july pie

july pie, originally uploaded by jacquelinedandelion.

here is a fun, festive, delicious project. it took precious time, but the end product was decadent and well-enjoyed. make this! its fun!

gluten free, vegan, made without sugar. mostly raw. made with so much love.

each layer was put in the food processor (except the garnish layer)

crust: dates, macs, almonds, vanilla bean, himalayan sea salt- pulse quickly, leaving the nuts chunky. use just enough dates to make it stick together.

thick chocolayer: avocado, cacao powder, agave nectar, cayenne (a pinch)- blend until smooth.

thin fruit layer: fresh raspberries, dehydrated watermelon, process well.

extra thin spontaneous layer: fresh mint, agave, lime juice, tiniest bit of fresh ginger, not really necessary, but added a little zing. process well.

creamy layer: coconut milk, lime juice, agave, ground fresh mint- this works well if you keep the coconut oil in the freezer for an hour or so, not to completely freeze it, but make sure its creamy. if your coconut milk separates into clearer watery stuff and cream, just use the cream. process to smooth. break the mint down on its own before adding everything else.

garnish: dehydrated watermelon slices cut into stars with cookie cutters + fresh chocolate mint.

i found it incredibly delicious. i never made anything like this before so i was nervous putting it out there for my friends and family, but the response was almost unanimously in love.

smooth like butter

there's nothing like butter. since i don't eat bread, either, its not really a big deal. there was a time when i would occasionally treat myself to gluten-free waffles with earth balance or some such not-butter spreads. i always felt weird about it, not being a big fan of soy products. after soy, there's the canola business, which also makes me wonder. canola is a hybridized form of rapeseed, often genetically engineered. these things raise flags. i hate to eat things i feel weird about.

but occasionally you get that hankering. maybe your neighbor gave you a batch of homemade fig jam, or perhaps you've concocted a sensational vegan, gluten-free cornbread, which begs some melty goodness atop. who says we can't all have our toast and butter it, too?

at thanksgiving, i made pumpkin pie and had to find a substitute for the gobs of butter in the recipe. i wanted a delicious crust, and a delicious crust i had! my concoction has passed taste tests on all sorts of butter-begging goodies. it does NOT taste just like butter. but it IS delicious, spreadable, smooth, melty, and SO deliciously satisfying in its own right. and it is super super simple to make, having only two ingredients.

the secret?

coconut oil and nutritional yeast. that is all. i blend it in a food processor and put it back in the coconut oil container. once, i added a little apple cider vinegar, which i found delicious, but my mom disagreed. so, suit yourself.

i just can't keep it to myself, so yummy.