G.D. Sweetener & Kreme Broolay

[sarahfae]

Yes, the spelling for the following recipes are silly - but I promise you that these simple treats deserve to be taken seriously (with a smile of course). Even my uber picky non-vegan husband tried the desert and said: 'S good Honey - I'm impressed.
Yay for hubby-likes-it-points!

I have to start this post out by sharing what I've been using for a liquid sweetener as of late - in my effort to banish Agave from my kitchen.
I call it Golden-Date Sweetener - and it's SUPER easy.


(Not the actual raisins that I used)

Golden Date (or G.D.) Sweetener
1 C Golden Raisins
7 Medjool Dates (pits removed)
Fully cover Raisins/Dates in warm water. Soak for about 15 minutes. 
Place Raisins and Dates in food processor or blender with 3/4 Cup of the soaking water. Blend for about 5 minutes, Store in Refrigerator.

Side note: One of the reasons why I chose to use Golden Raisins is because of their tart, almost honey-like flavor. Paired with Dates they create a very mellow slightly tart and fragrant flavor.
EDIT: The Golden Raisins I use are actually slightly green in coloring, and have not been blanched or flame dried.

Now on to the more important subject...
I now give you MY raw/vegan take on a desert classic:



Kreme Broolay (!!!)
This Recipe makes about enough for two modest portions.

For the Kreme:

3/4 C Cashews
1 tsp Apple Cidar Vinegar
7 tsp G.D. Sweetener (from beginning of this post)
2 tsp Vanilla
Pinch of Salt
1/2 Water (or Almond millk)

Place the above ingredients in food processor and blend for about five minutes (maybe a bit more) until mixture is whipped and creamy. Scraping down the sides of processor as you go.

Broolay Topping:

In a small bowl mix:
2 tsp of the Kreme mixture
2 tsp G.D. Sweetener (can sub with sweetener of your choice)
Mix.
Spread thinly on a teleflex sheet, or parchment paper --- don't forget to take into consideration that the topping should match the dimensions of the inside of the Ramekin, or whatever dish you choose to serve the Kreme Broolay in.
Once the topping has been evenly spread on the dehydrator sheet, lightly sprinkle Cinnamon on top.
Dehydrate for roughly 14 hours.
When the Topping is done it will seem to still be very very pliable - and this may lead you to think: "Hey, that Sarahfae lied to me - this isn't done!", but I promise you that it is done!
Place the topping in the refrigerator immediately, and as it cools it hardens into a crisp candy-like topping. YUM!

Once your topping has hardened dish up the Kreme, place the Broolay on top, and eat it with someone you love!



Thanks guys!
xo,
S

Comments

[emilyrugbrn.livejournal.com]

I think you said you didnt want to use agave because it wasn't raw. If that is the case, I thought I might point out that raisins are not raw either. If you chose the better of the two evils, I would stick to the agave.

[beatle2102.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this is necessarily true. I would think that if the raisins were cooked at a high temperature, they would actually burn instead of just dehydrating. I'm pulling this info right out of my rear, but my intuition is that raisins are heated at a low temperature over a longer period of time (days) instead of being heated at a high temperature over a short period of time.

Regardless, I think a good rule of thumb is that your basic cooking ingredients should as much as possible resemble nature. So in this case, raisins are much closer to something found in nature than agave is. If you're really concerned, though, you could always try making your own raisins from grapes using a dehydrator. I haven't a clue how long it would take, but I might try it sometime, just to find out.

[sarahfae.livejournal.com]

oops! i forgot to mention a note on the raisins...
beatle2102, you're right on the mark with this. my thoughts/reasons exactly. :) thanks for writing that!

[sarahfae.livejournal.com]

P.S. I just made a little edit to this entry with more information on the raisins I used. If ya care :)

[emilyrugbrn.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that it is not considered raw because they are mostly treated with sulphur and chemicals. That is not to say there isn't a raw brand out there, but I don't think a typical box of raisins on the shelf will qualify.

[sarahfae.livejournal.com]

yes, i've read about this as well. but sulpher and chemicals are mostly used when processing prepackaged golden raisins, or sultanas, not all raisins. to avoid buying raisins like this i recommend avoiding prepackaged, and introducing yourself to the person in charge of ordering/buying the bulk foods at your local nat.foods store.