This homemade fudge is made from creamed coconut, cashews and dates unlike traditional fudge recipes of butter, sugar, milk and cream.
This homemade fudge is made from creamed coconut, cashews and dates unlike traditional fudge recipes of butter, sugar, milk and cream. Coconut has many therapeutic benefits. It helps to energise, stabilise blood sugar, boost metabolism whilst being antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral as well. Ingredients like vanilla, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, carob, cocoa, dates, raisins, apricots would all work well with this fudge recipe.
So what’s creamed coconut?
Creamed coconut (also known as coconut concentrate and coconut butter) is made by grinding dehydrated coconut meat into a semi-solid creamy paste. Don’t confuse it with coconut cream, which is a thick liquid produced from simmering shredded coconut in water and then straining. Also, don’t confuse creamed coconut with coconut milk, which is a more fluid than coconut cream.
There are many health benefits using creamed coconut in cooking. Coconut is full fibre, vitamins, minerals and beneficial fats like the easily digestible medium-chain fatty acids: lauric and capric acid.
Some health benefits of consuming coconut include:
- Prevents bacterial, viral, and fungal infections
- Improves digestive disorders particularly those related to gut dysbiosis
- Supports thyroid function, metabolism and the production of energy
- May help with weight loss and maintaining healthy body weight
- Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Helps control blood sugar and improve poor energy
Date and Cashew Coconut Fudge
Look for creamed coconut, preferably organic made from coconut and no added ingredients like sulphur dioxide.
This recipe yields around 25 pieces of delicious fudge:
Ingredients
200g creamed coconut
2 tbsp chopped cashews
3-4 dates
1 tbsp date syrup (optional)
1tsp vanilla extract
- On opening the creamed coconut block, the coconut fat usually separates out from the coconut meat (that’s the hard block).
- Roughly chop the coconut meat into small pieces
- Next put the coconut fat and the coconut meat into a pan and gently warm.
- Whilst the coconut is melting chop the dates and cashews into small pieces
- When the coconut has melted, add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of date syrup.
- Then add the chopped dates and cashew nuts. As you can see the mixture hardens a bit
- Check the flavour, adjust if necessary. Next empty the coconut paste into a glass container
- Flatten the coconut paste down and sprinkle over some cashews
- Put the fudge into the fridge and chill until firm
Cut the fudge up into small pieces after it has chilled.
Other ingredients like peanuts, pistachios, carob, cocoa, raisins, apricots etc would all work well with this fudge recipe.