Pomander Balls or Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies for the Holidays

Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies, enlightened a bit

When I was a child one of the Christmas cookies my Mom would make each year was something she called, "Pomander Balls", a no-bake cookie made from crushed Nilla Wafers and melted chocolate chips together with sugar and orange extract.  The recipe has since been a favorite of most of our extended family and especially of my husband and daughter.

This is my version of Pomander Balls, which I respectfully re-name "Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies" since they aren't exactly the same.

In a food processor combine all the ingredients:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1/4 cup agave syrup

2 tbsp orange juice

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

1/4 tsp orange extract

1 cup ground walnuts
2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal

1 box cookies such as Nilla Wafers
1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips, melted

Blend everything together and shape into balls about the size of a walnut or about 3/4" diameter.  Roll in crumbs such as cookie crumbs or nuts.

Store for up to 4 weeks in airtight container in refrigerator.  If they seem dry, occasionally sprinkle with more Grand Marnier as they mature.

Good luck having any at Christmas unless you hide them.

Note:  The goal is to have a crumb mixture that holds together when squeezed so you may have to bump up the moisture by adding more of any or all of the wet ingredients.  Today I had to add a lot more moisture because the air is so dry. Makes about 32 cookies.  (Hard to tell since someone kept snitching as I was making.)

Jewell's Rum Christmas Fruitcake

Christmas Fruitcake made without eggs and butter!

Jewell's Rum Christmas Fruitcake
First, place all fruit into large bowl and cover with alcohol such as rum or bourban, or use one cup of rum and toss every so often.  Let soak for several hours or overnight. Keep in mind you can use whatever dried fruits and nuts you prefer.  This is what I am using this year: 2 cups dried bing cherries 5 oz. sweetened dried cranberries 6 oz. sliced dried apples 6 oz. dried papaya, cut into 1/2" chunks 3/4 cup dried dates coarsely chopped 3/4 cup dried pineapple cut into 1/2" chunks 1 cup pecans coarsely chopped 1 cup macadamia nuts coarsely chopped 1 cup raw cashews coarsely chopped 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 1 cup rum or bourban Fruit and nuts soaking in rum For batter:
3/4 cup	granulated sugar	CREAM
3/4cup	brown sugar	TOGETHER
1/2 cup	vegan butter
1/4 cup	flaxseed meal
8	eggs substitute  (VeganEgg works well)
1 cup	applesauce
1/2 cup	plain soy yogurt or vegan s. cream	WET
1/2 cup	pineapple juice or orange juice	INGREDIENTS
1 tsp 2 tsp 1 tsp	almond extract vanilla extract balsamic vinegar
4 cups	cake flour
2 cups	unbleached flour (not bread flour)
2 tsp	baking powder
2 tsp	baking soda
1 1/4 tsp	salt	DRY
2 tsp	cinnamon	INGREDIENTS
3/4 tsp	cloves
2 tsp	mace
1 tsp	nutmeg
Makes 6 or 7 small to medium loaves, bake 1 hour at 325° or convection 300°.
Line 7 medium size loaf pans with heavy brown paper or parchment, grease and flour.  Set aside. Alternate method:  use spray oil and flour on non-stick pans.
In large measuring cup, combine applesauce, pineapple juice, almond extract, yogurt and any rum that can be drained off fruit. Set aside.
In large bowl combine all dry ingredients. Set aside.
In larger mixing bowl beat vegan butter until soft and add sugars, continue beating for 1 minute.  Add egg substitute (dry powder and water mixed according to package directions) and continue beating for 30 seconds. Add small amounts of wet and dry ingredients alternating until all flour mixture and applesauce mixture has been combined with butter/sugar mixture.
Fold all fruit and nuts into batter.  Spoon gently into prepared loaf pans. Bake at 325° for 1 hours. Loaves should be golden brown and have pulled away from sides of pans. Keep cooled cakes wrapped in cheesecloth or cotton flour sack towel soaked in your favorite rum or brandy for a few weeks before Christmas. Once you have a good base recipe for the cake part, you can use whatever dried fruit and nuts you prefer. Just don't use candied fruit—I think that is what gives fruitcake such a bad reputation.

7 medium size fruitcakes cooling on wire rack

At the last minute before baking we decided to top them off with maraschino cherries

Soak towel in rum and store in airtight container or gallon ziplock bag until Christmas/New Years.

Test piece, guess who sacrificed himself as general taster?

October Sweet Rolls

Hot out of the oven!

I have been craving cinnamon rolls for a couple of weeks now and wanted to find way to create a version that didn't have butter or vegan margarine but still tasted great.  I had the idea to use ground nuts as the fat in the gooey insides along with ground dates and talked to my daughter, the pastry chef about it this morning.  She recommended I use pumpkin puree as a spread over the dough.  I combined our two ideas into a new invention which I like to call, October Sweet Rolls.

This isn't a low fat recipe, just lower than my old standard cinnamon roll recipe which called for lots of butter, loads of sugar and even heavy cream poured over the top.  Geez, those don't even sound good now.

Ingredients for the dough:

1 cup near boiling water
1 cup cold rice milk
     —Combine, make sure it isn't too hot and then add:
2 teaspoons dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon raw sugar
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 cup better for bread flour
2 cups whole wheat plus enough additional to make into a not too sticky dough
Mix until smooth dough forms, let rise until double in warm location.

Filling:
Wet:
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, organic "Ceylon" type to get the health benefits
     —
1/2 teaspoon vanilla to be added after cooking
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese to be added after cooking.

Dry:
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup figs
dates, about 8 pitted
2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, organic "Ceylon"
1/4 cup brown sugar

Place walnuts, figs and dates into a food processor and grind to a fine crumb, then toss with remaining dry ingredients. Set aside. (Note: I used a Ninja for this but had to divide this into 4 parts to complete the task.)

Place first four wet ingredients into a 2 or 3 quart saucepan, stir over medium heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce the moisture.  Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Place vanilla and cream cheese in small blender (like a Ninja) along with half the pumpkin puree mixture. Pulse to combine. Then stir in remaining pumpkin mixture. Let cool to just warm.

Roll out dough to form a large rectangle, about 16"x24".  Spread pumpkin puree mixture to cover dough.  Sprinkle dry nut crumbly mixture over pumpkin. Roll tightly to form 24" loaf. Slice into 1 1/2" rolls using dental floss to cut.

October Sweet Rolls, ready for the rise before placing into the oven.
A new take on cinnamon rolls.

Place rolls into prepared glass casserole pans so that they have room to expand. (Prepare by coating with coconut oil and a light dusting of brown sugar on the bottom of each pan.)
After they rise to double, bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Vegan Lemon Soufflé

Let's make it again!

Lemon Soufflé Ingredients:

1 package Mori-Nu Soft Tofu
5 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon, two if you want more lemon flavor
5 tablespoons sugar, or your preferred sweetener
2 tablespoon almond milk
1 tablespoon egg replacer powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch


2 tall soufflé ramekins, 10 ounces each prepared by spraying with a light coating of cooking spray oil, then dust with fine confectioners sugar.  Place in pyrex 9x13 pan.  Pour boiling water between ramekins to a depth of 3/4" or about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Lemon Souffle,  after 6 minutes of baking

Lemon Souffle,  after 40 minutes at 350 fahrenheit 

Blend ingredients in a strong blender such as a Vita-mix.  Pour into prepared ramekins, bake for 45 minutes in the water bath.  Take a picture.  Devour with a friend.

Vegan Lemon Soufflé , an earlier attempt that looked great but was too wet inside (I bumped up the cornstarch and decreased the almond milk)

Note:  If I had tall 6 ounce ramekins, that would be my preference but baking this recipe in typical 6 ounce ramekins results in soufflés that do not puff up, see top of last photo.

Buckwheat Figgy Rolls

The trouble with your better half watching the Food Network Channel in between football games is that he comes across interesting looking foods and turns to me to ask, "Is there a way to make that without eggs and oil?"

Here is just such an attempt:  Not cinnamon rolls, but fig rolls and not typical yeast dough but dough made with buckwheat flour.

Oh, who am I kidding? It's my favorite Saturday past-time, coming up with new recipes.
To create these, I am using a derivation of the filling recipe from the Fat Free Vegan's Recipe for Skinny Figgy Bars. (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/12/skinny-figgy-bars.html).  Her recipes are always awesome.

Figgy Roll with orange icing, my favorite

Buckwheat yeast dough beginning to rest and then rise.

Dried figs simmering in water and flavoring

Figgy Rolls ready to rise

Rolls fresh out of the hot oven

Figgy Roll with chocolate icing

Figgy Roll with maple icing

Ingredients:

Dough

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup raw sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup warm almond milk

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and knead to a soft dough that is not too sticky, you may need to add a few tablespoons more water.

Place into a bowl that has been treated with non-stick spray oil.  Let rise in warm place for 2 hours.

Punch down and roll or press out on pastry cloth or cutting board into a large rectangle, about 14 x 18.

Filling:

1 cup water

1/4 cup flavored liquor such as cinnamon moon shine

9 ounces dried figs with stems removed

4 ounces pitted dates

2 drops anise extract

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Combine figs, dates and water and alcohol in a 2 or 3 quart saucepan and bring to simmer.  Let cook for about 10 minutes to re-hydrate the fruit.  Pour contents into a vitamin blender with the remaining ingredients and puree. Spread filling mixture to cover entire dough rectangle, then roll tightly and slice into 12 even pieces.  I like to use unwaxed dental floss for this.

Let rolls rise until doubled in 9x13 pyrex dish for about an hour.  Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Decorate with icing (optional) or serve with non-dairy ice cream.

Icing Combinations:

Chocolate—1/2 cup confectioners sugar with melted vegan chocolate chips and enough soy creamer to make into a pipe-able consistency.  Place in sandwich bag and snip corner to create a pastry bag.

Orange—1/2 cup confectioners sugar with 1 tsp. orange juice, orange zest and enough soy creamer to make into a pipe-able consistency.  Place in sandwich bag and snip corner to create a pastry bag.

Maple—1/2 cup confectioners sugar with 1 teaspoon maple syrup and enough soy creamer to make into a pipe-able consistency.  Place in sandwich bag and snip corner to create a pastry bag.

Nanaimo Bars Recipe, plant-based conversion by Rebecca

Plant-based Nanaimo Bar (say nuh-nye-mo)

Rebecca's lightened version of Nanaimo Bars without dairy

Nanaimo Bars

Base

1 Tbsp Vegan Butter (optional)

1 cup Almonds

3 Squares Dark Chocolate

1 Tbsp Coca Powder

¼ cup Coconut Flakes

1 Tbsp Almond Milk

Middle

2 Cups Boiling Water

1 box NOH Coconut Pudding Haupia Luau Dessert
1 tbsp soy creamer, optional

1 tbsp Vanilla

Topping

8 Squares Dark Chocolate, melted in microwave (check every 20 seconds or so, it will take about a minute or less)

¼ cup Almond Milk

Melt vegan butter and coat small pan.

Crush almonds, cocoa powder and coconut flakes together in Magic Bullet.

Melt dark chocolate and heat almond milk in same bowl in microwave (30s) stir together.

Fold liquid into solid.  Press into 9x9 pan, chill while preparing the middle, according to pudding package directions.  Add creamer and vanilla to the pudding at end of cooking and then pour over the crust layer.  Return to refrigerator to continue chilling for 1-2 hours or until solidly set.  Prepare topping and spread over chilled dessert prior to serving.

Base layer recipe can be doubled for 8x12 pan, keep the other ingredients the same quantity.  This is a hit at a party!

Cake without eggs, oil or butter

(Re-post)
We are going to have hummus and raw veggies, and BBQ Soy Curls in a spinach wrap with coleslaw, baked beans, pasta salad, spinach salad with dried cranberries and for dessert—red, white and blue cake (if you aren't allergic to watermelon that would be a superior healthy dessert option).

Cake made from a mix without eggs and oil.

Red, white and blue cake (a dessert for the holiday--not something you should eat a lot of)
Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh blueberries
1 lb fresh raspberries
1 package white cake mix, dry
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup water
1/8 cup egg replacer powder
1/3 cup rice milk, or your favorite non-dairy milk
Steps:

1. Coat a 9"x13" pyrex baking dish lightly with crisco olive oil spray.
2. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the fresh blueberries into the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Combine all the other ingredients except for the raspberries, using a mixer set on medium speed.  Scrape sides of bowl halfway through mixing.
4. Pour batter over blueberries and bake at 350 degrees f until toothpick comes out clean, about 32 minutes.  
5. Let cool on wire rack.
6. Make a white frosting using 3 Tbsp. Tofutti sour cream, 1 Tbsp. rice milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar and a pinch of salt.  Adjust sugar and/or milk until you have a nice consistency.  (Goal: to look like traditional frosting but without all the fat of butter or shortening.)
7. Frost the cake, using a thin layer, just enough to act as "glue" to keep the berries from rolling around.  Place the raspberries in stripes and the blueberries in the corner—just like our beloved American Flag.
8. Take a bow as you serve it at the family 4th of July barbeque.

Almond Bean Bar Cookies

Almond Bean Bar Cookie

Almond Bean Bar Cookies (without nuts).  The music of Jack Johnson was perfect for the occasion!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.  Spray a 9x9 baking pan lightly with oil.  LIGHTLY!  Use a slightly larger pan for thinner bars (like Cliff Bars).

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed and processed to smooth consistency
1 box Mori-Nu soft or firm tofu, drain excess water off and process with the beans
1 cup date sugar
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon egg replacer powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients, folding to incorporate dry into wet.  Over-mixing will make the cookies tough.
Spread batter into pan and smooth top as these will not become any smoother while baking.  Bake 30 minutes, remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack.  Cut into 16 square cookies.
Stand back and admire those hands of yours that created such a delight.

Cranberry Crisp without butter or oil

When cranberries are abundant in the produce section of my local market during the holidays I try to remember to buy extra bags and just toss them in the freezer.  This year I bought a few extra bags of organic cranberries which come in 8 ounce bags.  This is a good time to start using them, after all I don't want to wait until they get freezer-burned.  We are trying to cut back on our use of sugar so this turned out pretty tart but was still liked by my better half.  You may want to add an additional bit of your favorite sweetener or serve with non-dairy ice cream.

Winter dessert of cranberry crisp

Recipe for Cranberry Crisp

8 ounces frozen or fresh cranberries, picked through to remove any you wouldn't actually put into your own mouth
1 fresh crisp apple, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons each:  chia seeds, chopped walnuts, flaxseed meal and date sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
pinch of salt

Place first three ingredients into 9"x9" pyrex baking pan.  Combine remaining ingredients to create the crumbly topping and spread evenly over the fruit.  Cover with foil and bake for one hour at 350 degrees fahrenheit.

If this doesn't make you pucker up, I don't know what will.

Plant-based Cranberry Crisp 

Vegan Chocolate Soufflé, low fat eggless

Plant based Chocolate Souffle prior to baking in 10 oz. ramekin

Three plant based chocolate soufflés baking in 1" water bath

Plant based chocolate soufflé in 10 ounce ramekin fresh from the oven

Plant based chocolate soufflé baked without water bath (not as high and light)

Wouldn't it be nice to have an arsenal of traditional SAD (standard American diet) recipes that have been converted into a plant-based version?  No oil, butter or shortening and no animal products so no cholesterol!  This is just one of many recipes you can find for free on this blog.   Happy times.

I used this recipe to make 4 soufflés but next time I will make 8 smaller ones (I found this dessert to be very good but too rich in this large size).

Ingredients:

7 ounces vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1 block Silken Soft Tofu

5 tablespoons agave nectar

3 tablespoons liquor of your choice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup Bird's Custard Powder (some say this may not be vegan)

1/4 cup cake flour or oat flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes if making 4 large servings, 25 minutes if making 8 small servings.

This recipe is derived from:  http://veggiewiz.in/2010/11/eggless-chocolate-souffle-flavoured.html

Note:  6 oz. deep ramekins can be found at http://www.wasserstrom.com/restaurant-supplies-equipment/Product_128150

Bird's Custard Powder, bought from Amazon in the USA lists the following ingredients:
Cornflour, Salt, Colour, Annatto; flavouring.
Produced in the UK.

Soft Ginger Cookies, no eggs or added fat

This is a non-egg version of a Fat Free Ginger Snap recipe by David Lebovitz.   These make delicious soft ginger cookies.

1 cup, packed brown sugar
1 individual size container unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup mild molasses
2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons egg replacer powder mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup finely-chopped candied ginger

Additional sugar (about 1/4 cup date sugar) mixed with a big pinch of cinnamon and coriander for rolling the cookies or pressing with a coated flat bottom cup or glass.

1. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, applesauce, and molasses for five minutes at medium speed, with the paddle attachment.

2. Meanwhile sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.  Also, chill a large cookie scoop and flat bottomed glass or mug by placing in the freezer.

3. After five minutes, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides, and add the egg substitute. Beat another minute.

4. With the mixer at its lowest speed, add the dry ingredients until completely incorporated, and mix on medium for one minute more.

5. Stir in the chopped candied ginger. 

6. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

8. Pour some spiced granulated sugar in a shallow baking dish. Scoop the cookies into balls (about the size of an unshelled walnut) and plunk them down into the sugar, and dip a flat bottomed glass/mug in the sugar and press or tap down the cookies.  Bake for 9 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes about 44 cookies.

Ginger cookies hot from the oven.

This makes such a sticky dough that I wash the cookie scoop and glass/mug in between each sheet of cookies and refreeze while each batch bakes.

Rhubarb Pie with Oregon Berries

We like to keep frozen mixed berries in the freezer for pies, oatmeal and smoothies.  I also like to keep a few packages of frozen rhubarb for those lazy Sunday afternoons when I feel like baking a pie but I don't want to completely sabotage my health with traditional ingredients like butter, eggs, pastry and cream.
Here is a simple little berry pie made with ground up dates instead of white sugar for your weak moments and sweet tooth cravings.

Rhubarb Berry Pie

A little slice of heaven!

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen rhubarb
2 cups frozen mixed berries
3/4 cup date sugar (ground dates)
1/4 cup corn starch
1 teaspoon agar powder (a thickener)
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch nutmeg
1 9" pie shell such as low fat graham cracker type, or just put into pie plate that has been lightly sprayed with oil and dusted with oat flour.  DO NOT USE PASTRY, IT HAS TOO MUCH FAT!!!

Place rhubarb and berries in skillet over medium heat with water to thaw for 3 minutes or so.  Stir in other ingredients and then transfer to pie shell.  Bake at 350 degrees f. for 40 minutes.  Cool on wire rack and dust lightly with powdered sugar, optional.

Black Bean Tofu Brownies

Black Bean Tofu Brownies with Walnuts, Powdered Sugar and Chocolate Icing

Black Bean Tofu Brownies with optional vegan dark chocolate mini-chips sprinkled over just before baking!

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 box Mori-Nu Soft Tofu, drained

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup Hershey's Dark Cocoa Powder

1 cup date sugar

2 tablespoons almond milk 2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon egg replacer powder mixed with 2 tbsp water

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon chocolate extract Pinch of salt

1/2 cup boiling water

Instructions:

1. Blend black beans and tofu in blender with milk and agave syrup.

2. Combine tofu bean mixture with the rest of the ingredients. 3.  Spread batter in

9x13 pan, dust the top with mixture of date sugar and cocoa powder and bake at 350 degrees f, for 40 minutes or until dough appears dry and pulls away from sides of pan.

4. These taste more chocolatey the next day, but who can wait? Note:  I made these once and forgot to put in the flour!  When I went to cut them, it was really gooey, but I thought oh well and put a scoop into each serving bowl anyway.  It tasted a lot like a warm chocolate souffle, and after two hours cooling at room temperature, the rest of the brownie pan was set up enough that I could cut them into soft brownies.  These are not nearly as sweet as traditional brownies, but our tastes have changed since becoming plant-based and we don't seem to need treats to be as sweet as we used to.  You may want to add more sweetener for yourself. Optional Chocolate Icing:  2 Tablespoons each powdered sugar and cocoa powder with enough almond milk to make a smooth consistency, just a few drops.  Add a drop of chocolate flavoring and a tiny pinch of salt.  Drizzle over the top of the brownies to bump up the sweetness.

Plant Based Pumpkin Pie

Here is a pumpkin pie recipe without dairy or eggs for a special occasion.  "Special occasion" because I used non-dairy eggnog instead of non-dairy milk as the primary custard ingredient and it contains more fat than would be ideal for regular use.  But this turned out pretty good, I know because my husband closed his eyes and hummed with each bite.  So this is "blog worthy" and just in time for the holidays!

Pumpkin Pie made with Soy Delicious Egg Nog

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Serves 8.

Ingredients:

15 ounces canned pumpkin

12 ounces Soy Delicious Egg Nog made from coconut milk

3/4 cup date sugar

2 tablespoons egg replacer powder

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon agar powder  (this stuff is the best for making custards firm)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 9" graham cracker pie shell, low fat type or homemade

Combine all ingredients except pie shell in Vita-mix blender or equal and process until smooth.  Pour into shell and bake for one hour at 350 degrees.

Cool on wire rack, refrigerate leftovers.

Individual Berry Crumble

This time of year calls for warm berry desserts whenever possible, don't you think?  This recipe will fill 4 10 ounce ramekins, so you can share or have your own comfort fest 4 nights in a row.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crumble Recipe
6 lowfat graham crackers
1/4 cup walnuts
1/8 cup old fashioned oats
1/8 cup orange juice
1/8 cup agave nectar

Process until mixture is a fine crumb.  Spray ramekins lightly with oil and coat with crumb mixture, leaving 1/4 inch layer in bottom.

10 oz. ramekin prepared for berry filling

Berry Filling
4 cups frozen mixed berries, or fresh if you have them
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/8 cup corn starch
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
pinch each of nutmeg and salt

Place berries in large skillet over medium heat.  Combine all other ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to eliminate any clumps.  Pour liquid mixture over the berries and cook until thickened.  Transfer berry filling to the four ramekins and top each with 1/4 of the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes or until your house smells heavenly.  It's time to sit down and relax over a warm dessert, preferably with a scoop of vanilla non-dairy ice cream.

Pre-cooked berry filling ready for a crumb topping

Ready to pop into the oven for 45 min.

Not exactly picture perfect but the evidence will be gone in no-time.