I’ve been in a rut. Stuck. I’ve been making the same handful of things over and over, spending the least amount of time in the kitchen as possible. Living on giant bowls of fresh sweet cherries and big shredded cabbage salads. Delicious, but nothing to write about.
Then along comes the Raw Mini Pie challenge from the great Lisa and Nicole. I’ve entered their previous two challenges, the cake pop challenge and the ice cream sandwich challenge. Okay, okay, I’ll get off my butt and come up with something.
Besides, I’ve been looking for an excuse to use these:
Scandinavian Sandbakkel Tins
Aren’t they cute? They’re Scandinavian Sandbakkel tins. You’re supposed to use them to make these insanely buttery cookies. I picked them up at a garage sale a year or two ago, and they’ve sat in my cupboard ever since. Mocking me. (Um, I don’t like insanely buttery cookies. Why did I buy them? Apparently, I’m a slave to nostalgic heritage. I mean I am part Scandinavian. So, I should like them. Right? Just like I should like rosettes and krumkake and lefse.)
Anyway, they make the perfect mini pie tins. Yay!
And, how beautiful are these cherries?
Chopped Sweet Cherries
It’s the height of cherry season around here. I could live on these.
Well, maybe on those and chocolate.
Let’s put them together, shall we?
A chocolate cherry pie for one. Mmm....
Triple Chocolate Cherry Pie (raw, vegan, grain-free)
Crust
1 cup (112 g) raw cashews
1/3 cup (73 g) packed, pitted dates
1/4 cup (30 g) raw cacao powder
1 T. (14 g.) melted coconut oil
2 T (20 g) dried cherries
Put cashews in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until you have a very fine meal. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. Divide dough between your tins and press into tins. (I made 5 sandbakkel tins and 1 mini tart. I used a heaping tablespoon for each sandbakkel tin and a couple of tablespoons for the mini tart.) Put prepared tins into the fridge.
Cherry Filling
1 1/3 cups chopped sweet cherries (about 2 cups whole cherries) (divided use)
1/3 cup chopped tart cherries
1/3 cup dried bing cherries
2 T. raw agave syrup
1 t. ground chia seed
Put the 1 cup of sweet cherries in a bowl with a cover and set aside. In the bowl of the food processor, put the 1/3 cup sweet cherries, the tart cherries, the dried cherries, and the agave syrup. Process until syrupy. Add the chia seed and pulse to combine. Pour mixture over reserved chopped cherries, stir, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. (Can be left overnight.)
Whipped Chocolate Topping
100 g. young coconut meat (this was just under 1 full coconut)
3 t. raw agave syrup
1/2 T. raw cacao powder
2 t. ground chia seeds
seeds scraped from 1/2 inch vanilla bean
Put all ingredients into the bowl of a small blender. (I used a magic bullet type blender.) Blend until smooth. Chill at least 30 minutes.
To assemble
Place 1 heaping tablespoon cherry filling into each sandbakkel tin. Top with a spoonful of chocolate whipped topping. If desired, sprinkle with a few raw cacao nibs.
Interested in more seasonal recipes? Check out Seasonal Sundays. Or how about recipes containing good for you foods like cherries and cacao (oh okay – or veggies)? Then, check out Wellness Weekends. For more slightly indulgent recipes, check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.
The Mommy Bowl 
Wow!!! I love how you used so many different varieties of cherries. What a fantastic entry. Thank you for participating. You always create something spectacular.
Thanks Lisa. I love that tart cherries and sweet cherries and dried cherries all have their own unique flavor profile, and I love putting them together. Of course, I’m one of those crazy people can can eat tart cherries by the handful, too. I pretty much just love cherries. 🙂
WOW! Sorry, I had to echo VeganLisa’s comment. These look incredible!! You are definitely not in a rut with these babies. Not at all. I love challenges like these although I don’t need to add another thing to my plate (pun intended). Awesome job, Deanna!
Shirley
Thank you Shirley. The raw challenges are a lot of fun – and perfect for when it’s just too hot to cook.
Deanna, you are a raw treat superpower!! I love all your creations, but the raw sweets always amaze me. These are not only gorgeous to look at, they sound like my ideal dessert–chocolate AND fresh cherries (and more than one kind!). Spectacular.
Thanks Ricki! The kiddo’s dad just tried it and said it was the best use of raw cherries he’d ever had. The kiddo, on the other hand, decided he doesn’t like cherries. Oh well. Can’t please them all, right? (More for me.)
Gorgeous and SO enticing! Supremely cherrylicious as well; I love that you use 3 different varieties. The little sandbakkel tins ARE super-cute!
Thanks so much Amber.
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Yum, that looks unreal Deanna!
Thanks Alisa!
That is incredible. I am a nut for cherries. I’ve pretty much been living off fresh cherries when I can lately too. Especially rainier cherries (which i just discovered this year)
The rainier cherries are harder to come by around here. We get a lot of Door County cherries (fairly local). But, they’re not rainier, usually. (Occasionally if I get to the farmer’s market early enough I can get some.) They’re all good, though. So, I’m not complaining. 🙂
Clearly you and I were having the same exact craving this week!!! I love how our recipes are similar but so very different. Just goes to show how many different ways something can be made 🙂 I LOVE that you used the little tins. I recently got my hands on some too and have been just waiting for the right opportunity to use them.
You inspire me!!
ps. anxiously waiting for the Sunflower seed brownie recipe! xoxo
Thanks so much, Brittany. The brownie recipe will come soon. I’m out of palm sugar and the store I buy it at is out, too. Yikes! I’ve been avoiding paying a ton at whole foods or some place like that. But, I might have to break down and do it. Or order some or something.
And yes, I saw your chocolate cherry pie, too – and it’s beautiful! But definitely different. Isn’t that funny how the same two components can result in vastly different dishes? 🙂
(You inspire me, too – you know.)
What a delicious flavour combination. I love that you used a few different varieties of cherries. Thanks for entering yet another fabulous recipe!
Thanks Nicole. I love your contests. They always get my brain a-spinnin’.
WOW. What a fabulous way to end a rut!
Thanks, Donna. Much appreciated. 🙂
Ohh, these look so decadent! I love cherries, and they’re almost affordable right now since they’re in season! And while bowls of cherries and cabbage DO sounds pretty darn good, I wouldn’t say no to one of those pies…
Thanks!
Thankfully, there haven’t been any bowls with both cherries and cabbage at the same time. Though, that does make me wonder if it’s possible to combine those two things. Hm….
Ah the weirdo thoughts of food bloggers, eh?
Well, I don’t see how that could be bad–throw in some almond slivers and a few other veggies, and I don’t see how that’s any different from a salad with strawberries or mandarin oranges on top. I think your food-blogging-thoughts just might be on to something 🙂
My brain was going to a cherry lime dressing type of thing. But, yah, almond slivers could work nicely into that, couldn’t they?
Wow, these are gorgeous and well worth the wait! =D Chocolate and cherry has to be one of my favorite combinations – hoping Whole Foods has organic cherries this afternoon!
I saw organic Rainier cherries at Whole Foods on Sunday, and conventional Bings. Hope yours has them, too. 🙂
Oooo, that looks delicious 🙂 Once again, great minds think alike, I definitely thinking of cherry something as well for this contest!
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Stunning!! What a fantastic recipe. What a beautiful presentation and your photography is beautiful–what a gift. I adore cherries as well but they are soooo expensive to buy organic and I can’t eat them otherwise. When I want to splurge I buy some, pathetic isn’t it. I don’t lead the most exciting life but I love my life (5 home schooled kiddos + hubby) just the same!!
Peace and Raw Health,
Elizabeth
Thanks! I’m working on the photography. It’s an on-going learning process. And, I hear ya on the organic cherries. I shop the sales. But, sometimes I cave and get conventional ones. It’s such a short season. And, I love them soooo much!
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These look incredible!
Thank you!
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