Even though I know it isn’t true, sometimes it seems like I am the only vegan in a world of omnivores. This feeling has been especially strong lately since my number one, live-in, raw vegan taste tester just moved across the country. Making the food is only half the fun. The other half is sharing it with others who are just excited to try it as I am.
I couldn’t be more grateful for my willing, non-raw vegan taste testers, but they tend to be a bit more skeptical than excited. They naturally compare things to their familiar, conventional counterparts, expecting an identical match. My sister (a.k.a. number one taste tester), now in Oregon, was always elated to try my raw interpretations, taking them for what they were. We would usually go back and forth, exclaiming over how amazing a new recipe tasted, while devouring the whole batch. Non-raw, non-vegan taste testers may be tougher critics, but I can’t help missing the shared excitement of a fellow fruity eater.
These little morsels are my low-fat raw vegan take on turtles. Crunchy mulberries and gooey caramel make for wonderful textural contrast. These guys get pretty messy if left out of the freezer. Not that that is a bad thing, but some finger-licking may be necessary.
Caramel Mulberry Clusters (a.k.a. LFRV Turtles)
Makes 8
Caramel
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup dried white mulberries
Chocolate
2 bananas
1 1/2 tbsps cacao powder
- Blend the dates, water, and vanilla until smooth. If it gets stuck add a little more water.
- Stir in the mulberries.
- Spoon 8 large dollops onto a plate. Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Blend together the banana and cacao powder for the chocolate until smooth.
- Remove the caramel clusters from the freeze. Generously spoon the chocolate on top of each cluster, letting it drip down the sides.
- Place the clusters back in the freezer for 30 minutes so the chocolate can harden.
- Store in the freezer.
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