Sweet Finger Food

This week was very culinary for me. Since I love experimenting in the kitchen and I was just in a right mood for creating healthy and delicious sweets, I can conclude it's been a good week! :)

Thursaday was important day for my boyfriend's sister. She had oral presentation of her pharmacy thesis. So after long 5-years struggle she has finally came to the end of her undergraduate studies. For this special occasion I have decided to make sweet finger food desserts for a sweet treat of all guests coming to this special event. She passed her oral exam with an honour, so little sweets were just the right treat for her and everyone who came to this event.

I've made variaty of sweets, including puff pastry flowers with apples, raw chocolate cakes with pomegranate and coconut cups with coconut mousse and fresh strawberries / raspberries.

Puff pastry flowers with apples

Ingredients:

- 275 g puff pastry

- 6 medium sized apples

- cinnamon

- watter

Preparation:

Roll out puff pastry and cut it into 2*30 cm strips - it helps if you roll it out already in a square with one side measuring 30 cm. Cut apples in four pieces, pit them out and slice them on very thin slices (2-3 mm). Boil water with a bit of cinnamon, add apples and let them boil slowly for 3-5 minutes until they soften a bit. Then put them horizontally slice by slice on the strips. Roll the strips and a nice flower pattern will turn out. Then put flowers on baking paper on baking sheet and put them in preheated oven (180°C) for around 20-25 minutes, until flowers are a bit brown. Cool them and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Raw chocolate cakes with pomegranate

Ingredients:

Crust:

250 ml pecans

250 ml dried shredded coconut

10 pitted medjool dates

0,5 tsp cinnamon

0,25 tsp sea salt

Half pomegranate

Cream:

250 ml pecans
250 ml dried shredded coconut
125 ml 100% cocoa powder
160 ml agave nectar or honey
0,25 tsp sea salt

Chocolate dressing:

4 Tbsp 100% cocoa powder
1 Tbsp (liquid) coconut oil
4 Tbsp agave nectar
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Raw topping cream:

500 ml cashwes (soaked overnight)

125 ml coconut water
seeds of vanilla

2 Tbsp agave nectar

0,25 ml liquid coconut oil

110 seeds of pomegranate

Preparation:

First prepare the crust. In a blender combine pecans, coconut, dates, cinnamon and sea salt and process until finely ground, starting to hold together, when sqeezed between hands. Oil 24x24 cm pan so cakes will be easily removed. Press crust mixture into a pan and make sure it is even. Seed half of pomegranate and spread seeds evenly over the crust.

Then make the cream. Combine pecans, coconut, and cocoa powder in a blender and process until finely ground. Add agave nectar and sea salt and process until the mixture comes together like a dough. Put the mixture into the prepared baking sheet over the crust and pomegranate seeds and level it so it is even. Place in the fridge.

It's time to do chocolate dressing. Whisk together all ingredients until smooth, and spread over the prepared layer.  Place in the fridge while you prepare raw topping cream.

To make the raw topping cream, combine raw cashews, coconut water, vanilla and agave nectar in the blender and process until smooth. Add the coconut oil and process for about 30 seconds until well incorporated.  Remove the mixture from the food processor and place in the freezer for about 45 minutes to an hour to firm up to frosting consistency. 

Cut the cakes into squares (4 cm) and put them on decorative paper baskets. Take topping cream, put it in  the dressing bag and decorate each cake with flower pattern. Finally decorate each cake with three pomegranate seeds. If you want you can make your own decorations as well.

Coconut baskets with coconut mousse

Ingredients:

Coconut baskets:

750 ml coconut

3 egg whites

100 ml sugar

100 ml almond flour

0,5 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut mousse:

2 egg yolks

125 ml coconut milk 

2 g gelatine

125 g heavy cream (you can use coconut whipping cream)

Decoration: 

Strawberries, raspberrries or other fruit of your choice

Preparation:

For baskets: oil muffin (or other cupcake) tin thoroughly with coconut oil. Preheat oven to 175°C. In large bowl, stir together coconut, egg whites, sugar, almond flour, and vanilla (it should stick together when 

squeezed). Divide mixture evenly over muffins, pressing mixture into bottom and up sides of muffins cups to form the crust. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until top edges are deep golden brown and bottoms are just starting to brown. Cool crusts completely in pan on wire rack before unmolding gently by running a knife around the edges and popping them out.

For coconut mousse: Beat egg yolks until pale. Bring coconut milk to boil. As soon as it starts to boil, pour over beaten egg yolks and put it back to the stove. Cook until thickens, then stir in gelatine and let it cool. As soon as it is cold enough, stir in beaten cream and let it in the fridge for a few hours.

Cut strawberries on smaller pieces.

When it's thick enough, put a large spoon of mousse into every basket and decorate it with strawberries, raspberries or any other fruit by your choice. Sprinkle with coconut.

Enjoy your little sweets!