Christmas Fiasco
For Christmas dinner this year, I made the most luscious, decadent dessert of all time for my family: Key Lime Mousse Cake. Unfortunately I could not eat it . It contained 9 oz white chocolate, 3 bars of cream cheese, 2.5 C whipping cream, and loads of sugar. Unlike other years when I avoided dessert altogether, I decided to make Alive Magazine's dairy and sugar-free version for me – and hoped all would try it too. What transpired though, was not my intention.
Paled in Comparison ) :
My family loved their dairy/sugar version. Who wouldn’t with all that decadence?! No one tried mine. I realize some equate "healthy" with compromising flavour - who knows if that was it? But honestly, my version looked unappetizing with its taupe colour influenced from one ingredient: date paste. That left me eating my unsightly, but delicious version day after day during the holidays. This only served to bring back my unhealthy addiction to all things sweet. And potentially create an unbalanced microbiome...ugh.
Decorate it any way you likeOver the past months, I have been playing with the ingredients and trying out my concoctions on family and friends. I am finally confident. Not only is this dessert appealing to the eye and absolutely divine, but it is lower oxalate than the original (which can be of importance to certain individuals).
I recommend making this recipe without the competition of another standard treat as some are still unsure of what entails a "raw" dessert and can tend to fill up on the familiar (loaded with inflammatory ingredients). I also recommend sharing it, so as not to awaken your happily dormant “sweet tooth”, with days of leftovers like I did LOL. This will help keep it to what it is meant to be – a single event treat for a celebration.
What a Healthier Way to Bring in a New Year...
My Dad was born in Florida and he loves Key Lime Pie! I made this healthier raw version for my Dad’s 82nd birthday party. I not only savoured its textural decadence while enjoying its whole foods' simplicity and much more appetizing appearance, but most importantly - it was a hit with my Dad and the rest of the guests! And made it for his 83rd!
Beware of Oral Allergy Syndrome
Strawberries, bananas and blueberries as a combination of fruit was beautiful. I intended to use kiwi too but respected a guest's current allergy syndrome (called Oral Allergy Syndrome or Pollen Oral Allergy). It involves reacting in the mouth with with certain raw and unpeeled fruit such as raw kiwi and certain raw nuts/peels. In her case, she seems to have the spring birch pollen oral allergy as opposed to the fall ragweed oral allergy which affects other fruit. Luckily the nuts I used in this recipe (pecans & Brazil) are OK for her in this particular case too. She currently cannot have raw unpeeled walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds though. So no adverse events ensued on this particular evening - and a fun party it remained - phew!
See below for a few creative versions I have tried with fruit toppings...
- • 1 Cup pitted Medjool dates
- • ½ Cup shredded coconut
- • 1/4 Cup Brazil nuts
- • 1/4 Cup pecans
- • ½ Cup dried mulberries (Health Food store/Organics aisle at your Grocery Store)
- 1/2 Cup of water
- Optional: 1 tsp cinnamon (to your taste)
- • 3-5 medium ripe avocados
- • ½ Cup coconut butter – room temperature
- • 1/4 Cup raw local liquid honey
- 1/2 Cup Monk Fruit Extract powder
- • ¾ Cup freshly squeezed lime juice (or to taste)
- • ½ Cup EVCO (Extra Virgin Coconut Oil)
- First - a hint on finding mulberries: your local Health Food store or organics aisle at your grocery store should carry them. In a food processor, process the ingredients to a crumbly mixture that sticks together.
- Remove from food processor and press firmly into an 8 inch spring form pan. A cake baking pan or Pyrex pie dish works too. Personally, I prefer cinnamon in the crust but it is delicious without it too.
- In a high speed blender, process avocados and lime juice until smooth. Add coconut butter and honey process to smooth again. Add coconut oil last (no need to melt). You can blend all of these in a food processor also but the blender really gets it the smoothest finish. If you don’t have a high-end blender, warm the coconut butter by placing it in a small glass and place this in a pot or dish of warm water to bring it to a liquid over a few minutes. Taste test the filling and add more lime juice/avocado/honey/coconut butter if needed.
- Remove the filling and spread evenly over the crust.
- Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving to help it set.
- Just before serving, top with fresh berries, slices of kiwi and/ or slices of banana – be creative! Or serve it plain – it is delicious all ways.
- N.B. You can also make this dessert ahead of an event by freezing it and thawing appropriately!
- No Mulberries...use any dried fruit (dried cherries worked well)
- • Higher in Potassium than bananas - supports kidneys, blood pressure, heart/stroke prevention
- • High in MUFAs – Monounsaturated Fatty Acids including Oleic acid – more heart and health & cancer prevention
- • High fibre – fights constipation, promotes regularity
- • Potential to significantly lower cholesterol & blood triglycerides (TG), also increasing good cholesterol
- • High in nearly every single vitamin and mineral
- • For Lower Oxalate Diet (LOD): Replace the dates with mulberries & raisins
- • Low Amine – Limes and avocados have the potential for amines. Avoid using overripe avocadoes (very soft and brown/black spots/lines contained therein) as they are higher in amines. Limes seem to be low to moderate in all forms of amines from my research, so ensure they are also not overripe. Avoid freezing the dessert as that may also increase the amine content. Serve fresh and do not eat leftovers of it if you have an amine issue.
- • Low Salicylate – omit berries on top
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