For many people who’ve lost their moms, Mother’s Day can be a melancholy experience. Like spending New Year’s Eve on your own, or being the only girl in your group of friends without a boyfriend to take to the prom (thank you, HS, for stepping up to the plate even though we hardly knew each other), or sitting with the ladies at book club unable to partake of the wine and food (thank you, candida), Mother’s Day can elicit all kinds of emotions about loss and missing out.
For me, Mother’s Day is more an opportunity to remember and honor my mom, setting aside a dedicated chunk of time to pore over memories or reflect on our relationship and what she meant to me. If I’m feeling particularly “woo-woo,” I’ll light a candle and say a little something directly to her while I watch the flame flicker. I like to think her spirit is part of the energy within that dancing, twitching flame.
This year, I had an early opportunity to commune with my mom in honor of her day (and amplify the “woo-woo” quotient at the same time), via a reading with a talented young psychic. Wait!!! Don’t run away!! Before you dash off rolling your eyes, let me state that I have always been, to put it mildly, skeptical about other-worldly interpreters. I do believe that true psychics exist in the world, but I’m just not sure that they’re the ones with TV shows or Vegas-style advertising. In this case, as part of her professional training, the woman with whom I spoke was completing a set of complimentary readings as part of her training–and I was lucky enough to be the recipient of one of them!
In our 30-minute session, Megan relayed a few messages she received from my mom. And while I won’t share specifics, I will say that at least two of them were specific messages, unique to my relationship with my mom–and they resonated deeply with me. In the end, I felt reassured that my mom is doing well on the other side. (I’m dying to know if any of you have had experience with readings or communicating with loved ones from the afterlife. Were your experiences positive? Do you even believe in this kind of stuff? Please share in the comments!)
Whether or not you’re into conversing with spirits, these Lemon Cream Tarts are a great way to show your mom that you love her this year. Believe it or not, these confections are entirely suitable for anyone on an anti-candida diet (even stage one!), and since they’re also sugar-free and grain-free, they’re both diabetic-friendly and Paleo-friendly as well.
The cookie crust is soft and chewy, like a tender macaroon, and the filling offers a perfect blend of tangy lemon in a rich, creamy base. If you prefer, bake the crust in a pie pan and make pie instead–and it would be perfect topped with some vegan meringue. Or just make the filling on its own and eat with whipped coconut cream as a mousse!
This year, my time reflecting about my mother will be a little more focused, based on the things I discussed with Megan. I’ll definitely light a candle, and–who knows? I may even leave a lemon cream tart out on the table for her, too.
Lemon Cream Tarts (Vegan, Grain-Free, Sugar-Free)
A rich yet not-too-heavy treat that combines a light, chewy crust with a tart and smooth lemon filling. For an extra treat, top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
Filling:
1 cup (155 g) raw cashews
1/4 cup (60 ml) virgin coconut oil, preferably organic
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp (15 ml) unsweetened almond, soy or cashew milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) xylitol
1-1/4 tsp (6 ml) stevia-based simple syrup or 20-30 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia
1/8 tsp (0.5 ml) ground turmeric, optional (the filling won’t be yellow without it)
pinch fine sea salt
Crust:
1/4 cup (60 ml) xylitol
3/4 cup (75 g) raw walnut halves or pieces
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) whole psyllium husks
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
pinch fine sea salt
3 Tbsp (45 ml) virgin coconut oil, preferably organic, at room temperature (soft but solid)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) unsweetened almond, soy or cashew milk
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup (30 g) shredded unsweetened coconut
For Garnish (optional):
Mint leaves
Coconut whipped cream (I used the recipe from Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free, but you could try this one, too).
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line six 3-inch (7.5 cm) tart pans with parchment circles and then grease with coconut oil. (note: you can omit the parchment, but I found that the tarts stuck to the pan that way).
Begin the filling: Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes, then drain and place in the jug of a powerful blender.
Meanwhile, make the crust: Grind the xylitol in a coffee or spice grinder until powdered, then add to the bowl of a food processor with the walnuts, coconut flour, psyllium, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Process until powdered and there are no visible pieces of walnut. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until a soft dough is formed.
Divide the dough evenly among the tart pans and press into the sides and bottom. Dock the crust by pricking the bottom of each tart 4-5 times with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through baking, until the crusts are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool before filling.
While the tarts bake, complete the filling: To the blender with the cashews, add the remaining filling ingredients and blend until perfectly smooth; you may need to scrape the sides and re-blend several times to accomplish this. Taste and adjust sweetness with more stevia if necessary.
Divide the filling evenly among the tart shells and smooth the tops. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and mint leaves. Will keep, covered in the refrigerator, up to 4 days. May be frozen (without the cream).
Suitable for: ACD All stages; sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, yeast-free, vegan, low glycemic.
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Can I substitute coconut sugar for the xylitol? These sound & look delicious!
Jacqui, you certainly can, with a couple of caveats. The coconut sugar is brown, so it will change the color and they won’t look as pretty. 😉 Also, it’s not quite as sweet as xylitol, so you’ll have to add a bit more or else top up the stevia a bit. Let me know how they turn out!!
It sounds like a really special experience Ricki. I’ll admit that I too am pretty skeptical of psychics and the like but then I’ve never actually given one a try so who knows?! Mother’s day has already passed here in England but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a lovely lemony dessert with my Mum 🙂 These little tartlets are gorgeous.
It was interesting, Emma, for sure! I’m not sure I’m 100% convinced, but there were a couple of things that did strike a chord, so who knows? And I like to think that she was right about my mum. 🙂 Hope you and yours enjoy the tarts! 😀
Years ago my husband and I had a reading through a friend that had a friend who was a psychic. My husband didn’t believe in it at all, until that day! She knew a couple of things that no one else knew and also predicted the loss of a family member. So far her predictions in regards to our children’s future is yet to be seen, but we’ll see. I had been to one when I was younger and it made me a believer. I’m glad you had a good experience.
The tart looks so good and can’t wait to try them! Thanks!
Yes ! ! (twice – one for the psychic – the other for this delicious !! treat). I have talked to lots of folks who are way more intuitive/psychic than they know and some folks billed as such — who don’t seem to be much in touch. But – yes – they are out there. Why not? Really? Why not? I had a fellow doing a reading – he’d never met me, nor asked me any questions. First thing he said “Do you know a Betty?” …. that’s my mom. There were lots of things inbetween but at the end he asked if I knew “Helen”. . . Well, – that’s my stepmom — we’d talked about her in the conversation – but I call her ‘Doll’ – and that was how I spoke of her — she, however, called herself Helen. 🙂 Enjoy — life is so much fuller than we let it be. HappyMother’s Day
Thank you so much, Moki. 🙂 I agree–I have no “hard” evidence one way or the other, so I’m at least open to the possibility. And that sounds like a cool experience that you had! Thanks for the Mother’s Day wishes (and The Girls thank you, too). Hope yours is a good one as well!
Thank you! This is really sugar-free as stated! So many people claim to have a sugar-free recipe and then there’s agave or maple syrup in it. Can’t wait to try this! 🙂
Thanks so much, Gina–and glad you like the recipe! I do use the term “sugar-free” on the blog for recipes without refined sugar (since technically agave, or maple syrup, or coconut nectar are not called “sugar”), but I also understand that people are looking to avoid ALL types of sugar–refined or otherwise. 🙂
These look delicious! I’m a little iffy about using xylitol though. A lot of people have complained about stomach cramps. I’m on a anti-candida diet, stage one, and REALLY love my sugar. I’ve tried stevia – it’s pretty yucky most of the time. How do you find xylitol sits with you? Is there a limit to how much I can consume per serving?
Hi El,
Yes, some people can have that reaction to any sugar alcohol (erythritol falls into this category as well). I personally don’t have an issue with xylitol, but I can’t say what it will be like for you. I’d recommend using only a little at a time, waiting a day to see how you react, and if you’re fine with that, then using a little more the next time. It could take a few weeks to adapt fully to consuming xylitol. Hope that helps!