Cherry chocolate mousse cake (grain free)

This gorgeous cherry chocolate mousse cake is the perfect celebration cake for Christmas or a Summer birthday. It’s silky smooth, creamy, rich, fruity, no bake with a nutty base. Decadent & easy, it requires no oven . A dark choc ganache tart transformed into a fluffy, cheesecake like cake!


Ingredients

  • For the base

  • springform cake tin and a food processor
    100g
     ( 3/4 cups) pecans
    pinch salt
  • 25g (scant 1/4 cup) coconut flour
  • 10g (1.5 Tbsp) coconut sugar
  • 15g (2 Tbsp)  raw cacao powder
  • 30g (1 .5 TbspWestgold grass-fed salted butter
  • Cherry jam filling (can be swapped for 125g (1/2 cup) store bought cherry jam)

  • 2 cups fresh cherries, de-stemmed, halved and pitted
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar

    125g good quality cherry jam

  • Chocolate mousse filling

  • 140g (1 cup) raw cashews, soaked 4 hours in water
  • Labneh or 3/4 cup store bought cream cheese (try creme fraiche or ?  instead)
  • 1/2 cup milk of choice
  • 90g (3/4 cup) raw cacao powder
  • 110g (1/2 cup) coconut sugar
  • 100g (5 TbspWestgold grass-fed salted butter (instead of cream)
  • 180g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions

  1. Grease and line a 7 inch round cake tin. You want to choose one that is springform, or has a removable base. You will need to start 4 hours before hand, soaking your cashews.
  2. Make the cherry jam. Add cherries and a splash of water to a small saucpan. Cook over low-medium heat for around 5 minutes, or until they soften and release their juices. Turn off heat. Mash with a fork, then add chia seeds and sugar. Mix well, then set aside to thicken and cool.
  3. Make the base. Add pecans, salt, coconut flour, sugar and cacao to a food processor. Blend until fine. Melt butter (stovetop method or in a microwave), then add to the food processor and pulse until a moist crumble forms. Transfer to lined tin and use a spoon to spread and press down, forming an even base.
  4. Once cherry jam has reached room temperature, add cooled, thickened cherry jam to the base and spread over the base, leaving a 2 cm gap around the outer edges (eg, don’t push jam all the way to the edges). Place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  5. Make the chocolate filling. Drain cashews and add to a blender with labneh (or cream cheese), milk, cacao powder and coconut sugar. blend on high for 1 minute, or until silky smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Tip- use a rubber spatula to really scrape everything from the blender into the bowl.
  6. Place butter and chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Heat 2cm water in a small saucepan, to the boil. Reduce heat, then sit bowl on top of the saucepan (so it sits on the rim). Gently melt, mixing occasionally. Once completely liquid remove from the heat and pour into the cashew chocolate bowl. Use a spatula to fold together until uniform.
  7. Remove base from the fridge. Pour chocolate filling gently on top, then use a clean spoon to even out. Return to the fridge for 4+ hours, or overnight.
  8. To serve, use a hot, sharp knife to cut into slices. Allow to warm to room  temperature then serve along side fresh cream and lots of cherries.

    (from https://panaceaspantryblog.com/cherry-chocolate-mousse-cake-grain-free/#tasty-recipes-3345-jump-target)

GINGER HAZELNUT COOKIES

It was the most beautiful cookie I have ever made – it had this professional appearance that everyone went crazy about. – excellent flavourful crispy cookie!

Makes 43

Ingredients:
45 gm unsalted butter, at room temp
1 .5 cups brown sugar
.75 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 large eggs
.25 cup minced ginger or 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger – fresh is best!
2.25 cups flour
.75 teaspoon bicarb
.25 teaspoon salt
70 gm toasted hazelnuts, chopped (can be pre-soaked for more crunch)
greased oven tray

  • In large bowl beat butter, sugar & vanilla until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, stir in ginger.
  • In another bowl stir flour with bicarb and salt then add flour mixture & nuts to butter mixture.
  • Stir until a soft dough forms. Shape dough into a log – 14 inches long and 2 inches wide.
  • Refrigerate overnight, although you can also freeze. Cut dough into 1/4 inch rounds.
  • To bake, preheat oven to 180°C. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.

    NOTE:
    – I used almonds instead, increased my baking time to 12 minutes and used no-stick spray on the baking sheet. I love the fresh ginger in these cookies.
    – They were perfect for my holiday gift boxes. I will absolutely make these again.