Pecan Baklava
Your dehydrator can be a terrific tool for you to create GF masterpieces. Many home ovens now come with them. Raw food enthusiasts who don't heat their food over a certain number of degrees to maintain their nutrients, swear by the dehydrator. Here is a simple, tasty, impressive GF, DF recipe for you to try. A spin on the traditional baklava made of walnuts, this one is loaded with nuts, I used cashews and has a phyllo crust made of cashews. Of course, low glycemic sweeter. This recipe makes about a 5X5 square. Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco is a wonderful raw food restaurant that specializes in these type of raw desserts.
Phyllo Dough
3/4 soaked cashews - Soak Cashews in water overnight and drain when ready to use
1/8 tsp salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice
Blend all ingredients till smooth and creamy - takes about 3-5 minutes on high speed.
Pour the paste on to a dehydrator sheet of teflex liner and spread to make a thin sheet. You should have enough to make 3 sheets. (For the photo, I stacked 2 sets on top each other). Not too thin that you can see through it. Dehydrate for 1 hour at 145 degrees then lower to 115 for 24 hours. You should be able to pick up the sheet and not have it crumble apart.
Filling
3/4 cup pecans chopped to small bits
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/8 tsp cardamom
Mix all ingredients together by hand.
Cut the phyllo into equal squares and layer with filling equally. Start with one piece of dough then pecans then more dough. Top with 1 Tbsp agave or yacon syrup to create a glaze.
To store: Store in airtight container for up to a week.
