[This is a contributed article by the Green Goddess of the Rose Garden. - Editor]
Hazelnuts, with their flavourful nuttiness, complement the fragrant bitterness of cocao perfectly, in this absolutely to-live-for raw vegan beverage.
Makes 2, 1-cup servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, soaked in 2 cups of water for 4 hours or longer
- 1 cup of water for blending
- 6 medjool dates, pitted, soaked in 1 cup of water for 30 minutes or longer
- 2 tbsp cocao
- 2 tsp vanilla powder
Equipment:
- Blender
- Mesh strainer bag, cheese cloth, tea strainer or a sieve (optional)
- Large bowl for straining the hazelnut drink (optional)
Rinse the soaked hazelnuts thoroughly and discard the water. Combine the soaking water from dates with the cup of water. Blend the hazelnuts and water until the hazelnuts have been completely pureed. Strain the hazelnut drink using a mesh bag, a cheese cloth, a tea strainer, or a sieve. (This step may be skipped if you don’t mind a certain siltiness in the drink.) A mesh bag or a cheese cloth works best in extracting all the liquid. Add the remaining ingredients and puree. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge before serving.
Use the hazelnut pulp for another recipe such as a nut spread or as a basis for dehydrator cookies or crackers. Alternately, the hazelnut pulp can be sprinkled on top of salads. To save some soaking time for the dates, use warm water of up to 105° F, or 40° C, which will cut the soaking time by half.
