The 4th of July calls for some kind of blueberry dessert. It’s an American tradition, right? After thinking about all of the wonderful cobblers and crisps I have had in my lifetime and realizing how much butter and sugar they have, I needed a somewhat healthy berry alternative. I mean, blueberries are good for you, so why detract from that fact with lots of butter, sugar and flour?
I scoured my dessert archives and found a recipe from a April 2006 magazine that I am not going to tell you the name of. It sounded really good and seemed to be healthy. Just 250 calories, no butter, no sugar and no flour. The best part? It required no baking.
David was keen on the idea, so our Independence Day dessert was preordained. Raw blueberry tartlets. Now, don’t get freaky on the raw part because there was no sprouting or dehydrating involved. In fact, all that was needed was a food processor.
When David tasted it, he said, “You could serve this in a restaurant!” And I think someone should.
Buen provecho!
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| May 31, 2015 |
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| July 8, 2012 |
Raw Blueberry Tartlets
Ingredients
For the fruit
- 2 cups fresh blueberries organic is preferred
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest plus extra julienned for garnish, if desired (or you could use a sprig of fresh mint)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons brown or coconut sugar
For the tartlets
- 2/3 cup almonds or mixed nuts I used 1/3 cup almonds and 1/3 cup pecans, and walnuts would also work
- Canola oil cooking spray
- 1/2 cup dates pitted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons water
- Sprinkle of cinnamon for tartlets and on fruit just before serving
- Whipped coconut or real cream optional
Instructions
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Combine blueberries, orange and lemon juices, orange zest, vanilla and brown sugar in a bowl, stirring well to blend. Cover and refrigerate.
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To a food processor, add nuts to the mixing bowl and pulse until they resemble breadcrumbs. Coat a mixing bowl with a few spritzes of cooking spray and then empty the pulsed nuts into the prepared bowl.
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Next, pulse dates in food processor with 1-1/2 teaspoons water until well chopped (they will be a little clumpy). Add to the bowl with the almonds, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and stir well to combine.
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Divide mixture evenly into four golf-sized balls. Place each ball between two sheets of wax paper and press to form a 4-inch crust. Turn up the edges so the fruit does not spill out. Refrigerate the tartlets for 2 hours.
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Carefully remove a tartlet to a serving plate. You may need a spatula, but I used my hands to do this. Fill each tartlet with 1/2 cup blueberries and drizzle each with some leftover juices from the bowl. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, julienned orange zest or a sprig of fresh mint. Serve as is or with a dollop of whipped cream.
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