This is an easy and scrumptious dessert to whip up for the autumn months and upcoming holidays. I love that no one can tell that it's raw, vegan, gluten free and healthy! This recipe is from my first book Going Raw. For more healthy, raw desserts check out the books in my online shop.

Raw Apple Cobbler with Maple Cream

Makes 8 servings

Prep time: 40 minutes

Topping/Crust

1 cup pecans or walnuts

1/4 cup palm sugar or evaporated cane sugar

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup medjool dates

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats

Filling

2 tablespoons agave or coconut nectar

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 cups (2-3 large) apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly

Maple Cream

1 cup cashews, soaked 2 hours

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup water

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

For topping, in a food processor, using the “s” blade, combine nuts with palm sugar and process until you get a coarse meal. Add raisins, dates and salt and process until it sticks together. Be careful not to overprocess or it will become too oily. In a medium bowl combine the topping mixture with the rolled oats.

For filling, in a small bowl combine agave nectar, lemon juice and pumpkin pie spice. In a large mixing bowl, toss apples with lemon juice mixture. 

For maple cream, blend cashews, maple syrup, water and vanilla bean until very smooth. About 2 minutes in a high speed blender. Store in a large squeeze bottle for easy use or in an airtight container.

Sprinkle half of the nut mixture on the bottom of a 9-inch round pie dish or 1 quart baking dish. 

Layer with apple filling and then sprinkle with remaining topping.

Warm in dehydrator at 145 degrees for one hour or place in the oven on warm setting (200 degrees) for 20 minutes and top each serving with maple cream.

From the book Going Raw: Everything You Need To Start Your Own Raw Food Diet & Lifestyle Revolution At Home

Copyright Quarry Books 2011

Autumn Smoothies

I know I'm not the only one who loves this time of year. Apples, pumpkins, cinnamon and clove, I love all things Autumn and these smoothies are no exception. Both are from my latest book Raw & Simple. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Makes 2 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups fresh grated pumpkin
1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
5-6 medjool dates, pitted
1/4 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ice cubes
dash of sea salt

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust flavorings as needed and add more almond milk if too thick. 

From the book Raw & Simple: Eat Well And Live Radiantly With 100 Truly Quick And Easy Recipes For The Raw Food Lifestyle

Copyright 2013 Quarry Books

Apple Pie Smoothie

Apples vary from very sweet to very tart so adjust the amount of lemon juice you use and add a little sweetener if needed.

Makes 2 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes

1/2 cups unsweetened almond or cashew milk
3 large Red Delicious or your favorite apples, chopped
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
2-4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons ground chia seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
Sweeten to taste
Cinnamon for garnish

Blend all ingredients until smooth and top with a dash of cinnamon. Allow to sit for five minutes to thicken.

Health Tip: Make it green! Throw in a small handful of spinach or other leafy green to give it an extra nutrient boost. 

From the book Raw & Simple: Eat Well And Live Radiantly With 100 Truly Quick And Easy Recipes For The Raw Food Lifestyle

Copyright 2013 Quarry Books

Wild Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Eat it and weep.

I'm cruel. I've been torturing my Facebook followers with this photo since January, while withholding the recipe (in hopes that they would buy my book Raw & Simple). Well, squeaky wheel gets the grease. They insisted I finally give it up, so here it is. A raw, vegan cheesecake so good, you'll weep. Well, maybe not. Maybe your family will weep when you eat it all before they get home. One of my recipe testers emailed me three times in a row to tell me over and over how much she loved it. I thought she was exaggerating until other people started messaging me how outrageously good it is. 

Oh, and don’t fret if you can’t find wild blueberries or Meyer lemons. I just wanted to give this a fancy name. Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter than regular lemons but either one works just as well here. As for blueberries, I actually prefer using the frozen ones because of the juice that results from thawing them out. Wild blueberries are smaller in size but taste very much like cultivated blueberries so use whatever you can find or afford at your local market.

Wild Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Makes 16 servings

Plan Ahead: soak ½ cup cashews in water for 2 hours

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Chill Time: 1 to 2 hours

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries, thawed

Crust

2 cups walnuts or pecans

1/4 cup raisins

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine ingredients in a food processor for 20-25 seconds. Press mixture between your fingers and see if it sticks together. If not, process a few seconds longer. Be careful not to go too long, otherwise it will release too much oil.

2. Press firmly and evenly into an 8 x 8 pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.

Topping

1 cup walnuts or pecans

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup Medjool dates

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup rolled oats (optional)

1.     In same food processor that you just made the crust, add nuts, raisins, dates and sea salt and process until mixture begins to clump and stick together. Process longer than you did the crust but be careful not to overdo it.

2.     Transfer to a bowl and stir in oats. Set aside while you make the cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake

1 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

1/2 cup cashews, soaked 2 hours

1/3 cup lemon juice

½ cup xylitol or agave

¼ cup water

½ tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lecithin powder (use 2 tablespoons if using agave)

1. Blend all ingredients except lecithin until very smooth.

2. Add lecithin and blend again.

3. Pour over crust.

4. Top cheesecake mixture evenly with blueberries.

5. Press berries gently into the cheesecake and evenly spread the topping mixture over the berries.

6. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.

Will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer.

Chef Tip. You can use other berries or fruits in place of blueberries such as cherries, peaches or mango as well as tone down the lemon flavor to your liking.  

Copyright 2013 Quarry Books

Here is a modified version of it I made for a wedding. I used a 9"springform pan, doubled the filling and added an extra 50% to the crust.  It was a hot day and I was scared it would melt before guests could enjoy it so I added extra lecithin. That's what is giving it the rough texture. I kinda like the brittleness of it, but in the future I'll just stick with less lecithin. Nevertheless, everyone loved it!

Raw & Simple Chocolate Haystacks

These chewy, chocolate treats are super simple to make, yet, tastes like a gourmet treat. I use longer coconut threads to give it that haystack look (Sprout's grocery stores carry them) but you can use the finely shredded coconut with the same great results. Jazz it up with some chopped nuts or hemp seeds for a little nutrition boost.

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Chocolate Haystacks

Makes 12 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

2/3 cup cacao powder

½ cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

½ vanilla bean, scraped or small pinch of vanilla powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

2 cups shredded coconut

Blend cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.

In a bowl, hand mix shredded coconut with chocolate mixture.

Line a plate with parchment paper. Use a spoon or melon scoop to form 12-14 individual haystacks on the parchment paper.

Freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Find more easy raw food recipes in my new book Raw & Simple: Eat Well and Live Radiantly with 100 Truly Quick and Easy Recipes For the Raw Food Lifestyle

NYC Icy

On my recent trip to NYC my good friend introduced me to NYC Icy, a legendary Italian ice-type dessert shop which had recently returned after a two year absence. Located in the east village on Avenue A between 6th and 7th street, NYC Icy offers unique flavors like mango-basil (so good), apricot-ginger, rice pudding, earl gray (wow) and chocolate-bacon (3 years ago I would have said yes) as well as classics like chocolate chip and fruit flavors.


What makes this so amazing is how true the flavors are. I had the grapefruit and it tasted exactly like the real thing but in shaved ice form. The owners say they use all natural ingredients and flavors (except for cotton candy) for all of their ices. Their lips were sealed on what exactly goes into them so I don't know what it's sweetened with but I like that they're not overly sweet. Their traditional ices are vegan but they also have cream ices which is similar to a light gelato.


Over the weekend I tried the grapefruit, lemon, pear, earl gray, purple carrot and mango-lime and fell in love with all of them. Definitely looking forward to coming back to NYC later this summer and trying some of their other 200 flavors.