Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: blackberry

Blackberry Lime Margarita
Last weekend was pretty warm here. It kind of came as a shock to the system and I didn’t realize it until I went on a long run and felt pretty overheated after. I guess I am used to it being in the 40’s and 50’s in the morning and not weather that makes me start sweating in the first minute. But even if it is not perfect running weather, it is perfect patio weather and perfect weather for sipping margaritas. I had some blackberries left over from my tart I made for Mother’s Day, so I decided that I wanted some blackberry margaritas! I never got my Cinco de Mayo margarita, so I figured I deserved one, and a good one at that! I have never been one to enjoy margaritas made with mixes and lots of sugar along with the tequila, instead I love the ones made with actual fruit.

One of the best margaritas I have ever had, I enjoyed in New Orleans at a Mexican restaurant where they juiced their own fruit and it tasted amazing! That actually happened to be a carrot margarita and it was honestly the best one I have ever had! I have made that one at home as well, and I shall have to share it sometime, but for now I am sharing the blackberry because it was just as good. When I first started making margaritas, I admit they weren’t very balanced and good, but I think I have gotten the hang of it 10 years later. Partly with the help of my Mom, she is really good at mixing an awesome margarita.

For these ones, I used just fresh blackberries, lime juice, tequila and a home made vanilla syrup. It was very refreshing and delicious and I shared some with Eric when he got off work and he was excited about it as well! This is the perfect drink for when it feels like Summer! I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Blackberry Lime Margarita
Makes 1

Ingredients:
- 6 large ice cubes
- 4 oz tequila blanco
- 2 oz blackberry puree
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 oz vanilla syrup*
- ice for serving
Directions:
1. To make drink, in a martini shaker add the ice, tequila, berries, lime juice, vanilla syrup, and place top on shaker.
2. Shake until well blended.
3. Pour the drink through a strainer into the prepared glass (with some ice in it if you prefer your drink on the rocks), and serve!
*Vanilla syrup
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- 1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise
Combine all ingredients in a jar, put the lid on and shake to dissolve syrup. Let sit at least a day to infuse, then strain to vanilla bean pod. Store in the fridge for up to a month.
May 19, 2017
5 Ingredient Vegan Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream

When I bought an ice cream maker about 10 years back, I had no idea how much I would use it. But I ended up using it almost every week for a few years. I originally bought it because I wanted to create healthier ice cream than the store bought that wasn’t full of weird additives. At the time, I wanted everything to be low fat, sugar free (back in the days when I considered that healthy, and did not read ingredients on things necessarily to find out what was being subbed for those things). I of course didn’t have a blog yet either and wasn’t vegan and I experimented with making things like low fat frozen yogurt (which did not have a very good texture). The ice creams tasted ok, but there was one ingredient that I discovered which really changed home made ice cream making for me and allowed me to create some bomb ice creams. Coconut milk. I started out with low fat, but then got hooked on full fat organic for the silkiest creamiest ice creams. It is a blank palate ready for whatever flavors you wish to make.

I now pretty much have the ice cream thing down. It is equally good made with young coconut meat and cashews mixed together for a good mouthfeel. But when you are in a hurry, coconut milk is hands down the winner as far as I am concerned. I now know that my body needs healthy fats in order to function, and I am not fat phobic, so I no longer make low fat ice cream because I would rather have a smaller serving of something that tastes amazing than a large serving of something mediocre. Unless of course it is banana nice cream, which is soft serve and that is a different story (love that stuff). So if you want low fat, make banana soft serve. If you want more traditional tasting ice cream, read on.

I made this wonderful blackberry hazelnut ice cream last week to go with a pie I had made and it was sooo good! I had to share the recipe with you all because it is only 5 ingredients and super simple to make. The texture kind of reminds me of gelato, and the flavor is like no other. Sweet and nutty. Like Fancy PB and J thanks to the hazelnut butter and blackberries. If you get some fresh organic blackberries, you must try this ice cream. I have included instructions both for with an ice cream maker and without, so no excuses not to try it!

5 Ingredient Vegan Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream
Makes 3 cups

1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
1/2 cup raw hazelnut butter
1 1/2 cups fresh organic blackberries
1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.

June 22, 2016
Vegan Blackberry Kefir

When I was at the store last weekend with Eric, he was gravitating towards the kefir. He said his stomach felt messed up, and he thought the probiotics might help. Maybe so, but the dairy might upset it more I said. I am not a fan of dairy obviously, being vegan. I used to eat lots and lots of yogurt before I was vegan and I often had an upset stomach and intestines. When I stopped eating the yogurt that I thought was so healthy, those symptoms went away. So anyways, back to that kefir, I thought to myself, I should make a vegan version!

Because it sounded really good actually. I have made coconut yogurt before, so why not make a probiotic rich drinkable version to share with Eric too since he felt he needed it. I had frozen blackberries on hand, so I thought blackberry kefir would be perfect. It is actually really easy to make, it does have to sit overnight though. I added in some Original Sprout Living Epic Protein so it has protein like dairy yogurt (so no excuses to not make it for those people who always say to me they are missing out on the protein in non-dairy yogurt.)

This is kind of rich, but so was the full fat yogurt I used to eat, and you just have a little not the whole thing in one sitting (although Eric has been known to do that with such beverages ha ha). It was delicious. The most delicious drinkable yogurt I have had. And not overly sweet just sweet enough to make me and Eric both happy (he likes it more sweet, me less). You do not have to drink dairy to enjoy delicious yogurt!

Vegan Blackberry Kefir
Makes about 2 cups

1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk*
2 scoops (about 1/4 cup) Sprout Living Epic Original Protein Powder
2 tsp powdered probiotics (I emptied out the capsules)
1/2 cup raw cashew butter
1 cup organic blackberries
2 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)

In a blender, blend together the coconut milk, protein powder and probiotics. Pour into a bowl, cover, and let sit overnight in a warm place (about 75F degrees at least). The next day, blend in all remaining ingredients, chill and enjoy! Keeps for one week in the refrigerator.

*If you wanted to make this recipe raw, just substitute thick raw coconut milk (about 1 3/4 cups) for the canned.

*If you find it is too thick after you make it (since it may vary depending on the coconut milk you use etc.), add a little water to thin it out.

March 28, 2016
Vegan Lemon Blackberry Cream Pie

I got my hands on loads of lemons and all could think of that I wanted to make was pie. Lemon meringue sounded wonderful, since I love that tart lemon curd filling, and billowy cloudlike meringue frosting, but so did lemon cream pie with some sort of berries. In the end, the lemon cream won because I did not have any aquafaba on hand to make meringue and berries and lemon are irresistible, to me.

This is the sort of pie which would be wonderful raw, but I did not have young coconuts on hand and organic ones are super expensive here lately, so canned coconut milk did the trick for a creamy frosting and filling. I made a crunchy crust with buckwheat, coconut and dates as I do for most of my raw pies though and it went perfect with the filling.

For the filling, I used plenty of lemon flavor in both the form of zest and juice. I like my lemon desserts to taste like lemon. Just tart enough, not too sweet. I folded in some organic blackberries, and it was a delicious combination. Lastly, I topped it off with fluffy coconut whipped cream. It was delicious. A little bit of sunshine and summer in the winter here, can’t beat that!

Vegan Lemon Blackberry Cream Pie
Makes one 8 inch pie

1 8 inch pie plate

Crust:
3/4 cup finely shredded dried coconut
3/4 cup sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat groats, or walnuts
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup soft pitted medjool dates
1/4 tsp sea salt

Filling:
1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
pinch sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut butter warmed to liquid
3/4 cup fresh organic blackberries

Topping:
1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled
3 Tbsp maple syrup or raw coconut nectar
pinch sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

For the crust, combine all ingredients in the food processor until finely chopped and starting to hold together when squeezed (if it doesn’t you may need a few more dates). Press the mixture into a 8 inch pie pan or spring form pan greased with coconut oil.
For the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter and blackberries in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add the coconut butter slowly with the motor running until incorporated. Stir in the blackberries.
Pour filling into the crust. Place in the freezer to firm up (about 2 hours).
Meanwhile, for the cream topping, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the coconut butter slowly with the motor running until incorporated (so it doesn’t separate), and once thickened, pour into a bowl. If for some reason it separates, not to worry, just continue to blend until it warms up, then pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until it is thick like whipped cream (whisking every so often), about 45 minutes. Once the cream is ready, spread over the top of the pie. Pie keeps refrigerated for 1 week in a container.

February 28, 2016
Raw Mango Berry Coconut Yogurt Cake
I used to eat tons of yogurt as a kid. It was packed into my lunch as a child, because I was pretty picky, and it was something that I would actually eat. And, it was my go to snack. Usually strawberry. That was my favorite. This habit continued until a few years back when I decided to eliminate dairy, and at that point I was eating about 2 cups of Greek yogurt a day. I loved the stuff! But it didn’t love me back. I never knew why I had so much discomfort before I gave it up. My stomach felt so much better after I replaced it with chia seed porridge to go with my fruit instead of the dairy filled yogurt. I admit, I missed it a little, which is why I was thrilled when I discovered I could make my own probiotic rich yogurt with young coconuts last year. Since then not only is it a treat to enjoy alone but a wonderful thing to use in recipes.

Like the Raw Mango Berry Coconut Yogurt Cake I made last weekend. OMG…was it ever good! If you miss dairy, and are looking for that tang in your cheesecakes that the traditional ones have, you have got to try this. I used to always add yogurt to my cheesecakes before I started making dairy free ones, and adding the coconut yogurt does the trick too. It is really quite simple to make, just involves starting the day before and allowing your coconut yogurt to ferment overnight with the probiotics.

The berries and mango added to the yogurt in the cake is a simply heavenly combination! Plus it makes for a pretty colored design in the cake. I felt as if it was Summer while enjoying this, and it definitely put me in my happy place! The best part is my stomach felt happy after eating it too! I felt light and satisfied. Which is not something I could say if I had eaten one of my original cheesecakes from years ago.

Raw Mango Berry Coconut Yogurt Cake
Makes one 6 inch cake

Ingredients:

Crust:
- 2/3 cup raw sprouted buckwheat groats (or additional coconut)
- 1/3 cup ground flax seed
- 3/4 cup dried finely shredded coconut
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 10-12 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped (if they are not soft, soak them in water until they are and drain them well)
Filling:
- 4 cups young coconut meat*
- 1/2 cup coconut water
- 1 tsp powdered probiotics (you can open capsules and pour them in)
- juice and zest of one lime
- 2/3 cup raw coconut nectar, or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract and seeds from half a vanilla bean
- 3/4 cup raw coconut butter (warmed to liquid)
- 1/2 cup fresh organic mangoes
- 1/2 cup fresh organic strawberries
- 1/2 cup fresh organic blackberries
Topping:
- Fresh strawberries and blackberries decorating
Instructions:
1. Lightly coat a 6 inch spring form removable bottom pans with coconut oil. To prepare the crust, process flax, coconut, buckwheat and sea salt in a food processor until fine crumbs, then add the dates and process until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers (if not holding together, add more dates). Firmly press crust into the bottom of the prepared pan, and set aside.
2. To make the filling, in a high speed blender or food processor, combine coconut meat and water, and puree until smooth. Mix in the probiotic powder, place in a bowl, and let sit out on the counter overnight.
3. The next day, add to a high speed blender with the lime juice and zest, coconut nectar, sea salt, and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. With the processor running, add the coconut butter and and process for a minute until blended.
4. Divide the mixture into three bowls. Add one back to the food processor and add the mango. Blend until smooth. Place back in the bowl. Add the next bowl contents to the food processor. Add the strawberries, and blend until smooth. Place back in the bowl. Add the next bowl to the food processor and add the blackberries and blend until smooth. Place back into the bowl.
5. To assemble cheesecake, drop the three fillings over the crust alternating the colors.
6. Once the pan is full, tap the bottom on the counter to level, and swirl with a knife in a spiral from the outside in to the center, then a toothpick if you want more intricate swirls.
7. Place in the freezer for about 4 hours to firm up.
8. Garnish the top with fresh berries before serving.
*If you do not have access to young coconut meat and you do not mind the recipe not being nut free, you can substitute 4 cups raw cashews soaked for 4 hours and drained in the filling.
April 12, 2015