Black Cherry Phyllo Tarts

Black Cherry Phyllo Tarts
Vegan; Makes 12 tarts

So, this is the rest of the dessert recipe that I served last night. These little tart are super impressive. Just remember to spray your muffin pan before you put the phyllo sheets in them, or (like me) you'll have a difficult time removing them and may have a few tasty causalities... ~_^

Here I used organic black cherries from a jar (Red Hills Fruit Company). Phyllo dough will dry out quickly, so having a damp surface will help delay that. Also, it is really a delicate medium; so please don't get discouraged. I've ripped and destroyed more sheets, but they're still good to use. I'll post some tips on using the ripped pieces...

5 sheets of of Phyllo dough
1/4 cup of ground almonds
1/4 cup of Turbinado sugar
4 Tablespoons of Earth Balance (melted)
1 cup black cherries, (drained if from a jar, reserve 1/4 cup of syrup)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sugar

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine Turbinado sugar and ground almonds, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, mix reserved syrup, almond extract and sugar. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. On a damp surface (I use a large cutting board), lay out your sheets of phyllo dough and cut into 12 squares (as even as possible). Brush melted earth balance on a square of phyllo and sprinkle with ground almond and turbinado sugar mixture. Repeat with all 5 squares, then gently press square phyllo dough into a lightly sprayed muffin pan. Add cherries (I was able to get 3 large cherries into each tart). And repeat steps with remaining phyllo dough pieces, util the pan is full and the cherries are gone. Sprinkle the tops of the tarts with extra ground almond, sugar mixture.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Or until the edges of the phyllo dough turns golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Spoon Coconut Vanilla Custard into each tart and serve.

Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

Raw Blueberry Cheesecake
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Yield: Makes 12-16 Servings

Crust Ingredients:
1 Cup Almonds
1 Cup Pre-Soaked Dates
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Zest of 1/2 a Lemon
pinch of sea salt

Cheesecake Layer Ingredients:
2 1/3 Cups Pre-Soaked Cashews
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil, liquidfied
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar, or Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon (about 1/4 cup)

Blueberry Topping Ingredients:
1 Cup Blueberries
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Pre-soak cashews and dates separately overnight.

2. In a food processor, combine dates, almonds, shredded coconut and lemon zest. Press into a springform pan.

3. Combine filling ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth. Pour filling on top of crust and spread out until smooth. Cover with foil and freeze overnight. The freezing process will re-harden the coconut oil and set up the cake. After it is frozen you can refrigerate and it will be ready to serve after about one hour. Even though you have to freeze this cake to set it up, it is not a frozen cake… once refrigerated, it takes on an extremely similar texture to a regular old cheesecake.

4. Topping: Combine berries, extract and sugar in a small bowl. Place on a slightly frozen cheesecake and let set for a few hours. Serve and Enjoy!

Double Carob Cherry Muffins

Double Carob Cherry Muffins
Vegan; 1 hour 30 min; 12 (or more)

Depending on how big your muffin pan is, you may get more then 12. I got about 20, but this just means more to share.... I ended up having to add more hemp milk at the end, to get the right consistency, since I live in a higher altitude.Feel free to use semisweet chocolate instead of the carob. Since I have a food allergy, I used the carob with great results!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 sugar
1/3 cup carob powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of cinnamon
1 cup soy yogurt
1/2 cup hemp milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil`
egg replacer the equivalent of 2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups fresh dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
1 cup miniature carob chips

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 jumbo (3 1/2-inch) muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.

2. Stir together the flour, sugar, carob powder, baking powder, pinch of cinnamon and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center; set aside. Whisk together the soy yogurt, hemp milk, vegetable oil, egg replacer, and almond extract in a bowl until evenly blended. Pour the soy yogurt mixture into the well, then stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the cherries and carob chips. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling half full.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Fruit and Nut Bars

Fruit and Nut Bars
Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free
Makes one 6 x 10 pan, makes about 8 bars

1 cup dried fruit of choice (cranberries, blueberries, bananas, apples, cherries, strawberries) home dried in low heat dehydrator is best to remain food integrity. You want the fruit to remain tender, not crunchy if you're going to use it in this recipe.
1 cup dates (whole- roughly chopped and pitted)
2/3 cup Raw almonds
2/3 cup Raw cashews
2 tsp. finely grated citrus zest (lemon, orange, lime-I use a combination)
3-4 drops almond extract if desired

1. Spray or oil pan, set aside.

2.Place fruit, dates, zest and extract in food processor/blender/Vitamix and process until you have a smooth paste. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Pulse nuts in blender until finely chopped but not pureed/mushy.

3. Combine nuts and paste. Mix well (fingers work best). Transfer to prepared pan, smooth and allow to sit until firm. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Vegan; makes about 16

For all of those hikers out there, these are the perfect snack to take with you. For all of you busy parents, these are a perfect quick snack to take while running errands. Try different jams to fit your kids or your tastes.... Happy snacking and 4th of July!

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (you can find gluten free on the market)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup earth balance, softened
egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, divided
1 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup mixed nuts (I used a mix of chopped pecans, walnuts and almonds-optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9" square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg replacer, vanilla extract and almond extract until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix until combined. Stir in 1 3/4 cups oats and nuts. Spread 2/3 of batter to prepared baking dish. Spread strawberry jam over the batter using the back of a spoon. Add remaining 1/4 cup oats to batter, then crumble over the strawberry jam.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cool. Cut into bars.

Per bar: 232 cal.; 3 grams prot. (more if you add nuts); 7 grams total fat (more if you add nuts-but good fats) 4 grams sat. fat; 41 grams carbs.; 23 mg chol.; 85 mg sod.; 1 gram fiber; 26 grams sugars.

Adapted from Vegetarian Times July/August 2008