Indulge In Chocolate No Bake Brownies

When we were searching for the perfect Easter chocolate treat it was a no-brainer to go to our friend Taline Gabrielian for the perfect recipe. Taline is the guru behind Hippie Lane, the instagram account that spurred a blog, app and now a cookbook. For many years Hippie Lane has been our fave place to head for guilt free raw treats (that cherry slice will always be a hit in our hearts!) and most recently with the launch of the cookbook, our go to for savoury delectable delights...those rainbow summer rolls are what dreams are made of!!

Taline has created this recipe especially for all of our lilys...enjoy!

Chocolate no-bake Easter Brownie 

(GF, Raw, VGN, RSF, serves 9-12)

Easter is a time to indulge in some rich, decadent and delicious chocolatey something, and I couldn’t resist an excuse to get dark and dirty with this all-natural Chocolate no-bake brownie.

Easy to prepare and with some fun colour additions to make the traditional cross on top of the thick gooey ganache, this recipe is your go-to for your Easter celebrations. Made to be shared with family and friends, the recipe produces a generous amount of brownie slices.

If you prefer to make less, halve the ingredients and set in a smaller tin.

Ingredients:

4 cups (900g) almonds

2 cups (240g) walnuts / pecans / macadamia nuts

2 1/2 cups (215g) coconut, shredded

3/4 cup (90g) cacao powder

1 cup (240ml) rice malt syrup

1 1/2 cups (225g) medjool dates

1/8 tsp salt

8-10 dark chocolate Easter eggs (optional)

Ganache

2 cups (480ml) coconut milk

3 cups (360g) dark sugar free chocolate, chopped

Cashew Cream for Cross Pattern

2 cups (300g) cashews (soaked for 2-3 hours)

½ cup (120ml) coconut oil

2/3 cup (160ml) rice malt syrup

¾ cup (180ml) coconut milk / non dairy milk

½ cup (120ml) filtered water (or non dairy milk)

½ tsp vanilla powder

1-2 tsp matcha powder

1-2 tbsp frozen blackberries

1-2 tbsp frozen raspberries

Method:

1. Place almonds, walnuts / pecans or macadamia nuts, coconut, cacao powder, and salt in the food processor and process till small crumbs form.

2. Add dates and rice malt and process. You want the mixture to be well combined and sticky.

3. Transfer the brownie mix into a 24cm square tin lined with baking paper and press down evenly.

4. Press Easter eggs (optional) randomly in the brownie mixture and set in freezer for 1-2 hours.

5. To make the chocolate ganache, add chopped chocolate and coconut milk to a medium sized saucepan and stir over medium heat until chocolate has melted and thickened. Remove from heat.

6. Pour the ganache over the top of the brownie and spread evenly.

7. Place in freezer for 3-4 hours or until set.

8. To make the cashew cream, drain and rinse cashews and blitz in high speed blender* or processor with coconut oil, rice malt, coconut milk, water and vanilla. Mixture should be smooth and creamy.

9. Divide cream mixture into three parts.

10. Place one of the three back in the blender / processor with matcha powder and whizz till combined and green in colour. Pour green cashew cream into a glass / bowl and set in fridge till firm (2+ hours)

11. Rinse the blender / processor and place one of the remaining two cashew mixtures back in the blender / processor with blackberries and whizz till smooth and purple in colour. Pour into a glass and set in fridge til firm (2+ hours).

12. Place final cashew mixture into blender / processor with raspberries and blend till smooth and pink in colour. Set in fridge till firm (2+ hours).

13. Once the brownie is firm and the coloured cashew cream is set, remove brownie tin from freezer and cut brownie into squares.

14. Scoop green mixture into a cake decorating tube / piping bag and create a cross pattern on 2-3 brownie squares. Repeat process with purple and pink filling.

Best eaten 15-30 minutes after removing

The wonderful Taline in Tigerlily archives as seen in Hippie Lane the cookbook

And while we had Taline in our hot little hands we couldn't let her get away without the usual batch of Tigerlily questions...

Your food presentation is so very beautiful! What inspires you to create these delectable pieces of art?

Aw thank you! I’m passionate about all things heath and am really into aesthetics - I’ve simply merged my two interests and my food presentation and styling are the result. Power couple!

Who do you enjoy sharing your meals with most?

My friends and family for sure. My cookbook is all about sharing - gathering around a table of beautiful nourishing food with your favourite people and sharing a passion for life, love and health collectively. My belief is that food brings people together. It’s over an amazing meal that we feel alive - where we share stories, discuss life, and talk about our hopes and dreams… it’s where the magic happens.

What is your favourite ingredient to use?

Ohh, that’s a hard one - I have so many! But being an avocado freak, I’d say a perfectly ripe avocado - Full of nutrition, good fats and it’s irresistibly creamy texture, a good avocado is perfection. Extremely versatile and deliciously satisfying, avocado goes well with many savoury dishes, including salads, breakfast and warm meals and adds texture to smoothies and desserts. An all-rounder!

Hippie Lane; food that tastes as good as it looks

Travel is a big source of inspiration for us at Tigerlily and is a big part of your lifestyle also, where has been your favourite city or country to visit for their food?

I love Europe - visiting the Mediterranean and Middle East is pure soul food for me. When I visit cities and villages in and around Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia and Greece, I’m reminded of the tastes and smells of my culture and I find myself feeling happily nostalgic. We share many similar meals, and each region has their own twist. I love trying out the differences and getting inspiration to play around with different spices and techniques based on my new experiences in each region. I visited Turkey in September last year and it seriously blew my mind. Food, fashion, style, coastline, the varied terrain - amazing and inspiring in every way.

Taline, as seen in Hippie Lane the cookbook, wearing Tigerlily archives

Thank you for this incredible recipe that you have shared with us, we can’t wait to give it a go! Do you have a memory that you can share about your no-bake chocolate brownie?

I’m a chocolate girl - I grew up obsessed with cadbury, nutella and milo - anything with a hint of chocolate and I’m in! Many of my treat recipes are inspired by tastes from my childhood and this Easter recipe is no different. With a decadent spread of chocolate ganache and a pop of colour and fun with the cross pattern, it’s a no fuss take on a double chocolate brownie. The chocolate ganache and sneaky easter egg addition makes it a little more indulgent than my usual recipes, but we need a little naughty in our lives from time to time - especially at Easter, right?!

With your new book, Hippie Lane The Cookbook recently released, what treasures should we expect to find inside?

So much! The book, my first cookbook, was released on the 1st April and I’m so excited to share! Essentially the book is all things beautiful and healthy with plant based recipes that are free of gluten and refined sugar. There are 110 triple tested recipes which includes all the necessities to live a balanced and healthy life - You’ve got vibrant fruit based breakfasts along with some warm nourishing options, my top 5 favourite smoothie recipes, easy and relish snacks, power lunches including bliss bowls and salads with amazing dressings, dinner for weeknights and date nights, and weekend food that includes brunch options and the perfect ‘sharing with friends’ type of food. I’m all about sharing and gatherings so many of my recipes are created with this in mind.

I was fortunately given free rein to design the book to my own aesthetic, and I was really lucky to be given the approval to include my travel pics and inspirational wellness quotes within the book, to offer a balanced holistic approach to living a healthy life. The recipes included are inspired by health trends, my cultural roots and classic childhood favourites. A fabulous mix of all the faves that’ll get you excited to get messy in the kitchen, and give you the confidence to get serious about health and make healthy a lifestyle as you succeed in recipe creating from the book. Flavour and practicality was my upmost priority when planning the recipes for the book so my hope is that the recipes will fit perfectly into your life and that they will become staples for you.

Explore Hippie Lane and the new cookbook here

The ultimate spread...colourful food that tastes as good as it looks by Taline Gabrielian