Sometimes I can be found wandering up and down the grocery store aisles, picking things up, shaking them, tasting them or even smelling them. In fact, I do all of the above a little too often. Everyone needs a hobby right? Well one day, I stumbled upon this wonderful flour that smelled absolutely sweet and delicious. I couldn’t believe that I had never even heard of it before..especially since I am always on the hunt for grain free flours. But, alas, I found my one true love, and boy it is sweet. Coconut flour has to be some of the finest and most delicious of flours I have ever tasted. I was a little nervous at first, taking a chance on something that was playing it way too smoothly. But, in the end, the aroma got to my head and I left the grocery store with the bag of coconut flour in hand.

As you can probably guess, I was a little too excited to have a new baking adventure to embark on. I had to search for a recipe that would be just right, and then gather up the rest of my usual baking gear. Apron on, spatula in hand, I found a recipe that fed my endless crave for brownies. Taken from aspoonfulofsugarfree, this recipe turned out to be the most delicious fudge brownie creation as it was perfectly moist and decadent. Afraid that I may be overdoing the chocolate, I also decided to finally try to make a cashew vanilla icing. Soaking cashews and then mixing them up is a healthier way of creating icing that I learned about long ago, but am always too anxious to wait for something to soak for two hours. Satisfied that I would need sufficient cooling time for the brownies, I soaked the cashews and bought some fresh Vanilla Bean for an extra taste of something sweet.

Coconut Flour Brownies

1/2 Cup Coconut flour

1/2 Cup Cocoa

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 Eggs

5 Dates

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean

1/3 Cup Almond Milk

1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate shavings

Set the oven to 375. In a medium bowl mix together the coconut flour, cocoa, baking powder and chocolate. Set aside. In a food processor, mix the dates at high speed. Add in the mixed dates and the wet ingredients to the medium bowl of dry ingredients. Mush around really well with a big spoon or just use your hands. Grease a deep baking dish with coconut oil and then smooth out the mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean 🙂

Vanilla Cashew Icing 

1 1/2 Cups Raw Cashews

1/2 Cup Water

2 Tblsp Agave Nectar

3 Tblsp Coconut Oil

1 Tblsp Vanilla

Allow cashews to soak in a bowl for 2 hours (at least). Empty water and then put all ingredients in a food processor. Mix well and refrigerate.

Once the icing has a smooth yet sturdy consistency, spread it thickly over the brownies. Honestly, both parts of this brownie are equally as good. I think I ended up with half cashew icing half brownie when I looked at them from the side. They were sooo good, especially after being in the fridge overnight. There’s something about a cold fudge-y brownie that makes me smile..yuummmm it was good.

If you are anything like me, you will eat one…pick at another one…have a glass of milk and continue this process until the container is empty. Whether this happens in one day or one week, savor that smooth chocolate taste and go ahead skipping throughout the day. Be careful though, these may just make you burst with joy.