Paleo Apple Chocolate Fudgies
Paleo means “prehistoric” or “primitive,” and now there’s the Paleo Diet, sometimes called the Primal Diet or Caveman Diet. The idea is, everything you eat has to be made from something a caveman or cavewoman could’ve eaten. So fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, fish and meat, honey and olives and herbs and spices, are all fine. But beans and grains, which have to be processed and prepared, are off limits. Dairy is off limits, too, because it comes from a domesticated animal. (You can’t really milk something wild…) And of course partially hydrogenated soybean oil and Red dye #5 are strictly verboten.
Of course no true caveman or cavewoman gathered around the cave fire, eating a “fudgie” made in a food processor with cacao from Africa, apples from Kazakhstan, and maple syrup from Vermont!
Cacao according to Adam: “Cacao is a profound antioxidant. Unfortunately, cacao is usually synonymous with processed chocolate — white sugar, white flour and hydrogenated oil. But it doesn’t have to be. For many of us, it’s also synonymous with bingeing. But it shouldn’t be… cacao is something we should consume in moderation and as been shown to reduce wrinkles, strengthen the structures of the vascular system, and improve circulation to the brain.”
Serves 12-16 9×13 pan; bake at 350 degrees
| 10 medjool dates, pitted | 1 C cacao powder |
| 4 excellent eggs | 1 C honey or Grade B maple syrup |
| 1 C Artisana acmadamia/cashew nut butter* | 1 C coconut flour or almond meal |
| 1 apple, quartered, cored | 1 tsp good salt |
| 2 Tbsp vanilla extract | 1 more apple, diced |
| 1 tsp baking soda | 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar |
| 1 tsp cinnamon |
Grease pan. Preheat the oven. In the workbowl of a food processor (using the steel blade), combine all ingredients except second apple, vinegar and baking soda. Pulse initial ingredients and then run machine for a minute. Add second diced apple with vinegar and baking soda and pulse 3-4 quick times just to incorporate. Using a rubber spatula, spoon batter into pan. Put pan into oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Put pan on rack. When cool, you can serve right away, but I like to put the pan of fudgies into the frig overnight to give the flavors a chance to meld. Want a frosting? Make one with another jar of macadamia/cashew nut butter whipped with honey or maple syrup.
*You can substitute another nut butter or even coconut oil here