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Last Bite
Strawberry Shortcake Gets a Makeover
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BY AUDREY BARRON • PHOTO BY CHRISTINA RICHEY
Summertime growing up meant long lazy days, bike rides, flashlight tag, barbecues and one of my very favorite memories—fresh strawberry shortcake. I could taste summer in each bite! Looking back, I realize that our strawberry dessert wasn’t the healthiest. We used store-bought cakes and whipped topping full of preservatives and other questionable ingredients.
Years later, strawberry shortcake is still one of my very favorite desserts. But now I’m making a much healthier and, dare I say, tastier version. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free and is made without white sugar, but it is overflowing with organic, fresh goodness.
Audrey Barron is an Indianapolis raw food chef and owner of Be Bliss Healing Therapies, providing holistic healing and education. www.beofbliss.com.
LIVING STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Recipe by Audrey Barron Serves 6
For crust: ½ cup almonds ½ cup cashews ¾ cup dates, pitted and chopped 1 tablespoon coconut sugar 1 tablespoon water ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For strawberry sauce: 1 cup strawberries 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup ½ teaspoon lemon juice ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup strawberries, sliced and set aside
For “cream” topping: 1 cup cashews, soaked 4 hours and rinsed ¼ cup water 2 tablespoons maple syrup ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. To make crust, process the nuts until coarsely chopped. Add dates, sugar, water and sea salt and process until dough-like consistency with small chunks.
2. Press ¼ cup of crust mixture into the bottom of a small, round cookie cutter to form a circular crust. Repeat with the remaining crust mixture. Set aside.
3. To make sauce, blend 1 cup strawberries, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
4. To make topping, blend cashews, water, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
5. To assemble each strawberry shortcake, place sliced strawberries on top of the crust, then drizzle strawberry sauce over berries. Top with a dollop of “cream” and another drizzle of strawberry sauce.
