We’re often asked how we came up with over 300 gluten-free recipes in our book, Eating Pure in a Processed Foods World®. Well, we took all our family favorite recipes and remade them using healthier ingredients. Recipes like Green Bean Casserole, Chicken Casserole, Hash Brown Casserole (our version of tater tot hotdish) made without canned soups; and Peanut Butter and Chocolate Crispie Bars, Chewy Oatmeal Cookies (our versions of Special K Bars and Monster Cookies) and this Rhubarb Strawberry Dessert made without refined sugar.
Once the recipe was recreated with healthier ingredients, it had to pass our taste testers before it made the cut to be in the book. This particular dessert took several times of testing and remaking before it was approved. And although it’s a little tedious, it’s well worth the effort! You will have a large pan of delicious dessert that keeps well in the refrigerator for several days (if it lasts that long!).
On another note, we have a funny story about our photo shoot of this dessert. We had finally gotten the recipe to meet our required taste standards and had made a fresh pan the day we were going to photograph it. We carefully made the meringue and commented to the photographer how critical it is to keep an eye on it when baking as it burns easily. Well, wouldn’t you know it… with all three of us standing there watching it bake, we suddenly saw smoke billowing out of the slightly open oven door! We pulled it out quick and managed to take the photo as all three laughed hysterically. Oh, the joys of photographing food!
RHUBARB STRAWBERRY DESSERT
CRUST:
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 cups almond flour
3 tablespoons coconut flour
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together and pat into a buttered 9 x 13 glass pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool.
FILLING:
6 cups chopped rhubarb
1-1/4 cups honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons gelatin
6 egg yolks, whisked
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups quartered strawberries
Stir fresh rhubarb, honey and salt together in a large sauce pan. Sprinkle gelatin over all and stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking at a low boil, stirring constantly, about 20 minutes. Add 1 to 2 cups of boiling mixture slowly to the whisked egg yolks to temper. Stir. Slowly mix tempered eggs back into the boiling rhubarb. Continue cooking and stirring an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes and stir in cream and lemon juice. Wash, stem and quarter strawberries. When mixture has thickened and is lukewarm, stir in strawberries. Pour over crust and chill 6 hours.
MERINGUE:
1/2 cup honey
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
In a small pan, heat honey until boiling. In a large bowl, beat egg whites 3 to 4 minutes until soft peaks form. While beating, slowly pour boiling honey in a steady stream down the side of mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and salt. Continue beating 8 to 10 minutes until meringue is doubled in volume. Spread on chilled dessert, making sure all edges are sealed. Place under broiler 20 to 30 seconds to brown top of meringue. Meringue burns quickly, so keep your eye on it!
