Raw Desserts, Anyone?

Most every part of a meal can be easily tuned into a healthy alternative. The salad course, for example, can be made healthier with some nice mixed greens and a salad with healthy oils. Soup courses can be made healthy with less simple carbs and a tomato base. Main courses and sides can become healthy alternatives with just a little bit of ingenuity and a little less sugar and salt. 

And then there's dessert. I've experimented with several recipes and some have turned out nicely. Nevertheless, my range was somewhat limited. 

And then I discovered raw desserts.

Raw desserts are like the old tried and true no-bake cookies, only much healthier. Most are sweetened with honey, agave nectar, or xylitol. There is no flour or unhealthy fats in them. And, they are very simple to make. Here is an example from a really neat website, http://rawmazing.com

Blackberry Lime Hearts

Hearts: 1/3 cup lime juice, zest from two limes, 1 c. cashews-soaked until soft, 1/2 c. water, 1/4 c. agave or desired sweetener, 3 T. coconut oil, 1 C. blackberries.

Ganache: 1/2 c. cacao powder, 1/2 c. agave, 1/4 c. coconut oil--melted. Whisk all the ingredients together.

1. Blend all heart ingredients (except blackberries) until smooth. Place a layer of berries in the bottom of your mold. I use this one: silicone heart mold. Fill with lime mixture almost to the top. They will expand a little with freezing. Drop the pan a few times to get the air bubbles out. Freeze until solid. Un-mold and top with ganache.

Sounds good! Give raw desserts a try! You won't need the heart molds; spoonfuls will work as well.