Nearly Raw Frosted Fudge Brownies

For many of us, the days of overdoing our indulgence in sweets are in the past. The growing awareness of chronic diseases, caused in large part by being overweight or consuming too much of the wrong foods like sugar,

For the Brownie
 1 cup raw cashews
 1 cup raw walnuts
 ¼ cup raw cacao nibs
 2 ½ cups pitted dates
 1 cup raw cacao powder
 ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
 ¼ cup coconut butter
 ½ cup roughly chopped unsalted pistachios
For the Frosting
 ¾ cup raw cacao powder
 ¾ cup real maple syrup
  cup real maple syrup
 ½ cup coconut oil, melted
 Pinch of salt

1

For the Brownies: Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper so that a bit hangs over opposite edges. You’ll use this to easily pull out the brownies. Place cashews, walnut and cacao nibs in a food processor. Pulse to a coarse meal. Remove and set aside. Add dates to food processor and puree into a paste. Add the ground nuts back into the processor, along with the cacao powder, coconut oil and coconut butter. Pulse to form a small sandy-pebble-like consistency that holds together when pressed between your fingers. Add in pistachios and pulse a few times to combine. The pistachios add a beautiful green accent, so don’t over process. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan, making sure the surface is smooth. Use a juice glass to press and roll. Refrigerate while making frosting

For the Frosting: Place all the ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and glossy. Remove brownies from refrigerator and pour frosting on top. Smooth evenly with an offset spatula or knife. Return to the pan to refrigerator to chill for several hours. Carefully lift up the edges of the parchment paper and remove brownies from tray. Cut into squares and serve, noting that a little bit goes a long way! Store in a sealed container kept in the fridge for up to 1 week. Best served after sitting at room temperature for about 30 minutes.