Flourless Almond Tart with Raspberry Sauce

This is a very easy tart to make. So easy that you will be amazed how divine and sophisticated it will look and taste. Blanching almond are extremely simple to do at home. All you do is boil a medium pot of water on the stove, add the almonds for about 15 seconds, drain and rinse with cold water. The skins will easily pop off the skins with your fingers. Discard the skins and boom, you got freshly blanched almonds that you did all by yourself. Also according to Ayurveda, a traditional native Indian medicine, they believe that the skins of almonds are toxic and are not easily digestible. So enjoy your beautiful blanched almond tart!

Tart

1 ½ cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted

3 eggs (you can use only egg whites for a lighter tart)

½ cup maple syrup or agave

1 TB almond extract

¼ tsp sea salt

1 pint fresh seasonal berries

Preheat oven to 350. Blanch almonds. 

Spread blanched almonds on baking sheet and put them in oven to lightly toast and dry. About 10 minutes. Put almonds in food processor and pulse until a fine meal. While machine is on add eggs, maple, salt and extract. Blend well. Pour into oiled 8 ½ inch spring baking pan. Bake 20 minutes until firm and golden brown on top. Cool. Serve with fresh berries and  sauce.

Raspberry Sauce

1 pint fresh or a bag of frozen raspberries

2 TB agave

½ tsp vanilla

2 TB filtered water

Puree the raspberries and agave in food processor or blender. Strain in fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Stir in vanilla and thin with water.

Homemade Almond Milk

Alright. This is the easiest thing to make. SO please make it when ever almond milk is called for and never buy the pre-made gross stuff you get at the market. Trust me. When you taste this you will never buy that crap again. I told you I aptly called this blog organic snob ;)

All you need to do is invest in a nut milk bag - www.oneluckyduck.com/product-details.php?id=124&cat=26 - one of the best things you will buy and it's only $7.95. You can substitute your favorite nuts of the almonds; hazelnuts, pecans, cashew, walnut...create away my friends...

Milk

1 cup blanched almonds (to blanch: boil water, add almonds for about 15 seconds, drain and the skins will easily pop off with the help of your fingers. Discard skins and use your beautiful white almonds)

pinch of sea salt

4 cups filtered water

add a about 4 TB of agave if you want to sweeten

1 vanilla pod, seeds only (optional)

Blend almonds and water in blender for about 2 minute. Strain the milk through a nut milk bag or multiple layers of cheesecloth to make sure no almond pulp will go into your milk. Discard pulp or use it in the shower for a wonderful exfoliant! Then rinse the blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend to combined. Pour into pitcher and refrigerate if not using right away. Lasts about 3 days in fridge. 

Blackberry Crumble

Any seasonal fruit works wonderfully in this basic gluten free crumble. You can make this with or without nuts. Experiment with your favorite fruits. This is also a perfect way to use your organic frozen berries if fresh ones are no longer in season. Either way YUM! 

Berries

2 cartons fresh blackberries, picked over and rinsed

2 cartons fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed

1 TB vanilla extract

2 TB fresh lemon juice

4 TB agave

2 TB tapioca starch

Crumble

1 cup quinoa flour

1 cup quinoa flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp sea salt

¾ cups walnuts or pecans (optional)

6 TB agave

2 TB melted coconut butter or 2 TB walnut oil

2 Tb filtered water (a little more if needed)

Preheat oven 350.

In a 9 x 13 (3 quart) pan gently toss first 5 ingredients. Then add in the tapioca flour. Mix well to combine. Taste. If berries are not sweet enough add a few more tablespoons of agave.

In another bowl mix dry ingredients. Slowly add 1 TB of agave at a time. Crumble with fingertips and add in the coconut butter/walnut 1 TB at a time. Should look like wet sand and large balls.  Add a few TB of water. Stir in nuts if using. Spread flour mixture evenly over the berries. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm and top with ice cream or a dollop of my cream!

 

Apple and dried Apricot Crisp

This is one of my favorite classic fall desserts. Your house will smell divinely festive. Any firm apple works well with this dessert: Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, Rome, Winesap, Mutsu, Honeycrisp. Remember if you use soft apple such as Macintosh and Red delicious you will get more of an apple sauce texture. Hey, could be good too! Try it all I say!! I also am one to leave the apple skins on, being that much of the nutrients are in the skin. But if you prefer without the skins by all means peel away.

Apples

6 medium apples, halved, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes

½ cup dried apricots, sliced (next time substitute dried cherries for the apricots!)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

2 TB maple syrup

2 TB dark honey

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

Pinch o f sea salt

Crisp

1 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted

¾ cup quinoa flakes

½ cup quinoa flour

¼ cup tapioca flour

¼ tsp sea salt

½ cup maple sugar

4 TB walnut oil, sunflower oil or coconut butter (melted)

2 TB filtered water

Preheat oven 400.

To make topping: in a medium bowl mix together quinoa flakes, quinoa and tapicoa flour, sugar, walnuts and salt. Drizzle in oil one TB at a time, mix with wooden spoon. Then add water and toss. It should look crumbly, like wet sand. Set aside. (could be made one day in advance. Just refrigerate until use)

To make filling: Toss everything into an 8x8 inch glass baking dish. Mix everything to combine. Sprinkle reserved topping evenly over apples. Bake in the middle rack of oven for 15 minutes at 400. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are soft.

Remove from oven and let cool. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Aria's Amazing Cream

Cream

½ cup homemade almond milk or unsweetened eden soy milk 

1 ½ TB agar flakes

1 cup homemade almond milk or soy

3 TB maple syrup

3 TB agave syrup

¼ tsp sea salt

1 ½ TB kuzu, dissolved in 2 ½ TB water

1 TB vanilla

1 TB almond extract (only use if you want an extra almond flavor)

Pour ½ cup milk in medium pot with 1 ½ Tb agar flakes. Allow to soften for 10 minutes. Then turn on stove to medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and continue to stir until flakes are dissolved. About 10 minutes. Add the rest of the milk, maple, agave and salt. Stir and simmer about 2 minutes. Dissolved kuzu in a small bowl and add to pot. Stirring constantly until a light boil. Reduce heat and cook for a minute longer. Turn off heat and add vanilla and almond (if using) extracts. Stir to combined. Allow to cool then pour into shallow baking dish to completely cool. Refrigerate to set.

When completely cool blend in food processor or blender. You may need to add a little more agave if not sweet enough. The cream is delicious as is but if you wanna add a little something extra make GINGER!

Ginger Cream

¼ cup filtered water

3 TB ginger, peeled and finely minced

2 TB agave

1 cup cream

Combine water, ginger and agave in a small pot over medium heat about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. In a separate bowl add cream and slowly mix in ginger syrup. 

** Note: Below is a little description on what the heck Agar-Agar, Arrowroot and Kudzu are...

Agar-Agar: Vegetarian form of gelatin, made from red seaweed that is processed into flakes, bars and powder. The flakes are easily available at the natural food store in the seaweed/macrobiotic section. Use in place of gelatin.

Arrowroot: Root starch used as thickener. Use in place of cornstarch. It also is used as a flour in baked goods.

Kudzu: Interchangeable with Arrowroot though much more expensive. It also has medicinal properties. Especially used to alkalize acidic conditions such as nausea and indigestion. Wonderful tummy soother.

Kabocha Squash Cakes

This recipe was inspired by pastry chef Will Goldfarb. I read it in Bon Appetit magazine then altered and adapted it to become gluten and dairy free. I made it last night and WOW WOW WOW. Huge hit amongst the fam. My husband actually woke me up in the middle of the night singing my praises on how amazing the desert was. 

Kabocha Squash Puree

2 cups kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 cup unsweetened eden soy milk

1 vanilla bean, spilt lengthwise

Combine squash and milk in heavy saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean;add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat, partially cover, reduce heat to low and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. note: don't walk too far away from the stove, the liquid could boil over and get messy. Take it from someone who knows ;) Remove vanilla bean. Cool. Place mixture in food processor and blend until smooth. * can be made 1 day ahead. cover and refrigerate.

Cakes

1/3 cup + 2 TB dark maple syrup

1/4 cup agave

4 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup gluten free beer (i used Greens. got it at whole foods market)

1 large egg

2/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour

1/4 cup amaranth flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven 375. Lightly oil six 1 cup ramekins. Place 1 cup squash puree in large bowl. (reserve remaining for another use). Add maple, agave, oil, beer and egg to the bowl with squash puree. Blend until combine. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into bowl. Blend. Divide batter among prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on baking sheet. And put into oven.

Bake until cakes are firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. (might need to bake longer). I served them right in the ramekins. Make sure you wait a little for the cakes to cool down before serving. Top with a dollop of Cream and you will be in heaven.