"I was feeling nostalgic"
...for Christmas goodies this year, partly in honor of my dad who passed away this summer. He was the son of German immigrants and lover of all things dessert. And Christmas was extra dessert for a whole week. Stollen, pfeffernusse, liebkuchen, gingerbread, honeycake, baumkuchen, etc. served every morning with steaming mugs of black coffee...and later in the afternoon for "a little smackeral of something"...and of course after dinner with more coffee. My mom was an avid baker of traditional cookies and I still have all her recipes.
But when I got all the ingredients together (thank you Trader Joe's for now carrying organic everything) and laid them all out - flour, sugar brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, baking soda, baking powder, butter, eggs - it all looked GREAT!
"But...No! Wait!"
Here I am a "natural chef" helping people heal their gut, banish cravings, reduce inflammation, lose weight, control blood sugar, go raw, gluten free, vegan, whatever. These are all the ingredients I have tried to eliminate, so why would I bring it all back in? Why would I do this to myself? Why would I make all those goodies in the name of tradition, for friends and neighbors?
I could hear myself: "Happy Holidays! Now,
"please don't eat this!"
And since my dad had suffered from heart disease, diabetes, stroke and dementia, wouldn't it be more in his honor to carve out some new traditions? So, I started over and started pulling out a different set of recipes - the ones I had lovingly and painstakingly created and tested over the past several years. I decided that if I was going to share treats, I'd rather share something that might make a more positive contribution and more in keeping with what I have come to stand for in the way of whole food nutrition without giving up....
"divine tastes and textures."
Rather than try to replicate the old standards (that's just sad), how about inviting some "new" traditional foods onto the table that use fresh, whole, unrefined, unprocessed, naturally flavored and seasonal confections? Here's something I've made for parties and food demos based on an Italian dish called "Sybarita" that they eat with a spoon. I soak the ingredients in a little wine and stuff it into pitted dates. You only have to eat 1 or 2 to feel decadent and satisfied! And, not guilty, since it's loaded with with fiber, vitamins and minerals and healthy fats.
"Please steal this recipe!"
"SYBARITA" filled date tidbits makes 24 pieces
12 medjool dates - pitted and split in halves
1/4 C. black raisins
1/4 C. golden raisins
1/4 C. dried cranberries
1/4 C. black figs
1/4 C. pecans
1/4 C. walnuts
1/4 C. chocolate bar
1/4 C. port
1 T. bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla bean
1 tsp. orange zest
Chop dried fruits fine and add to large mixing bowl.
Chop nuts and chocolate fine and add to fruit in bowl.
Add port and other flavorings to bowl and mix well with a large spoon.
Cover and let meld overnight.
Before serving, strain liquid from filling in a sieve over a bowl. When mostly drained, fill the date halves with 1 T. filling each. Garnish and place on platter to serve.
Garnish: 1/2 a toasted pecan, goji berries, drizzle of melted chocolate, fruit slice or berry.
This recipe is very forgiving. You can substitute other fruits, nuts, citrus and flavorings.
The filled dates will keep for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Let me know how it turns out and what you think!
Enjoy the night......
