You may have noticed that my posts are a bit shy on desserts. This is partly because I myself don’t have a sweet tooth, and partly because I’m aware of the negative impact excessive sugar intake can have on the body, particularly in terms of appetite regulation.
However, there are some naturally sweet foods that I am a sucker for…dates being one of them. If I have a little room left after dinner, then a treat of 2 dates, a chopped organic apple, a stick of celery and a finger of Manchego or Ossau Iraty cheese slots in to the ‘gastric-gap’ just beautifully.
If guests are visiting and something a little more refined is required, then this is one dessert I turn to. It delivers a nice gentle sugar punch, but whacks in vitamin C to support the immune system, fibre to promote regular bowel movements, iron to reduce the risk of iron-deficiency anaemia, along with minerals (calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and magnesium) and monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid & palmitoleic acid from the cashews) to promote heart health & lower blood pressure. If you’re not into citrus, then you can always switch in mango or up the almond milk and add fresh vanilla bean (if I do this, then I freeze the pudding and it tastes like a slightly nutty version of vanilla ice-cream)
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
2 peeled oranges (if you want a really orange flavour, remove some zest first and set aside)
½ - 1 cup of dates (I add ½ cup but if you have a sweet tooth you may want 1 cup)
1.5 tbsp of melted coconut oil
1/2 cup filtered water, or almond milk
Pinch of sea salt
Recipe:
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth (if it is too thick add more orange juice or almond milk). If you want a really intense orange flavour, remove some orange zest before peeling the orange and add this to the mixture.
Scoop into small ramekin dishes and leave in the fridge overnight (or prepare and freeze 1hr before serving)
Decorate with lavender flowers and orange & grapefruit slices dried out in the oven (approx.1 hour at 140C)