I absolutely love this dessert. So many raw desserts try to mimic their non-raw butter and sugar based counterparts (raw brownies, raw cakes, etc). This one is a true celebration of it's exquisite Superfood ingredients and not trying to be anything other than it's glorious self...who knew a dessert could teach us a lesson on how to celebrate our own exquisite uniqueness-lol. I use lucuma powder as an ingredient in most of my desserts (it's literally one of my favorite ingredients) but this time I decided to make it the star of the show. I was excited to highlight it's smooth subtle sweetness and cookie dough/maple cream flavor and this dessert does that flawlessly. It has an exotic, luxurious flavor all it's own and reminds me why I fell in love with raw desserts in the first place. The tart nutty crunch of the pomegranate seeds and the candy like crunch of the Jarrah (aka Superfood gold) are the perfect complements to the seductive sweetness of the rich, creamy lucuma custard. ...So go ahead and get aquainted with lucuma if you haven't already. You'll be glad you did!
Lucuma Custard Parfait (serves 2-4) 2 T white chia 1 c spring water for soaking + 1/4 c additional 1/2 c raw cashews, soaked 3 hours and rinsed 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 tsp vanilla powder 8 drops vanilla flavored liquid stevia 2 T raw honey 3 T coconut creme 3 T coconut oil 1/2 c lucuma powderLayers and Topping:Pomegranate seeds (desired amount) Jarrah bee pollen (desired amount) First, add the chia seeds to the water and stir continuously for a minute as the chia begins to expand (want to be sure the chia doesn't clump up as it absorbs the water). Continue soaking for at least 10 minutes. I soaked mine for an hour but you can use them as soon as the mixture has thickened and the chia is done expanding. Just give it another quick stir if you notice it clumping while soaking (this would happen in the first few minutes, no need to watch it for the entire hour). Next, add the soaked chia to a high speed blender with the soaked cashews, additional 1/4 c water, salt, vanilla powder, and stevia and blend well until smooth. Add the honey, coconut creme, and coconut oil and blend again. Lastly, add the lucuma powder and blend well one last time to incorporate. The mixture will be thick so you may need to use the plunger to help it along. To serve, sprinkle some pomegranate seeds and Jarrah into the bottom of the serving glass or dish of your choice (I like using a wine or champagne glass for this one). Pour the lucuma custard over the Jarrah mixture, sprinkle with additional Jarrah mixture and top with more of the lucuma custard. Add one last sprinkling of pomegranate and Jarrah to the top and place in the fridge to chill for several hours. Serve chilled to someone you love and enjoy! Note: this would be great with any of your favorite superfood toppings- goji berries, cacao nibs, pistachios, coconut flakes, etc.