Tiramisu

I am finally getting to the end of that Irish moss paste I mixed up for the raspberry tart. I finished it up on this raw tiramisu. The basic recipe is from Cafe Gratitude's dessert cookbook, I Am Grateful. I modified the recipe as I usually do to suit my tastes. Now truth be told, I've never had an unraw tiramisu because I haven't had dairy or sugar in over twenty years, so I don't know how this compares. But I can say this version is creamy, smooth, airy, fluffy, and a pleasure on the tongue. It's basically layers of nut crusts, some Teeccino french roast herbal coffee alternative, chocolate mousse, and vanilla cream. You could certainly use coffee, but I tend to eat dessert at night and don't want the caffeine to keep me up, so I use the Teeccino product. If you haven't tried it and want a rich coffee flavor without the caffeine, give it a try. They make it in tea bags or in 'grounds' for your coffee maker.

Back to the tiramisu...it's pretty hard not to like this. Vanilla, chocolate, coffee (flavor). I'm willing to bet this dessert stands on its own and doesn't need to be called some name you recognize. In fact, sometimes I think making raw versions of traditional meals sets up an expectation that is hard to meet. They are different ideas based on the same idea. For ease of reference, we call it 'pizza' or 'pasta' or 'tiramisu,' but I wish I had other words. I just say try it with an open mind and decide for yourself. I'll bet my money on the taste of raw food every time. Call it what you will, but the beauty and rich flavors will speak for themselves.

Tiramisu: (my modified version)

Cake:
 4 c. almonds ground into flour using the Vitamix
1 1/2 c. date paste (blend dates with a few tablespoons of water for a thick paste)
1/2 c. coconut butter softened in the dehydrator
2 T. vanilla
 1/2 t. sea salt
1 8 oz. cup of Teeccino French Roast coffee alternative

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until incorpoated. Press half the dough into a casserole pan. You will use the other half of the dough to create another layer of cake later.

Chocolate Mousse: 
1/4 c. Irish moss paste (see the raspberry tart recipe for the paste recipe)
1 c. coconut milk
1/4 date paste (blend about 7 dates with about two tablespoons of water)
a scant 1/4 c. agave (Add a little at a time until sweet enough for your tastes.  You may not need agave at all. I just used dates. You can also add a few more dates to make it sweeter instead of the agave)
2 T. vanilla
1/4 c. cacao powder
1 T. lecthin
1/2 c. coconut butter softened in the dehydrator

Blend all ingredients except lecithin and coconut butter until well incorporated. Then add lecithin and coconut butter. Pour this layer over the first cake layer. Smooth as evenly as possible. Refrigerate about thirty minutes or until set.

When the mousse has set, use remaining cake to make another layer over the mousse. Be careful not to disturb the mousse layer. I roll the cake out in pieces, then place them on the mousse and press the pieces together.

Vanilla Cream:
2 c. coconut milk
1 1/2 c. soaked cashews
2 T. Irish moss paste
1/4 c. date paste
2 T. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 T. lecithin
1/2 c. coconut butter softened in dehydrator

Blend all ingredients except lecithin and coconut butter in the Vitamix until well incorporated. Then add the lecithin and coconut butter and blend until creamy. Pour this layer on top of the cake/mousse/cake layer. Refrigerate until set.

Dust the entire cake with raw cacao powder if desired.

I made this tiramisu without agave because I'm still trying to minimize processed sweeteners. I love that I can get something so creamy and delicious using only dates. Granted, it takes a few, but when divided into a whole cake, I'm okay with that.

Hope you like it!