Tag Archives: dessert

Hawaiian Apple Pie (no-bake)

Hawaiian Apple Pie (no-bake)

So delicious, plus simple to make, you may never want to turn on the oven to bake another apple pie again. Make sure to wait the 24 hours after preparing the pie and before serving so that the cinnamon spice has time to mellow. Since it’s basically all fruit and nuts, a slice of this pie can even make a healthy addition to your breakfast lineup.

INGREDIENTS:
for the crust:

A Slice of No Bake Apple Pie = A Piece of Heaven!

3/4 cup Almonds
1/4 cup Macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon Coconut, dried + shredded
6 medium Dates, Medjool, pitted
1/16 teaspoon Sea salt

for the filling:
1/3 cup Orange juice, fresh squeezed
1/8 cup Pineapple juice
4 medium Dates, Medjool, pitted
1/3 cup Raisins
5 medium Apples, Granny Smith
1 tablespoon Cinnamon, ground

PREPARATION:
Soak all 10 dates in 1/4 cup water for 30 minutes. Soak raisins in 1/4 cup water for 15 minutes. Reserve both waters.

Chop almonds in food processor until smaller bits. Remove a tablespoon of the almond “flour” for later use. Add macadamia nuts to processor and chop until macadamia is coarse bits. Add 6 dates, 1 tablespoon of coconut and salt and process until crust is formed. If too dry and crumbly, add up to 1 tsp of date soak water to slightly moisten.

In an 8″ pie plate sprinkle the tablespoon of reserved almond powder to “flour” plate bottom. Put nut/date mixture on top of “flour” and push into bottom and sides of plate to form pie crust. Refrigerate.

In a blender put in orange and pineapple juices, reserved date and raisin soak waters and remaining 4 dates and blend until smooth. Pour syrup into a large mixing bowl.

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Place apple slices in mixing bowl with fruit syrup. Continually toss to make sure slices are covered in fruit syrup so that they won’t brown. Add raisins and cinnamon to bowl and toss everything to mix evenly.

Fill pie crust with apple filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours before serving.

Optional garnish: top each slice with a small dollop of whipped cream and a wedge of pineapple

Serves 8


Forbidden Pudding

Forbidden Pudding

Black Rice is also known as Forbidden Rice. Black Rice Pudding is a common breakfast dish in many parts of Southeast Asia. Using coconut water instead of the traditional coconut milk greatly reduces the dessert’s fat and calorie content, while still adding big flavor. This dessert is a deliciously easy way to eat whole grains.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Black rice
3 1/4 cups Coconut water
1/8 tsp Sea salt

PREPARATION:
Place rice, coconut water and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover pot with tight lid and reduce to simmer. Cook 40 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Uncover pot, and increase heat so that rice remains at a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pudding is thick and rice is tender (but still al dente), about another 10-15 minutes. Take pudding off heat and cool to warm or to room temperature; stir before serving.

Serves: 6


Chocolate Orange Fig Teff Pudding

clockwise, from top-left: Chocolate Orange Fig Teff Pudding with whipped cream and mint garnish; Teff whole grains; organic, dried Black Mission Figs

Chocolate Orange Fig Teff Pudding

Not only is this pudding delicious, it may be one of the healthiest desserts you have ever eaten!

I love the taste of fresh mint with this dessert, and so I usually include extra leaves on my serving. If you don’t agree with the mint/chocolate match, you can omit the mint garnish all together.

INGREDIENTS:
10 whole Figs, Black Mission, Organic, dried (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup Orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 1/4 cup  Water, plus 1/3 cup
1 cup Teff whole grains
3 tablespoons Cocoa powder (I used Droste Dutch Cocoa for this recipe)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Honey
1 teaspoon Orange zest
4 large Mint leaves, fresh (optional garnish)

PREPARATION:
Trim any hard stem tips off figs and cut into quarters. Place fig wedges in small bowl with 1/3 cup of water and let soak 30 minutes. Reserve soak water.

To a small pot add the orange juice and 1 1/4 cups water and put on medium high heat.  Whisk in the cocoa powder and vanilla until the cocoa powder is completely mixed in.  Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Whisk in the Teff, reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer the grains until liquid is absorbed, about 18-22 minutes. During cooking, occasionally whisk to make sure no grains stick to the bottom of the pot.

Remove grains from heat; let cool.  Put fig slices (without soak water) in food processor and finely chop. Add cooked grains, honey and orange zest to figs and process together until creamy; slowly pour in fig soak water while processing. Pudding should have smooth, creamy consistency. If too heavy, add some more water and continue processing until desired lightness is reached.

Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until service.

Fudgy Brownie Mini Cakes

Fudgy Brownie Mini Cakes

Chewy, chocolaty deliciousness!

What gives these cakes its truly amazing texture is the omission of any wheat flour. If you substitute regular pastry or baking flour, the results will not be as good as using the gluten-free flour. I recommend using a gluten-free all-purpose that does not have garbanzo flour included, such as Gluten Free Pantry’s All Purpose Flour, which contains white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, guar gum and salt (see photo below).

INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour*
1/3 cup Cocoa powder, unsweetened
3/4 teaspoon Baking powder
¼ teaspoon Sea salt
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoon Cottage cheese, lowfat, pureed
2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
¼ cup Apple sauce
12 each Semi-sweet chocolate pieces

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and sugar.

In a double boiler melt bittersweet chocolate.

In separate bowl, mix pureed cottage cheese, vanilla, apple sauce and melted chocolate. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.

Place mix in bottoms of a lightly greased, square muffin pan. Push a semi sweet chocolate piece into center of each mini cake.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Cool a few minutes on cooling racks before serving.

YIELD: 1 Dozen cakes

Serves 12.