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Whole Gourmet Natural Cooking

Raw Strawberry Shortcakes
Yield: 10-12 mini cakes

Almond cakes are topped with fresh sliced strawberries and dolloped with creme fraiche (okay... nut creme) and a gorgeous splash of Raspberry Drizzle. The cakes can be dehydrated or left out in the sun to crisp up a bit on the outside.

CAKE
1 cup almonds
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1 cup pitted dates
1 vanilla bean pod, scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

FRUIT FILLING
3 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup Nut Cream (below) on the creamy side
1/2 cup Raspberry Drizzle (below)
Mint leaves (for garnish)

For the cakes, blend all of the cake ingredients in a food processor or blender until fine ground (the batter should be thick, yet not pasty; it should have small pieces of nuts for a bit of a crunch).

Grab a small handful of the dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten it into a 3-inch patty with the edges curved up a bit to make a cradle for the berries. Place the patties on a dehydrator tray and repeat with remaining dough. Dehydrate the cakes at 105 degrees for 4-6 hours, until dry to the touch on the outside, yet soft and moist on the inside.

Toss the strawberries with the nut cream. Lay two cakes onto each plate and spoon the berries over the cakes. Drizzle the raspberry sauce over the berries. Garnish with mint leaves.

NUT CREAM
Yield: about 1 cup

This versatile recipe can be used for a variety of purposes. If blended with very little water, it can be frosted over cakes and dolloped on top of pies or fruit. Use more water, and it transforms into a sweet and healthy replacement for cream in your favorite recipes.

1/2 cup fatty nuts (cashews, walnuts, macadamias, Brazil nuts) soaked in water 30 minutes (soak 8 hours to activate the enzymes, optional)
1/2 cup (about 10) pitted dates, soaked in water 30 minutes (save soaking water)
1 vanilla bean pod, scraped, or1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend all the ingredients with just enough soaking liquid to make either a smooth, thick spreadable frosting, or a thick, yet pourable sauce or cream.

RASPBERRY DRIZZLE
Yield: about 1/2 cup

Any fresh or frozen berry can be used in this healthy topping for cakes, mousse, tortes and sorbet. Soaked dates can be used to replace the honey, but the sauce will not be as bright red as without them; no need to add the psyllium powder for thickening.

8 ounces (about 1 cup) fresh or frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons raw honey or raw agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon psyllium powder

Blend the raspberries in a food processor until puréed. Strain the purée through a fine-meshed sieve. Place the purée back into the processor with the honey and psyllium. Blend until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes to thicken before serving.