Lemon Cheesecake Flavored Tigernut Energy Bars
Peculiar music is playing in my kitchen these days, while my fermentations chuff, bubble and fizz on my counter tops and kitchen table. At any given time, there could be any number of glass jars and ceramicwares filled with various concoctions of mine. “Let’s go party!” my pet flora croon.
Most brews hold slices of lemon and ginger flavoring my fermentations. That is an awful lot of lemon and ginger. I am a firm supporter of sustainability and I try to do my part to cut down on my waste. Lately I’ve been finding many new and creative ways to use my surplus of fermented lemon and ginger.
Moreover, I am always excited to develop “free and low” energy bars: gluten free, sugar free, low oxalate and low nut content.
Although I can remember a time when the idea of a cake made out of cheese was met by a look of disdain, it soon became one of my favorite desserts. Top title was held jointly by cheesecake and lemon meringue pie. So, you can see, it’s not too much of a stretch to wager that the ultimate cheese cake for me had to be a lemon flavored one.
It’s been a while since coconut milk has been the only option for my guests to cloud their coffee. Cheesecake has been taken off my desert menu. The raw food world has many substitutes for cheesecake-like desserts. The bulk of them are based on high oxalate nuts and are off the table for me. Recently while challenged to prepare foods according to the Autoimmune Protocol – AIP, I was hard pressed as how to prepare a dessert that followed this protocol.
I was introduced to the tigernut with little or no introduction. I was left to play around and experiment in my kitchen.
Despite its name, the tigernut or chufa is not a nut but rather a tuber (undergrown bulblike root). This tuber is native to Spain and Africa. Its taste is reminiscent of a sweet nutty flavor. In raw form it resembles fresh turmeric. It is marketed as dried energy snacks or flour. The flour can be found ground from the whole or peeled root.
The tigernut is an excellent source of gluten free source of energy. It is rich in vitamins and minerals including: vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and sodium.
When I stumbled upon Raw Tigernut Cheesecake on a google search, I could not help myself and had to give it a try.
Wow, that was an amazing dessert but I knew that I had to tweak it. Less is more: less sweet, less layers.
I too created a delightful treat.
I used tigernut flour. The company claimed the flour was raw and milled from whole tigernuts. I adapted a recipe around a whole package of flour (300 grams). The “cookie- like” dough can be adopted to be low oxalate, AIP and nutfree. The recipe in its present form is vegan, gluten free and raw. The dough can form four small rolls which can be frozen. Pack them frozen and enjoy them while playing outdoors in nature.
Tiger Chuffas – The recipe
½ lemon juiced
1 slice of fermented lemon (with the peel)
2 slices of fermented ginger (with the peel)
2 T coconut oil
2/3 t Himalayan salt
3 cups tigernut flour
½ cup dried coconut flakes or coconut flour
2 T maple syrup
½ nuts and/or seeds
4 Medjool dates
2 drops lemon oil
½-1 t vanilla extract
* For those of you who are critter shy and/or don’t have the time or the energy to ferment your own… The fermented ginger can be substituted with fresh ginger. The fermented lemon can be substituted with grated lemon peel (about a teaspoon) or additional lemon oil. Check this link out for fermenting lemons. Be advised that fermented lemon will upgrade any recipe. Regular lemons cannot be substituted in lieu of fermented ones. Summer is upon us and lemons are scarce and not of the best quality. Next fall prepare some fermented lemons for your creations.
To follow the AIP protocol use coconut flakes or flour instead of the nuts and seeds. Use lemon oil instead of fermented lemon. Use the inside of a vanilla pod instead of the vanilla extract.
To follow a low oxalate diet use coconut flakes or flour instead of the nuts and seeds. Use lemon oil instead of fermented lemon.
If you are looking for inspiration please check out the Unconventional Baker’s website. Many thanks to Audrey for the inspiration.
If per chance you are in Israel check out The Pantry, from nuts to dates for a good deal on tigernut flour.
If you have not yet read about the rocky part of my journey, you can read it here.
I would like to thank you for your patience in reading this post to its end.
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