Ice cream tart with blueberry compote

Has your diet changed during lockdown? Maybe you have indulged  in sugar-rich foods: desserts, cookies or the almighty chocolate? Something is better than nothing, specially during times of uncertainty. Two recent studies (see below) show how emotional load through this period has made us eat large amounts of sugar. To make it a little better the quotidian cooks locked us down in our kitchen and formulated a low-sugar dessert: an ice cream tart with blueberry compote. We are showing you two easy and elegant techniques to make desserts and sweets with less sugar.

Two very recent studies have analyzed changes in food habits during lockdown. One in Italy and one in Spain. Although their data is limited, they show how life in times of pandemic is affecting the way we eat. In the Italian study, 44% of respondents say they have increased the consumption of homemade sweets and 35.8% believe they have been eating less healthy food (fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes). The Spanish study relates eating habits with emotional mood. Interestingly, people who report having a lower-than-normal mood answer that this made them eat more, more frequently and increase eating processed foods (cookies, industrial pastries, snacks, prepared meals, etc.). These results are not valid for the entire population, of course, but they do help us to think about our diet during this pandemic.

While we processed so much data we decided to formulate a summer dessert with the least amount of sugar possible. An ice cream tart with blueberries. To make it, we use two techniques to reduce sugar. The first one is to make a walnut and oatmeal crust and use dates as a sweetener. The second one is to cook the blueberry compote with half the fruit and half the sugar and, when finished, add it to the other half of the fresh blueberries. The result is outstanding, more fruit, more freshness and less sugar. You can see the details of the ingredients in the recipe and adjust it to your preferences.

With this cake you are ready for the next heat wave. A crust with a nutty flavor and a creamy filling with hints of lemon that slowly melts in your mouth. The fruit adds a fresh, acidic and sweet bite at the same time. A dessert of easy preparation, attractive plating  that can be made several days in advance. With the bonuses of being moderate in sugar, loaded with blueberries and fresh, very fresh.

Ice cream tart with blueberry compote

 

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Author: TQC

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 10 soft dates, pitted
• 1 cup walnuts
• ¾ cup gluten-free whole rolled oats
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons filtered water
• FILLING:
• 1 (14-ounce) can coconut cream
• 1 ¼ cups raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup maple syrup/Agave syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• COMPOTE
• 600 gr. Fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons panela sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons mineral water
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. CRUST
2. In a food processor, place the dates, walnuts, oats, and salt and process until the mixture comes together into a sticky ball. To mix smoothly gradually add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
3. Line a 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and press the crust to the edges of the pan. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the filling.
4. FILLING
5. In a high-speed blender, puree the coconut cream, cashews, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt until smooth. Pour the filling over the crust and freeze overnight. Let thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing.
6. COMPOTE
7. Divide the blueberries into two halves. Place one of the halves in the container you will be using to store the compote.
8. Combine the water, sugar, lime juice and salt in a saucepan and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add half of the blueberries, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring the mixture until the berries begin to break, about 5 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat and pour the mixture into the container where you have the other half of the blueberries. Gently shake the bowl so that the fresh blueberries are well covered.
10. Let it sit for an hour, cover and refrigerate.

Culinary Tips

Use coconut cream and not coconut milk. Coconut milk has 4 times more water and you won't get a creamy result.
You can make the compote with other fruits (raspberries, strawberries, apricots, etc.) keeping the technique of cooking only half of the fruit. You can keep the compote in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
When you make the crust, add two tablespoons of water to the food processor for an easily moldable dough.
All the preparations are designed to render a very low sweetness.
Taste the flavor as you prepare them and add a little more sweetening if you think itnecessary (without exceeding yourself).

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