Lavendar-Infused Rhubarb and Almond Torte

Photo: Noelle Ferrada Kelly

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup dates

1 cup raw almonds

1 st layer

2 cups blanched almonds

2 teaspoons almond extract

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons orange zest

cup agave nectar

1/2 cup So Delicious coconut milk

2 nd layer

4 rhubarb stalks, (aprox. 2 1/4 cups), chopped

1/2 cup water

1 1/4 cups palm sugar

2 teaspoons lavendar, dried

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

2 tablespoons agar agar flakes

Preparation

You will need a 9-inch spring-form pan. Spray with coconut non-stick spray.

Preparation

Crust

Soak almonds and dates for 2 hours. After 2 hours, blend almonds and dates with 2 Tbsp of the reserved liquid in a food processor. Mixture should be a little coarse.

Remove from processor and add mixture to the bottom of pan. Press evenly on the pan.

St layer

Soak almonds for 4 to 6 hours. The more the merrier so that the almond will not be too mealy. Drain liquid and process in a food processor. Add almond extract, nutmeg, coconut milk, orange zest and agave. Process until very smooth.

Pour mixture on top of the raw crust. Place in freezer while preparing the rhubarb portion.

Nd layer

Chop the rhubarb stalks and place in the food processor. Blend well.

In a medium pot, add rhubarb sauce, water, nutmeg and palm sugar. Using an empty tea bag or cheese cloth, add lavendar. Place sachet in with rhubarb mixture.

Boil on medium low heat for 20 minutes. Mix arrowroot powder with 1 Tbsp of water in a small bowl and mix well. Add to rhubarb mixture along with the agar agar. Blend well. Remove from heat for 5-10 minutes.

Remove spring-form pan from freezer and pour rhubarb mixture on top of 1st layer.

Place in refrigerator and cool for 2 hours. Ready to serve. Decorate with sliced almonds. Remove spring from pan and place torte on a large plate. Slice and eat. Refrigerate the remainder for up to a week.

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About

Now let's get to a great dessert I created this past week before we left on our trip. I had purchased some rhubarb at the Farmer's Market and knew I had to make something different other than my normal strawberry-rhubarb desserts so I came up with a fresh and almost completely raw dessert that was very light and gourmet.

It was my first time to use a spring-form pan to prepare a raw dessert and was very nervous about how this dessert would turn out. I like taking risks, what can I say? Can I just say that my kitchen looks like a complete mess after creating something that I have had in mind for a while? I feel like a mad scientist trying to test these flavors together. It is fun!

This dessert reminded of a cross between a cheesecake and a torte. The "cream cheese" portion is made of soaked almonds and coconut milk with agave, nutmeg and orange rind. Yum!

The graham cracker section is substituted for soaked raw almonds and dates. Lovely! I then created a nice 2 layer mixing rhubarb, palm sugar, boiling it with a little water and a sachet filled with lavendar with some nutmeg for added spice. I used palm sugar because it has a low glycemic rate and I wanted a particular flavor.

After it was boiled I added agar agar flakes and 1 Tbsp of arrowroot to bring the mixture together. It then went into the refrigerator for the congealing process and presto a nice torte came to be. Hope you feel inspired to try the recipe!