Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [79]
1 recipe Basic Piecrust (page 263), made with almond meal
2 recipes Whipped Cashew Kream (page 266)
Your favorite small fruits for topping each tartlet, such as 1 blackberry, 3 blueberries, 1 raspberry, or cacao nibs
Line the compartments of a tartlet or multiple brioche pan with plastic wrap first, then press the piecrust firmly into the pan. Remove by gently lifting up the plastic wrap.
Next, spoon the whipped kream into each tartlet. Top each tartlet decoratively with one type of fruit or the cacao nibs.
Serve immediately, or keep in the fridge.
Will keep for 2 or 3 days in the fridge.
CAKES
The cakes in this book are inspired by the texture of baked flourless cake. It’s a dense, moist, and gooey consistency similar to that of fudge or a brownie. The cake tastes guilt laden, but in reality, is packed with antioxidants that are healthy and good for you, our animals, and the planet.
BASIC FLOURLESS CAKE
I like to leave small bits of nuts in my cake mix for more texture visually and for a more interesting mouthfeel. If you prefer a smoother cake mix, you can process your nuts into a powder first, before adding dates to bind it all together.
My recipe calls for Medjool dates because they have a higher moisture content and are soft and sticky. If you use a drier date, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes or more before using to add moisture.
To make your cake, nuts are bound together with the stickiness of the dates. If your cake is too crumbly, just add a few more dates to the mix. You can even add a tablespoon or two of water or agave syrup, to add more moisture that will help bind, if needed.
3 cups nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, or Brazil nuts
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup pitted Medjool dates, packed
1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract (see Vanilla, page 262)
1 to 2 tablespoons agave syrup (optional)
Place the nuts and salt in a food processor and break down the nuts into chunks. Add pieces of dates, rather than one large lump, and the vanilla. Process until the nuts bind together with the sticky dates to form a cake batter.
Test the batter by grabbing a handful and squeezing to make sure it holds together. If it’s not sticky enough, add a few more dates, or 1 to 2 tablespoons of agave syrup, and process until it holds together.
OPTION: To add crunch, mix in ½ cup of Buckwheat Crispies (page 63) to your batter. To make more complex cakes, alternate layers of different flavors, such as vanilla with chocolate cake.
ORANGE-ALMOND CAKE
MAKES 1 CAKE
A two-layer cake filled with orange sauce and segmented oranges. The top of the assembled cake is finished off with a dusting of white coconut powder.
1 recipe Basic Flourless Cake Mix (page 268), made with almonds
½ recipe Basic Fruit Sauce (page 280), made with oranges
1 orange, pitted and segmented (remove all peel and pith)
¼ cup dried coconut, ground into a powder
Divide the cake mix into two equal parts. Form two cake rounds by hand. Or, line a small cake pan with plastic wrap first, then press one portion of the dough inside to form the shape. Flip the formed cake out of the pan and peel off the plastic. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
Place the first round onto a plate and top with orange fruit sauce and segmented orange slices. Top with the second cake round. Use a wire sieve to dust the top of the cake with the coconut powder.
Will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
RASPBERRY-LEMON DREAM
MAKES 1 CAKE
Two layers of a moist, flourless cake sandwich a tart lemon sauce and bright, fresh, red raspberries.
1 recipe Basic Flourless Cake Mix (page 268), made with your favorite nut
½ recipe Basic Fruit Sauce (page 280), made with lemon
1½ cups raspberries
Divide the cake mix into two equal parts. Form two cake rounds by hand. Or, line a small cake pan with plastic wrap first, then press one portion of the dough inside to form the shape. Flip the formed cake out of the pan and peel off the plastic.