Anise has long been a used as a digestive aid, so this raw licorice makes for a great digest if or light dessert after a heavy meal. It’s also a perfect and packable afternoon or anytime pick-me-up!
Raw Licorice [Vegan]
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried Black Mission figs, firmly packed
- 1 cup prunes, firmly packed
- 1/2 tsp. natural anise flavoring or extract (or more for a more intense anise flavor)
- 20 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)
- 1 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil
- 3 small pinches of Himalayan or sea salt (or to taste)
- anise seeds, for garnish
- warm filtered water, for soaking
Preparation
- Remove the woody stems of the figs.
- Place the figs and prunes in a large bowl. Add enough warm filtered water to cover, and allow to soak for 5 minutes.
- Drain the figs and prunes in a colander, reserving at least a 1/2 cup of the soaking water. Press the fruit gently to remove water.
- Place the soaked figs and prunes in the basin of a food processor. Add anise, stevia, and a pinch or two of salt.
- Process until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to process, add water by the tablespoonful until a good blending texture is achieved. The mixture should be very thick and sticky.
- When a smooth texture has been achieved, taste, and add additional anise, sea salt, or stevia if desired.
- Spread a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter, and spoon the licorice dough onto one-half of the paper with a spatula.
- Flatten the dough with a spatula, then fold over the other half of the paper to cover.
- Roll the paper-covered dough with a rolling pin (a large jar works, too) or firmly press down with hands until equally distributed and pancake-like (about 1/4th
- Carefully peel away the paper and sprinkle with anise seeds and/or sea salt for garnish, if desired.
- Re-cover the licorice and place on a cookie sheet or in a large glass baking dish.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight to set.
- Slice into squares with a sharp knife. Serve immediately, or store in a container in the freezer, layers of licorice separated by parchment paper. – 1/8th inch thick.
Notes
By Willa Kammerer, guest via Kibby's Blended Life
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