Chocolate Spread (Shared by Alvina Foo)

Chocolate Sprouted Seed Spread

Available at Blooms The Chemist Nowra Mall store

Ingredients:
1 cup of dates + 100mL of water
1 cup of sunflower seeds 
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
Half of the flesh from fresh coconut
1 cup of sultanas
1 1/3 cup of cacao powder
1 vanilla bean
A pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup of water



Method:

• Soak the seeds in water for 6-8 hours. 
• Soften the dates by soaking in 100mL of water. 
• Drain the water from the seeds and give them a rinse. Pour the seeds and 1/4 cup of water into the Blender.
• Set it to "high", blend till you get a gritty texture. Transfer the seed paste into a large mixing bowl. 



Coconut Flesh

• Add the coconut flesh, dates (and the water that the dates were soaked in), sultanas, salt and the remaining water into the blender.
• Use a small sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthways, then scrape the seeds from inside the bean into the blender.
• Blend until it becomes a paste, transfer it into the same mixing bowl as the seeds.
• Add the cacao powder and mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.

Chocolate Sprouted Seed Spread

A word about sprouting…

Just in case you were wondering why I soaked the seeds. 

Seeds and nuts contain enzyme inhibitors, these enzyme inhibitors allow the seeds to be in hibernation. Otherwise, we'd be buying potplants rather than seeds! 

By soaking the seeds, we start the germinating process. This process changes the composition of the seeds:

• It increases nutrients especially Vitamin B groups.
• It produces Vitamin C.
• It unlocks various minerals and make it available for the body to absorb. 
• It releases digestives enzymes such as proteases and papaine.