Blissful Bites (48 page)

There should be no reason why you can't enjoy a healthy sweet every once in a while. Some sweeteners are better than others, though. If you are going to indulge in a dessert, try to use one of the unrefined sweeteners below to keep from having an insulin spike, or “sugar crash,” causing an extreme high followed by an extreme low. All of these can be found at your local natural food store or online. They are listed in alphabetical order, not by how often I use them. You'll find the ones I like most are used throughout this book.

Agave is made from the juice of the agave cactus. It's been under scrutiny because of its refining process. It is sweeter than refined sugar, but it is low on the glycemic index and does not increase insulin secretion. I think if you use it moderately, like a touch in your tea sometimes, that is fine. But I don't use it as my regular sweetener.

Amasake is a fermented drink made from sweet rice. It has a very thick, creamy texture, like a smoothie, and usually comes in small cartons from a company called Amazake. It's great straight if you want a healthy dessert, and it also makes a great base for sauces, custards, and puddings.

This is made when barley is fermented, turning the grain into sugar. It is thick, dark, and sticky like brown rice syrup but isn't as sweet as the other natural sweeteners. It's perfect to use in place of molasses in recipes.

This is a sweetener that is made when brown rice is ground, cooked, and mixed with enzymes that change it into maltose. Since it's made from a complex carbohydrate, it gives you a slower release of insulin. It has a thick, sticky texture and is less sweet than maple syrup. In recipes, it's interchangeable with other liquid sweeteners, but I often do half brown rice syrup and half maple syrup for a bit more sweetness.

These sweeteners are the new kids on the block and are some of my favorites. Palm sugar makes the perfect granulated substitute for regular sugar, and it has a low glycemic index. The nectar has a similar texture to brown rice syrup, and the taste is a cross between agave and brown rice syrup.

Dates are a great natural sweetener to use, since the fruit is packed with fiber, nutrients, and minerals, which you get whether you use the date or date sugar. Date sugar is the granulated form and can be used to directly replace sugar in recipes (though it won't be as sweet). Date sugar is best used in baking, while the actual dates can be soaked and pureed for any recipe. The perfect no-bake crust is made by processing dates with raw nuts (see
springtime lemon bars
, on page 216).

Fruits are naturally sweet, with many beneficial vitamins and minerals, so it's the ideal choice if you are craving something sweet. Fruit won't necessarily be enough sweetness for baked goods, but will make a nice addition in terms of texture and flavor. You'll find a few desserts in here that are essentially fruit dressed up, and those are great if you are trying to reduce the amount of sugar and baked goods in your diet.

Maple syrup is a sweetener made by boiling the sap of maple trees. The liquid and the granules can be used in baking. You can substitute equally maple granules for sugar or maple syrup for a liquid sweetener. Be sure to buy 100 percent organic pure maple syrup when possible.

Stevia is a naturally sweet herb that comes in a powder form and a liquid concentrate, and can be 100 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It has an unusual licorice-like taste that my taste buds can spot from a mile away. Its flavor is intense. I never use it personally, but many who are sugar-phobic love it. Start with a little to see if you like it, and do some experimenting to find the right amount to put in baked goods.

This is an alternative sweetener made from birch bark that can be a good substitute for granulated sugar. It's very sweet, so you'll want to use less of it than you would of other sweeteners, which is good, because it's fairly expensive.

• Makes one 9-inch loaf

If you've never tried barley flour mixed with brown rice flour, you are in for a treat. Brown rice flour gives a whole new texture to baked goods, crumbly and soft on the inside and a touch crispy on the outside. I love it!

Oil, for pan

1 cup barley flour

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cup brown rice flour

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tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

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teaspoon sea salt

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cup coconut palm sugar

2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with
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cup applesauce

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cup safflower oil

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1 medium zucchini, grated

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cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray loaf pan lightly with oil. In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients except nuts until well combined. In a small bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until well combined and no lumps remain. Stir in nuts, if using. Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth over the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• Makes 9 to 12 pieces

Lemon bars are usually filled with refined sugar and other not-so-good-for-you stuff. My healthy version has a delicious raw crust made from dates and almonds. Agar-agar gives the topping a firm texture without eggs.

10 dates, soaked 1 hour, then pitted

2 cups raw sliced almonds, washed

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cup raw shredded coconut (optional)

2 tablespoons agar-agar

1 cup apple juice

3 tablespoons arrowroot, dissolved in
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cup date soaking water

1 cup rice milk

1 lemon, zested and juiced

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cup coconut palm sugar

2 teaspoons lemon extract

2 tablespoons coconut flour or flakes (optional), for topping

Take dates out of water but save date soaking water to use later. Blend almonds and pitted dates along with coconut, if using, in food processor until well mixed, about four minutes. Be sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients. Press evenly into an 8x8 glass dish or into a casserole dish to make crust. Refrigerate while you make the topping.

For the topping, combine agar-agar and apple juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until all the agar-agar has dissolved and no clear bits remain. Stir occasionally. This could take 10 to 15 minutes. It's very important that the agar-agar is dissolved completely. Meanwhile, mix your arrowroot and date soaking water together until well dissolved. Pour into saucepan with all the remaining ingredients except coconut flour and bring back to a boil. Simmer for five minutes, until sauce becomes thick and creamy. Pour evenly over crust and let cool to room temperature before storing in fridge for 30 minutes. Spread coconut flour or flakes evenly over the top. Cut into squares and serve.

• Makes 2 to 3 servings

I love lemon so much I could eat this dessert every day. So healthy, yet so tasty, amasake makes the perfect base for pudding or custard. Great with granola.

1 carton (16 ounces) Amazake, plain flavor

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cup brown rice or maple syrup

1 lemon, zested and juiced (save some zest for garnish)

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

3 tablespoons arrowroot, dissolved in
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cup apple juice

Mint leaves, for garnish

Place all ingredients except diluted arrowroot in small saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for two minutes to incorporate all the ingredients. Stir in diluted arrowroot and bring back to a boil. Simmer while stirring for a few minutes, until custard thickens. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature before putting in the fridge to cool completely. Serve chilled in bowls garnished with lemon zest and mint. You can serve with sliced strawberries or other fruit.
 

lemon meringue cupcakes with lemon coconut frosting