Pumpkin Seed Cakes

We have several reasons to celebrate today.

Number one. We started Green Kitchen Stories for exactly one year ago! It has been an unbelievable year, during which we have learned to know food loving people from all around the world. We are so incredibly grateful for all your cheering e-mails, tweets and comments. And even though we don’t answer all of you (shame on us), we read every single comment (more than once), and almost all the time they make us soooo happy (sometimes – very rarely – they make us a little bit sad and confused). So keep letting us know what you think about our recipes and stories and we will keep sharing healthy treats and vegetarian dinners.

Number two. Today is the first day on David’s paternity leave. And in less than two days we start our around the world trip! It’s such a perfect timing since Elsa becomes happier and funnier for every day that goes by. She is the kind of baby that never wants to sit where we put her, she always tries to stand up and look around, so we are quite certain that she will enjoy traveling.

Number three. We have decided where to go after 2 ½ months in USA. It’s pretty exciting. We just bought tickets to Beijing, Vietnam and Thailand!

It seems like we deserve a cake today, right?

Since we are leaving, our kitchen cabinets look pretty empty. We did find a bag of pumpkin seeds and a couple of dates, and that was all we needed to make these super easy mini cakes. We also made two different mousses and topped them with a fig. You could have any kind of filling on these, and since the cakes are quite sweet you don’t even have to add sugar to it.

Pumpkin Seed Cakes
Makes 8 mini cakes

1 cup pumpkin seeds
8 fresh dates

Divide the pumpkin seeds into three equal piles. Add the first pile into a blender and blend for 20 seconds. Add the dates and the second pile of the pumpkin seeds and blend until it becomes a sticky dough. You might need to help the blender by stirring around with a spoon. It gets easily stuck to the blender. Add the rest of the pumpkin seeds and blend for a short while, the point is to get a crunchy structure with seeds in diefferent sizes. Make 8 small balls with your hands and press them until they are 1/2 inch thick and 3 inch wide. Put in the fridge while making the mousses.

Raw Chocolate Mousse
1 avocado
1 ripe banana
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp raw cacao nibs
1 tbsp blueberries

Mix all the ingredients in a blender for about 45 seconds.

Lime Yoghurt Mousse
½ cup quark (or greek yoghurt that you’ve strained through a coffee filter for 30 minutes)
½ lime, juice
½ vanilla bean

Put the yoghurt in a bowl and whisk in lime and vanilla.

2 fresh figs for decoration, cut in boats.

Arrange the 8 mini cakes on a plate, put a dollop of mousse on each of them and decorate with a fig. Serve cold.

36 Comments

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  • I am sure you will enjoy your trip to Beijing, Vietnam and Thailand. Of the three, I love Thailand the most! Delicious food and warm and friendly people. Have fun and look forward to read your trip post.
  • These cakes are adorable, I saw them on tastespotting and I had to come over and take a look (although I know all your stuff is fab anyway!). Congrats on the paternity leave, and I am so exited for your upcoming trip, it sounds nothing short of amazing. If you are in San Diego when you visit the US be sure to shoot me an email! :)
  • i just found you from tastespotting.com. i feel fortunate because i get to try this recipe, but also be joyful for your 3 blessings. wow, paternity leave, china and south east asia with a 1 year blogoversary. count me in as a new google reader subscriber. i will live vicariously through your blog trips
  • I made these today for my daughter. She looooved them! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I linked back to your recipe, hope you don't mind!
  • Helt underbart! Hoppas ni har det toppen! Dock fick jag lite prestationsångest över min mammaledighet nu... :) Njut! Och stort grattis (lite sent) på ett årsdagen!
  • Happy belated Blogaversary!!!! And bon voyage! Just think of all that food you'll be eating... I'm so jealous!
  • Those cakes look delicious. I have never tried making raw desserts at home, but these look pretty easy. Have a great time on your trip.
  • Julia Lucia
    Enjoying the recipes and thanking you for the vicarious experience of freer, healthier living.....please keep on with the goodness. Safe journeys!
  • Love the colors here! I hope you have an AMAZING time on your trip. Can't wait to hear all about it!
  • These look wonderful, I'm definitely going to try them, and the avocado chocolate mousse! Congratulations on your first year, and enjoy your trip!
  • can't wait to meet you guys. don't forget to stop by Santa Cruz so we can have our Sunday dinner together. Baby Maria can play with baby Elsa. It will be a party. I promise to cook something healthy and stay away from my usual deep frying.
  • how beautiful and simple..a perfect combination! And your pictures just get more lovely with every post! Have a blessed and wonderful trip! Bon voyage :)
  • Valeria
    Congratulations, it's been one great year following your blog, and I'm looking forward to many more. Best of luck traveling.
  • Congratulations on your blog's first anniversary! It is visually lovely and every recipe I've tried has been delicious and made me feel healthier for eating it! All the best with your adventurous travelling - I'm sure it will exciting on many levels... and in Asia they will be delighted to see a foreign baby! You will get a lot of attention :-) Enjoy!!
  • Cakes made out of pumpkin seeds is brilliant! But the real highlight of this is the beautiful piece of fig you have on top. Just gorgeous!
  • What a simple, beautiful treat this is. I love chocolate avocado mousse; it never fails me, but your inclusion of blueberries sounds especially lovely! The pumpkin seed cakes look like the perfect afternoon snack! Congratulations on one year of wonderful blogging!
  • Oh and congratulations on your first year! Cheers for many more successful posts in the coming year and lots of traffic to the site! I'll be sure to spread the word on your wonderful blog:)
  • Oooooh to be so foot loose and fancy free and spin the bottle choosing where to go! Good for you, enjoy your journey, and we'll come along for the ride right here! These cakes look divine. I've done a raw tart shell with almonds and dates and I added just 1/2 to 1 tbsp of filtered water and it was a little easier to blend and handle and it didn't harm the consistency at all- but I was using a food processor. I love how simple these raw recipes are. When I bake, it seems I have to unearth so many different ingredients and I am measuring this and that- raw recipes are such a cinch, taste way better and are sooo much healthier!! Thanx for this pumpkin one- I'll be sure to give it a go!
  • Congrats for your anniversary, it´s a really nice blog ...
  • How exciting! I am truly happy for you all and wish you the best of travels! I look forward to reading about your adventures! Maria x
  • These look incredibly satisfying for my sweet tooth! Beijing, Vietnam and Thailand, oh my, what a trip! I wish you 3 the best travels!
  • ja hoppas ni kommer uppdatera bloggen ofta fast ni är på andra sidan jorden, så vi som saknar er här hemma kan följa med er på er (kulinariska) resa! längtar redan tills vi ses i vinter! fly safe. pussokram från mig o lilla issa
  • This looks so amazing! I have to try it... p.s. Love your site.
  • Mums! Fasen vad jag kommer sakna er! Ses ikväll...
  • yum! they look so lovely! some of my favorite inventions are those that come from bare cupboard necessity :)
  • Congratulation to your anniversary! Your blog is still one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing all those great food!
  • OhmyGOSH!! I feel so good every time I visit your blog. It really gives the feel of a green and healthy kitchen stories :-) LOVE the recipe and what gorgeous photographs! I'm drooling :-)

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