come highly recommended.

And if you want to take this through to a lovely lunch or dinner, then check out With Food + Love, for more wonderful recipes. Not all are vegan but there is a lot that are or could be modified.

Chocolate Cashew Slice

(Need to acknowledge The Whole Daily for this recipe and image)

Base Ingredients:

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of shredded coconut

1 cup of dates (soak them in hot water for 5 minutes, to soften and then drain)

Pinch of salt (Himalayan, or sea salt)

Method:

1. Blitz all ingredients in your food processor until all combined (approximately 3 to 4 pulses)
2. Press and smooth into the bottom of a round cage tin, lined with cling wrap and pop into the freezer while you make the chocolate topping.

 

Chocolate Mixture Ingredients:

1 cup of raw cashews

2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder

4 tablespoons of melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons of malt syrup

Pinch of salt

 

Method:

1. Blitz the cashews in your food processor until they resemble a smooth powder (very fine texture)
2. Place in a small bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir to combine
3. Spoon chocolate mixture over the base, smooth with your fingers or the back of a spoon and place back into the fridge to set (approximately 1.5 – 2 hours)
4. Slice and enjoy
5. If you want to dress it up for a special treat, then you can’t go past a white plate and perhaps, something red on the side. Or wrap it up in cellophane, with a beautiful red ribbon, viola!

 

Coconut Bliss Balls

One of many Bliss Ball recipes, here is a great website for a few more, the top 5 Bliss Ball recipes, as shared by Naturimedica

Ingredients:

(Makes approximately 10 balls)

1 cup of finely shredded coconut

3 tablespoons of coconut oil

3 tablespoons of maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1.5 cups of dark chocolate chips (I love Sweet William chocolate)

Pinch of sea salt

 

Method:

Combine coconut, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a food processor. Blend until combined and into a thick crumb texture.

Use your hands to mold the coconut crumb into bite-sized balls. They should stick together nicely. Place the balls onto a piece of wax paper. Melt the chocolate chips and use a spoon to gently drizzle the melted chocolate over each coconut ball. You want to cover the top and the sides, but be careful not to make a large pool around the base.

Sprinkle each ball with a bit of sea salt while the chocolate is still moist. You may want to cover them with a little more coconut and refrigerate until you feel they have set.

 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Slices

(Vegan, and Gluten-free, and acknowledge One Green Planet for recipe and image)

Ingredients

For the base:

3 ounces of dates, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon of mixed seeds (suggestion: milled seeds)

1 tablespoon of tahini

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, plus extra to dust

 

For the filling:

2 1/2 ounces of cashew nuts (soaked for a least 1 hour)

7 dates, pitted and soaked (also for at least an hour)

2 tablespoons of almond milk

1 tablespoon of tahini

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Pinch of ground sea salt

 

For the topping:

1 1/2 ounces of dairy milk chocolate (Sweet William is my preferred)

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

 

Preparation:

For the Base:

Add the ingredients together into a food processor and blend until combined. Press into the bottom of the pan you are using (you may want to grease this a little).

For the Filling:

In the food processor, blend all the filling ingredients together into a thick and creamy mixture. Scoop out over the base, smooth out the top, and place into the freezer.

For the Topping:

1. Whilst the filling is in the freezer, melt the chocolate and coconut oil over a bain-marie, stirring well. Once smooth and fully melted, remove from the heat and pour over the cheesecake filling and return to the freezer. Freeze for at least 10 minutes to allow the topping to set fully
2. When you are ready to serve, remove from the freezer and container. Allow it to defrost for around 10 minutes, then using a sharp knife cut into slices.