Last summer, shortly after I received review copies of my Ice Dream Cookbook, I found Ricki Heller’s blog, Diet, Dessert & Dogs. I perused it, noticed she used some of the same ingredients that I use, that she loves to bake, create new recipes, write about food and her dogs, and follows a wheat-free, dairy-free diet.
I offered to send her an early reading copy of my book. In exchange she tried several of the recipes, took pictures of them, and wrote a review. When I heard she had a book in the works, I asked if she would send me a review copy once her book came out, which she did.
Ricki lives in Maple, Ontario with her husband and two lab-border collie cross dogs. Her book, Sweet FreedinL Desserts You'll Love Without Sheat, Eggs, Dairy, or Refined Sugar, represents the culmination of years of developing recipes, baking, and gathering her most requested and successful recipes from her former vegan, organic bakery, Bake It Healthy, her years of catering, teaching cooking classes, doing cooking demos for groups, and writing her award-winning blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs.
Allergy friendly desserts
“Many people think the term healthy desserts is an oxymoron,” says Ricki Heller, a holistic nutritionist and former English teacher. But when she was forced to change her diet for health reasons, she wasn’t willing to give up her favorite desserts just because she could no longer use conventional ingredients. So she designed recipes that she could enjoy and share with others who had food allergies or intolerances, such as lactose intolerance, casein allergy, and sensitivity to refined sugar.
Coconut Whipped Cream in process>>>>
Allergy friendly designations
Each of her recipes includes a symbol/key indicating the special need the recipe is suited to, for example, SF = Soy free, GF = Gluten free, CF = corn free, NF = nut free. Rather than use wheat, her recipes call for speet, oat or barley flour. Instead of white or brown sugar, her recipes call for agave nectar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, dried fruit or some combination. All of the ingredients she uses can easily be found in the health food section of supermarkets and natural foods stores. Ricki also offers alternatives for those who cannot eat eggs. She says that about one-third of her baking is entirely gluten-free.
Btw: If you follow a gluten free diet you could replace the gluten flour in her recipes with a gluten free flour blend, if you do this you will need to add ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon of guar gum or xanthan gum as a binder per cup of flour. Ricki prefers to avoid these binders, so most of her gluten-free baked goods are grain free. I find the binders helpful so I offer the above tip.
Coconut Whipped Cream, ready>>>
Conversion guide
Ricki’s book includes guidelines for converting recipes from sugar to maple syrup, agave nectar, and date puree, how to replace eggs with flax, chia seeds, or tofu, and information on using coconut oil, olive oil, coconut milk, almond milk, and other alternatives.
Who will like it?
If you include have a sweet tooth, you limit or avoid dairy products, you prefer to use less refined sweeteners, you regularly consume grains, or you cook for anyone else who falls into one or more of these categories, you’ll want to check out this book. Most of the recipes in Sweet Freedom focus on baked goods—muffins, scones, rolls, cookies, bars, squares, cakes, cupcakes, dairy-free cheese cakes, pies, and baked puddings although the book does include toppings, frosting and some raw and no-bake treats.
What I tried
I made her Soy Free, Sugar Free Coconut Whipped Cream (page 125), which Ricki says she tested more than 50 times – by far the most in the entire book.
Although “it’s a slightly fussy recipe with several steps,” says Heller, “the result is well worth the effort: you’ll have a light, creamy, fluffy topping that can be dolloped over shortcake, pie, or fruit without soy or refined sugar. She also includes tips for making it stiffer and piping it through a pastry bag.
I made it twice because the first time I neglected to divide the cornstarch and add it at two different stages. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both batches over juicy summer berries one time and my Fresh Fruit Gel the next weekend. While not as light as real whipped cream, it’s a pleasant alternative for those who need to avoid all dairy and it looks like a rich and special treat, my photograph doesn’t do it the justice that the cover of Ricki’s book does.
I made the Cashew “Cream,” (page
106) a staple in most vegan households (which mine is not...but I do love
cashews). Mine came out a bit dark because of the quantity of dates I used. The recipe called for a specific number of dates, which here in the date growing Southwest can vary in size. I think future printing of her book will call for a specific weight, which will improve accuracy.
Cashew Cream made w/dates>>>
You can serve it as an ice cream or whipped cream alternative over fresh fruit desserts, or pies. Unlike most sweetened nut cream recipes, this one calls for dates rather than maple syrup or agave nectar. I found the texture creamy and the flavor sweet – a nice topping for fresh strawberries or peaches this time of year.
Sweet Freedom, a 7x10 book, contains more than 100 recipes in 172 pages, a four color cover, and a 6 page color insert showing off 18 of Ricki’s recipes. The cover includes four more. The book is indexed by ingredient and recipe names. It retails for $27.95 Canadian. For more information or to order, visit the Diet, Dessert & Dogs blog
Soy Free, Sugar Free Coconut Whipped “Cream”
Recipe from Sweet Freedom by Ricki Heller
In creating this recipe, I ended up testing it more than 50 times—by
far the most in the entire book—and am happy to say I’m thrilled with
this final version. It’s a slightly fussy recipe with several steps,
but the result is well worth the effort: you’ll have a light, creamy,
fluffy topping that can be piped or plopped in dollops atop shortcake
or pie, all without soy or sugar.
Ingredients
1-1/2 level tsp (7.5 ml) agar powder or 1 level Tbsp plus 1 level tsp (30 ml) agar flakes
2 Tbsp (30 ml) organic cornstarch, divided (arrowroot won’t work for this recipe)
3 Tbsp (45 ml) light agave nectar (I used honey)
1/3 cup (80 ml) plain or vanilla rice or almond milk
One 14-ounce (400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen; the higher the total fat content, the better), at room temperature; shake well before opening
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic, melted (optional; will depend on the fat content of the coconut milk)
For agar powder: In a small bowl, combine the agar powder, 1 Tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch and agave nectar. Whisk well to eliminate any lumps.
Pour the coconut milk, rice milk and salt into a small heavy pot. Slowly whisk in the agave mixture until well combined.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins
to boil. Continue stirring constantly and cooking over medium heat for
one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into a deep bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature,
about 30 minutes, stirring once every minute for the first 5 minutes.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to chill completely, at
least 4 hours.
For agar flakes: Combine agar, rice or almond milk,
coconut milk and salt in a small, heavy bottomed pot; allow to sit at
room temperature, covered, for at least 20 minutes to soften the agar.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cornstarch and agave nectar
until smooth. Add to the agar-milk mixture in the pot and stir to
blend.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins
to boil. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring for 5
minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to avoid
scorching. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a deep bowl (this will
catch any bits of flakes that haven’t dissolved entirely; you
definitely don’t want chunks of agar in your whipped cream!). Allow to
cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, stirring once every minute
for the first 5 minutes. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow
to chill completely, no less than 4 hours.
Once chilled, proceed as follows for both agar powder and agar flakes: Break
the chilled mixture into large chunks (it should be jelled and quite
solid) and place in a food processor. Sprinkle with the last 1 Tbsp (15
ml) cornstarch and process until perfectly smooth, stopping to scrape
down sides two or three times. The mixture should have no visible
little lumps or grains of gel, and should be very fluffy and smooth. At
this point, the cream may be used as is to dollop over pies or
puddings. For a firmer cream that can be piped, continue as below.
If the cream is not quite stiff enough to pipe, beat it with electric
beaters, as follows: turn the already-processed cream into a deep bowl.
If you have time, refrigerate for another 10-15 minutes until very cold
(otherwise, place the beaters in the freezer for a few minutes). Melt
the coconut oil (start with one Tbsp or 15 ml). While beating the
cream, pour the melted oil in a stream over it, and beat on high speed
to incorporate; the cold cream and beaters will help to congeal the oil
as it’s blended in. The cream should thicken enough to hold a shape. If
necessary, use the final Tbsp (15 ml) of oil as well.
Store in refrigerator up to 5 days. The cream will keep its shape and should still remain soft. Makes about 2 cups (500 ml).
For more information or to schedule an interview with Ricki (samples of the baked goods can be provided to Toronto-area events), you can contact her through her blog.
To order, visit www.dietdessertndogs.com/cookbook or www.amazon.com
Rachel, thank you for this incredibly comprehensive review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the creams! I also love it over berries--it's a great way to spruce up a simple fruit dessert. Great for summer!
I know you mentioned that the recipes are vegan, but I should also clarify that I don't convert recipes from sugar to honey, as I don't use honey. But I do use agave nectar. :)
Posted by: Ricki | July 15, 2009 at 07:09 PM