Agave nectar has the wonderful quality of enhancing the natural flavors of foods it is used with. This comes in handy when creating simple and healthy dessert recipes.
Seasonal fruit alone is actually the healthiest dessert I can imagine. A crisp and tartly-sweet apple slice, a plump cherry bursting in my happy mouth, a juicy bite off a perfectly-ripened pear…who doesn’t relish such divine memories of nature’s wonderful gifts?
Wild strawberries…oh my God! I remember the long-gone days when grandpa took me to the nearby forest to collect some of the sweetest morsels I’ve ever eaten. It seems like they don’t grow them like that anymore; for sure not in the inner city of Austin, Texas. Nostalgia…
Back to the here and now. Mass-produced berries are often picked a bit too early so they hold up better for shipping. These berries didn’t get a chance to develop their optimal flavor, and sometimes they taste bland and boring.
A few years ago, when I first drizzled some agave nectar over a bowl of raspberries, I was stunned by the result. The agave seemed to have awakened the natural raspberry flavor to a full “bloom”. The degree of sweetness was just right and the remaining juice tasted like a true nectar of the gods. It was unbelievably good.
One time at a Central Market store in Dallas, Texas, we had a sample event for my own product – Agasweet flavored agave nectar. The produce department provided us with fresh blueberries, so the customers could try the agave-sweetened fruit. I decided to macerate the blueberries with my almond-flavored agave. It was a revelation! These two flavors go extremely well together. But using an unflavored nectar would result in an equally delicious dessert.
Whichever fruit you prefer or have handy in your fridge, this low-glycemic, alternative sweetener will elevate it to a quick and easy, healthy and wonderful dessert dish. You don’t even have to use much of the agave syrup, because it is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar. A tablespoon or two per serving of fruit is probably all you need. The amount, of course, depends on your personal taste.
Cut up your fruit however you like it, leave small berries whole, or make a colorful fruit salad. Add some agave nectar (and maybe a few drops of lemon juice)…stir…ready. Enjoy!
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