Sweets and Desserts

Sep
6

Raw Coconut Cherry Pie with Cashew Cream

Who doesn’t love cherries?! They’re so beautiful and flavorful. They are rich in vitamin C and are considered a super-fruit. Their season is short so I knew I had to do something quick with the bag of sweet cherries I got. The first thing I thought about is the color. That’s the real “food coloring” of nature, without the chemicals! Mixing the cherries with the coconut cream makes a pretty purple, then topping the pie with fresh cherries over the white cashew cream and I got two colors for the price of one… There is no baking here, just a lot of blending and cherry pitting.

For the look of clean lines of the pie layers, you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes between each layer of cream to allow it to set and prevent the layers from mixing. This decadent pie is so rich and full of nutrients, it is hard to eat more than one piece, which makes it almost a guilt-free dessert 🙂

Before you start, remember to soak the cashew in filtered water for at least 4 hours (preferably in the fridge).

Ingredients

Crust:

1½ Cup Walnuts

1 Cup Pecans (I used small American Native Pecans)

2 Tbsp Water (more if needed)

1½ Cups Pitted Medjool Dates

½ Cup Shredded Coconut

1½ tsp Coconut Oil

½ tsp Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

Cashew Cream:

2 Cups Soaked Raw Organic Cashews

½ Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

Cherry Coconut Cream:

2 Cups Pitted Cherries

½ Cup Coconut Cream (Cream = Not the coconut milk)

½ Cup Coconut “Meat”

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preparation

Crust:

Put all ingredients for the crust into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Note that sometimes the dates are a bit dry and need more water to help bind it all together. Add water only if needed.

Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan. You will need to do some patch work to spread evenly.

Place the crust in the fridge to set and harden.

Cashew Cream:

Soak the cashews for a minimum of four hours. Wash and drain.

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender (A good high-speed blender is important, you want the cashew cream to be super smooth with no pieces)

Place cream over the crust and put in the freezer to set.

Cherry Coconut Cream:

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Add this layer of cream onto the pie and freeze to set.

Finally, top the pie with a layer of cherry halves and serve.

* You can freeze the pie. If you do, don’t forget to thaw it ten minutes before serving.

Category: Blog, Gluten Free, Holidays, Party, Raw, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Aug
31

Vegan Sesame Halva “Milk”

The first time I took a sip of this amazing “milk” was at a Vegan cooking class. The chef teaching was Adam Sobel, the awesome owner of the famous Vegan Food Truck: “The Cinnamon Snail”.

Immediately, it reminded me of the taste of Halva, which is a Mediterranean sesame sweet treat. I think it really should be called liquid Halva. It could be a base for shakes, ice creams and other desserts. So easy to make and you will not believe how good it tastes!

If you’re in New York City go see the Cinnamon Snail, there is nothing like it, they are very friendly and the food is amazing!

Ingredients

1 Cup Unroasted Sesame Seeds

3 ½ Cups of Cold Water (1 Cup for soaking + 2½ Cups to add later)

5 Tbs. Maple Syrup

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Tbs Coconut Butter (Oil)

1tsp. Sea Salt

Pinch of Cinnamon for serving (optional)

Preparation

Soak the sesame seeds in 1 cup water for 30 minutes.

1. Blend The soaked sesame seeds with the water in a high power blender.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again.

3. Strain through a fine mesh bag like this one. (If you don’t care for smoothness than this step is optional)

Enjoy!

Category: Blog, Breakfast, Drinks, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Party, Raw, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Aug
31

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote with Coconut Cream and Granola Crunch

If you have a dinner party and want to impress your guests, this is a recipe to go with. It is a real party of flavors, textures and colors. Creamy and crunchy, sweet and tart all in one individual treat with presentation so beautiful it will look like you cheated and ordered from a five star restaurant. 😉

It has three steps and it is really not hard to make. Now you may ask what is a rhubarb?! Thats what I said when I first saw it, It looks like a red celery stalk but is tart in flavor and is super nutritious. It pairs perfectly with the strawberries and cream in this recipe.

*Use only the rhubarb stalk, not the leaves!

*It’s important to refrigerate a can of full fat Coconut Milk (not the light one) beforehand.

Ingredients

1 Cup Fresh Berries of your choice, to top the dessert (I used raspberries)

Compote:

2 Cups Rhubarb

2 Cups Sliced Strawberries

½ Cup Maple Syrup + 2 Tbs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Lemon Zest

Coconut Cream:

1 Can of Full Fat Coconut milk (keep cold in fridge)

3 tsp Powdered Sugar

½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Granola Crunch:

1 ¼ Cup Chopped Pecans

1 Cup Rolled Oats

1 Cup Quinoa Flour (you can use any flour)

½ Cup Sunflower Seeds

¹⁄3 Cup Maple Syrup

¼ Cup Coconut Oil

½ tsp Vanilla Extract

½ tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp Salt

Mint and fruit for garnish. I used raspberry.

Preparation

For the compote:

Preheat oven 400º F

Cut the rhubarb into ½ inch pieces

Combine with the maple syrup. Bake for 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.

Transfer the baked maple-coated rhubarb to a small pot.

Add vanilla and more maple syrup (2 Tbs).

Add the lemon juice and zest.

Bring to a boil but watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn, cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes more.

Turn off the fire and add the strawberries.

Set aside to cool and start the coconut cream.

Granola Crunch:

Lower the oven to 350º F

Mix the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Let cool down and break into individual pieces.

Try not to eat it all before the dessert is ready to serve!

The Coconut Cream:

Coconut is one of the greatest ingredients. It’s nature’s source for oil, butter, milk and cream (without stealing milk from baby cows and without the hormones and antibiotics thank you!).

Coconut cream is the ultimate replacement for heavy cream. Plus it’s much more tasty in my opinion!

This cream is versatile. I use it in savory dishes, like curry or asian dishes and in sweet desserts.

Flip the chilled can of Coconut Milk upside down, open it and pour out the liquid.

Scoop out the cream into a mixing bowl and whip with a hand mixer.

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla gradually until fluffy .

Here is a helpful link on: How to make the whipped coconut cream.

To serve:

Scoop the compote mixture into a dessert glass. Layer with coconut cream. Stand the granola crunch on top. Garnish with fruit and mint leaves.

Category: Blog, Holidays, Party, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Aug
16

Vegan Vanilla Banana French Toast

Since I became a mom, every weekend breakfast is special. There is more time to make it and its the only breakfast we have together as a family. When I was a child, my father was in charge of breakfast on weekends. We used to wait for his “Bird in the nest” toasted sandwich quietly so to let mom sleep till late. In my case, there are no more birds, no nests and my hubby’s cooking expertise includes only one thing: Popcorn. and even than, when he makes it, the kitchen looks like a war zone… Hey, but no complaints here! he makes the best popcorn ever! ;).

One of my daughter’s favorite weekend breakfast is a french toast, especially if she can help. If you have kids, It’s great to get them involved in the kitchen. I find that my picky eater is more likely to eat something we make together.

I like to use good quality bread. Spelt bread has a more gentle and pleasant taste than regular wheat bread in my opinion, the idea is you can use any bread and it doesn’t have to be fresh.

In this recipe I used banana as a binding agent (instead of eggs) and of course for taste.

Ingredients

1 Ripe Banana

1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk (or Soy Milk)

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Shredded Dry Coconut

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/8 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

6-8 Slices of Bread

Coconut Oil for frying

Maple Syrup for serving

Preparation

In a blender, blend the banana, almond milk, sugar, coconut, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until thick and smooth. transfer the batter into a shallow dish.

Dip the bread into batter so it is fully coated.

Use coconut oil generously and fry lightly in a non-stick pan on medium heat until brown on both sides. When you flip the toast, make sure to scrape carefully so the batter doesn’t stick to the pan.

Serve with your favorite seasonal fruit and maple syrup on the side.

Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar.

Yumm!