• Wash pears and peel the skin off completely, but leave the stem attached to the pear. (See note below.)
• Generously rub the pears with lemon juice to prevent them from discoloring.
• Put the lavender buds in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie up with a piece of kitchen twine.
• Combine water, sugar, and lavender buds in a large saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid; stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and add the peeled pears.
• Cut parchment paper in a circle the diameter of the saucepan. Place the parchment paper directly on the liquid and pears. Cover the saucepan with the lid.
• Simmer gently until the pears are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10–16 minutes. (The size and ripeness of the pears will determine the cooking time.)
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the pears cool completely in the liquid.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears to a bowl and set aside.
• Remove the lavender cheesecloth bundle then bring the remaining liquid to a boil over high heat. Cook until it is thickened like syrup, about 3–5 minutes.
• Pour the syrup over the pears and refrigerate.

Pears make an exquisite partner for lavender. These pears remind me of the home-canned pears my mother made in summer and served for dessert in the middle of winter. The texture is soft and the flavor is a gentle reminder of summer. The recipe works as a simple fat-free dessert or a delicious breakfast with yogurt. Either way, by sprinkling the pears with a bit of grated dark chocolate and a sprig of fresh lavender, you add even more flair to an already elegant dish. You may wish to core the pears before cooking. To remove the core (leaving the stem intact), use a melon baller, an apple corer or a small grapefruit knife. From the bottom end of the pear, scoop out the core, careful to keep at least 1/2 inch away from the pear stem’s end. – Kathy Gehrt, www.discoverlavender.com.

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• Cover raisins with water and set aside to plump.  
• Drain them and add to larger bowl with fruit, agave, lemon, vanilla, and spices.  
• In a food processor, process nuts until crumbly, although not fine.  
• Add the dates and salt and process until combined.  
• Add a few tablespoons of the fruit mixture and stir.  
• Sprinkle nut mixture on top and chill in fridge.

Submitted by Bethanne Wanamaker of ediblegoddess.org.

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3 cups whole milk or half-and-half
2 tsp dried lavender buds
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbs Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Pour milk into a medium saucepan and stir in lavender buds. Set over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
• Remove from heat and steep for 3 to 5 minutes, or longer for a stronger lavender flavor.
• Strain the milk to remove the lavender buds, and then pour the milk back into the saucepan.
• With the saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt; remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
• Divide among coffee mugs. Top with whipped cream or a home-made marshmallow (below).
Serves two…

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• Lightly coat a 9 inch square baking pan with butter. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold espresso. Stir with a spoon until the mixture gets very thick. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• In a 2 quart saucepan, combine hot water, ½ cup of corn syrup and sugar. Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to boil. Wash down sides of saucepan with a wet pastry brush to eliminate sugar crystals,
• Clip on candy thermometer and cook to 238° or soft ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in remaining corn syrup. Pour mixture into a medium sized bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat hot syrup adding gelatin mixture 1 tablespoon a time, continue beating until all gelatin is incorporated, mixture is thick and has cooled to lukewarm. This will take about 10 minutes.
• Stir in vanilla and salt. Pour into prepared pan, cool three hours or until marshmallow is firm enough to cut. Using a knife dipped in hot water, cut marshmallows into pieces about 1 ¾ inches square Combine powdered sugar and corn starch and sprinkle over marshmallows, to keep them from sticking.

Recipe submitted by Kathy Gehrt of discoverlavender.com. Makes about 25 marshmallows.

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1/2 cup soy, rice, hemp or almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup yogurt or cultured soy yogurt
1 Tbs Rapadura® evaporated cane juice crystals

• In one-quart size glass mixing bowl, combine soy or rice milk with vanilla and chill in freezer until top edge around bowl becomes slightly crusty (if allowed to get too dry, it won’t whip up high in volume).
• Chill beaters in refrigerator, too, about 15 minutes should be long enough for everything.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the chilled milk on high speed. It will quickly swell in volume and almost fill the bowl.
• Beat chilled milk to soft peaks, about 1 minute.
• Add yogurt and cane juice crystals.
• Continue beating until thick like whipped cream, about 2 more minutes. Do not beat longer as this will break down the air that gives the milk its volume.
• Mixture should hold its shape in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, so prepare just before serving.
• Any remaining topping will eventually break back down into liquid.
• Yields about one quart of topping.

Recipe submitted by Helen Taylor Smith, author of The Healthy Cook’s Guide to Healthy Eating, available at Marlene’s.

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1 cup gluten free all purpose flour mix (recipe below)
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum
5 Tbs cold butter cut into 1 inch pieces

• Preheat oven to 350F with rack in center of oven, grease bottom of 8 inch square baking pan and dust with rice flour.
• Add flour, sugar, and xanthan gum in a large bowl and whisk together, add butter and mix on low speed until mixture is crumbly, press dough evenly into bottom of pan, bake for approx. 15 minutes or until light golden.

Filling

3 eggs
¾ cups sugar (1 cup for slightly sweeter version)
2 Tbs gluten-free all purpose flour mix (see recipe below)
½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp chopped lemon zest
½ tsp pure lemon extract
confectioner’s sugar for decoration

• While crust is baking, beat eggs at high speed in mixing bowl until foamy, in separate bowl mix sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together
• Add dry mixture to eggs and blend together, add lemon juice, zest, and extract, beat until well combined
• Pour mixture into par-baked crust and bake in center of oven for approx. 20 minutes or until set, filling should feel firm instead of runny when slightly touched
• Cool on wire rack, cut into 8 or 16 squares and remove from baking pan onto a serving platter, dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Mix

Brown rice flour 2 parts 2 cups 6 cups
Potato starch 2/3 part 2/3 cup 2 cups
Tapioca flour 1/3 part 1/3 cup 1 cup__
Total Mix 3 cups 9 cups

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1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour or 2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp each: baking powder and baking soda
zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
1 cup lightly toasted, chopped pecans (see tip on p.31)
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
1 cup organic sugar
2 lg eggs, beaten or 1/2 cup silken tofu
juice 1 lemon
1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries or sour cherries

Preheat oven to 350†. Combine dry ingredients, including lemon zest and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together, blend in eggs or tofu. (Hint: If using tofu, blend in with a hand blender.) Mix in lemon juice and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, adding enough flour for very stiff dough, if necessary. Stir in cranberries.

Divide dough in half and roll into 14-inch logs. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, flatten log top and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing. Allow at least 1/2 hour between the first and second baking.

Preheat oven to 325†. When biscotti is cool, slice 1/2 inch thick pieces on the diagonal at approximately a 45† angle. Lay flat on a baking sheet or pizza screen. Bake for 25 minutes, until lightly browned. If using a baking sheet, turn halfway through baking to insure even browning.

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Gingerbread
Vegetarian with Vegan option

NO DAIRY OR PEANUTS
Serves 9

This gingerbread is so good, youíll think Grandma made it, but without all that sugar! If you want to reduce the fat in this recipe, decrease the eggs to 1, and use 1 tbs. ground flax seeds mixed together in 3 tbs. water. You can also use EnerG Foods egg replacer. This bread keeps well at room temperature, but will last longer if you keep it in an airtight container.

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup agave nectar or fruit sweetener
1/4 cup canola oil
2 lg eggs or egg replacer
1 tsp vanilla
11/2 cups sorghum flour or brown rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp orange rind
1 cup unsweetened applesauce

In a large mixing bowl, combine the agave nectar and oil. Beat on high speed until thoroughly blended. You can use fruit sweetener if you prefer, but I really like the agave nectar in this recipe. After you have mixed the oil and sweetener, add in the eggs, one at a time. Be sure to beat well between eggs. Add in the orange rind and vanilla and continue to blend together. Set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9îx 9î inch square pan with a non stick spray and prepare the dry ingredients.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add the nuts.

Now, add some of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, blending well. Add in º cup of the applesauce, blend, then add in more flour. Continue this process until you have added all of the ingredients.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the gingerbread is done. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick, or touching lightly on the center. If it leaves an indent, the ginger bread is not done. If it springs back, move to a cooling rack.

This gingerbread freezes well.

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and about 20 minutes to bake.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS PER SERVING
268.56 calories; 12.13g fat (39% calories from fat); 3.82 g protein; 39.10 carbohydrate; 54.52 mg cholesterol; 342.08 mg sodium

Recipes submitted by Susan OíBrien, author of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Cooking: Over 200 Delicious Recipes to Help You Live a Healthier, Allergy-Free Life.

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1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry or barley flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup rapadura or organic sugar
1/2 Tbs baking powder
1/2 cup melted coconut or light sesame oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans (see tip below)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (small bits)

Preheat oven to 375†. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, mixing well to make sure there are no small lumps. Set aside. In another bowl, combine coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture. Blend in walnuts and dried fruit.

Scoop up a teaspoon of the dough and form into a ball. (Hint: if the dough sticks to your hands, oil your hands a bit before rolling the cookies.) It should be about the size of a large marble. Place the dough on the baking sheet and when the sheet is full, flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass or your hand. (Hint: oil the glass bottom so it wonít stick to the dough.) Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack. Cookies become crisp as they cool.

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Best Pie Crust
Vegan

After much experimenting, this recipe for pie crust yielded the best tasting crust that taste testers loved. It is easy, uses three flours and EARTH BALANCE * spread, plus water for delicious cholesterol and trans fat free crusts. Recipe yields two nine inch crusts.  Some recipes call for partially baking the crust before adding fillings. See each particular recipe for instructions. BOBíS RED MILL organic, stone ground flours are used and are available at Marleneís Market & Deli.

1 cup whole spelt flour
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 Tbs evaporated cane juice crystals
2/3 cup EARTH BALANCE * spread ñ softened to room temperature
1/3 cup water

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Have two 9 inch pie pans ready, or use three 8 inch pans, and set pans aside. In 2 quart mixing bowl combine the flours and crystals and whisk to blend. Add the softened spread and work into the flours using your hand or fork until mixture has the appearance of pea size lumps. Add the water and work with your hand until mixture forms a soft ball. Press into pie pans starting with sides and then onto bottom. Use tamper tool or heavy, flat bottomed glass lightly dusted with flour to smooth and flatten the bottom of crust. Or roll out between wax paper to 1/8 thick, peel off top paper and lift bottom wax paper and invert into pie pan. Flute edge by building low ridge of dough just inside rim of pan that will stand about a half inch high. Place thumb and first finger of left hand gently inside ridge. Then using index finger of right hand, gently push from outside ridge to between these two fingers to form a ìVî and continue fluting on around entire edge.

Prick entire bottom of each crust using fork tines. Pie weights are not required. Bake at 400ƒ for approximately 15 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove crusts from oven, cool and add filling of choice. Oven temperatures can vary greatly

NOTE
Be sure to see a particular recipe for instructions on how to prepare the pie crusts before baking, such as for apple pie, quiche, key lime or cream pies. To freeze pie crusts, triple wrap cooled baked crusts airtight before placing into freezer.

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Lemon Shortbread Style Cookie with Variations
Vegan

Using pure oil of lemon gives these crispy cookies a delightful tang. Try this one bowl quick and easy recipe to mix and bake that is cholesterol free, trans-fat free with no egg or dairy. The oil is available at Marleneís Market & Deli.

1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice crystals
1/2 cup Earth Balance * spread softened
1 tsp pure lemon oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Have a 9 inch square pan ready. DO NOT oil. Set aside. In 2 quart bowl, place flour, almond meal and crystals whisking to blend. Add softened spread and lemon oil. Mix by hand until batter begins to stick together. It will be slightly crumbly.

Scrape this crumbly mixture into pan and pat evenly using a tamper tool or heavy bottomed glass to pack the dough. Cut into 24 equal squares before baking. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and insert knife into each cut to be sure they are all separated. Cool in pan, and then move cookies to cooling rack or paper towel. Pack cool cookies in airtight container. After two days, store any leftovers in refrigerator for best freshness. For crispier cookies, turn off oven and leave in for several hours.
Yield ñ 24 squares

Variations
1) Using the above recipe, eliminate the lemon oil and replace with 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Before scoring the cookies, sprinkle 1/2 cup of finely chopped dry toasted almonds over the dough, pressing gently into the cookies, and then cut into squares. Bake as above.
2) Using the above recipe, replace the almond meal with brown rice flour, use 2 teaspoons of vanilla in place of the lemon oil and add 1/2 cup of finely chopped dry toasted pecans to mix.  Follow remainder of recipe.

Recipes reprinted with permission of the author, of COOKING HEALTHIER WITH THE HEALTHY COOK, Helen Taylor Smith.

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Spicy Ginger Crisp
Vegetarian with Vegan option

Serves: 4
Preheat oven to 375ƒ
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes

4 medium pears (1/4 inch slices)
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger root
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspÝcinnamon
1/2 cup softened butter (or Earth Balance shortening)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
4 Tbs ground flax seed (optional)

Combine diced pears and ginger in a 9 inch round or oval baking dish. In a medium bowl combine the oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and nuts and mix until well blended. Place the oatmeal mixture over the fruit and place in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. Fruit in center should be soft to determine if completely cooked. To add essential fats and more fiber, sprinkle the flax seed over the baked crisp before serving. Come in out of the cold to this warming ginger crisp!

This recipe was submitted by Anna Colombini, ND.

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These biscuits are low fat, cholesterol free and can be dairy-free. The use of homemade ìcakeî flour makes them light and delicate; perfect for any fruit shortcake. Low fat buttermilk produces the best flavor, or use fat free milk, rice milk or soy milk.

How to make the ìcakeî flour: Combine 2 cups unbleached organic white flour and 1/4 cup of cornstarch and sift three times. Store the contents in an airtight bag. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. All recipe ingredients are available at Marleneís.

2 cups ìcakeî flour
1 Tbs RUMFORD aluminum free baking powder
3 Tbs evaporated cane juice crystals
1/3 cupÝcanola oil
1 cupÝmilk of choice (can use soy or almond milk)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 9 inch square baking pan with vegetable oil. Set aside. In 2 quart mixing bowl whisk flour, baking powder and crystals blending thoroughly together. If sifting desired, measure BEFORE sifting. In 2 cup bowl blend oil and milk together and pour into dry mix. Stir batter with large spoon until mixture becomes too thick to stir. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and knead by hand about 10 turns using small amount of additional flour if needed. Dough should be slightly sticky. Pat out to about 1-1/2 inches thick and using a 2-1/2 inch cutter press straight down and lift out cutter without twisting. Pat remaining dough out and continue cutting. Place into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Watch bottoms do not get too dark. Serve warm with berries of choice or cool and wrap in airtight container until ready to serve.
Yield ñ 9 biscuits

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Cinnamon-Nut Baked Apple

The mighty apple to treat your core
Serves 2

2 Tbs. cashew pieces
2 Tbs. pecan pieces
1Tbs. unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. agave nectar or honey
2 apples, cored
2 Tbs. apple juice concentrate
1 cup water
2 Tbs. nonfat, plain yogurt (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together the nut pieces, unsweetened coconut flakes, cinnamon, and agave nectar. Place cored apples in a small glass baking dish. Spoon mixture into the center of each apple and any remainder over the tops of the apples. Combine apple juice concentrate and water and pour over apples. Bake uncovered at 350ƒ F for 30 minutes or until apples become soft. Serve with a dollop of nonfat yogurt as topping.

Recipe courtesy of Deanna Minich from her book, Chakra Foods for Optimum Health: A Guide to the Foods that Improve Your Energy, Inspire Creative Changes, Open Your Heart, and Heal Body, Mind, and Spirit (Conari Press, 2009).

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coconut Muffins

1 cup coconut flour
6 eggs
1 cup Farmerís MarketÆ canned pumpkin
4 Tbs. Omega NutritionÆ virgin coconut oil
2 Tbs. milk (rice, soy, etc.)
3 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. Bobís Red MillÆ aluminum-free baking powder
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
º tsp. ginger
º tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, mix coconut flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat eggs. Then gradually add the milk, honey, coconut oil, spices and salt. Add coconut flour and baking powder mix, then stir in pumpkin. Stir until mixed through. Grease muffin pan and pour in batter. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe submitted by Rachel Davies, BS, Nut.

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RAW Apple Pie

Place all crust ingredients into the food processor and process until a smooth and sticky consistency is reached. You will know when this happens because the crust mixture will stick together, rise and begin moving in one big wave. Butter your pie pan with raw coconut butter. Press dough evenly into pie pan and shape into crust. Place pie crust in freezer to ësetí and begin making pie filling.

Crust
2 cups raw nuts
5-7 medjool dates (dried prunes may be substituted for lower sugar option)
1 inch ginger, peeled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (see page 2 for brand ideas)
Pinch salt

Filling
4-5 apples
Juice 1 orange
‡ cup purified water
2 Tbs. psyllium husk powder
1 Tbs. Omega NutritionÆ coconut butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Simply OrganicÆ cardamom

Process filling until creamy and pour into crust. Smooth with spatula and garnish with apple slices, nuts and cinnamon. Put back into freezer for 1 hour, then slice and serve.

Recipe submitted by Maya Adjani of Eat, Breathe, DanceÖ Evolve! in Olympia, Washington.

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