Serve your sweets with a side of edible flowers this season for a spread that looks as good as it tastes.
Fast Raspberry-YogurtIce Pops
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
Pulse together raspberries, sugar and lime juice in a food processor or blender until raspberries are just broken down. Fold into a mixing bowl of the Greek yogurt. Divide mixture between four fluted freezable molds, preferably silicone. Cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. After freezing, let stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before turning out and serving.
Makes four servings.
Gluten-Free Cakes With Cashew Cream and Matcha
For the cake base:
1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup soft brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 lemon, zest only, finely grated
2 tablespoons mint, leaves only, chopped
For the filling:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, then drained
1 large lemon, juiced
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups silken tofu
1/2 cup white sugar
For the matcha topping:
1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners" sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons matcha green tea powder
To garnish:
4 thin lemon slices
salad cress or other microgreen
edible flowers, e.g., pansies
For the cake base: Preheat oven to 350 F. Place four individual ring molds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pulse together oats, walnuts, brown sugar and melted butter in a food processor until finely chopped. Stir in lemon zest and mint. Divide mixture between molds, pressing into even layers with the back of a damp tablespoon. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and set. Remove from oven and transfer baking sheet to a cooling rack.
For the filling: Combine cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, coconut milk, silken tofu and sugar in a clean food processor. Blend on high until smooth, scraping down sides of processor from time to time. Spoon filling on top of bases. Carefully tap baking sheet on a flat surface to help settle filling. Cover and chill until set, about 4 hours.
For the matcha topping: Beat together cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, 2-3 minutes. Add confectioners" sugar and vanilla, stir well, and then continue to beat until smooth and creamy, 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of hot water and the matcha powder, beating again until uniformly green in color. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve: Carefully slide a spatula under bases of cakes, transferring to serving plates. Remove molds. Pipe voluminous swirls of matcha topping on top of the cakes. Garnish with lemon slices, salad cress and flowers before serving.
Makes four servings.
Blackberry-Beet Ice Cream / Avocado-MintIce Cream
For the ice-cream base:
6 large eggs
2 cups white sugar
7/8 cup water
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the blackberry-beet ice cream:
1 1/3 cups blackberries
7 tablespoons beet juice
For the avocado-mint ice cream:
1 large avocado, halved, pitted and diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 handful mint, leaves only, chopped
For the ice-cream base: Whisk together eggs, sugar and water in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add cream and whisk again to combine. Cook over a medium heat, whisking continually, until simmering. Remove from heat and strain custard mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Sit the bowl inside a larger bowl half-filled with ice water. Stir custard until cold, about 20 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla extract.
For the blackberry-beet ice cream: Purée blackberries with beet juice in a food processor. Pass through a fine sifter into an ice-cream machine. Add one-third of prepared ice-cream base and churn according to manufacturer's instructions until frozen yet soft, 20-30 minutes. Scoop ice cream into a freezable container, cover, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
For the avocado-mint ice cream: Purée avocado with lime juice, mint and a splash of water in a food processor. Transfer to a clean ice-cream machine. Add remaining prepared ice-cream base and churn according to manufacturer's instructions until frozen yet soft, 20-30 minutes. Scoop ice cream into a freezable container, cover, and freeze for at least 4 hours. Remove ice creams from freezer 5-10 minutes before serving.
Makes 12 servings or three pints.
