Lime-Hemp Coconut Candy

Get prepared for St. Patty's Day (or any day) with these healthy and delicious lime dessert bars.  I love how the hemp gives these ample nutrition AND green color, making lime the perfect flavor!  It's raw, gluten-free, sugar-free, anti-candida friendly, low-carb, paleo, and just plain GOOD.   When I began experimenting here, I was originally inspired by the use of hemp in this recipe from Diet, Dessert and Dogs.  I really like how it seemed to complete the bars along with the coconut.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup almonds
juice from 1 lime
2 tbs ground flax
stevia, to taste
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

Place coconut, hemp seeds and almonds in a high-speed blender and, using tamper, blend until smooth.

Add the lime juice, flax, stevia, salt and optional vanilla extract.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.

Place either in a 9x9 pan or loaf pan lined with wax paper.  Use a spatula to smooth mixture out evenly.  Sometimes I wrap the wax paper over it and use that to help press it evenly across.

Place in the freezer for approximately an hour, or until it's quite set through to the middle.  Take out and cut to desired sizes with butter knife.  If it has hardened too much in the freezer simply leave it on the counter until it softens slightly.  I store this in the freezer and serve soon after as it will start to almost melt if it becomes too warm.  The oil in the coconut helps hold it together since it firms up at cooler temperatures.  It makes great bars that way --- function, flavor and nutrition!  See what else is crackin' at Wellness Weekend, February 21-25.

Cranberry, Pumpkin, and Mung Energy Custard Bars

After making protein bars with protein powder in them I wanted to figure out a different sort of "protein bar" that doesn't have the same highly refined protein powder in them.  So, I came up with the idea to sprout mung beans and use them in baking.  They are so very easy (and inexpensive) to sprout at home.

You can use canned pumpkin or you can roast it yourself.  I have some saved in the freezer in containers like this to take out when needed:

The combination of subtle pumpkin spice, cranberry and crunchy walnuts makes for a delicious snack food (or, a healthy dessert!).  I just love how the cranberries pop open during baking to spread their flavor.  If you blend the mung sprouts very smooth you cannot tell they are in the batter.  Though these are not vegan, perhaps you might be able to use egg replacer.  Let me know if you try it!


Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
3 1/2 cups sprouted mung beans
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbs oil (sesame, olive, coconut, or almond)
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 tbs cinnamon
1/2 tbs nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2-1 tbs chopped fresh ginger (or less dry)
stevia powder, to taste preference
1/2-1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped


Directions:

Blend all the ingredients, except the cranberries and walnuts, in a food processor or blender.

Pour batter in a greased 9x9 baking pan and sprinkle the walnuts and cranberries evenly across the top.  Press walnuts and cranberries lightly into batter using a spatula.

Place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake approximately 40 minutes.  You can test to see if it's done by carefully sticking a knife into the middle; if it comes out clean it's done.

Allow to cool and cut into bars.  These are delicious still warm or cool from the fridge.  You can store in the fridge for several days or place in a freezer-safe container and keep there to take out a bar when you need an energy boost during the day.