Sweet Wholesome Wednesday Special Guest: Silvia Gregori

For today's Sweet Wholesome Wednesday I am thrilled to have Silvia from Citron & Vanille as my next Special Guest! Silvia is a darling franco-italian gal who runs a personal chef business in the San Francisco Bay Area... specializing in French, Italian & Mediterranean cuisines. As much as possible she makes it her goal to bring the best of healthy, organic & authentic ingredients to her customers. If you are in the Bay area... look her up! She also does dinner parties and I bet she is good... her blog looks delicious!

She first became a professional chef in France before moving to the USA and also provides French & Italian cooking classes. Oh my! I would just LOVE to take some classes with her... Italian is my comfort food and I would love to explore more of the authentic side of Italy's savory food.

I first met Silvia through Foodbuzz and discovered many wonderful, classic dishes on her Citron & Vanille blog. We hit off after discovering how like-minded we were about food, health and our love for Italian & Mediterranean cuisine. When I asked her to be my special guest... I had visions her making some totally traditional from France or Italy. I really wanted to see & taste a glimpse of one of those two countries that I may never see or taste in my lifetime. Yes, I've had French & Italian cuisine in the USA... who hasn't? But it is a completely different experience to actually eat in the country where the cuisine came from. Know what I mean?

Anyway, I am SO pleased with Silvia's choice of dessert! I've never seen or heard of this unique, yet traditional dessert and wish I was sitting in her kitchen while she whipped this up so I could have the first bite. I can't imagine how soft and refreshing that first bite must've been! I had to laugh at the creative names of this dessert... Eggs "snow-style" & Floating Islands. They look just like what they are called! I love it!

Now, enjoy yourselves and don't forget to stop by Silvia's site when you are done here... especially if you are in the Bay area!

When Marillyn asked me to be a special guest on her blog, I proudly accepted without really thinking too much about it until the day she sent me an email requesting the text and photo by a specific date. Then I started to think about my deadline and I had no clear idea on what to make that would fit in her blog of nutritious and wholesome recipes.

Then, she suggested to make something simple from France or Italy. So, simplicity here I come. When I think about desserts, France comes to my mind. If you’ve ever been to France and visited its "pâtisseries", you will know what I am talking about. It's the sweet tooth land. The desserts are not only beautiful, but they are absolutely delightful. I don’t have a sweet tooth at all but something like this French dessert I am sharing with you all could turn me into one.

After being indecisive (as usual) about my dessert, and going back and forth between France or Italy, I decided to go ahead with this classic and traditional French dessert called "Oeufs à la neige" (eggs "snow-style") sometimes called "Iles flottantes" (Floating Islands) in restaurants to make it sound a little more sophisticated, but actually both are slightly different. The difference comes in the cooking method of the meringue (egg whites beaten with sugar). For Oeufs à la neige, the meringues are cooked in sweet boiling vanilla milk, whereas for Iles flottantes, they're cooked in the oven in a bain-marie. What we call bain marie is a cooking technique that consist of cooking a container of food in a larger container filled with water, may also be translated in English as "water bath".

The soft meringue looks like little clouds floating on a crème anglaise. It is a light dessert and perfect to finish a substantial meal, It's simple with just a few ingredients and always so refreshing.

Usually, what we call crème anglaise (English cream) is a light vanilla custard made with regular milk, so if you want to follow the traditional recipe, you can use it. I used almond milk instead because I absolutely love it. I used the lighter kind that has 40 calories per servings. It has a lighter and more subtle taste than the regular one. So you are getting an healthy dessert, but most of all... it is nutritious and light. Who can say no to that??

Even though it is a simple dessert, it can be quite tricky to make...the meringues cannot be overcooked, or they'll get rubbery, and will flatten out. They need to be very fluffy and have the consistency of a mousse that melts in your mouth after the first spoonful. The custard cannot be overcooked either or it will curdle. so the cooking time is critical.

Oeufs à la neige

Ingredients for 6

• 2 cups (or 500 ml) regular milk or light almond milk
• 1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise
• 5 eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 1 cup (or 250 g) organic granulated sugar
• 1 pinch of salt

For the caramel

• 3.52 oz (or 100 g) organic sugar
• 1 tbs water

Preparation

In two containers, separate whites from yolks. Beat whites to a stiff consistency with 6.34 oz (or 180 g) sugar (add sugar gradually at the end when the whites are half stiff). Add salt and keep beating.

Bring milk to a light boil in a pot with a vanilla bean split in two and remaining sugar. Add a large spoonful of egg white mixture. Cook for about 7-10 seconds on one side, then flip with a fork and cook on the other side. The meringues will expand so you want them fluffy and not overcooked. Remove with a spatula and drain excess liquid on a paper towel.

For the crème anglaise use the milk you just used to cook the egg whites. Beat yolk, then add hot milk on top, mix well and pour back on the pot. Cook at very low temperature always stirring. Do not let the milk boil or the cream will curdle. When the cream coats the spoon, it's cooked. Let it cool down and refrigerate.

For the caramel, melt sugar with water until the sugar liquefies and turns golden brown.

Place custard in deep bowls or soup plates, add one or two meringues on top. Sprinkle with toasted almonds or walnuts, vanilla powder and sprinkle some caramel sauce on top. Serve immediately.

Hmm! Silvia, merci tellement... Regarde merveilleux!

I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did! Have a great week and don't forget to enter in the giveaway... it ends this Saturday!

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Spicy Ginger Snaps

Can't believe it's Wednesday already! Whew! Did you all get a chance to look at Divina's Coconut Macaroon Tart last week?? Wow! She was my first SWW special guest and she did a fantastic job! I just love her creativity and wholesome thinking behind the tart... she really started off the SWW special guest event with a flare. She won't be the last! I have several other people lined up to be my special guests... can't wait to see what they come up with!

Now, today I am going to share with you some wonderfully tasty treats that is easy & quick to make! Not only that, but it is also totally wheat & gluten-free, egg-free & can be made dairy-free by substituting the butter with coconut oil. These cookies are very similar to the Flourless Chocolate Almond Cookies, but made with a spicy kick from the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves... all the favorite spices of the fall/winter season! Ginger has many health benefits and valued for its medicinal qualities. Check out Divina's wonderful Turmeric, Ginger & Lemon Tonic Tea... a delicious liver tonic that will stimulate your digestive fire and bring your liver functions back to normal.

All the ingredients are common in most kitchens, so most of you should be able to whip this up in no time! These cookies make excellent snacks and guilt-free treats for your kids (wink)... especially for the holidays to come if you want to keep sugar on the down low to keep your immune system up and strong. Did you know that refined sugar suppresses your immunity and impairs your defense against infectious disease? Some say up to several hours, others say up to 2 weeks... either one is long enough to allow bacterial infections to settle in and knock you out for several days to several weeks! Bacteria and viruses eat and THRIVE on sugar. That's why I love focusing on using natural, alternative sweeteners that actually boost the immune system, kill bacterial & viral infections and more!

Spicy Ginger Snaps

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1/2 cup butter, coconut oil or combination
• 1 cup arrowroot
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar, rapadura or other unrefined sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

I used soaked & dehydrated almonds, but you can use regular. Put almonds in a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients and blend well.

Form into 1 Tbsp size balls or bigger and place on oiled cookie sheets. Bake at 300 F for 5 minutes and press cookies down lightly with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes more.

Let them cool completely before moving them into airtight containers. Store in refrigerator, but if you mix in coconut oil... you can leave it out in room temperature. Coconut oil acts as a natural preservative.

Remember to vote for my blog if you Love! It... I really appreciate that :o) Have a wonderful week and the weekend will be here before we know it!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday Special Guest: Divina Pe

Hello everyone! Today I have a special guest sharing a wholesome, beautiful tart that looks simply heavenly! Please welcome Divina Pe...

I was delighted when Divina accepted my invitation to be my special guest... especially my first special guest! Divina is a sweet gal from the Philippines and has a wonderful, delicious, wholesome blog called Sense & Serendipity. Please make sure to stop by there and check it out! But before you do that... fill up on some sweet eye-candy below :o)

When Marillyn mentioned on her blog that she would like guest bloggers for her Sweet Wholesome Wednesday, I was slightly hesitant to volunteer but I believe my inner voice just spoke to my heart that I should do this. I honestly didn’t know what to do but I am sure I want to do something with coconut. We have coconuts trees here at home but most of them have gone to waste. We normally ask one of our helpers Cesar to climb the tree and pick the coconuts for us. We usually like to eat them young and drink the coconut water while they’re still sweet. But for the past few years, Cesar cannot climb the tree anymore and nobody knows how to do it. We do ask help from the outside but they’re not always available all the time. So, we just wait until the coconuts are old and brown before they fell off the tree. At that stage, the coconuts are now hard and firm and they are best grated and serve with a variety of native sticky rice desserts or they are squeezed out through a cheesecloth to obtain pure coconut cream and milk.

The coconut tree is one of the most useful trees on the planet. Every stage of the coconut growth has its own use. Nothing is gone to waste. You can produce so many by-products from a single coconut tree and that’s what local producers are doing right now. But even in the land of coconut trees, I still couldn’t find coconut flour, even coconut flakes and coconut chips. They probably export most of them to other countries. I just found that the coconut oil from Tropical Traditions (and they have the coconut flour) is actually from the Philippines.

We are truly blessed with coconuts trees and they are beneficial and indispensable in cooking, baking and as a healing ingredient. And you might also noticed that so many typhoons have passed by for so many years, many properties where destroyed, some plants have been washed out, a few tree branches have been broken and fell down, but guess where the coconut trees are? They’re still standing tall and steadfast despite the strong winds. What a miracle tree. And I should probably make my own coconut flour.

There’s a recipe called “buko pie” (coconut pie in English) which are made with fresh young coconut meat, condensed milk and lots of cornstarch. But the problem with this pie is that nobody likes it at home. Probably because it’s way too sweet and the texture is somewhat pasty. I wasn’t sure I wanted to make this.

For this tart, I’m using a combination of fresh coconut meat from both young and mature coconuts. Making a tart from coconuts is quite challenging because the flesh is somewhat bland for a tart to start with. It’s either you end up with a tasteless or ultra sweet tart. However, if you’re using dried coconut flakes, they will have the chance to caramelize while they’re baking in the oven. You can also toast your coconut flakes before adding it to your filling mixture.

I also added another layer of flavor in the form of macapuno preserves. Macapuno (aka coconut sport or mutant coconut) is similar to a coconut except that the macapuno meat is thicker with almost no water at all. They’re normally grated, cook with sugar and bottled as a preserves to be used in different Filipino desserts. I haven’t seen a macapuno so the best thing I could get right now is to buy some bottled macapuno preserve which is simmered with muscovado sugar and water. But the fresh macapuno itself or in combination with the coconut would be great for a pie or tart.

This is obviously not a low-fat, low-calorie tart. But, fear not, butter, eggs and coconuts are good for you in moderate amounts. Just don’t eat the whole thing. And coconuts are considered one of the top 10 super foods in the whole world.

Coconut Macaroon Tart

Sweet Pastry Crust (Pate Sucree):

• 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• ½ tsp fine grain unrefined sea salt
• 80 grams unsalted butter
• 2-3 tbsp cold water
• 1 egg yolk

Coconut Filling:

• ½ vanilla bean
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
• ½ cup muscovado sugar
• 1 ½ cups fresh grated coconut (from mature coconuts)
• 1 cup fresh coconut strips (from young coconuts)

• ¼ cup macapuno preserves (optional) or other preserves or jam of your choice

To start the sweet pastry crust, first beat together egg yolk and water. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and stir with a spoon. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the flour, breaking the pieces with your fingertips. Rub the butter into the flour until it has a sandy appearance. Stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and combine evenly and quickly until the dough just comes together. Lightly flour the work surface and knead the dough very lightly. The dough should be smooth and pliable. Press into a ball, cover with saran wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To roll the crust, remove the dough from the fridge, dust your counter top and rolling pin with a little bit of the whole-wheat pastry flour. Roll the dough bigger than a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base about ¼-inch thick, making a ¼ turn of the dough while rolling to prevent to dough from sticking to the work surface. Wrap the dough around the surface of the rolling pin, lift it and unroll it gently over the tin, taking care not to stretch it. Let the dough rest over the edge overlapping the sides. Gently lift the edges of the dough with one hand and press it well onto the bottom of the tin. Roll the pin over the top of the tin, pressing down to cut off the excess dough. With your fingers, press the dough evenly up the sides, from the bottom, to increase the height of the rim. Prick the base of the shell with a fork to prevent air bubbles forming during baking. Chill for at least 15 minutes, or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit degrees.

Bake blind the pastry crust in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is set and slightly browned. Cool slightly. Then, lower the temperature oven to 350 Fahrenheit degrees.

To prepare the coconut filling, first slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds, using the back of the knife. Transfer to a bowl and whisk with the eggs, coconut milk and salt. Whisk in the muscovado sugar until combined. Then stir in the shredded coconut meat.

When the pastry has cooled down, spread a thinly layer of the coconut preserve (a little bit less than the photo) at the bottom. Then scrape the mixture into the tart shell and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the tart is golden brown, making sure that the top is caramelized and set in the center, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely.

To serve the tart, loosen the edges of the pan with an offset spatula and gently slide the tart off the base. Slice and serve.

I like to chill them first before slicing and I find that they taste better the following day.

Enjoy.

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Maple Cinnamon Pecan Ice Cream

For years I've had a love and hate thing going for the fall season. I loved the fall because of the cool crisp air, beautiful colors, apples, pumpkins & all the yummy fall recipes that can only be enjoyed during this time of year. But I hated the fall because of the winter that often comes knocking on my door before I am ready to say goodbye to summer and fall, but it has been very different this time around with living in Costa Rica. We are actually finishing up our winter (rainy season) and the summer (dry season) will start up around December. I am enjoying it, but still have moments where I would daydream about the fall and winter in Iowa... Brrr! Okay, I'm cold now :o)

Anyway, I have been seeing all over the food blogs so many delicious recipes with ingredients that celebrate the fall season... apples, pumpkins, creamy soups, pies, cinnamon, maple, nutmeg, apple cider, spiced cakes, roasts & more! It makes me feel all warm and spicy whenever I see these recipes.

So, today I have a great fall ice cream to share with you! The wonderful combination of pecans, maple syrup & cinnamon really hits the sweet spot. We have actually decided that this ice cream has become the favorite now, but due to limited supply of maple syrup... we can only enjoy this once every few months when someone (usually my in-laws) comes down to visit and brings a bottle of maple syrup with them. Yes, we did find a tiny bottle of maple syrup for about $18.00 at a gringo grocery store, but no way we are spending that much for it!! Import taxes, blah! We've learned to live without a lot of "American" things that are available here because it of the cost. Better to wait till we can find someone to bring us a suitcase of groceries... LOL!! :o)

Back to the ice cream, it is simply delicious and so comforting. Did you know that cinnamon is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron & calcium? I didn't! I also learned that cinnamon can help lower LDL cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, stop yeast infections, fight E. coli bacteria, reduce arthritis pain & much more! No wonder it makes me feel so good when I sprinkle some on my toast with raw honey. I actually would love to write a post on cinnamon sometime soon because it is one of my favorite spices that I use almost every morning. I find the taste delicious and the smell... oh my! Adding that with maple syrup and pecans with a pinch of sea salt really made it perfect.

Maple Cinnamon Pecan Ice Cream

• 3 cups whole milk or cream
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup soaked & dehydrated pecans, chopped
• pinch of sea salt

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into your ice cream maker and proceed according to instructions.

If you do not have an ice cream maker... simply pour into a plastic sealed container and put in your freezer. When completely frozen, simply chopped it up and put in your blender. Blend till creamy.

NOTE: if you don't have soaked & dehydrated pecans... use the regular kinds, but you will be missing out on some seriously good flavor!

Now, does anybody have any sweet recipes to share with us today?? If yes, please post it in the comments area!

Next week we will be having a special guest for SWW! Please come next week and see what this gal will be sharing and enjoy some eye candy! Now, go have a great day... seriously!

P.S. - I decided to share this with the Real Food Wednesday gang.

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Cool Peppermint Ice Cream w/ Homemade Chocolate Magic Shell

I almost forgot that today was Sweet Wholesome Wednesday, but glad I had a recipe on standby for times like this :o)

The title pretty much says it all... the peppermint is fresh from my garden and wonderfully refreshing! But I had to use a lot of peppermint leaves to get a good flavor, you'll have to adjust according to your tastes. Some like it strong, some like it mild and I'm in the middle :o)

You can revisit your sweet childhood memories of magic shells with no guilty feelings! This homemade Chocolate Magic Shell is more delicious than the distant memory of Magic Shells at your local ice cream shop! I wasn't a big fan of the Magic Shell as a kid because the flavor wasn't appealing and I felt like it was in the way of the real good stuff: the ice cream. Now, I am happy to say that this stuff rocks! The secret ingredient to making the "hard shell" is... coconut oil. For those of you who might not know, coconut oil's melting point is around 72 F and hardens very quickly when the temp. is less then 70 F. The coconut oil makes an ideal, healthy (and frugal!!) Magic Shell and you can avoid the nasty (my opinion) kinds in the stores!

Cool Peppermint Ice Cream w/

Homemade Chocolate Magic Shell

• 3 cups whole milk or cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
• 15-25 (or more) fresh peppermint leaves

Blend everything together in your blender. Pour into your ice cream maker and process according to instructions. IF you don't have a maker... simply pour into a plastic container and put in freezer. When frozen, pull it out and let it thaw slightly. Chop it up and pour into your blender. Blend till creamy.

NOTE: Make sure to taste the mixture and adjust if needed. I did not use peppermint extract (didn't have any, but if you want a strong flavor... you might want to use it) and I used about 25 leaves before I was satisfied with the peppermint flavor.

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1/2-3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4-1/3 cup honey (or your choice of sweetener)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

Gently melt everything together over very low heat (don't want it to boil!) or use a double boiler. Taste and adjust according to your preferences. Pour into a small glass mason jar or a plastic container (easy to squeeze).

You don't have to refrigerate this amazing stuff because the coconut oil naturally preserves the mixture. Ours lasted almost 2 weeks (on the shelf) before it was used up and tasted great! If you decide to put it in the fridge... expect it to turn into a hard lump and you will need to let it sit in hot water before using.

Who says ice cream is only a summer treat?! Just turn up the heat for a little bit and daydream about the summer days while you eat this delicious peppermint treat!

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Spicy Ginger Pecan Ice Cream

I found this DELICIOUS recipe in my Nourishing Traditions book and it has become a regular in my family. I've been making this for several months now and made some changes, but ended up going back to the original recipe.

I just love the spicy, warm feel in my mouth while savory each bite of this deliciously sweet treat. The pecans imparts a wonderful buttery flavor that you can only get from pecans :o) This is a great treat for those who are heading into the fall and winter season. This cool treat will leave you feeling warm and tingling.

Spicy Ginger Pecan Ice Cream

• 3 cups whole milk or cream
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Beat egg yolks in a bowl and either pour into a blender or keep in the bowl. Blend in the remaining ingredients. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to its instructions. When done, transfer the ice cream into a shallow plastic bowl and store in freezer or eat right away.


If you don't have an ice cream maker... simply pour into a shallow plastic container, cover and store in your freezer. When frozen, take it out and let it thaw till slightly soft. Put back in the blender and give it a whirl till creamy.

Both ways give delicious results!!  Also, don't forget: enter to win a FREE quart jar of Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

I almost forgot! Kristy @ My Little Space gave me a Friend Button... Thank you Kristy!!!!

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Mango Upside Down Buttermilk Cake (Soaked)

I am enjoying my "Sweet Wholesome Wednesday" posts, but I have so many desserts to share with you that I might end up sharing them on other days besides Wednesdays. I guess I am more of a baker than a cook. I LOVE doing both, but making sweets is my thing. I have so much fun experimenting with recipes, making changes and eating them... my family loves it too :o) LOL!

Well, today I have a really fun recipe to share with you all. I've been eyeing this recipe from my Costa Rican cookbook for a while and decided last week to give it a try. Instead of your usual pineapple, I used mangos and instead of using the crazy amount of sugar that it called for, I cut it in half and used coconut palm sugar instead. I replace the all-purpose flour with spelt flour and soaked it using cultured buttermilk because it will decrease the phtytic acid and increase absorption of vital nutrients (read more here). The results... awesome! Overall it was sweet, buttery, chewy and rich... having it with fresh milk rounded it up to perfect.

I made this again this past Sunday to test the ingredients and make sure the results were the same. This time I used mangos AND blackberries... it was amazing! The blackberries' tartness jumped out among the sweetness of the mangos. Oh yum, I must make this again!!

Mango Upside Down Buttermilk Cake

By Marillyn Beard

• 2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup cultured buttermilk

Mix flour and buttermilk. Soak for 12- 24 hours (I soaked mine for almost 24 hours).

• 3 cups firm & ripe mangos (about 2 lg. mangos)
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup palm sugar or honey

Slice mangos and lay out them out on a 9x13 pan. In a small pot over low flame, stir sweetener and butter till just melted... don't not let it bubble. Pour the the mixture over the mangos. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.

• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup palm sugar or honey

Mix into the dough one egg at a time. Make sure each is mixed in before adding another. This will require some serious stirring on your part. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour over the mangos and put in oven to bake for 30-35 minutes. The top should be golden brown when done. Let it cool and turn it over onto a serving plate. Serve with either fresh milk or ice cream, your choice :o)

I hope some of you will try this and enjoy the wonderful results :o)

REMINDER: Enter to win a FREE Fermented Veggie Master... ends on Friday!

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Coconut Palm Sugar

Today I want to take a break and share with you a new sweetener that is making a comeback into the market these days.... Coconut Palm Sugar.

All I can say is... this sugar is extraordinary and delicious!

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about this alternative sweetener. I love my honey, but I want a variety when I make my sweet treats. After doing a bit of research and finding good reviews from some of my favorite food blogs. I decided to give it a try, so while we were in the states in July I stopped by an Asian market and picked up two different kinds (wet paste and hard round lumps) .

They are both from Thailand, but produced by different companies. I was surprised, but very pleased, to find that they both had slightly different flavors and smells. The hard round lumps has a very pleasant floral smell and taste. The wet paste has more of a light carmel smell and taste. They taste a tad bit like maple syrup and much lighter than honey or unrefined cane sugar. It has been wonderful to use so far. So, from what I gathered in my research, coconut palm sugar is...

made from the nectar produced from the coconut tree (coco nucifera). Once collected, it is boiled and processed into a granule.

Coconut palm Sugar is naturally low on the Glycemic Index (GI), which has benefits for weight control and improving glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). Coconut palm sugars are rated as a GI 35. By comparison, most commercial Agaves are GI 42, Honeys are GI 55 and Cane Sugars are GI 68.

Coconut palm Sugars produce slow release energy, which sustains the human body through your daily activities without regular sugar “highs”, and “lows”.

The major component of coconut sugar is sucrose (70-79%) followed by glucose and fructose (3-9%) each. Minor variations will occur, due to differences in primary processing, raw material source, tree age and variety of coconut. (source)

A Traditional Sugar

Made from the sap of coconut flowers, coconut palm sugar is given to us from nature. It is boiled down to create either dry sugar lumps, a wet paste or granulated form. To clear up any confusion... the names "palm sugar" and "coconut sugar" are the same according to the Wikipedia, but the sugars are different...

Palm sugar was originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm or the date palm. Now it is also made from the sap of the sago and coconut palms and may be sold as "coconut sugar." The sugar is a golden brown paste, sold in tubes, blocks or tin cans. It may be light-colored or dark, soft and gooey or hard. As a lightly-processed product of cottage industry, it varies greatly from batch to batch.

In Thai cuisine, palm and "coconut sugar" (nahm dtahn bpeep/buk and nahm dtahn maprao) are used interchangeably. However, it may be an important distinction that "coconut sugar" is not derived from the coconut fruit itself. "Although the names are used interchangeably, palm sugar and coconut sugar are not the same. One comes from the palmyra or sugar palm and the other from coconut palm, but both are produced from the sweet, watery sap that drips from cut flower buds."[1]

Read here how they traditionally make the sugar and watch this great video too!

Rich in Minerals & Vitamins

I was thrilled to find out that coconut palm sugar actually has a richer nutritional value than all commercially available sweeteners. It is rich in Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and Iron. It is also a natural source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. Wow!

On this website, you will see more nutritional information and the health attributes of coconut palm sugar. I also found a wonderful website that compares the nutritional values of unrefined cane sugar and coconut palm sugar, plus more information.

Low on the GI Index

I'm sure you caught this while reading through the two websites I suggested above. This is very exciting. This may be a good sweetener for those who have diabetes. I know most of you like using agave syrup for it's "low" GI rating, but there has been many reports and concerns about agave being no better than high fructose corn syrup (which is why I choose not to use it). Some of you like stevia, but there are some disadvantages (not great for baking and taste) as well.

Coconut palm sugar's GI index is given a low 35. Agave syrup's GI rating varies from 27-41, so coconut sugar is comparable. While researching, I was wondering if coconut palm sugar would be similiar to agave syrup by having a high fructose content, but the research shows that it doesn't (fantastic news!).

Coconut palm sugar is GI-35. The Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute used the following procedure to determine the Glycemix Index (GI) value of palm sugar:

• Fifty grams (240 ml) standard glucose tolerance test beverage (Medic Orange 50, Product no. 089) and fifty (50) grams of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) sugar was fed in random order to ten (10) human subjects.
• Blood samples (0.3-0.4 ml) were collected after feeding through finger prick using a 7ml Vacutainer at zero (0) hour, and thereafter at every 15 min interval for 1 hour, and every 30 min or the next hour.
• The serum was separated from the blood using a refrigerated Effendorf centrifuge, and analyzed for glucose levels on the same day using a Clinical Chemistry Analyzer after calibration with the glucose standard (Glucofix Reagent1: Menarini Diagnostics, Firenze, Italy).
• The blood sugar levels of the ten (10) healthy human subjects given coconut palm sugar and reference glucose food samples were graphed against the time of study. The incremental area under the glucose response curve (IAUC) of the coconut palm sugar was calculated geometrically ignoring the area below the fasting level (Wolever et al.,1991). The Glycemic Index (GI) of the coconut palm sugar was calculated as GI = IAUC of the test food / IAUC of standard glucose multiplied by 100. It’s index value is 35. (source)

So, after research and learning that coconut palm sugar is... traditional, rich in minerals & vitamins, low GI and has a wonderful sweet flavor... I am now hooked on this stuff! You can find coconut palm sugar in your local health food store, but you can also find this at your local Asian market.

Another great advantage... when you buy coconut palm sugar, you are helping the small farmers!! Here's another video that shows the lives small farmers trying to make a living producing and selling coconut palm sugar:

Coconut Palm Sugar

I've been experimenting with the coconut palm sugar here and there, but everything I've tried so far tasted delicious! I am looking forward to sharing some sweet treats using coconut palm sugar starting next week (or maybe sooner!).

IMPORTANT NOTE: I received a message from Coco Palm Sugar explaining the different sugars more clearly, here's what he said: "One of the thing you need to be aware of is the prevalence of "palm sugars" disguised as sugar coming from coconuts. There are a number of palm trees from which palm sugar is made from and only those from coco nuciferas has been studied and proven to have low GI properties." So, when you buy your coconut palm sugar... make sure to read where the sugar is coming from coconut palm flowers. Check out his website and read up on great information about coconut palm sugar!

Now go get yourself some!

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Creamy Lime Mousse

You all know that I have been overflowing with organic limes this past several weeks. We've been using them in our food, water, tea and desserts. I've been on the lookout for sweet recipes to use up all our limes, but haven't really found much that excited me.

So, while we were in the states, my sister gave me a fun raw food cookbook and there I found a delicious looking lime mousse recipe. Many of you probably remember my Aquacate del Chocolate and many have left me messages raving about it. Well, I am excited to share with you a raw and deliciously tart dessert made with avocados, again!

I just love how the avocado never fails to give such a creamy texture when you need it. Again, if you are making it for friends or family... DO NOT tell them what the main ingredient is! Let them savor it and then surprise them.

The mousse is surprisingly rich, considering that there is no butter or eggs in it. So this is great to serve it with some plain sweet cookies or you can just enjoy it alone. I made a few changes based on what I had in the kitchen and my tastes. Adjust the sweetness level according to your likeness... I actually like this on the tart side, but the rest of my family liked it sweeter.

This wonderful mousse is dairy-free, egg-free, sugar-free, nut-free & wheat-free... basically, it's vegan-friendly (except the honey).

Creamy Lime Mousse

By Marillyn Beard

• 5 ripe avocados, peeled & pitted
• 1/2 cup limes juice
• 1/4 cup packed lime zest (about 6 - 8 limes)
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup raw honey
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 - 5 packets stevia (you can use more if you want it sweeter)

In your food processor (or blender), process all the ingredients except the stevia until smooth. Add stevia to taste and process. Scoop into a container and store in fridge to chill. Serve alone or with plain sweet cookies.

Oh! Before I forget, most of you probably notice my Foodista Featured Blog badge on the right sidebar. Last week Melissa (Editor of Foodista) left me a message on my blog... sharing with me the good news that they've selected me as their Foodista Food Blog of the Day for tomorrow, August 20th! My post for the Mango Cranberry Sherbet will be featured on the Foodista homepage for 24 hours. I am thrilled and honored! Thank you Melissa and Foodista!!

As usual... enjoy the mousse and let me know what you think!

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