Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free
A product of the date palm and cultivated since approximately 6,000 B.C., the date fruit is one of the sweetest fruits around. Originating in the Middle East, date palms were introduced across south and southwest Asia, northern Africa, Spain and Italy. They spread around Mexico and California with the Spanish colonists. The most popular varieties of dates are Deglet and Medjool.
Dates are a good source of energy and fiber as well as essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. They also contain vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin K. Try making this recipe using a trifle, a dish used to serve layered desserts.
Ingredients
- LAYER 1:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup pitted Deglet dates
- 3 Tablespoons cacao powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- LAYER 2:
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons almond milk, if mixture is too dry
- LAYER 3:
- 1 15 ounce can coconut milk (1 cup coconut cream*)
- 1 cup organic confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
- LAYER 4:
- 1-10 ounce package frozen raspberries, defrosted
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Directions
-
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the Layer 4 ingredients and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour until it thickens.
-
In a small bowl, mix Layer 3 ingredients just enough to get the lumps out and refrigerate.
-
Place Layer 1 ingredients in food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together; this should take about 1 minute. Mixture should be gooey.
-
Using the back side of a moist spoon, press about ¼ inch of this mixture evenly into the bottom of your dish (a clear dish allows the layers to be seen) and place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the next layer.
-
Place Layer 2 ingredients in your food processor and process until almost a paste.
-
Add Layer 2 to parfait dish, then add Layer 3. Finish by adding Layer 4.
Recipe Notes
*To produce coconut cream, allow can of coconut milk to stand for at least 24 hours in a chilled environment. The solid section which rises to the top is the cream, and it can be skimmed off and placed in a new container, leaving light coconut milk behind. Coconut cream is essentially a highly concentrated form of coconut milk with very little water.