tips from deserts of vitality

[Guest guest]

TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING A MORE DECADENT DESSERT

If you want to try to make some of the desserts in this cookbook more

" decadent " , try the following:

1) use canola oil and/or unrefined coconut oil in place of applesauce

and/or prune puree (see below for more information about unrefined coconut

oil).

2) use coconut milk in place of water

3) use more nuts and/or shredded coconut

4) if the cake calls for cocoa, use chopped, ground or melted hard

chocolate (mainly non-dairy bittersweet chocolate) in it's place - replace

each 3 tablespoons of cocoa with 1 ounce (27 grams) of hard chocolate.

 

FAT REPLACERS

To the lower the fat content of desserts (mainly baked desserts like

cakes, cookies, and muffins), applesauce is commonly used. As an

alternative to applesauce, I have successfully used fresh apple puree

(with skin included). I often use fresh apples by adding chunks of fresh

apple (with their skins) together with the other liquid ingredients, and

then blending it all together (either in a food processor, or with an

electric hand blender with a sharp blade). In general, 1 small cored

apple is equal to about 3 tablespoons of applesauce.

 

In addition to applesauce being a fat-replacer, it is possible to use

prune puree (consider if the prunes will have a negative effect on the

flavor of the dessert you are creating). Prune puree is make by warming

dried prunes in hot water, and blending it all together into a smooth,

thin paste (similar in consistency to applesauce).

 

FLOUR

I recommend that you use fresh ground flours, that is, grind your own

flours from whole grains right before you are going to use the flour.

This makes for the best tasting desserts because the flour (which has not

been sitting around already ground) has not had a chance to stale and the

fat in the flour has not had a chance to get bitter or go rancid.

Grinding your own flour does take some extra effort, but I have found that

people eating the desserts really appreciate the better (fresher) flavor.

Whether using freshly ground flour or already ground flour (i.e., from a

bag), fluff up the flour in the bag or container with a fork so that each

cup will weigh 4 ounces. If you measure it while it is compressed, you

could end up with significantly more flour, and this could effect the

results.

 

The cake and pie crust recipes generally call for brown rice flour or

other non-gluten flours. More information about the why this cookbook

emphasizes non-gluten flours and grains can be found at the beginning of

this cookbook. In general, any combination of the below listed flours can

be used. Cookies are easier especially easy to use a more diverse set of

flours. They can be made from just about any of the below listed flours.

 

Non-gluten flours to use for desserts: whole-grain brown rice, whole-grain

amaranth, whole-grain teff, and/or whole-grain millet.

 

Flours with gluten to use for desserts: whole-grain pastry wheat,

whole-grain kamut (very similar to wheat), whole-grain spelt (very similar

to wheat), and/or whole-grain oat (either ground from oat groats or from

food processed rolled oats) will make baked goods denser).

 

In general, when a recipe calls for non-gluten flour (like brown rice

flour), it also often calls for finely ground tapioca powder and/or ground

flax seed to assist in the binding of the non-gluten flour. If you don't

want to use a non-gluten flour (e.g., if you want to use spelt flour),

then all 3 of these dry ingredient items can be replaced with a flour that

contains gluten.

 

NOTE: As you change the flours used in a dessert, the proportion of wet

ingredients require may change, so adjustments may be needed to make the

batter/dough come out with the right consistency. For example, teff flour

in a pie crust may not require as much liquid as whole wheat pastry flour

to make a good, rollable pie crust dough. Additionally, using pre-ground

flours instead of fresh ground flours from whole grains may change the

amount of wet ingredients required. Lastly, humidity at time of baking

and length of flour storage can cause the amount of wet ingredients

required to vary from those stated in the recipes.

[Guest guest]

Here is part of a letter from my mother...she has some good tips on

substitution and on ingredients as well as some places to look for cool

ideas >

enjoy

 

> Thanks for the receipes. The flour tips one reminds me of being on the

>Montana ranch and grinding all our grains. Was neat, it is better no

doubt.

>Fre year, having no mill, I have ground up wheat berries in my blender. Not

>fine enough for cake but good for bread, muffins, etc. I grind a lot of

>stuff in the blender, they are cheaper than a mill and easy for small

>amounts.

> Slight halt for cat removal

> Been looking through my old Bon apatite and Cuisine mags. you should

>look in them. I have kept and re-read them over and over for info and good

>dishes. Lots of exotic veg & fruit things. They always have an informative

>article about why to use ingredients and about the locale from when it

>sprang. I have used them for years. Actually, we had veg dishes more often

>than everyone realized. I used zucinni in Italian sauce also eggplant or

>mushrooms or the combo every now and then with no mention. Taco salad also

>does not have to have meat or can have chicken.

> Is deserts of vitality a cookbook you have? Look in your old Fannie

>Farmer book BTW and see the vegetable dishes there, ideas. Good basic

>comination and method to be found.