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27
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Salted Tahini Caramels {Practically Raw Desserts Giveaway} |
Today I have the answer to the ever-important question, “What do I do with leftover tahini?” In the case that you don’t want to make batch upon batch of hummus (then again, why not?) here’s a little twist you might not have ever imagined. In fact, I hadn’t myself. The idea to use tahini in a sweet 4-ingredient freezer candy comes from Amber Shea Crawly in her new book, Practically Raw Desserts.
Of the remaining three ingredients, I am almost certain you have one of them on hand (salt, preferably coarse sea or kosher) but maybe not the other two (coconut flour and coconut nectar). But don’t worry – when those two are hanging around in your pantry, you’ll have no choice but to flip through and choose another fun “practically raw” (read: can be lightly baked) recipe or just open up to the world of gluten/grain-free and naturally sweet baking. (No need to go very far, I’ve got plenty of coconut flour recipes right here!)
I am by no means a raw foodist but I certainly appreciate learning interesting new ways to combine ingredients and that’s why I’m drawn to all kinds of cooking. If you’re like me and don’t own a dehydrator, it can be a bit intimidating to adapt raw recipes. A great thing about this raw foods cookbook is that each recipe includes instructions to “make it raw” (with a dehydrator), “make it baked” (at a very low temperature, so that the finished product will still be close to what you’d get by dehydrating), or “make it easy” (simply refrigerate or freeze and you’re ready to go! Plus, the recipes all include plenty of suggested substitutions to meet your tastes or simply match what’s in your pantry. For example, you can usually reduce the fat in a recipe by substituting oats for some of the nuts and there are plenty of ideas listed to substitute flours, sweeteners, etc. Here’s just a sampling of some of the recipes I can’t wait to try (and chances are, I’ll go with “make it easy”!):
- Nutty Butty Sandwich Cookies
- Tuxedo Cheesecake Brownies
- Baklava Blondies
- Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie with Ooey Gooey Caramel Sauce
Finally, one last thing I’d be remiss not to mention, is that Chef Amber has cracked the code on using coconut flour in vegan recipes. The thing about coconut flour is that it absolutely needs the moisture of eggs in baked goods, and typical vegan egg substitutions usually don’t function (I’ve only tried once or twice myself, but my vegan friends have said the same.) Finally, vegans can have their coconut flour and eat it too; it’s used in many of these Practically Raw Desserts as a binder.
Before I share the easiest-ever raw recipe for Salted Tahini Caramels (heck, there is only one way to make it – and that’s easy!) here are the details on the giveaway.
I am giving away a copy of Practically Raw Desserts to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave a comment telling me what your favorite raw snack is (remember, fruit is raw!) For extra entries, you may…
*Visit Chef Amber Shea and tell me what recipe you would most like to try
*Pin this post on pinterest
*Subscribe to Cara’s Cravings
*Like Cara’s Cravings and on Facebook
The contest will close on Thursday, October 3rd at midnight EST. Winners will be contacted via email. You must reside in the US or Canada.
Disclaimer: The cookbook was provided to me for free to review. I was not paid for this review.
Salted Tahini Caramels
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours (freezing time)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1/8 teaspoon coarse sea saltDirections:
Combine tahini, coconut flour, and coconut nectar in a medium bowl and stir until smooth (mixture will be thick.) Pour into a glass dish lined with plastic wrap or divide among mini muffin tins with paper liners. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt, then freeze until very firm. Once frozen, slice into bite-sized pieces with a very sharp knife. Store in an air-tight container in the freezer.
Amber Shea Crawley, Practically Raw Desserts. Reprinted with permission.
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I'm Cara, lover of creative, clean food and healthy living. Pumpkin, goat cheese, and eggplant make me swoon. I have an insatiable sweet tooth and desire to lift heavy things. 
Shana — September 27, 2013 @ 8:34 am
I love peaches sprinkled with cinnamon!
shanahattis at gmail dot com
Shana — September 27, 2013 @ 8:34 am
Devil’s food cupcakes sound awesome!!
http://chefambershea.com/2013/07/15/practically-raw-desserts-recipe-devils-food-cupcakes/
shanahattis at gmail dot com
Shana — September 27, 2013 @ 8:35 am
I like CC on FB
shanahattis at gmail dot com
dana — September 27, 2013 @ 8:48 am
I like apples and raw honey!
Elle — September 27, 2013 @ 11:06 am
I do love fruit and raw nuts – this recipe looks wonderful and I am now going to search for coconut nectar!
Would love to win this book!
Elle — September 27, 2013 @ 11:10 am
I checked out Chef Amber Shea’s web site and the Linzer Torte looks wonderful and surprisingly simple. Love her ideas.
Elle — September 27, 2013 @ 11:12 am
I pinned your recipe post
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/19281104627935997/
Elle — September 27, 2013 @ 11:13 am
I do subscribe to your posts by email
Elle — September 27, 2013 @ 11:15 am
And I do like Cara’s Cravings on FB too.
Nicole — September 27, 2013 @ 11:48 am
My favorite raw snack is dehydrated kale chips!
Nicole — September 27, 2013 @ 11:48 am
I subscribe to Cara’s Cravings by email.
Terri Cole — September 27, 2013 @ 11:48 am
My favorite raw food right now is watermelon gazpacho.
Terri Cole — September 27, 2013 @ 12:08 pm
There are a LOT of good recipes on Chef Amber’s site, but I love the simplicity of the whole wheat beer bread!
Terri Cole — September 27, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
I pinned this!
Terri Cole — September 27, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
I’m an email subscriber.
Terri Cole — September 27, 2013 @ 12:10 pm
I like you on Facebook.
Linda — September 27, 2013 @ 1:09 pm
Fresh bahri dates, straight from the freezer: just like a really good toffee!
Linda — September 27, 2013 @ 1:10 pm
I subscribed via Feedly.
Linda — September 27, 2013 @ 1:13 pm
I’m off into the kitchen now to try making Chef Amber’s devil’s food cupcakes! 🙂
amanda j — September 27, 2013 @ 3:34 pm
Fruit!
amanda j — September 27, 2013 @ 3:37 pm
I like your FB page!
Megan G — September 27, 2013 @ 5:22 pm
I love pink lady apple slices with homemade cashew butter. <3
Becca F — September 27, 2013 @ 8:30 pm
I love cheezy kale chips.
Becca F — September 27, 2013 @ 8:33 pm
I liked Cara’s Cravings on Facebook
Becca F — September 27, 2013 @ 8:38 pm
The Devil’s Food Cupcakes look delicious!
Pam — September 27, 2013 @ 9:15 pm
My favorite raw snack is apples with almond butter! I’m getting some now 🙂
Donna F. — September 27, 2013 @ 10:07 pm
I love raw cacao-coconut-date balls!
Donna F. — September 27, 2013 @ 10:08 pm
I would love to try the Linzer Torte!
Donna F. — September 27, 2013 @ 10:10 pm
I subscribed by email.
Donna F. — September 27, 2013 @ 10:11 pm
I liked your FB page!
Donna F. — September 27, 2013 @ 10:12 pm
Pinned this post
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/8022105560114139/
Adele — September 27, 2013 @ 10:16 pm
My favorite is fresh blueberries! Pure and simple!
Adele — September 27, 2013 @ 10:17 pm
The Devil’s Food Cupcakes recipe looks amazing!
Adele — September 27, 2013 @ 10:18 pm
Pinned http://www.pinterest.com/pin/559642691166144582/
Adele — September 27, 2013 @ 10:18 pm
Subscribed to Cara’s Cravings via email.
Adele — September 27, 2013 @ 10:20 pm
I liked Cara’s Cravings on Facebook.
christine dugdale — September 28, 2013 @ 3:24 am
wow, how simple is this? wish I lived in the US and could enter the draw!! 🙂
Kim — September 28, 2013 @ 6:24 am
My favorite raw food is carrots (are carrots? is carrot?). It’s such a simple answer, but crazy good!
Kim — September 28, 2013 @ 6:25 am
I subscribed through Feedly.
Kim — September 28, 2013 @ 6:27 am
I would love to try Chef Amber Shea’s Berry-Pomegranate Cookie Bites! Wow, they look incredible.
Kim — September 28, 2013 @ 6:28 am
I liked on Facebook 🙂
Kesha — September 28, 2013 @ 6:49 am
I love strawberries and blueberries mixed together!
Kesha — September 28, 2013 @ 6:49 am
I would love to try the Sugar Cookie balls
Kesha — September 28, 2013 @ 6:50 am
I subscribe via email
Kesha — September 28, 2013 @ 6:51 am
I like Caras Cravings on FB
Kathy R. — September 28, 2013 @ 3:28 pm
My favorite snack is dehydrated raw chocolate macaroons. I also love kale chips. At Amber’s site I want to make those Sweet-Tart Hearts! I also posted on Pinterest, subscribed, and liked Cara’s Cravings on FB. Thanks for the opportunity!
Diane — September 28, 2013 @ 4:29 pm
My favorite is raw cheesecake.
Diane — September 28, 2013 @ 4:29 pm
I subscribed via email.
Stacy — September 28, 2013 @ 7:08 pm
chia seeds, almond milk and cinnamon= chia pudding
martha — September 29, 2013 @ 3:11 am
Peaches!
Kim — September 29, 2013 @ 6:40 am
Aside from fruits and veggies, I’ve only really made one raw dessert. For my husband’s birthday recently I made a pomegranate cashew “cheesecake” that turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! Would love to include more raw meals and treats into our repertoire.
Kim — September 29, 2013 @ 6:41 am
I’ve been a subscriber to Cara’s Cravings for quite some time now! Glad to be hearing from you again after the early birth of your bundle of joy!
Kim — September 29, 2013 @ 6:43 am
I’m definitely going to have to try the Baklava Brownies in Chef Amber Shea Crawly’s Practically Raw Desserts if I am so lucky to win!
Kim — September 29, 2013 @ 6:43 am
I’ve been a long “liker” of Cara’s Cravings on Facebook!!!
April — September 30, 2013 @ 11:41 am
My favorite raw snack is an apple or a pear, specifically honeycrisp apples!
I think your tahini caramels and a crunchy nut bar would be a great accompaniment. Thanks for sharing your yummy recipes!
Patricia — September 30, 2013 @ 6:14 pm
I love bananas and peanut butter.
Brandi — September 30, 2013 @ 8:19 pm
Hmm, my favorite raw snacks are oranges and sugar snap peas. Yum! Thanks for the giveaway.
Brandi — September 30, 2013 @ 8:19 pm
There are so many great recipes on Cara’s site.. wow.. I think I’d love to try the Cinnamon Swirl Caramel Cheesecake Bars.
Brandi — September 30, 2013 @ 8:20 pm
Pinned on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/229050331021966396/
Michelle @ Esculent Dreams — October 2, 2013 @ 3:13 pm
I had my first 100% raw dessert a few weeks ago and was amazed by how light and delicate it was (White Chocolate Raspberry Tart – yum!). Practically Raw looks right up my alley! Favorite raw snack has got to be bananas (straight, with nut butter, or chocolate) – simple and perfect since I”m always on the run 🙂
Michelle @ Esculent Dreams — October 2, 2013 @ 3:20 pm
Also pinned on Pinterest! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/212161832419267802/
Good luck everyone!
Kristine — October 3, 2013 @ 4:22 pm
I am a sucker for raw brownies but when I stick to one ingredient (i.e. fruits or veggies) I LOVE a Honey Crisp apple. It’s the Washingtonian in me 🙂
Kristine — October 3, 2013 @ 4:23 pm
of course I “like” you on Facebook, I love the site.
Kristine — October 3, 2013 @ 4:28 pm
“kitchen sink” Superfood Brownie Batter Balls are calling to me.
http://chefambershea.com/2013/01/03/kitchen-sink-superfood-brownie-batter-balls/
Kristine — October 3, 2013 @ 4:30 pm
Pinned it!
Kristine — October 3, 2013 @ 4:32 pm
and now I’m officially a subscriber (though I’ve been an active blog follower, hehe). Blessings!
jodye @ whole pure recipes — October 3, 2013 @ 9:09 pm
These caramels look just amazing, and with such a short ingredient list there’s no excuse not to make them! I’m going to have to try these as soon as I get into the kitchen. My favorite raw snack is dates, hands down. And mulberries.
Sara — October 3, 2013 @ 9:39 pm
I recently discovered granola bites which I love as a raw snack or dessert, but I absolutely love plain old apples as a go to.
Carolsue — October 3, 2013 @ 10:14 pm
Green grapes are my favorite food to snack on; also cherry tomatoes.
Carolsue — October 3, 2013 @ 10:14 pm
I like you on Facebook as Carolsue Anderson
Carolsue — October 3, 2013 @ 10:15 pm
I subscribe to your newsletter via e-mail.
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