~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

I have found a new addiction!  If you are a black licorice lover,  these little gems will tantalize your taste buds!   Right now in my health journey, I am learning to increase my intake of healthy fats.

It’s a long story and I won’t bore you with the details but my goal is to take in 6 Tbsp of organic cold-pressed coconut oil, daily.  Therefore,  I am working on finding new and exciting ways of incorporating it into my diet.  But along with increasing my fats I am decreasing my sugars, omitting them actually.  So, I went into the kitchen, opened the spice drawer, and got busy.

Fennel!  Do you have fennel in your spice drawer?  If not, why not?!  I make a mean pot of vegan chili where I really learned to use it as an ingredient.  Remember, I am a recovering spice-a-phobic.

Fennel is an edible, herb that resembles dill.  I know they look like something that would be fun to pick out of your teeth but fennel is very effective for digestive problems.  Fennel seeds may be chewed on after every meal or even more often, about 2-3 grams at a time.  I’ve read that a daily intake of about 1½ teaspoons is recommended.

Fennel may be also be brewed as a tea. For this, boil about 1/2 teaspoon of seeds in 1 cup of water.  Let the water boil for about 5 minutes while keeping the pot covered.  Cool the mixture and enjoy.  Fennel seeds often provide quick and effective relief from many digestive disorders. They help to overcome gas, cramps, acid indigestion, and many other digestive tract maladies.  The seeds taste like licorice when chewed.

OK, enough factual information, let’s get down to the really good stuff…

Ingredients:

Yields 8 (1 Tbsp bark chips)

• 1/2 cup raw cold-pressed coconut oil or raw coconut butter, softened
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp liquid stevia
• Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Preparation:

1. Prepare the molds by placing them on a flat cookie tray… this will make it easier when transporting the trays to the freezer.
2. Soften the coconut oil by placing the coconut container in a bowl filled with hot water.  Do not completely melt it, just warm it to a softened stage.  The reason for keeping the coconut oil at a soft stage rather than melted is because when the oil is pure liquid all of the added ingredients sink to the bottom of the mold.  With the coconut oil at a soft, thick stage everything will remain suspended in the oil.
3. Add the cinnamon, fennel seeds, and stevia.  Using a spatula, mix everything together until well combined.
4. Pour into molds  (tap the mold on the countertop to even the filling out) and freeze.  Once frozen, pop them out and store them in an air-tight, freezer-proof container.  I used the Wilton mold, model # 2115-2160.
5. Note: these will melt at room temp so it is best to pull one out and eat right away.

Nutritional value per treat (1 Tbsp)

Calories – 119 / Fat – 13.7 g / Carbs 0.4 g / Protein 0.1 g