White Xmas (raw)

I was never a fan of xmas pudding but every year I looked forward to Mrs Cousin's White Xmas (Mrs Cousin's was my cousin's other grandmother, confusing hey!). Sickly sweet (condensed milk) and coconut flavoured (copha) I can't even picture what she put in hers anymore but I still remember the feeling and the taste as I ate many of them throughout the day. I used to grab one sneakily, ever time I walked past
the beautiful laid table, complete with bon bon's and Xmas decoration. No one else seemed to like them as much as I did. Perhaps the adults in my family found them too sweet or just preferred the taste of sparkling wine! Maybe my cousins never discovered them? But every year I would compliment Mrs Cousin's and I seem to remember she was touched and grateful and a little embarrassed.

So about 3 years ago I decided to make a raw vegan version of them. Using healthier ingredients and putting my own modern twists on them. Straight away I thought of featuring dried cranberries and raw pistachio nuts as the 'Xmas' colours themed through my version of this Xmas classic. I love the cherry red colour and tartness of the dried cranberries and the green and purple tinged raw pistachio nuts. The chopped apricots add their own sweetness & tartiness too. Macadamia are always a favourite in any dish and they add crunch, texture and chunkiness to the whole dish.
To get the coconut flavour I loved so much, I added coconut oil & desiccated coconut. Using the rich raw cacao butter adds the more modern white chocolate twist found contemporary recipes of this traditional Xmas treat as well as setting these little squares firm and tasty.

Box up with red or green tissue paper or wrap in clear cellophane and ribbon for a simple but lovely Xmas gift for friends or family. 

Makes = 1x small rectangle tray (18cm wide x 28cm long)

Approximately 18 squares

1 cup Pistachio

1/2 cup macadamia's, roughly chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried apricots, very finely chopped

1/2 cup currents

1 tbs vanilla paste

1/2 cup coconut oil

300gm cacao butter, finely shaved

1 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup agave syrup

Firstly melt the cacao butter in a silver bowl, sitting in a large silver bowl with boiling water. Allow it to sit and melt while you gather the rest of the ingredients.

Combine all the fruit and nuts into a bowl and put aside.

Mix the coconut oil, vanilla paste, agave syrup and melted cacao butter together and combine thoroughly. Pour it into fruit and nuts and mix in the desiccated coconut.

Spoon into tin lined with baking paper and spread out fruit and nuts evenly the tray (see above photo).

Place in the fridge for several hours until set. Turn out onto a bread board (leave paper on) and cut with a warm knife, cleaning the knife between cuts.

Serve straight from the fridge as they melt quite quickly in the Australia Xmas time!

Box up for Xmas gifts!