C – I miss Asian desserts.
Since I have been on my health food kick, I have been missing eating the good Asian desserts. The Asian desserts I love are filled with rice flour, sugar, sesame and coconut. They are sticky messes and oh so bad for me. I really miss them so much.
I will end up making some of these goodies eventually. For now, I have to find a way to make something that reminds me of these desserts, but is healthy.
This recipe is a take on an apple crisp, using Asian inspired flavors. The two Asian flavors that I love the most are coconut and sesame. They combine so well.
Their nuttiness is great, especially when you can balance that intensity with something light like Asian pears. Asian pears have a delicate, sweet taste that holds up well during baking.
The mixture of crispy almonds, coconut and sesame with the cooked pears was great. It wasn’t too sweet. It was also really nice chilled and eaten the next day. I really liked it. It made me feel healthier with every bite.
Jim liked it too. He topped it with some ice cream, of course, and loved every bit of it.
| Asian Pear Crisp with Coconut |
- 3 large Asian pears, cored and sliced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- A sprinkle of dried coconut flakes
- ¾ cup almond meal
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 2½ Tbsp sugar
- 2½ Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
- 2½ Tbsp shredded coconut
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
- ½ Tbsp black sesame seeds
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine pears, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar and dried coconut in a bowl and set aside
- Grease a pan or cast iron skillet. Add mixture into pan. Sprinkle more coconut if desired.
- Combine almond meal, sliced almonds, sugar, flaxseed meal, coconut, salt and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Add vanilla and coconut oil to bowl and mix well. The mixture will be crumbly. If you want to you can add a bit more coconut.
- Spoon almond mixture onto pears.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until pears are nice and tender.
- Serve hot or cold with ice cream or whipped cream.
- Enjoy!
While it isn’t quite the Asian dessert I wanted with the chewy, gooey flour, it was really good. My taste buds are thanking me as well as my body.
I feel healthy eating this dessert.
Adapted from: http://plumsintheicebox.typepad.com/plums-in-the-icebox/2012/09/gf-vegan-asian-pear-coconut-crisp.html