Raw Chocolate Shortbread Squares

Other than the first week or so of pregnancy where I had a huge obsession with eating the most sour oranges I could find (and before being struck down with Hyperemesis Gravidarum), I haven’t had any cravings. Not one. It’s the first question that everyone who sees me asks, and I always feel like I let the pregnant sisterhood down when I say….absolutely nothing! I suppose it’s probably safest for me, and my type one diabetes that I don’t have any cravings as I have heard horror stories about sleeping husbands being sent out at 4am in the morning to raid the supermarkets for Ben and Jerry’s strawberry cheesecake ice cream or women who crave chalk and coal!? They say a lot of cravings can be suggestive of your body missing a vital vitamin or nutrient, which makes a lot of sense, although I can’t quite work out what vitamins or nutrients there are in a tub of Ben and Jerry’s….answers on a postcard, please!

Until recently, I couldn’t be anywhere near to chocolate or anything sweet either, just the smell of it would send me sprinting to the bathroom. However, in the last two weeks, my sweet tooth seems to have come back, so I’ve found myself making lots of chocolate fudge and aubergine brownies .  I am being so careful with what I eat, I am not over indulging, or eating any more than I usually would as a non-pregnant person and I am checking my blood sugars like a hawk as I’m so aware of the “what could happen” to the baby with having consistently high sugars.

So, regarding my sweet tooth… This recipe was one where I opened the cupboard, saw what I had and decided to just see what happened. I was absolutely blown away when I realised that I had created shortbread! It’s not baked, obviously, but it’s the closest to the real thing I have ever tried. This has now been made on 7 separate occurrences and trialled on lots of willing guinea pigs, and the response has been incredible! If I could package them up and sell them through my blog I definitely would as they are d.i.v.i.n.e.

I have started using more sweeteners recently, as I am being so careful with my blood sugars- and as I’ve got my sweet tooth back I want to be jolly careful. I did a big post on sweeteners a while back which you can read here, but generally I would suggest using only natural based sweeteners, my first choice being Stevia in its most unprocessed and rawest form.

Lastly, thank you for all your amazing comments, emails and messages on here and over social media, we were completely blown away by them all and I feel very excited to share lots more of my pregnancy journey with you over the coming weeks and months.

Raw Chocolate Shortbread Squares

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

A simple and delicious healthy chocolate shortbread recipe, without any need for baking!

Author: The Low Carb Kitchen

Recipe type: Treat, Pudding, Dessert,

Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian, Diabetic,

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 100g Ground Almonds (1 cup)
• 100g Dried Coconut / Desiccated Coconut (1 Cup)
• 2 TBSP Cashew Nut Butter(or alternative)
• 1 TBSP Sweetener
• 1 Pinch Salt
• 100g 85% chocolate (the higher the cocoa content, the lower the carbs / sugar)
• 1 TBSP Coconut Oil

Instructions

1. In to a food processor place ground almonds, dried coconut, cashew butter, sweetener and salt and blend until a bound consistency has formed (about 1-2 mins)
2. In to a silicon mould or a greased dish press down the mixture to form a flat base. I like to keep mine about ½-3/4 an inch thick, but you can have it as thin / thick as you want!
3. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes until solid
4. In to a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water melt your chocolate and coconut oil together and stir until fully combined
5. Now pour directly on to the shortbread base and place in freezer for about an hour until set
6. Remove from the freezer and allow to stand for about 15-20 minutes before using a sharp knife to cut squares
7. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge

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