Julia Corbett - Raw Cookies: 60 Delicious, Gluten-Free Superfood Treats

eBook ISBN: 978-1-58394-822-4

Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-58394-821-7

Copyright 2014 by Julia Corbett. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.

Published by
North Atlantic Books
P.O. Box 12327
Berkeley, California 94712

Cover and interior photography by Julia Corbett
Cover and book design by Claudia Smelser

Raw Cookies: 60 Delicious, Gluten-Free Superfood Treats is sponsored and published by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences (dba North Atlantic Books), an educational nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that collaborates with partners to develop cross-cultural perspectives, nurture holistic views of art, science, the humanities, and healing, and seed personal and global transformation by publishing work on the relationship of body, spirit, and nature.

North Atlantic Books publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 8007333000.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Corbett, Julia, 1983
Raw cookies : 60 delicious, gluten-free superfood treats / Julia Corbett.
pages cm
ISBN 9781583948217
1. Cookies. 2. Raw foods. 3. Cooking (Nuts) 4. Cooking (Fruit) 5. Gluten-free dietRecipes. I. Title.
TX772.C65924 2014
641.8654dc23

v3.1

I feel most free when I am creating, sharing, and letting inspiration flow through me. I witnessed this happening with friends I met in Hawaii. I experienced a life-changing moment when I stepped foot on the islands, for the first time being in this place without the framework of a vacation. I was part of a team, making delicious raw foods for a group of retreat guests, and meeting so many new and wonderful people along the way. One particular event had me working alongside an expert in the raw foods field, Melissa Mango, at a permaculture retreat led by Bruce Horowitz. I got to harvest fresh island wild foods and fruits, and incorporate them into the food we were making. I was drinking fresh cacao smoothies for breakfast, and I learned how to open wild young coconuts. There were also many edible flowers to make the food beautiful. It truly was paradise.

Eventually, I found the confidence inside to make one of my raw pies. At this time, I had been making them for only a short while, and I felt I was still learning to master this art. After the retreat was over, many of the organizers, volunteers, and guests stayed a bit longer to build community and continue to work on the land planting trees and clearing space for the new retreat center. I decided to make one of my pies with a farmers market pineapple and some cacao. The pie turned out amazingly delicious and was enjoyed by my new friends. I knew this was something I had to continue doingmaking raw desserts and sharing with those around meas a way to open up and be myself. Making this type of food inspires creativity so naturally, since it utilizes the most unique foods and flavors. It brings you closer to nature, discovering foods in your local ecosystem, and beyond, without the use of chemicals and overmechanized processes. Its so full of joy!

My first Hawaiian raw pie, made with fresh pineapple and cacao, decorated with a hibiscus flower .

There is an abundance of fresh coconuts on the Hawaiian Islands, and often there are coconut stands off the side of the road. Here, a stand in Kauai offers fresh young, sprouted, and mature coconuts .

Growing up, my sister and I would always tag along with my dad for our weekly grocery shopping trip to Port Townsend, a charming Victorian seaport in Washington State. We would scour the aisles for our favorite foods, excitedly asking our dad if we could have this or that, usually sweet things such as those little pocket fruit pies and mini doughnuts. One stop I always loved at the grocery store was the bakery and the cookie counter. When my sister and I arrived, the bakers knew us by name since we were frequent visitors. Every time we went there, we would each get a day-old cookie, ones that were frosted with bright colors or speckled with sprinkles, and we would gobble them down with huge smiles on our faces. This must be when I got hooked on cookies.

Through meditation, yoga, and a local food co-op I found in college, I was able to ease myself into a more organic and whole foods lifestyle. I loved eating a fresh scone after a long run, and I couldnt get enough rice crispy treats as a quick snack to fuel my intense exercise. The co-op had the best baked goods, by far, and was using all organic, unrefined ingredients, a new concept for me. The experience inspired me to think about how delicious healthy food could actually taste, especially the raspberry oat breakfast bars! These were my fuel for yoga class, and my whole outlook on how I should live my life changed drastically during that time.

In 2005 I let go of gluten-containing products, out of necessity, when I began seeing a naturopath who woke me up to the realization that these foods were really causing harm in my body. Gluten-free products were still pretty new to the natural foods world. Luckily I was living in Seattle, Washington, when I discovered a bakery with gluten-free sweets called Flying Apron. They had the most amazing maple shortbread, and I splurged on a mini pumpkin pie. I revisited Flying Apron many times, and they always had new daily treats, including cake, pie, cookies, bars, and anything else a lover of sweet baked goods could desire. The mini pecan pies were out of this world, and they even had some of those raspberry oat bars, gluten-free style. That got me thinking: why cant I make healthy, gluten-free sweets, too?

About a year later I actually started to make my own raw food desserts. This was less intimidating than baking to me, and more uniquely creative. Making raw pies was my first attempt at creating a unique raw dessert recipe, filled with rich creaminess, and no heavy feeling after I ate it. A raw pie is essentially a cookie crust with a creamy pudding filling. It felt so natural to be making these desserts, and I loved making them beautiful too, since they were made to be shared. My family truly enjoys these treats, and I couldnt be happier that they are now incorporating many of these foods into their daily life. A little raw chocolate or coconut shortbread will easily do the trick!

In 2009 I serendipitously met my now-husband, Brian, and began creating herbal superfood honey mixtures, raw pies, and cookies made with heirloom cacao, all by using superfood ingredients that the company he worked for manufactured and distributed. I couldnt get enough, and soon after I was inspired by Brian to put one of my best herbal honey mixtures into a jar to sell to friends and at small events. This was the beginning of my raw dessert company Diviana Alchemy. People started to rave about the herbal honey product, Diviana Nectar, so I continued to make more and have the opportunities to share it with more and more people. I have slowly grown the product line over the years to contain some of my favorite cookies and chocolates, including Lucuma Cookie Bites and the Nectar Bar, as a small business owner, somewhere I never in the past would have envisioned myself. It continues to challenge me and inspire creativity, and what I love most of all is sharing these magical treats with you! The recipes in this book are made to open the flower of creativity within, and I hope it is enjoyed and shared with much joy!