Raw Vegan Durian Mooncakes

Over the weekend I posted some traditionally untraditional Halloween snowskin mooncakes made with rice flour and stuffed with delicious durian.

But I have issues with rice. It’s not just that I’m morally opposed to rice for because global warming (stop blaming cows: it’s rice) or that white rice is basically devoid of nutrients. I personally just don’t digest rice very well.  So at the same time that I was baking the glutinous rice flour for the other recipe, I whipped up these raw vegan sweeties just for moi. Turns out these are just plain delicious and my family preferred them to the rice flour ones too.

The inspiration for these raw vegan mooncakes comes from Noveauraw run by raw food and pastry chef Amie Sue. Her recipe has a filling of figs, sesame seeds, and walnuts, and she managed to use the molds to make her cakes beautiful and frilly.

But I think mine are better, because mine have durian inside (Also, walnuts ruin every dessert ever).

Since I had no molds, I simply pressed my cakes into an empty measuring cup. They came out looking like small flans. I was surprised at how malleable and sturdy the raw pastry was and how easily it molded around the filling.

I was also shocked at how just amazing almond extract and durian taste together. I didn’t think anything could improve on durian’s natural flavor, but this is seriously a match made in heaven.

I used carrot juice to give most of my cakes an orange hue appropriate for Halloween, but I also added cocoa powder to just a few to tempt my choco-holic (but not durian-holic) family. It worked; these were gobbled up as soon as I’d finished snapping the photos. It seems durian wrapped in chocolate is irresistible!

If you’re a raw foodist or have issues with rice like me, give this recipe a try. And thanks to Amie Sue for the inspiration.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of almond flour
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 5 tbsp maple sugar (you could use date paste, but this might effect the color)
• 1-2 tbsp carrot juice (for coloring)
• 1 tsp almond extract

Steps to Make Vegan Durian Mooncakes

1. Remove durian flesh from the shell and mash, discarding seeds.

2. Place small 1″ mounds of frozen durian on a cookie sheet and freeze for 15-20 minutes

3. Mix almond flour, coconut oil, and maple sugar. Add almond extract and then slowly add carrot juice, 1 tbsp at a time, being careful not to make the mixture too wet.

4. Form 2″ balls by rolling the dough between your palms.

5. Place the balls between two pieces of clear plastic wrap and roll flat with a rolling pin.

6. Remove durian flesh from the freezer and place one half-frozen blob on the flattened dough.

7. Using the plastic, fold the dough around the durian flesh. Smooth with your fingers and then roll the ball lightly around your palms to smooth.

8. Wrapped in plastic, place the dough in a measuring cup and press hard so that it will take on the shape of the mold.

 

9. Decorate like little pumpkins for Halloween.

10. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to harden up, and then slice into wedges to serve your raw vegan mooncakes.